PROFILE IN PHILANTHROPY LORRAINE C. DODERO
As we focus on the Holy Cross charism of zeal throughout this school year and this publication,it is so fitting that we spotlight Trustee Lorraine C. Dodero, and her zealous support of our school and our students. Lorraine Dodero’s impact on Gilmour Academy can be witnessed on our campus, in our student body and on our Board of Trustees. She has made a steadfast and
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significant commitment to supporting families in need of financial support for Catholic education. This support has been transformational for the students she assists and our wider Gilmour community. Her dedication to Holy Cross and Gilmour Academy is rooted in her Catholic faith and her own family’s experiences at Gilmour when her daughter Corinne Dodero Salvador ’02 was a Middle and Upper School student. Even in the years since Corinne’s graduation, Lorraine and her husband, Bill, have loyally supported Gilmour in extraordinary ways. In 2011, Lorraine established the SJF Foundation in memory of her father, Sam J. Frankino. Frankino served as the CEO of Agency Rent-A-Car and National Auto Credit and became the face of auto rental
and leasing in the community. Throughout the entirety of his career, he was guided by a commitment to hard work, thrift, faith in God and compassion for others. In its first year, the foundation selected four Gilmour students as SJF Scholars and, two years after, an additional nine SJF Scholars were added. Just a decade later, 33 students have benefited or will benefit from Lorraine’s vision, compassion and generosity. SJF Scholars must be dedicated in their pursuit of academic excellence and have strong interest and participation in the performing arts or S.T.E.M. programming. Additionally, commitment to community service and student leadership are hallmarks of the SJF Scholars. Of this notable group of SJF Scholars, 12 have graduated from college and are pursuing professional careers and/or post-graduate degrees, six are currently completing their undergraduate programs and four will enter college this fall. The remaining 11 are current students or incoming freshmen at Gilmour. In addition to her support of our tuition assistance program, Lorraine’s philanthropy at Gilmour extends to Gilmour’s endowment, academic programming and numerous capital campaigns. Most significantly, she and Bill provided the leadership gift for the new Center for Performing Arts, now named in their honor.
Lorraine also lends her talents to the Academy. She has chaired the school’s two most recent galas. Her energy and leadership have resulted in record-setting profits first at the 70thAnniversary Gala and then at the 75th Anniversary Gala this past September. Lorraine is a member of the Gilmour Academy Corporation and serves on the Gilmour Board of Trustees. She and Bill are longstanding members of the Head of School’s Cabinet within Gilmour’s Blue and Gray Society. Asked about her commitment to Gilmour, Lorraine shared, “All my life, I have been driven by my strong belief that every child should have access to a quality education. Education changes lives. I know that it changed mine. No child should be denied the transformative power of a great education and Gilmour provides an exceptional opportunity for all students.” Her generosity and leadership extend beyond Gilmour and she has had a profound impact on our community. Lorraine is a board member for the Catholic Community Foundation and the Executive Director for the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, Ohio Chapter. She has chaired countless events for organizations ranging from the American Heart Association to the Red Cross to University Hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, always with a focus on creating opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for children and families in need.
