MAGAZINE OF ST. JOSEPH’S COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE
IN THIS ISSUE: A YEAR OF SIGNUM FIDEI
REMEMBERING JACK KENNY ‘68†
CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2022
Kyan Chase ’22 (stroke) leads the St. Joe’s 4+ on their home course at Westside Rowing Club. Chase will be rowing for the College of the Holy Cross in the fall.
Our Mission
St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute transforms the lives of students from diverse backgrounds through academic excellence and care for the whole person in a respectful, Lasallian Catholic community, developing each student’s unique talents in preparation for college and life.
Chris Fulco, Ed.D.
President
Jim Spillman ’95
Principal
Pete Kennedy ’97
Vice President of Enrollment Management
Katie Kinder Potenza
Director of Marketing and Communications
Dan Warner ’06
Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Editor
Katie Kinder Potenza
Layout & Design
Catie Sedor
Student Contributor
Samuel Herr ’22
Photographers
David Marino ’79
James McCoy
Andrew Miller ’85
Katie Kinder Potenza
Alumni Editor
James Crane ’21
Contributors
Bruce Andriatch ’82
Bill Collins ’72
James Crane ’21
Kathy Deyell
Chris Fulco
TJ Krzystek ’11
Katie Kinder Potenza
Chris Panepinto ’02
Catie Sedor
The Marauders finished their spring season with medal finishes at Stotesbury, States, Nationals, and Canadian Nationals. They brought home the Thomas Terhaar ’87 Cup after beating Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA), and for the first time in SJCI history, captured the Men’s Varsity 8 at the NYS Scholastic Rowing Championships. The team is coached by Ryan Ficorilli ’97.
Varsity Baseball won a best of three series over Canisius to take home the 2022 Georgetown Cup, part of their eighth championship appearance in ten years. The Marauders are coached by Paul Nasca ’86.
Varsity Lacrosse had a 11-9 win over Nichols to secure their sixth consecutive Monsignor Martin High School Athletic Association Lacrosse Championship. Tyler Smart ’23 was named MVP. The team is coached by Pete Hudecki ’92.
This edition of The Collegiate Magazine highlights the accomplishments of students and alumni. From a senior opening a small business to alumni working to prevent neuron degeneration, innovating farming, and serving in Congress, St. Joe’s students and alumni often leave 845 Kenmore Avenue for impressive careers and lives. St. John Baptist de La Salle valued preparing students for the future, and since his students were mainly from poor, working-class families, career advancement was a focus. We take career preparation seriously at St. Joe’s, and I invite you to read about the new offerings in business and economics we have instituted since moving away from the Regents.
However, as you read about the work and achievements of the Class of 2022 and our alumni, there is a meaningful and unique thread that runs through each story, a thread so central to what we do at St. Joe’s that we are making it our schoolwide theme for the 2022-23 school year. In each story contained in this issue, you see men living authentically as Signum Fidei – “signs of faith.” Regardless of their industry and accomplishments, these men work to serve others, their community, and God. As our school makes Signum Fidei the focus of the upcoming year, I invite you to take part and incorporate the Year of Signum Fidei into your life.
Of course, inspiring boys to become “signs of faith” doesn’t happen by accident. St. Joe’s can only accomplish this through the work of great teachers, and we lost one of the best this spring with the passing of Mr. Jack Kenny ’68†. I have heard countless stories from teachers and alumni about his expert teaching, love of literature, and inspirational presence. In his instructions to the early Christian Brothers, De La Salle emphasized that his teachers needed to be models and examples for their students; Jack Kenny was precisely that. The legacy of Jack Kenny lives on in the classrooms of the many St. Joe’s teachers he taught and mentored over the years and in the thousands of students he taught during his long and illustrious career.
As we wrap up another school year and prepare to welcome a new class of Marauders this fall, I want to congratulate the Class of 2022, a class that experienced a unique four years. And I thank you, loyal alumni and friends, for your support in helping them through a truly challenging time. I pray that they, like so many of you, incorporate what they learned at SJCI to become the embodiment of Signum Fidei for their families, employers, and communities.
Christopher M. Fulco, Ed.D. President
October 16 & 17, 2022
OPEN HOUSE forstudentsingrades5,6,7,&8
October 16 & 17, 2022
Online registration will open in the fall.
MARAUDER FOR A DAY for8thgraders
Students can be a St. Joe’s student for a day. Experience what it’s like to be a Marauder. Online registration will open in the fall.
ENTRANCE EXAM PREP COURSE forstudentsingrades7&8
A four-week course offered on Saturdays in the fall to prepare boys to take the Catholic High School Entrance Exam. Enroll today at www.sjci.com/prepcourse
ENTRANCE EXAM for8thgraders
Take the Catholic High School Entrance & Scholarship Exam on Saturday, November 19, 2022, at St. Joe’s. Exam fee will be waived for Prep Course students.
As we look forward to the 2022-23 school year and a progression towards the return to normalcy, St. Joe’s is excited to announce a return to themed years, with the first designated The Year of Signum Fidei.
Signum Fidei, or “Sign of Faith,” refers to the Gospel story in which the Wise Men followed the star in hopes of it leading to God. At St. Joe’s, through prayer each morning and before every class, we remember “we are in the Holy Presence of God,” and use this sign of faith to forge a closer relationship with God and with each other. Years ago, St. Joe’s had a four-year, rotating cycle of that called upon students, faculty, and staff to look closer at their faith and how it plays a role in their everyday life. With the renewal of these themes, students will approach each of their four years with a new focal point incorporated into classrooms, masses, and retreats. By graduation, students will have rotated through the cycle and be able to reflect on all four themes as part of their SJCI experience. As our school grows each year and our world continues to rapidly change, themes will apply and speak differently as they are approached each time.
As St. Joe’s continues to enhance and develop its academic and athletic offerings, it is important to continue advancing our relationship with God and look deeper into our human connections. We can look at everyday pieces of our lives to see where God is present — which often can be in our educational experiences. As a school rooted in Lasallian tradition, all courses, from geometry to history to arts to chemistry, allow students to experience God’s presence through education.
Regardless of where a SJCI student, teacher, or staff is in their faith journey, this is a calling to reflect and look at forming a bond that makes us more like God. Our growth as humans and academics at St. Joe’s calls us to connect these pieces with our faith to make us better Brothers to others.
Having an entire year dedicated to Signum Fidei provides the foundation to understand, reflect, and act on the Lasallian principle that we are all called to be God’s Presence by being our most authentic human self. This will encourage our community to enter a year of reflection and retreat, discovering that God is present not in just religion courses but everywhere.
The Sign of Faith becomes a relationship between students and teachers — a living testament to Faith, Service, and Community. By improving on the small things in our lives, we can expand our relationship and grow closer to God. Focusing on the theme of Signum Fidei will remind us that our faith repeatedly tells us we are truly family, and that we are called to Brotherhood with everyone. During the school year, administrators and teachers will find tangible ways to ensure students can discover the Signum Fidei in their lives through methods such as:
• A common prayer added to masses, classrooms, and retreats that reflects on Signs of Faith present in our lives.
• Incorporating faith-based components into leadership goals while embracing the Lasallian Catholic heritage.
• Supporting each other as we continue on our faith journey no matter where we are.
• Concentrating on our words and actions and responding in faith-based ways that show we are constantly in God’s presence.
As an alumnus or member of the St. Joe’s community, here are ways that you can incorporate this Year of Signum Fidei into your life:
• Attend daily/weekly masses, or actively participate in your faith community.
• Treat others with respect and kindness.
• Welcome others into the Lasallian community.
• Give service to others by volunteering for organizations that need your help the most.
Since the transition away from the New York State Regents curriculum in 2019, St. Joe’s teachers and administrators continue to discover new ways to expand course offerings and incorporate topics required to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Social Studies Teacher Mr. Michael Stewart and Business and Economics Teacher Mr. Will LaCroix wanted to be a part of this shift and design solutions to fill the gap in parts of the common high school education system: financial literacy and business skills.
One of the biggest motivators for Stewart to introduce new courses, such as Comparative Economic Systems, is to have “students walk away financially literate, understand what things cost, understand interest rates, put together a budget if they were to live on their own, and see different expenses,” he says.
This type of approach, especially within the Economics and Social Studies fields, is uncommon at other high schools and is part of the uniquely St. Joe’s tradition to prepare students for college and life. Some of the conventional economics courses have been reshaped to not simply teach the “textbook” supply and demand, more practical information can help students make better
decisions about investing in the economy, understanding the stock market, the importance of saving, debt, and making smart financial decisions. Here, application is just as important as learning the foundational content.
While it is always the hope of a teacher to inspire students to develop a career in the subject they teach, both Stewart and LaCroix understand that not every student is interested in economics as a career path.
“The goal is to spotlight economics as the study of decisions rather than just money,” Stewart says. “It can be as simple as ‘how much sleep I get’ versus ‘how much studying I’m doing.’ For example, I could sleep that extra hour, but then I lose that hour of study. So there’s choices we make, and economics can help us understand the best one.”
For LaCroix, he is looking to excite students and to provide information and resources most students don’t receive until college.
“I try to relate as much as I can to the real world so that students directly see how what we are learning in class helps them in a business or economics field,” LaCroix says.
In his class Business Studies: Fundamentals of
Leadership, LaCroix focuses on exposing students to foundational concepts that are reinforced through a team project where students create a product, funding plan, startup costs, marketing plans, and more. After all the concepts are pitched, classmates vote on the best business ideas and presentations.
Holding true to St. Joe’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, courses such as Wealth in America allow students to analyze wealth and inequality, and how people in poverty have different experiences based on various societal factors.
“We discuss and examine where wealth goes, who gets it and how,” explains LaCroix.
Students learn and discuss political policies and actions that both increase and decrease the wealth gap, and conclude with a paper in which they create tangible policies to address the wealth gap in the U.S. One of the key parts of this course is looking at how students can bring change to their communities. After graduating from St. Joe’s, their next steps in life may present the opportunity to inspire change in others and reduce the inequity present in the economic system.
For students starting to look ahead at college and beyond, the revised Career Exploration Program allows them to attend workshops, take field trips, and participate in internships with alumni who can speak about their career in a specific field, explain how they got there, and demonstrate what students can do to best prepare themselves for success.
According to LaCroix, “this a great opportunity for students to engage directly with alumni, learn how that person got into their job field, and what students can do to best prepare themselves to work in that field.”
Ultimately, Stewart and LaCroix aim to better prepare students for college and professional life through the creation of these innovative, hands-on courses that extend beyond the typical Regents curriculum’s boundaries. Of course, if along the way a few students are inspired to become tomorrow’s leaders in business and finance, that’s an added bonus for the pair.
Jack Starck ’22 is on his way to the University of Alabama this fall, studying business with an experience most of his classmates there won’t have: a business course at St. Joe’s and Bills games. While looking at which classes would be most beneficial to him in his senior year, Jack selected Mr. LaCroix’s Business Studies: Fundamentals of Leadership to build a strong foundation and gain real world experiences about entrepreneurship, marketing, and more. His favorite part of the class was the emphasis placed directly on students to think critically about their role as future leaders in a 21st century business environment.
At the end of semester, Jack worked with fellow seniors Ben Hausle and Antonio D’Aloisio on their team project to create a product and business they coined “The ReBILLdable Table.” They were tasked to study overall pricing, manufacturing, sales/target markets, and investor relations, and presented their concept as the solution to broken Bills tailgate tables by creating a reversible, detachable hinge that can be reconnected after each use.
Because of his experience, Jack feels better equipped to overcome the challenges he’ll face at Alabama, and is looking forward to creating the solution to a Bills game day dilemma.
Joey Vilardo ’22 sat in Mr. Stewart’s Comparative Economic Systems class in the fall of 2021.
“On the first day, Mr. Stewart was teaching us how to influence sales by creating buy-one-get-one-free deals,” said Joey.
While the students listened to the lecture, Joey took notes on everything Mr. Stewart said. Unlike most juniors and seniors in the course, he had more to gain than simply getting a good grade. While still a high school student, he was in the process of creating a business plan with the goal of opening his own clothing store.
“A few years ago, I got into thrifting,” said Joe. “I love men’s fashion and vintage clothing. I spent a lot of time at thrift shops.”
Eventually, his interest in finding the perfect vintage tee became more than a hobby. He noticed that much of the industry is dominated by expensive items. Finding casual, vintage pieces of clothing at an affordable price was a challenge. So, with encouragement from his father, Joey embarked on a mission to open up his own thrift shop, focusing on items at a lower price point.
A few months into his senior year, Joey opened Not Joe Mama’s Vintage at 1005 Elmwood Avenue.
“I was fortunate to have last-period free each day,” said Joey. “I would leave school and go straight to the store.”
As the sole employee, Joey works Tuesday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Initially, he relied on buying vintage clothes in bulk. However, as his customers and online presence grew (on Instagram as @NotJoeMamasVintage), he began to purchase items directly from customers. He sells graphic tees ($20-$35) and crewnecks to a customer base made primarily of college students and young adults.
Joey credits his success to the support of his family and St. Joe’s.
“From the beginning, St. Joe’s taught me to work hard,” he said. “With dedication, planning, and research, anything is possible. Mr. Stewart’s business class helped me a lot.”
Though his Economics class provided him with invaluable knowledge for his new business, Joey even credits some of the courses at St. Joe’s that he wasn’t
able to take.
“A lot of my friends took E-Commerce,” he said. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to, but my friends would give me tips and help me when I was growing my social media presence and buying ads online.”
While most of his friends work summer jobs in landscaping, retail, and restaurants, Joey is happy being his own boss.
“I’ve always wanted to own my own business,” he said. “I love working for myself, and I like the challenge of learning the skills necessary to succeed.”
Joey will attend the University of Arizona to study business in the fall. He will close his store on Elmwood at the end of the summer, but customers will still be able to purchase items online. He plans to pack his inventory in his car and drive it to Tucson. When the semester begins, he will run his business out of his dorm room and ship to customers all over the country.
If you have the chance to shop at Not Joe Mama’s Vintage this summer, make sure to ask for the “Mr. Stewart special.” Joey will gladly sell you two shirts and throw the third one in for free.
Middle School: Nativity Miguel Middle School of Buffalo
Activities: Varsity Track, Cross Country, Equity and Justice Club, Collegiate Ambassador
Reflecting on my time at SJCI: I am really grateful for the teachers and coaches at St. Joe’s. In the classroom, they were my teachers. But ouside the classroom, they were my friends. They made sure I suceeded.
My Future Plans: I will be attending Canisius College in the fall. I am planning on joining the cross country team and majoring in psychology. Ever since I was in middle school, I have been fascinated by people, their decisions, and how their brains work. I hope someday to work in a field where I can help others, like social work.
Cole Kaufman ’25
Middle School: Christian Central Academy
Activities: Basketball
Freshman Year Reflections: I met JV Basketball Coach Brian Legge while I was still in 8th grade. After we met, I knew I wanted to play for St. Joe’s. When I arrived, I didn’t know many people or what to expect. My teachers and coaches helped me feel comfortable while also pushing me to be the best I could be. This year, I learned what Brotherhood means. I’ve made friends of all class years, and like the teachers, my Brothers also push me to be my best. I’m blessed to be part of SJCI.
Josh
Middle School: St. Gregory the Great Activities: JV Soccer, Varisty Singers, Swing Choir, Spring Musical, Brother Pompian Honors Academy
Finding my Place: The best aspects of my St. Joe’s experience have been the people I have met and the friends I have made. I found my niche in the music department. Through my participation in Varsity Singers, Swing Choir, and the Spring Musical, I’ve gotten to know some of the greatest people I’ve ever met, always ready to lead and inspire.
I’m looking forward to two more years of being part of the music department, which has been the best part of my high school career.
Brendan
Middle School: St. Stephen School
Activities: Senior Class Representative, Varsity Basketball, Varsity Track (Captian), Collegiate Ambassador Student Leadership: Whether playing a sport in a St. Joe’s uniform or representing my classmates in a student council meeting, I try my best to be a role model. I try to look out for the younger guys on my team and my classmates and I hope that my leadership skills complement my athletic performance.
As a Senior Class Representative, my goal is to make our senior year as memorable as possible and regain the time we lost due to COVID.
Murphy ’23
Defeated Canisius to win the Georgetown Cup for the first time since 2017 and appeared in the CHSAA State Championships. Marauders finished 1st in the MMHSAA, with Tom Zwirecki ’22 named Offensive Player of the Year.
Basketball
Baseball Earned a 14-11 overall record (8-4 in MMHSAA). Justin Glover ’22 earned 1st Team All-Catholic and became SJCI’s all-time leader in assists, steals, and 3-pointers.
Bowling
Earned MMHSAA regular season champions for the 24th time with a 41-4 record. Robbie Cehulik ’22 was 2022 NYS CHSAA Bowling Champion.
Cross Country
The team finished with a 5-2 overall record.
Football
Varsity finished their season 1-3 overall. Mike Noonan ’22, Dion Anderson ’23, and Pharell Livingston ’22 earned 1st Team All-Catholic honors.
The Marauders finished 3-5 overall. Robbie Cehulik ’22 earned All-Catholic Medalist Honors. Nolan Lin ’22 and Cehulik competed in the CHSAA tournament. Cehulik placed 5th, leading all Buffalo Diocese golfers.
Golf Finished 11-9-3-1 overall. Matthew Croll ’22 led with 24 points in 24 games. Samuel Herr ’22 led the team with 13 goals.
Lacrosse
Won the regular season and claimed their 6th straight MMHSAA Championship. Tyler Smart ’23 was named Co-Player of the Year. Smart, Evan Gallo ’23, Alex Polisoto ’22, and Sabastiano LaTorre ’24 earned 1st Team All-Catholic.
Rowing
Earned hardware in a many events: 1V4 won gold at Canadian Nationals, Varsity 8 won Thomas Terhaar Cup, 2V4 won gold at Stotesbury Cup Regatta, Varstiy 8+ won scholastic gold for the 1st time in SCJI history, along with Varsity 4 winning scholastic gold and 2nd overall, at NYS Championships.
Soccer
Finished 10-7-3 overall. Owen Christiano ’23 and Dan Donovan ’23 earned 1st Team All-Catholic.
Squash
The 6th year of SJCI Squash, Jacob Fielding ’25 earned Most Improved Player, Aidan Cusack ’22 won Coach’s Award, and Peter King ’22 earned the Dedication Award.
Track & Field
Finished 2nd in MMHSAA regular season and All-Catholic Tournament. Kai Messmer ’23 was team MVP.
Finished 14-8 overall, and beat Canisius in the regular season for the 1st time in 10 years. Kyle Chmiel ’22 was MMHSAA Co-Player of the Year.
The Marauders were MMHSAA All-Catholic Team Champions. Austin Zimmerman ’24 was 2022 CHSAA 110 lb Champion and named WNY Athletics’ MMHSAA Wrestler of the Year.
Competing in College
The Class of 2022 will have 21 athletes competing in seven different sports.
In total, SJCI had 40 senior All-WNY Scholar-Athletes recognized for academics and athletics.
Scholar Athletes
David Alessi
Eric Aquilina
Robert Balcerak
Brandon Barone
Ryan Bevilacqua
Michael Blake
Evan Blatner
Dylan Blazynski
Maximilian Blum
Tyler Brotz
Adam Brown
Edward Brown
John Brown
Michael Cannavo
Andrew Carpenter
Christopher Casarsa
Nathan Casarsa
Gabriello Casilio
Kyan Chase
Kyle Chmiel
Elek Clark
Myree Clark
Anthony Corasanti
Matthew Croll
Aidan Cusack
Antonio D’Aloisio
Nathaniel D’Amato
Keenan Daye
Noah Denning
Anthony DePinto
Jack DiGiulio
Frank DiLeo
Keegan Ficorilli
Marco Filice
Lars Finlayson
Evan Folsom
Elijah Gehl
Marc Gengo
Alexander Glenn
Justin Glover
Peter Gottler Jr.
Joshua Gramitt
Benjamin Grande
Tyler Grau
Jackson Guinther
Aaron Hall
Matthew Halsdorfer
Samuel Hanlon
Benjamin Hausle
Joseph Haynes
Patrick Hennegan
Samuel Herr
Magnus Indridson
Solomon Jackson III
Andrew Jasinski
“All of us have had unique experiences and challenges going through a St. Joe’s education, but I am confident most of us have learned through at least one experience what it means to work hard and know what it is like to be inspired by a teacher or administrator. This school has demanded a lot from us, and in the short term the work we have done has been tiring, but I am confident that our ability to push through this struggle will prepare us for the hardships of life.”
Crosby Juliano
Patrick Killian
Peter King
Amaree Knox
Joseph Kuhn
Luis Lazzara
Benjamin Leahy
Christian LeBlanc
Elias Lesswing
Nicholas Licata
Nolan Lin
Pharrell Livingston
Jason Lofft
Nathan Long
William Lopes
Theodore Lukowski
Logan MacDonald
Tyler MacLeod
Patrick Majerski
Aaron Ackley Robert Cehulik Harrison will be attending University of Pittsburgh, with an undeclared major. Harrison Sly ’22
Colin Manke
Colin Marcolini
Brennan McElroy
Cameron McIntyre
Brendan McKendry
Ryan McMann
Cole Meller
John Michalski
John Mielcarek
Jason Mikienis
Anthony Milioto
Duncan Miller
Nicholas Monetti
Michael Muffoletto
Max Naples-Norani
Travis Nixon
Michael Noonan
Kellen O’Connor
Ryan O’Leary
Paul Occhipinti
Gabriel Parisi
Deven Perry
Dean Phillips
William Plewa
Alex Polisoto
Liam Post
Hunter Potts
Nicholas Proenza
Nicholas Pusatier
Luca Race
William Rahill
Aaron Reeb
Glaw Reh
Kee Reh
Plu Reh
Zachary Reinhart
Colin Richey
Daeshyon Riley
Nathan Rivet
Alexander Roberts
Nathan Santana
Greyson Schifferli
James Shaw
Matthew Sinatra
Harrison Sly
Owen Smith
Jared Sokolik
Max Stanger
Jack Starck
Joseph Stumpo
Tyler Sweda
Eric Swiencicki
John Szymczak
Mark Tasca Jr.
Zachary Terry
Benjamin Tocke
Christian Trotter
Quinn Tubridy
John Van Vessem
Brian Vanini
Demario Vass Jr.
Joseph Vilardo
Joshua Warrington
William Wiedenbeck
Conor Woodson
Stephen Zelazny
Nathan Zenger
Christopher Zilliox
Thomas Zwirecki
“This last phase of this climb together has been the culmination of the time we have gotten to spend together. Mostly free from the fears of further school closings and stoppages of progress, we have been able to climb with the closeness and gratefulness we developed junior year, the willingness to challenge ourselves that we learned sophomore year, and just enough of the wide-eyed enthusiasm from freshman year. We no longer climb as individuals, but as a team and as we reach the top of the mountain, we see something spectacular.”
Patrick will attend Rochester Institute of Technology, majoring in mechanical engineering.
Ian O’Rourke
Elliot Torres
Patrick Killian ’22
“It’s hard to pinpoint how much St. Joe’s has meant to me these past four years. It has been a place to learn and grow as a person, be taught valuable lessons from teachers, and a place of a strong community. For me, it has been a second home for the past four years. St. Joe’s has been here for me through thick and thin, every day. A strong connection has been formed between me and many of my teachers and other faculty members. That is really what it’s all about; Lasallian schools touching the hearts of their students. Looking back, I have realized how much St. Joe’s naturally lives up to the values and beliefs that have shaped the school to be what it is.
“St. Joe’s and the Brotherhood that encircles it have allowed me to realize who I am: a leader, an athlete, an Eagle Scout, a volunteer, a Euchartistic Minister, but most important of all, a St. Joe’s student. For the last four years, I have been constantly learning and progressing into the person I am today. Being a St. Joe’s student means being blessed with the opportunity to spend four years surrounded by students, faculty, and other individuals who want nothing more than to see you succeed.”
“St. Joe’s has instilled in me the significance of an inclusive community, inspiring me to use my voice to call for it. The community aspect of St. Joe’s is unparagoned, led by the intrinsic sense of Brotherhood that each student feels. A multitude of causes are plausible: united hardship, analogous backgrounds and interests, or even alike perseverance through athletics. All of this may be correct, but what truly makes St. Joe’s unparalleled is its sense of community. St. Joe’s has taught me what a rallying community is; it taught me true inclusion.”
“Our ability to make a difference in the world gets easier if we’re equipped with the right tools, and we receive those tools at St. Joe’s. As Catholics, it is our duty to ‘Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord,’ and to present Christ’s wisdom to others in a gentlemanly manner. Deacon Hines taught us this. He has shown me not to use my knowledge for my own sake, but for others, and that it is now my turn to act as a servant leader, using the wisdom I have gained through St. Joe’s to educate and broaden others’ perspectives.”
Dr. Kenneth Snyder ’90 addressed the Class of 2022 as this year’s commencement speaker. While at St. Joe’s, Dr. Snyder was an athlete and musician with active involvement in cross country, track, and basketball, along with playing in the Jazz Lab Band.
Following graduation from SJCI, Dr. Snyder attended The Catholic University of America where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Engineering. He then went on to earn his medical degree and PhD in Biophysics and Physiology from the University at Buffalo. Currently, he is an associate professor of neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo, the Vice President of Physician Quality for Kaleida Health, and the Co-Director of the Health System Science Curriculum for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences. Dr. Snyder is also completing his second year of a Masters program in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety at Johns Hopkins.
During his commencement address, he called on the Class of 2022 to “learn to listen and follow that voice in your head and in your heart; use that moral compass as a guide. The character of man you have grown to be over the past 4 years has prepared you for the complex challenges that life will bring your way. This SJCI community of learning, and the ability to push one another to be our best, goes well beyond the walls of this building and continues throughout all of our lives and the communities in which we live together.”
Take a look at just a few of the colleges and universities that accepted our 2022 graduates.
Novelist Thomas Wolfe long ago published a novel entitled, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” meaning, if you try to return to a place you remember from the past, it won’t be the same as you remember it.
Wolfe was right and when the Class of 1972 gathered for our Golden Jubilee on May 23rd, St. Joe’s definitely wasn’t the place as we remembered it. It’s far better.
After all these years, I have a view of reunions: You didn’t have to love the school or the teachers or the coaches but we got only one shot at high school. Our class was together for four of the most important years of our lives and nothing will ever change that. We are connected for life through our shared daily experiences in the classrooms, study halls, extracurricular activities, cafeteria, stages, and fields of play.
St. Joe’s was a typical Catholic high school when we matriculated — a good school but not great. But that’s only my opinion. When we entered in September 1968, St. Joe’s was at the cusp of a transition from a strict, meat-andpotatoes school, to what it one day would become — and is now — and it’s too bad we couldn’t have experienced what the boys are receiving today. But times change and life evolves and SJCI has never been, or will be, immune. It was a
tumultuous four years in our school and in the world around us between 1968 and 1972 and no doubt the class of 2022 will be saying the same thing when they come back in 2072. We had Vietnam and political divisiveness…and they had COVID and political divisiveness.
My sons, Will and Charlie, graduated from St. Joe’s in 2009 and 2018, respectively, so I had the good fortune of twice experiencing our school as a parent. Everything about it is better when compared to 50 years ago, but then again, what isn’t? The physical plant, faculty, curriculum, administration, sports, the performing arts and the extracurricular offerings are markedly different from our day, but what hasn’t changed is the Brotherhood immersed in the Catholic faith and the Lasallian mission. St. Joe’s always was — and is — a good place and for 50 years I’ve been proud to call it alma mater.
A word of advice to the classes following behind us: attend your 50th reunion and participate in the commencement ceremony. You will not regret it! You CAN go home again and I encourage you to do so.
God bless the St. Joe’s Class of 1972.
This year’s recipient of the Man of the Year Award is Mr. Mark Zirnheld ’78.
Born and raised in the Town of Tonawanda, Mark has strong connections to St. Joe’s, previously holding positions on the Alumni Board, Parent’s Guild Alumni Liaison, and as member on the Board of Trustees. He was inducted into the Signum Fidei Society in 2017.
In the Buffalo community, Mark has been involved with the Society of St. Vincent De Paul since 1988, when he was asked to assist with the planning process for a concept store for the organization. He became an employee and worked as a store manager, and in 1989 became an executive director for the organization. In 2016, he was named the Society’s CEO/Executive Director.
In his closing remarks at the Man of the Year ceremony this past March, Zirnheld reflected on, “the Lasallian charism that resonates within us whether we walked the halls together, or decades apart. We are all part of the fabric and history of St. Joe’s and share that special bond.”
Brothers are loyal and should give support and help to others in times of need. Brothers should overlook others’ failings, forgive their mistakes, and help them overcome their shortcomings. They should not
torment in word or deed, and protect those who are bullied. Brothers should speak out in sincerity when a wrong needs to be corrected but will hold their tongue when it will cause them to speak callously. Most importantly, Brothers pray with and for one another.”
— Mark Zirnheld ’78We are fortunate at St. Joe’s to have faculty and staff who touch the hearts of our students and perform small miracles in their classrooms and offices each day.
Each year, we celebrate one of our own with the Lasallian Educator Award, given to a faculty member who exemplifies the passion St. La Salle had for education and has made extraordinary contributions to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute through their hard work and dedication. This year’s award was presented to English Teacher Mrs. Melanie Crounse. Melanie is truly innovative and creative in the classroom. But it is her ability to connect with our students that makes her exceptional.
The De La Salle Community Award recognizes a person within the St. Joe’s community who goes above and beyond to serve, using St. La Salle as an example. This year Mr. Pat Washington ‘04, Assistant Director of Admissions, is the recipient. Pat is usually the first face a prospective student sees upon venturing onto campus the first time, and he couldn’t be a better ambassador for St. Joe’s. He is an example to our community of how to build relationships as a Lasallian.
My journey to becoming a Neuroscientist began at 845 Kenmore Avenue as a member of the Class of 2011. While at St. Joe’s, I developed a strong affinity for life sciences and became fascinated by the cells in our brain called neurons.
The summer after my junior year, my science teacher, Mr. Roland, organized an internship for me in the University at Buffalo Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. I assisted both graduate and undergraduate students in researching cancers, and it was the first time I saw how a lab functioned and research was conducted. That initial experience transformed the trajectory of my future studies and career. I was hooked.
After graduating from Canisius College, I focused my attention towards neurodegenerative diseases. I earned my Ph.D. in biological sciences from
the University at Buffalo, where I investigated novel biological pathways that become disrupted in Huntington’s disease. Currently a research fellow jointly affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, I am working to combine gene editing with advanced microscopy and biochemistry to stimulate intrinsic growth machinery in neurons to prevent degeneration, promote regeneration, and restore function after spinal cord injury.
Reflecting on my time at SJCI, I am grateful for the abundance of lessons learned where each teacher was as influential as the next. I could not imagine trekking this path without the discipline developed from Mr. Deiotte’s music program, the scientific rigor learned from Mr. Roland’s AP biology, the curiosity for the brain sparked by Mr. Lina’s AP Psychology, or the
While developing, neurons possess a growth capacity unlike any other cell in our body, but the neurons in our brain and spinal cord lose this shortly after development. Therefore, these neurons easily degenerate from disease (e.g., Huntington’s, Parkinson’s) or after injury (e.g., spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury) with no regenerative ability.
Photo: Human neurons induced from patient-derived stem cells probed for proteins localized to specific compartments of neurons: axon vs dendrites vs cell body.
critical lens shaped by Deacon Hynes and my English teachers: Mr. Kenny, Mr. Kania, and Mr. Hoerner.
A phrase I heard at St. Joe’s has stuck with me: “Brothers teaching Brothers.” To me, this has meant that we should not just strive to be successful researchers, doctors, lawyers, or bankers. Instead, we need to seek to gain knowledge and share it.
This Lasallian lesson set the wheels in motion for my academic journey and continues to shape my growth as a person and a scientist. In addition to striving for excellence in a craft that I love, it is equally important to hone this gift in a way to help and enrich those around me. It always helps me better align my research curiosity with the needs of others in hopes that I can improve the lives of the patients affected by the ailments I study.
A neuroscientist’s quest to gain knowledge and share it for the betterment of others
In 2018, Gabe Bialkowski ’12 founded Ellicottville Greens (EVL Greens). In 2019, he needed a lead farm manager, and Sal LaTorre ’15 joined as co-founder. Together, they set out on a mission to create a costeffective solution to the “eat local” trends dominating the food industry while focusing on quality, environmental impact, and keeping their St. Joe's history in mind.
Although the two business partners knew each other during their time at SJCI, it wasn't until being reconnected by a mutual alumnus after graduating college that they hit the ground running with Ellicottville Greens.
“When we reconnected, we had similar personal and professional goals,” said Gabe. “We both knew what we wanted to do for Western New York, but that initial connection came from the fact that we were both from St. Joe's.”
They both shared the same vision of having a positive impact on the WNY community.
How two St. Joe’s alumni reconnected and united on a mission to educate others on the future of farming through their business,
“When EVL Greens first started, we wanted to create an environmentally sustainable agritourism destination,” said Gabe. “We wanted a place where communities could come together to learn about the future of farming in an innovative campus environment.”
Sal's degree in Culinary Arts/Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University and Gabe's experience in Computer Software Engineering and Management Information Systems at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Canisius College, respectively, paired well in the partnership to create a holistic understanding of the food industry, management, and logistics.
Since launching, Ellicottville Greens has grown into networks of indoor vertical farms. By using old shipping containers as greenhouses, this sustainable alternative can produce roughly one and a half acres of produce in a 320-square-foot box while only needing access to electricity, water, and flat land. Holding true to its name, the company began farming in Ellicottville, NY, but has
Ellicottville Greenssince relocated its main campus behind the Eastern Hills Mall on Transit Road.
Centering their resources on three main categories (leafy greens, herbs, and mushrooms), EVL Greens removes the need for long-haul transportation and brings better quality, locally grown food right to someone's door. This business model is attractive to bottom-line-focused supermarkets and health-conscious consumers, since the company can quickly establish a location in Anytown, USA and deliver quality produce at the peak of freshness.
“We started by growing produce and building containers,” Gabe explained. “As the containers grew into indoor farms, the business model followed. We realized that there was an opportunity to scale, but at the same time, with COVID, we began to see logistical problems in traditional farming, which led to food shortages. This was an opportunity to launch indoor farms in hyperlocal settings.” Through regular monitoring and analysis, EVL Greens can create more efficient and effective growing environments while maintaining its quality standards. As a farm management company, EVL Greens brings its expertise as an operating partner to design, develop, and operate the container farms, with environmental standards in mind.
“We use recycled water systems,” said Gabe. “We are using about 70% less water. We opt into renewable energy, so we are purchasing solar and hydropower. We are using packaging that is 99% plant-based, trying to eliminate plastics.”
But food isn't the only way EVL Greens focuses locally. With each round of funding from investors to grow the business, Gabe is helping to define the startup funding sector in Buffalo by partnering with local venture capitalists who want to help grow the WNY community.
Gabe concluded, “People really understand, especially since COVID, the food shortages, transportation issues, and what is actually in food, such as E. coli and pesticides. Trends for organic are growing as people are being more health conscious and caring about what they eat.”
The company is trailblazing the future of sustainability for themselves and the planet. New projects in the Broadway Fillmore District of Buffalo and a pilot in Louisville, Kentucky, hope to prove the company's success. With the goal of launching managed container farms in ten new markets next year, EVL Greens is just beginning to define what it means to be locally grown, everywhere™.
With the goal of following his lifelong passion, Sal left Ellicottville Greens in August 2021 to open Humbert House on Main Street in Clarence. Located in a historic property, the restaurant features contemporary bistro-inspired food. As Executive Chef, Sal focused his menu around fresh, locally sourced ingredients, with some of the produce coming directly from Ellicottville Greens. For customers who are interested in having a drink at the bar, Sal recommends the Lemon Basil Mojito (pictured below).
“It is our best-selling cocktail and a perfect summer drink,” said Sal. “The addition of fresh lemon basil from EVL Greens makes it really flavorful. Add a little bit of sriracha, and it's fantastic.”
How Mary Paxon’s decision to send her son to St. Joe’s led him from the halls of 845 Kenmore Avenue to the halls of our nation’s Capitol.
Congressman Bill Paxon ’72 was raised in Akron, NY, at a time where the 25-mile drive to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute was a significant hike for him and his Dad everyday. So, how did he end up so far away from home? He points to his parents’ support.
“According to my Mother, there was never any doubt that my brother Robert, Class of ’75, and I were going to go to St. Joe’s,” Paxon said. “When my Dad asked why we weren’t going to attend Akron High School, my Mother replied ‘because the Pope said so.’”
Paxon remembers walking into the building on the first day of school like it happened just yesterday. Small, nonathletic, and a self-described “at best, average” student, Paxon walked through the hallways without knowing a single person. He was asked by fellow students, “Where are you from?” and he answered “Akron.” He was quickly corrected that the proper answer to that question was to name your parish.
Instead of joining a sports team or immediately excelling academically, Paxon was known for hanging a picture of Richard Nixon in his locker. He was different from the traditional student, and he knew from a young age that he wanted to go into politics.
But that’s what makes St. Joe’s unique. Students from any community, with any interest, just like Paxon, can come to the welcoming arms that De La Salle opened in 1684 for students in France.
“St. Joe’s embraced my nerdiness and out-of-theordinariness,” Paxon says. “A lot of places would have pushed me over in the corner and said ‘good luck, kid.’ St. Joe’s did just the opposite. The school looks for each student’s extraordinary talents and embraces their differences to become part of a whole Lasallian community.”
At 15, Paxon officially entered the political space while volunteering for the first congressional campaign of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jack Kemp. Just a short eight years later and with a Political Science degree from Canisius College, he was elected to the Erie County Legislature as the youngest member ever.
He held a position in the New York State Assembly, and was in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989-1999 representing the 27th District.
While in Congress, he married fellow Congresswoman Susan Molinari from the 13th NY District, and they became the first active congressional married couple. Their oldest daughter, Susan Ruby, is the first child to be born to two members of Congress.
In 1992, Paxon was unanimously elected by House Republicans to Chair the National Republican Congressional Committee, and is credited with leading the 1994 “Republican Revolution.” He is the former Chair of the Republican House Leadership Committee, and former member of the Banking, Budget, Small Business, Veteran Affairs, and Energy and Commerce Committees. After leaving Congress, Paxon remained an active advisor and fundraiser for GOP congressional candidates, and joined Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP to consult with private and public sector clients on policy issues.
He had the opportunity to represent and lobby for global businesses such as Boeing and AT&T, and Western New York organizations such as the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority.
With all of his incredible achievements throughout the years, Paxon circles back to his foundation and credits St. Joe’s as “the reason I am who I am today.”
Whether it was Mr. Joseph Chaya’s Freshman history class
where he debated with other students about hot topic issues such as President Nixon and the Vietnam War, or the speech team that developed his ability to give effective elevator pitches, he took the lessons and principles learned from the classroom and linked them to the responsibilities of his professional career.
“People such as Principal Brother Victor Hickey saw my mediocre academics and surrounded me with encouragement and the confidence needed to succeed,” recalled Paxon.
Paxon walked into a building where no one knew him, and students and teachers alike embraced his strong faith and passion for politics.
He’s thrilled to share his story with others as part of the strong alumni network and to give back to the school that helped fuel his growth as a student and person.
In 1999, he started the Leon W. and Mary P. Paxon Endowment Fund with the goal of providing financial aid to deserving students. He is also a generous contributor to the St. Joe's Fund, the school's annual fund that supports students with financial aid and other resources.
He was inducted into Signum Fidei in 1998, St. Joe’s lifetime achievement award and highest accolade.
As Paxon looks to the future of SJCI, he is very aware of the role that St. Joe’s played in his life, career, faith, and family.
He hopes that his support of his alma mater will help future generations of St. Joe’s students, “grow and succeed in life and in faith from the foundation built nearly 350 years ago by St. John Baptist de La Salle.”
Today, Mr. Paxon and his wife reside in what he terms “Buffalo South,” Sarasota, Florida. Susan Ruby is a lobbyist in Washington D.C. with Capital Policy Group, and their youngest daughter, Katie, is a senior at University of Wisconsin-Madison.
On March 24th, our St. Joe’s community lost a beloved member, Mr. Jack Kenny ’68. After graduating from Notre Dame, Jack returned to SJCI in 1973 as an English Teacher. In addition to his role as teacher, Jack served as Director of Admissions and Public Relations. In 1993, he was honored as St. Joe’s Man of the Year and was inducted into Signum Fidei in 1997. Jack retired from teaching in 2010.
“When you speak with SJCI alums and ask them about the teachers they remember most, Jack is almost always at the top of the list,” said Principal Jim Spillman ’95. “For many, myself included, Jack was the one who inspired them to love reading, to become more thoughtful writers, and to discover their gifts and passions. As a master teacher, his impact on countless SJCI students and colleagues was truly immeasurable.”
One of his most acclaimed impressions were his lessons about the 1819 poem “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” by John Keats. Teachers and students alike remember his unique metaphors and affection for this piece, but one stanza stands out the most to English Teacher Mr. Nick Hoerner:
When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
“We may die, but our art lives on,” Nick explains. “Obviously, for an artist like Keats, he dies, but his legacy lives on in his poetry. For a teacher, our “art” is the teaching, the style, and how we make our students feel and how we open their minds. Teaching was Jack’s art and the impression he made to the thousands of students he taught lives on through them. Jack’s “beauty” was his craft of teaching, and his “truth” was the lessons that he instilled in his students.”
When I tell people what a huge influence Jack Kenny was on my life and – eventually – my career, that doesn’t seem to surprise anyone. God knows how many St. Joe’s graduates have said the same thing. But to my everlasting regret, I never had a class with Mr. Kenny. I had great English teachers in high school, but never him. It just worked out that way. My reason for gratitude all centers on one interaction. At some point, I must have expressed to a teacher that I liked writing because Mr. Kenny came to me and asked if I would like to write an article for the school paper, The Student Prints. First of all, I couldn’t believe he knew who I was. I knew all about him and admired him from afar, but just the idea that he walked up to me and said “Hi, Bruce” floored me. I said yes to his request, wrote something truly forgettable about the school bowling team and then quietly reveled in my first byline.
The next time I saw Mr. Kenny, he told me I did a nice job and that I should keep it up. So, in fits and starts, I did. Eventually, that led to a career as a reporter and
then an editor, but it all started with him. As these things tend to work, I ended up getting a job at The Buffalo News where one of the first people I met was a woman named Margaret Kenny. I told her that it was a weird coincidence, that I was in this business because of a guy with her last name who was a teacher at St. Joe’s. Of course her response was “He’s my father.”
That connection led to many encounters over the years, all of which included him telling me to stop calling him Mr. Kenny and me refusing. There also was a period when we both were adjunct professors at Canisius College and I could say with pride that Jack Kenny was my colleague.
He stopped in the newsroom occasionally over the years to see his daughter. If he saw me, he always took the time to say hello. And I would always stop writing and editing long enough to say the same thing to him with a smile on my face: “This is all your fault.”
Alumni Weekend 2022 welcomed alumni back to campus, as we celebrated class years ending in “2” and “7.” Alumni from all corners of the map returned to St. Joe's on Saturday, June 18, for dinner, bourbon and cigars, and camaraderie, along with Mass and campus tours the following morning. Congratulations to the golf tournament winners Ron Femia, Jr. ’07, Erik Hartrich ’07, Luke Marchiori ’07, and Brendan Murphy ’08. A special thank you to the many tournament sponsors.
Welcome Home, Marauders
Lasallian 2022, Welcome Home Marauders, was a tremendous success. Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID, Chaircouple Jim ’89 & Laura Grable helped organize a truly memorable evening, welcoming over 500 guests back to St. Joe’s. Our sincere gratitude to Jim and Laura for their unwavering leadership and to the Lasallian Leadership Committee which helped secure record sponsorship and auction support. Please save the date for the next Lasallian on March 25, 2023!
Day of Giving 2022 was another record-breaking success. Thank you to the 1,035 donors and challenge sponsors who helped us surpass our goal of 1,000 donors and raised over $345,000! Special thanks to the Class of 1986 for tallying the highest class donor count at 46 classmates, and to the Class of 1994 for raising the highest class giving total, at $35,463.42. This monumental show of support from the St. Joe’s community directly impacts current students through much-needed financial aid.
Thank you PaulWells, Esq. ’81
St. Joe’s would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Paul Wells, Esq. ’81 for his six years of service to the Board of Trustees. As Paul finishes his second term on the Board, we want to acknowledge and thank him for his many contributions to the St. Joe’s community. Thank you, Paul, for your loyal leadership!
We are excited to welcome Joe Cormier ’94 to the Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2022.
Joe is COO and CFO of GovernmentCIO, a provider of advanced technology solutions and digital services to the federal government. Joe has over 20 years of experience in growing, leading, and developing successful public and private equity backed enterprises. Joe is a 1998 graduate of Columbia University with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science, where he was also a member of the varsity football team.
Joe Cormier ’94
Henry C. Gorino ’69, John J. Hurley ’74, Mark V. Mistretta ’75, David J. Nasca ’75, David P. Hart ’78, and James F. Dentinger ’79 were named to the Buffalo Business First 2022 Power 250 List.
Daniel Wiles ’73 was honored as Citizen of the Month for April 2022 by Erie County Legislator John Bargnesi for his long career in serving the public in the Village of Kenmore, Town of Tonawanda, and Erie County.
John T. Camp ’74 has retired from HSBC after a career that spanned more than 20 years, rising to the post of Senior Vice President, Chief Control Officer.
Members of the Class of 1979 gathered at Peter Hammerl’s Local Grille and Patio at the Dome in May for a mini reunion. In attendance (L to R): Mike Duggan, Mike Kendall, Jim Brawdy, Charles Parlato, John Wishman, Mike Lillis, Mike Summers, John Leone, David Marino, Peter Hammerl, Jim Knight, Chris Pratt, and Carl Eberhard.
Mark V. O’Brien ’70 retired from Lawley Insurance after over 10 years at the company.
William J. Maggio ’80 was named to the 2022 Power 250 List by Buffalo Business First. He is also serving as chairman of Egret, a project that seeks to support medical device startups on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Evans Bank has promoted David M. Mangano ’80 to Vice President.
Chambers USA 2022, which ranks leading law firms and lawyers in the U.S., ranked Paul F. Wells ’81, Partner at Lippes Mathias LLP, in Band 3 in the practice area of Real EstateUpstate New York.
Michael J. Chrzanowski ’85 is now President & CEO of Yamaha Motor Corp. USA.
Ronald C. Faso ’85 and a partner have created S2 Venture Partners, which will advance tech startups in Buffalo.
A dedication ceremony for “Humanus,” a sculpture adorning Hilton Head Airport’s redesigned entrance crafted by Kevin D. Eichner ’86, took place in March. The piece was created using sections of industrial I-beams that have been twisted, split, and cut.
David P. Hughes ’86† was named to the 2022 Power 250 List by Buffalo Business First.
Christopher G. Markus ’87’s latest project, The Gray Man, is scheduled to be released in theatres July 15, 2022. Chris co-wrote the screenplay for the movie with his longtime writing partner, Stephen McFeely.
Wesley M. Brown ’88 has joined KeyBank’s Consumer Default Management Team as a Compliance Officer.
Marcus Deveso ’89 received the David Kash Student Champion of the Year Award from Buffalo Prep, presented to a Buffalo Prep or partner high school teacher or administrator who is a champion of their scholars and works to support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Michael Floccare ’89 has joined Karpus Investment Management as a Vice President. His focus will be management of current client relationships and business expansion in Western New York.
John T. Gavigan ’89 has been named Senior Partner at Rocket One Capital and CEO of CrediVault. Rocket One is a venture capital group that is the lead investor in CrediVault, a blockchain-based fintech startup.
Christopher J. Pirrone ’89 has been named Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sports at The Arena Group. Pirrone will oversee the growth of The Arena Group’s portfolio of sports sites, anchored by Sports Illustrated.
Br. Daniel A. Gardner, FSC ’90 was named Interim President of Manhattan College.
Bryan E. Miller ’91 has accepted the position of Attorney with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, after serving for over 14 years as Assistant District Counsel at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District.
Frank L. Ciminelli ’92 was named to the 2022 Power 250 List by Buffalo Business First Matthew J. Higgins ’92 has coauthored Driven to Ride with Paralympic snowboarding champion Mike Schultz. The book was published in January 2022 by Triumph Books and is available in bookstores and on Amazon. O’Donnell and Associates Managing Partner John F. O’Donnell ’92 has been named to the 2022 Albany Power 100 list by City & State New York, an online, weekly magazine covering politics and policy.
Eric J. Koch ’93 has been named VP of Medical Affairs at Kenmore Mercy Hospital. In his new role, Eric will provide medical leadership for clinical and quality performance, and serve as a liaison and partner between the medical staff and the hospital’s administrative team.
After 10 years as Chief Attorney for the Criminal Defense Unit at the Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo, Kevin Stadelmaier ’94 has taken over as the 1st Deputy-Criminal Division at the Erie County Assigned Counsel Program.
The Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project announced that Kristopher M. Sigeti ’98 has joined as a Staff Attorney.
Christopher P. Palmeri ’99’s Las Vegas restaurant, Naked City Pizza, was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”
in the recently aired “The Best Pizza’s We’ve Seen” episode.
Nicholas A. Sinatra ’99 was named to the 2022 Power 250 List by Buffalo Business First. 2000’s
Anthony J. Baynes ’00 was named to the 2022 Power 250 List by Buffalo Business First In April 2022, Michael C. Bauer ’01 received the Most Hilarious Short Film Award from Shockagogo Film Festival in Long Beach, CA.
Luis A. Rodriguez ’01 has joined the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
Sean P. Ritchie ’02 has taken a position as an Intellectual Property Attorney with Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP.
George H. Barbari ’04 has been named Associate Principal at Wendel, an architecture, engineering, energy efficiency, and construction management firm.
Lippes Mathias announced that Attorney James P. Blenk ’05 has been promoted to Partner.
Andrew P. Fretthold ’05 joined Dansa D’Arata Soucia, LLP, after 10+ years in the assurance practice at a Big 4 accounting firm.
Andrew “Sky” Masterson ’05 started working for Moog, Inc., where he is the Senior Supplier Lead, working with the Supply Chain Team within the Moog Aircraft Group.
Peter A. Davidow ’06 won the Niagara Falls USA Half Marathon in April 2022. He was the overall winner with a time of 1:23:52.
Thomas J. Ivancic ’06 has been promoted to Vice President, Commercial Banking at Bank on Buffalo.
SJCI teacher Christopher R. Mekelburg ’06 was named Outstanding High School Science Teacher of the Year by the Western New York Section of the American Chemical Society.
Sean P. Balkin ’07, Senior Associate at Lippes Mathias LLP, was named an Associate to Watch in the practice area of Corporate/
Mergers & Acquisitions - Upstate New York by Chambers USA 2022, which ranks leading law firms and lawyers throughout the U.S. Lucas Marchiori ’07 was named Chief Renewable Energy Officer of Digihost, a Toronto-based blockchain-mining company.
Brian Webb ’07 has been promoted to Member Partner at Hurwitz & Fine, PC.
Taylor D. Golba ’08 was named Junior Partner at Lipsitz Green Scime Cambria LLP.
Hamberger & Weiss named David J. Marello ’08 a Partner in the law firm.
Michael J. Doben ’10 has been named CoArtistic Director for Buffalo United Artists.
Thomas “TJ” Krzystek ’11 received his PhD in Biological Sciences from the University at Buffalo and began a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital.
John T. “Jack” Murray ’11 has been named to the Business First 30 Under 30 list for 2022.
Kyle L. Wachala ’11 graduated in April from the Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine.
Chad P. Kelly ’12 has agreed to terms with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.
William T. Erdman III ’15 earned his Masters in Chemical Engineering from the University of Buffalo in May 2022.
Jakai J. Harrison ’15 has taken a post with April Baskin, Chairwoman of the Erie County Legislature, as District Director for the 2nd Legislative District.
David J. Maher ’15 has been promoted to Senior Product Development Engineer, Engineering Sciences, Lung Cancer Initiative (LCI) with Johnson & Johnson.
Cameron T. Rosenecker ’15 has joined Brisbane Consulting Group as a Senior Analyst, responsible for valuation, forensic accounting, and litigation support services.
Jared D. Halt ’17 designed a set of SkateSkins worn by Buffalo Sabre Rasmus Dahlin
honoring long-time broadcaster Rick Jeanneret, who retired this season.
Phillip S. Hoffmann ’17 has joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. He will be serving as a Youth Coordinator at the Margaret Donnelly O’Connor Education Center in Camden, NJ.
Jacob W. Mertz ’17 completed his MBA from Gannon University, and was accepted into the M&T Bank Management Program. Jacob played on the Gannon men’s golf team, competing with them in the NCAA DII Golf Nationals in Dearborn, MI.
Sean O. Rooney ’18 was on a 5-person team from the Canisius College Golden Griffin Fund (GGF) that secured 1st place in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute Research Challenge of WNY in February.
Michael M. Conway ’20 is on a CO-OP rotation with Bimbo Bakeries USA as they launch a new automated distribution facility in Alburtis, PA, improving jobs in logistics by creating a new safe and automated distribution process.
Ian S. Klenk ’20 will be President of the Student Government Association of St. John Fisher College for the 2022-23 academic year.
Vincent J. Lomeo ’20 worked on the NFL Fan Experience, HOF autograph session, and Super Bowl LVI through the Baldwin Wallace University Sports Management program.
Ryan W. O’Donnell ’20 has been working with the UB Anesthesiology Department to write a scientific journal article on how to improve the quality of patient handoffs in the PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit).
James R. Crane ’21 completed his first year at Syracuse University and was ranked #9 in the School of Management Goodman IMPRESS program.
SJCI Federation Hockey players Patrick N. Gilbert ’20, James S. Grable ’20, Anton Wopperer ’20, Sean Deakin ’21, and Tristan Weigand ’21 reunited as John Carroll University’s starting line on March 3, 2022.
Kristopher M. Sigeti ’98 and his wife, Maureen Finn, are proud parents of a baby girl, Frankie Mae Sigeti, born April 11, 2022.
Sean ’99 and Shannon Bannister announce the birth of Claire Elizabeth, born April 22, 2022.
Joel Feroleto ’00 and his wife, Carrie, welcomed Lorenzo Edward Feroleto born March 25, 2022.
Brian J. Herberger ’01 and his wife, Lauren, welcomed Benjamin Michael on March 16, 2022.
Katie and Jerry McGrier Jr. ’02 announced the birth of their son Hudson Michael born in March 2022.
Nicholas ’02 and Ashley Wydro announced the birth of Sophia Elizabeth in June 2022.
Jonathan ’03 and Megan Wolff welcomed James Hudson in late March 2022.
Jack Louis was born to Andrew ’05 and Amanda Carlo in January 2022.
Robert D. Measer ’05 and his wife, Mandy, welcomed Elouise Jean, born June 3, 2022.
Joseph C. Mihalich ’10 and his wife, Grace, welcomed daughter Fina Josephine on February 18, 2022.
Adam ’06 and Molly Croglia announce the birth of Addison Arthur Croglia, born in May 2022.
Ronald Femia ’07 and his wife Kathryn welcomed a baby girl, Liliana Rose, in April 2022.
Brian ’07 and Ashley Swan welcomed son Cameron James on January 17, 2022.
Joèl T. Collins ’10 and his wife, Melissa, welcomed son Carter in March 2022.
Benjamin Daniel, was born to Elizabeth and Charles “CJ” Englert ’10 on January 30, 2022.
David ’11 and Kelsey Seward announce the birth of their son, Cole Robert, in April 2022.
Cory Michael ’14 and Leah Elsaesser announce the birth of their daughter, Rosalie Constance, who was born Aril 26, 2022.
George A. Hitzel ’45
Valentin Beil ’47
John Hess ’48
Paul Watkins ’49
William J. Fuchs ’51
Richard J. Doll ’53
William Jehle ’53
James Livingston ’54
Raymond A. Baumler ’55
William J. Lyons ’55
James A. Mack ’56
Joseph H. Mergler ’56
Joseph T. Sullivan ’56
John C. Goetz ’58
Richard J. Marinelli ’58
Norman M. Napora ’59
Paul A. Gersitz ’60
Bertrand B. Schwartz ’60
Michael T. Hortman ’61
Daniel J. Feeney ’64
James G. Rellinger ’64
John T. VanTuyl ’64
Edward J. Danahy ’65
Robert P. Gerow ’65
Steven M. Harter ’03 married Maggie Heavern on February 11, 2022.
Thomas C. Neal ’04 married Theresa Gambo June 4, 2022.
Nathanael “Skip” Kielt ’05 and Meghan Musnicki were married September 25, 2021.
Paul J. Nuchereno ’07 married Gina Marie Postolese on August 14, 2021.
Eric M. Almeter ’10 married Madison Rainey February 19, 2022.
J. Michael Green ’10 married Amy Dennis on April 24, 2022.
Kevin C. Schmitt ’11 married Melissa Churak June 19, 2021. Class of 2011 members (L to R) Andrew Gagola, Zack Zenger, Kevin Schmitt, Ben Georger, and Andrew MacPherson attended.
Hayden T. Harter ’14 is engaged to Madison Dixon. A January 2023 wedding is planned.
Edward J. Tabone Jr. ’15 became engaged to Kaylee Gassner on February 22, 2022.
Alexander J. Bogart ’17 became engaged to Sarah Wesolowski on May 11, 2022.
Matthew J. Noonan ’19 is engaged to Amanda Whalen.
James J. Lewis ’65
George B. McNally ’67
John “Jack” Kenny ’68
Richard McPherson ’75
John M. Connor ’77
Donald Jenczka ’78
Christopher D. Hull ’81
Christopher J. Denz ’83
Patrick M. Griffin ’83
Michael J. Stillwell ’83
John Gramza ’85
David P. Hughes ’86
Robert M. Marra ’91
David M. Berndt ’09
Brian J. Sciandra ’09
A Community of Excellence
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Buffalo, NY 14223
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