Distinguished Alumni Awards

Image of Distinguished Alumni Honorees 2024
Canisius University recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers through the Distinguished Alumni Award program. Since 1975, more than 220 Canisius alumni have received this recognition.
 
The Distinguished Alumni Awards were held Saturday, March 23, 2024 in the Montante Cultural Center. Congratulations again to all of the honorees and thank you for a wonderful celebration.

Past Recipients:

* INDICATES DECEASED
Titles reflect positions held in the year cited.

 

2024

Caroline A. Croen '85 - Vice President, Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | The WNET Group
*Dennis R. DePerro '81, MS '88, EdD - Former President | St. Bonaventure University 
Gregory W. Mott '81 - Sustainability Editor | POLITICO
Joseph G. Grifasi '70 - Actor/Director
Marya J. Propis '91 - Executive Vice President/ Retail Distribution | RT Specialty                                                                          

2019

Jill Bond ’82 - Senior Vice President, Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer | Rich Products Corporation
Michael Christiano ’83 - Chief Executive Officer and Owner | Left Bank Restaurant
Michael Monin ’65, HON ’ 96 - Former owner and President | US Lighting Service, Inc.
Anthony Spada Jr. ’80, MBA ’87 - President and Chief Executive Officer | AAA of Western and Central New York
 

2018

James Basil '85 - President, Joe Basil Chevrolet Inc., Depew, NY
Michael A. Ervolina, Jr. '79 - President/CEO, Valu Home Centers, Buffalo, NY
Catherine A. Bolz '85, MBA '90 - Global Head of Benefits, Bloomberg LLP, New York, NY   
Hon. M. Mosey '92 - New York State Surrogate’s Judge, Erie County, Buffalo, NY
 

2017

Ashli Skura Dreher '95 - Special Education Teacher, Lewiston-Porter High School, Youngstown, NY
Michael Joseph Edbauer MBA '12 DO - President/CEO, Catholic Medical Partners & Chief Clinical Officer, Catholic Health, Buffalo, NY
Francis J. Felser '81 DM, CPA - President, Bryant & Stratton College, Buffalo, NY
Rhonda Frederick MPA '03 - President/CEO, People Inc., Williamsville, NY
Mary F. Roberts '77 - Executive Director, Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House, Buffalo, NY
Walter D. Webdale '57 - President/CEO, AHC Inc., Arlington, VA

2016

*Michael N. Coppola '70 - Retired President, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Advance Auto Parts, Charlotte, NC
Nora McGuire MBA '08 - Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Independent Health, Buffalo, NY
Mary V. Travers Murphy '80 - Executive Director, Family Justice Center of Erie County, Buffalo, NY
Ronald A. Raccuia'90 - President, ADPRO Sports, Buffalo, NY
Kenneth M. Sroka '65 PhD - Emeritus Professor of English, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY

2015

Edward B. Carey '69 - President, Carey Realty Investments, Inc., Columbus, OH
LeRoi C. Johnson '71 - Attorney and Internationally Acclaimed Artist, Law office of LeRoi C. , Buffalo, NY 
David J. Nasca '79 - President and Chief Executive Officer, Evans Bank, Hamburg, NY
Richard A. Wall '78 PhD - M&T Distinguished Professor of Economics and Finance, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY
Gerald Zon '67 PhD - Director of Business Development, Trilink Biotechnologies, San Diego, CA
Adam O. Zyglis '04 - Editorial Cartoonist, Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY

2013

Col. James L. Budny ’70, MD- Neurosurgeon, Gates Vascular Institute & UB Neurosurgery, Buffalo, NY
Hon. Mary Grace Diehl ’74- United States Bankruptcy Judge, Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta, GA
Kathleen Scully Grimm ’77, MD- Supportive Medical Partners (SMP), The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, Cheektowaga, NY
Robert M. Glaser '68- Director and Chair of the Board, Freed Maxick & Buffalo, NY
Richard M. Peer ’65, MD- Medical Lab, Buffalo Medical Group and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, Buffalo, NY  
George C. Robinson ’73- Former Secret Service Agent, Asst. Fed. Security Director, Homeland Security, Austin, TX
Rocco R. Termini ’73- Chief Executive Officer, Signature Buffalo, NY

 

2012

William Sisler '69, PhD - Director of Harvard University Press, Harvard University   
J. Donald Schumacher '72, HON '92, PsyD - President and CEO, National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization    
Hon. Anthony Masiello '69, HON '96 - President and Partner, Masiello, Martucci, Calabrese & Associates    
Christopher Kelly '83 - Partner-in-Charge-Cleveland, Jones Day    
James Metzler '72 - AICPA Vice President, Small Firm Interests, American Institute of CPAs    
Petrina Genco '70, PhD - Director, Tissue Typing Lab, Mayo Clinic Florida

2011

David M. Borowski '79 - Director of New Products, Finance Division, Freddie Mac    
Peter D. Farstad '80 - CAO, LifeSource, Upper Midwest, Organ Procurement Organization, Inc.    
Karen J. Freeman '83 - Former COO, Biologics Inc.
Charles E. Moran Jr. '72 - President and COO, Delaware North Companies Inc.

2010

Anthony J. Bellia Jr. '91 - Professor of Law, Notre Dame Law School    
Anna Marie Rooth Cellino '75 - President, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp.    
*Mark J. Czarnecki, MBA '91 - President, M&T Bank    
*Robert J. Kresse '50, HON '00 - Attorney, Hiscock and Barclay, LLP    
*The Most Reverend Dominic Luong MS '67 - Auxiliary Bishop, Orange, CA    
Lawrence J. Vilardo '77 - Partner, Connors & Vilardo, LLP

2009

Gary M. Crosby '75 - Executive Vice President/CAO, First Niagara Financial Group   
Christine Licata-Culhane '67, MS '71 - Senior Associate Provost, Rochester Institute of Technology    
Robert H. Maloney '71 - Founder and Principal, Maloney Government Relations    
David Nalewajek '74, PhD - Senior Principal Scientist, Honeywell International Inc.    
Mary Elizabeth Roehmholdt '71, MD - Neurologist    
Mary Robertson Wittenberg '84 - President/CEO, New York Road Runners

2008


*Jamie E. DePeau '81 - Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, TIAA-CREF    
Paul B. Hurley Jr. '66, PhD - President, Trocaire College
Hon. Thomas A. Maul '64 - Retired, Former Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD)    
Kenneth F. Myszka'70 - President and Operating Officer, Sovran Self Storage Inc.    
Hon. Denise E. O'Donnell '68 - Deputy Secretary/Public Safety Justice, New York State Government    
*Philip J. Skilnik '62 - Retired, 41 successful years in the food industry, Past President of the Chicago Food Brokers Association    
Joseph N. Weixlmann Jr. '68, PhD - Provost, St. Louis University

 

2007

Nelson Civello '67 - Director, Golden Griffin /Professor of Finance, Canisius University Retired President Fixed Income Capital Markets, Former Oishei Visiting Professor of Finance, Canisius University Retired Professor, Dain Rauscher Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Norman R. Hitzges '65 - Sports Talk Host, Station KTCK-A 1310, Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
Margaret W. Paroski '76, MD, MMM - Executive Vice President and Medical Officer, Kaleida Health Buffalo, NY
Michael F Scheuer '74, PhD - Senior Fellow Jamestown Washington, DC Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University, Washington, DC Former Senior Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Officer, Washington, DC
Franklin J. Sciortino '56 - District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration, Buffalo, NY

2006

*James R. Boldt, MBA '84 - Chairman, President and CEO, Computer Task Group Inc. CTG), Buffalo, New York
Paul J. Harder '69, MBA '73 - CEO, Clinical Support Services Inc., Buffalo, New York
Gregory R. Maday '70, MS '73 - Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Theatre,
Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker '82 - Vice President, Program Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, Buffalo, New York

2005

*Andy T. Anselmo '45 - Founding Director, Singers Forum Vocal Academy, New York, New York
Angela (Giordano) Evans '69 - Deputy Director, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Francis M. Lazarus '66, PhD - President, University of Dallas, Irving, Texas
John D. Naples '55, MD - Retired Gynecological Surgeon, Williamsville, New York
*Norman S. Paolini Jr. '69 - Co-Director, St. Luke's Mission of Mercy, Buffalo, New York
Robert R. Prazmark '75 - President, Olympic Sales and Marketing Worldwide, New York, New York

 

2004

Terrence M. Connors '68, Esq. - Partner, Connors & Vilardo LLP, Buffalo, New York
Cherylyn Harley Lebon '88, Esq. - Counsel, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Washington, DC
Michael P. Healy '70 - Senior Vice President/Original Movies, Disney/ABC Cable Networks, Burbank, California
Paul J. Kolkmeyer '75 - President/CEO, First Niagara Financial Group Inc., Lockport, New York
Andrew J. Shaevel '88, MBA '90 - CEO, RSA Solutions Inc., Amherst, New York
Nancy (Wutz) Ware '78, MBA '85 - President, EduKids Inc., West Seneca, New York

2003

Rev. John C. Barth ’74 - Assistant General, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Maryknoll, New York
Patrick M. Gallivan ’82 - Sheriff of Erie County, Buffalo, New York
*Richard F. Griffin ’54 - Counsel, Phillips Lytle LLP, Buffalo, New York
Charles L. Maday Jr. ’67 - Senior Vice President/Programming, The History Channel, New York, New York
Norma J. Nowak ’79, PhD - Director, Scientific Planning, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics, University at Buffalo Director, Roswell Cancer Institute/University at Buffalo Microarray and Genomics Facility, Buffalo, New York

2002

*Frederick G. Attea’61, Esq. - Partner, Phillips, Lytle, Hitchcock, Blaine & Huber, LLP
*Edward M. Cordasco '46, MD - Emeritus Staff, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
John J. Hurley ’78, Esq. - Vice President for College Relations/General Counsel Canisius University
Angelo A. Licata ’66, MD, PhD - Physician, Cleveland Clinic
*Gerald E. Murray ’68 - Poet-Critic, Teacher, Communications Consultant, Murray Communications
MaryLynn Ryan ’83 - Managing Editor, CNN/USA

 

2001

Catherine (Lindquist) Burzik ’72 - President, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
Calvin Darden ’72 - Senior Vice President for Operations, UPS
*Hon. Vincent Doyle ’53 - State Supreme Court Justice
Thomas Lawley '66, MD - University School of Medicine
Jim Lyons ’56 - Chairman of Oracle Management Corp.
Gordon Martin ’69 - Executive VP and CFO, NASD (National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.)
L. William Paxon ’77 - Senior Advisor and Lobbyist, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP

2000

General Peter M. Cuviello ’69 – Systems for Command, Control, Communication and Computers
Carolyn B. Frank ’80 – Executive Vice President of Operations, Kaleida Health Systems
Rocco J. Maggiotto ’72, MBA '79 – Senior Partner, Global Markets and Head of Marketing and Strategic Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP
Carmen A. Mannella '69, PhD – Director, Division of Molecular Medicine, and Chief, Laboratory of Pathology, Wadsworth Center, NYS Dept. Health   
Dennis F. Strigl ’74 – President & CEO, Verizon Wireless

1999

Joseph M. Hassett '64, Esq., PhD – Partner, Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P.
Marsha (Spence) Henderson, MBA ’80 – President, Western New York District, Key Bank, N.A.
Albert F. LoBuglio '58, MD – Director, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Associate Dean, School of Medicine Professor of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham
John F. Marszalek '61, PhD – William L. Giles Distinguished Professor, Mississippi State University
Daniel W. Stanton ’79 – Managing Director, Goldman, Sachs & Co.

1998

Mary E. Belle ’73 – Liz Claiborne
Angelo M. Fatta ’66 – President and CEO, ACTS Testing Labs, Inc.
Mark Lema ’71, MD, PhD - Chairman, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine and Pain Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute
*Robert Mesel ’57 - President, BP American (retired)
*Joseph J. Naples ’41 - President, Joseph J. Naples & Associates, Inc.
Dale Wilson ’72, MD – Managing Partner - Brummitte Dale Wilson, M.D. & Associates and the Aesthetic Laser Surgery Center

1997

*John A. Bellanti ’54 – President and Chief Executive Officer, Battenfeld Management, Inc.
*William D. Bennett ’61, MS '67– Assistant Professor of Teacher Education, School of Education and Human Services Canisius University
*Lillian M. Levey , MS ’67 – Former Vice President/Assistant to the President, Canisius University
Norbert Myslinski '69, PhD – Associate Professor of Neuroscience, University of Maryland Dental School
Robin Schimminger ’69 – Member, New York State Assembly, Albany, New York
Cynthia L. Skrzycki ’76 – Business Columnist, The Washington Post

1996

*Rev. A. Joseph Bissonette '54, MA '63 (posthumous) - Former Pastor, St. Bartholomew Church
*Sister Barbara Ciarico, MS '68, RSM - President, Trocaire College
*Donald M. Clark '50, MA '52 - President and Chief Executive Officer, National Association for Industry-Education Cooperation
*Ronald F. Poe '59 - Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Dorman & Wilson, Inc.
*Sebastian J. Rosica '48 - Retired Audiologist and Teacher of Deaf Children
*Richard E. Winter '42 - President and Chief Executive Officer, Pepsi-Cola Ogdensburg Bottlers, Inc.

1995

*Anthony J. Colucci, Jr. '55, Esq. - Senior Managing Attorney, Block & Colucci, P.C.
*Robert J. Hall '47, MD - Director, Cardiology Education Texas Heart Institute/St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital
Elizabeth Macdonald '84 - Financial Editor, Worth Magazine
*Rev. Robert Wurtz '54 - Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and Pastor of Our Lady of Victory Institutions

1993

Teresa M. Amabile '72, PhD - Professor of Psychology, Brandeis University
Richard A. DiVita '55 - President/CEO, DiVita Group of Companies
*Robert J. Genco, DDS, PhD -Distinguished Professor and Chairman, Oral Biology Dept. State University of New York at Buffalo
Elizabeth N. Kolber '72 - Vice President of Merrill Lynch - Pierce, Fenner and Smith
Michael M. Orzel '79 - Advocate, Niagara Frontier Center for Independent Living, Inc.
William M. Skretny '66 - U.S. District Court Judge, Western District of New York

1992

Carolyn E. Billingslea '75 - Field Services Liaison Director of the IRS, Dallas
*J. Jerry Castiglia '55 - President and Chief Executive Officer, Pratt & Lambert
*Hon. James B. Kane Jr. '48 - Supreme Court Justice, State of New York
Karen (Wasielewski) Makowski '77 - Executive Vice President, Key Bank, Albany, NY
*Leonard P. Markert Jr. '49 - Chairman, Edward Joy Company, Syracuse, NY
Hon. Dale M. Volker '63 - Senator, State of New York

1991

Erik L. Brady '76 - Sports Reporter, USA Today
Robert M. Greene '66 - CEO and Managing Partner, Phillips Blaine & Huber
*Milford C. Maloney '47, MD - Chairman, Department of Medicine, Mercy Hospital
Carl J. Montante '64 - President and CEO, Uniland Development Company
Peter P. Zaleski '60 - President and CEO, Key Bank

1990

*Joseph F. CrangleCrangie '55 - Attorney, Block & Colucci, Former Chairman, Erie County Democratic Committee
Rosemary A. Ligotti '70 - Senior Vice President, Moors and Cabot, Inc.
*Albert R. Mugel '40 - Attorney, Jaeckle, Fleischmann & Mugel
*Minot H. Ortolani '51 - Executive Director, Buffalo Zoological Society
*Thomas A. Raab '73, MD - Chief of Infectious Disease, Mercy Hospital, Buffalo
John L. Strauss '61 - Partner, BHM & Strauss, Inc.

1989

*Rick Azar Carballada '50 - Former Sports Director, WKBW-TV
*Vincent C. Bowhers '50 - Managing Partner and General Agent, John Hancock Insurance
*Joseph G. Herbstritt '59, MD - Reconstructive and Plastic Surgeon
Karen L. Mize '78 - Vice President for Marketing and Sales, New Boston Garden Corp.
*Donald Pinkel '47, MD - Chief of Pediatric Leukemia, Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, University of Texas
John W. Rowe '66, MD - Gerontologist and President of Mt. Sinai Medical Center and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, NYC

1988

*John J. Calabro '47, MD - Former Director of Rheumatology, University of Massachusetts Medical School
*J. Francis Drea '55 – Chairman, Ontario Racing Commission
*Rev. Leonard G. Hacker '35, SJ - Jesuit Missionary, Marshall Islands, Philippines
*John W. Koessler Jr. '49 - Vice President, Sullivan Graphics
*James M. Lanz '38, MA '47 - Executive Vice President, Trocaire College

1987

*John P. Courtney '58 – President, Computer Task Group
Hon. John J. LaFalce '61 - U. S. Congressman, New York State
*Joseph T. Murray '51 - Manager/Director, Suc Buffalo
Hon. Henry J. Nowak '57 - Former Congressman/Bank Director/Attorney, Marine Midland Bank
*Judge H. Buswell Roberts '38 - Chief Judge, Buffalo City Court

1986

*John W. Condon, Jr. '47 – President, Condon, Sedita and Latona Law Firm
*Sister M. Carmina Coppola '52 – President, Trocaire College
*William D. Hassett, Jr. '57 – President, W.D. Hassett, Inc.
*Rev. Paul R. Juenker '42 – Pastor, Blessed Sacrament Church
Salvatore R. Martoche '62 – Partner, Hiscock and Barclay Law Firm
*William J. Walsh '51 - Former President, RCA Australia

1985

*Orval M. Adam '53 - Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, SanteFe/Southern Pacific Corporation
*Hon. John T. Curtin '46 - Federal District Judge
*Dr. Thomas J. Dougherty '55 - Cancer Research Scientist, Roswell Park Cancer Institute
*Paul G. Gassman '57, PhD - Professor of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, former Alfred F. Sloan Foundation Fellow
*Raymond W. Manuszewski '51 – Chairman, Manufacturers Hanover
*Anthony C. Rocco '48 - Vice Development/Sales, ABC Television Network

1983

*Michael D. Barrett '65 - Financier
*M. Jane Dickman '46, CPA – Partner, Touche Ross & Company
*Lawrence J. Felser '55 - Sports Editor, Buffalo News
*Francis D. Flanagan '33 - Vice President and Chief Lobbyist, W. R. Grace & Co.
*George M. Martin '42 - Executive Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Canisius University
*Nelson Reavey-Cantwell '45, MD - Professor of Medicine and Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs, Thomas Jefferson University
Paul A. Willax '61 - President and Chief Executive Officer, Empire Savings of America

1982

*Rev. James M. Demske '47, SJ – President, Canisius University
Mary Ann Lauricella '68 - Associate Commissioner for Public Affairs, State of New York Department of Motor Vehicles
*Samuel J. Lentine '67 – Owner, Ability Aids, Inc.
*James T. Molloy '58 – Doorkeeper, U. S. House of Representatives
*George E. Schreiner '43, MD - Director of Nephrology, Georgetown University Hospital
Sharon R. Tolbert '68, PhD - Vice President for Institutional Advancement, St. Catherine's College

1981

Brigadier General Robert B. Adams '55 - Deputy Commanding General, U.S. Army Finance & Accounting Center
*Hon. Michael F. Dillon '50 - Judge, Appellate Division, New York State Supreme Court
*Leo R. Futia '40, CLU - Chairman of the Board, Guardian Life Insurance Company
*Hon. Walter J. Mahoney '30 - Retired Judge, Appellate Division, New York State Supreme Court; former President & Majority Leader, New York State Senate
*William H. McFarland '29 - Chairman of the Board Emeritus, McFarland-Johnson Engineers, Inc.
Elaine F. Sciolino '70 - Rome Bureau Chief, Newsweek Magazine
Robert J. Slater '59 – President, Crane Co.

1980

R. Carlos Carballada '56 - President & Chief Executive Officer, Citizen's Central Bank
Eugene F. Jankowski '55 – President, CBS Broadcast Group
*Robert A. MacKinnon '50 - General Manager, New Jersey Nets
*Sister Mary Pachomia '38 - Retired President, Villa Maria College
*Arthur J. Schaefer '43, MD - Eye physician and surgeon

1979

*J. Norman Hayes '36, PhD – Superintendent, Lancaster Central School District
*Peter Poth '50, CPA - Managing Partner, Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co.
*Marjorie (Sara) Quinlan '74 - Art History Instructor, Canisius University
Paul D. Weiss '61 – Founder, Los Ninos
*Deacon John G. Wick '49 - President, Merchants Mutual Insurance Company

1978

*Hon. Matthew J. Jasen '37 – Judge, New York State Court of Appeals

1976

*Joseph D. Godfrey '27, MD - President, Godfrey Orthopedic Group, P.C.

1975

*Dr. Charles A. Brady '33 - Writer, Critic, Professor Emeritus, Canisius University
J. Michael Collins '57 – President, WNED-TV
*Rt. Rev. John J. Conniff '46 - Executive Director, Catholic Charities of Buffalo
*Hon. Charles S. Desmond '17 - Former Chief Judge, New York State Court of Appeals
*Henry J. Osinski '35 - Vice President, M & T Bank - Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co.
*Hon. Frank A. Sedita '30 - Former Mayor, City of Buffalo