BUFFALO, NY – The Canisius University Alumni Association conferred its Distinguished Alumni Award - the highest honor for alumni achievement - upon four graduates, during ceremonies on Friday, September 26. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes individuals who have excelled in their chosen fields and who, through exemplary leadership, add distinction to their respective professions. Canisius University has conferred more than 220 Distinguished Alumni Awards since the recognition was established in 1975. The 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees (pictured, R-L) are:
Mark Johnson ’94, of Virginia Beach, VA. Johnson is senior vice president and community development manager for the Commonwealth of Virginia at Truist. In this role, he oversees community development and reinvestment activities for the region, working to align the bank with charitable organizations and initiatives that promote positive change within the community.
As the former vice president of community funding and special initiatives for the United Way of South Hampton Roads, Johnson was the first African American to hold this position in the organization’s nearly 90-year history. He served two consecutive years as co-chair of the Hampton Roads Mayors Masked Ball, events that raised more than $200,000 to support scholarship efforts.
Thomas Barnett ’79, of Snyder, NY. Barnett is the owner and founder of Tom Barnett New York, a luxury menswear company that has grown from its original Snyder location to include shops in New York City, Washington, DC, and Beverly Hills. Beyond his business success, Barnett has had a profound impact on youth hockey in Western New York. He founded the Buffalo Shamrocks Hockey Club in 2001. The nonprofit focuses on welcoming players of all abilities and creating an environment that prioritizes inclusion and accessibility just as much as development and competitiveness. Most recently, USA Hockey recognized Barnett with its Wm. Thayer Tutt Award, which annually recognizes a volunteer who, throughout many years of service, displays a selfless dedication to the enhancement of ice hockey at the grassroots level in America.
Carla Sacco MSEd ’09, of Toronto, ON. Sacco is a multifaceted performer, educator and humanitarian who has seamlessly blended the performing arts with social justice advocacy throughout her career. She is an internationally recognized tribute artist and performer who has fronted more than 3,500 concerts for audiences of 30,000-plus people at such prestigious venues as Roy Thomson Hall and for events including the Paralympics.
Beyond her performing career, Sacco is vice president of artists and repertoire at Music Mentor Productions, where she annually provides 10 full scholarships in performing arts studies to underprivileged students. Her commitment to social justice is further evident through her award-winning documentaries and her role as artistic director for Youth Day Global, Canada’s largest youth event. Sacco will receive the United Nations Peacekeeper Award in 2025, for her extensive humanitarian work with more than 100 nonprofit organizations.
Thomas White ’80, MD, of East Amherst, NY. White is a distinguished internal medicine physician with more than 40 years of experience. He is a member of Buffalo Medical Group and maintains affiliations with Buffalo General Medical Center and Sisters of Charity Hospital. White has also served as a team physician for the Buffalo Bills since 1997, providing medical care to professional athletes at the highest level of competition. White was part of the medical team that provided critical, life-saving care to Bills player Damar Hamlin HON ’24 during his on-field cardiac arrest in January 2023. A member of the NFL Physicians Society, White has been recognized for his excellence in patient care and was named to Buffalo Spree Magazine’s Top Doctors List in 2020.
The Canisius University Alumni Association also introduced the Emerging Leader Award this year. The award recognizes an alumna/us who is 40 years of age or younger and has demonstrated exceptional achievement early in their careers while embodying the Jesuit values of service to others, and a commitment to excellence that defines the Canisius experience.
Demario Strickland ’06, MS ’18, EdD, of New York , NY, is the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Leader Award. Strickland is the newly appointed superintendent of Mount Vernon City School District in Mount Vernon, NY. He previously served as interim superintendent for the Rochester City School District, where he successfully stabilized the district and managed a $1.1 billion budget.
Strickland’s career spans multiple educational leadership roles, from mentor-teacher and dean of students to building administrator across many New York state school districts. Known as “the teaching and learning” superintendent, he has led three schools out of state receivership and build strong relationships with the New York State Education Department.
Canisius was founded in 1870 in Buffalo, NY, and is one of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the U.S. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the Northeast, Canisius offers undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional programs distinguished by close student-faculty collaboration, mentoring and an emphasis on ethical, purpose-driven leadership.
