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LEGACY OF GROUNDBREAKERS

"Once a Crusader, Always a Crusader" is a saying that rings true for more than 11,000 Althoff Catholic alums. We proudly celebrate the successes of our outstanding alums in our Alumni Hall of Inspiration. Stop by the Alumni Hall of Inspiration to learn more about the legacy of groundbreakers at Althoff Catholic High School. 

Awards in Excellence Nominees

Nominations for the 2023 Awards in Excellence are now OPEN! To nominate your favorite Crusader or Friend of Althoff, fill out the nomination form below!

AWARDS & CRITERIA

This year's awards will be:

  • Distinguished Alumni Award will recognize the accomplishments of an Althoff Catholic High School or Associate alumnus whose exceptional achievements in their faith, profession, and community have had a profound and lasting impact.
  • Rising Star Award will recognize the accomplishments of a recent graduate (within the past 15 years) of Althoff Catholic High School.
  • Crusader Spirit & Excellence Award will recognize a friend of Althoff Catholic High School who has enriched the Crusader mission through their volunteerism and continuously shows outstanding enthusiasm, loyalty, and pride of ACHS. 
  • Salute to Catholic Education Award will recognize a Catholic educator who has dedicated their life to educating young people in the Catholic tradition to lead successful, faith-filled lives.

Only one award will be given for each category.

SELECTION COMMITTEE

The Awards in Excellence Selection Committee will consist of 7 total members, including:

  • One Althoff School Board Member
  • One Althoff Faculty Member
  • One Member of Althoff’s School Administration
  • Two Althoff or Associate Alumni
  • Two Members of the Community at Large
NOMINATION INFORMATION

To nominate someone for consideration for one of this year's awards, please fill out the form below. You cannot nominate yourself or a direct family member (parent, child, grandparent, siblings, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew, or in-law). Posthumous awards may be given if the deceased nominee fits the award criteria.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Advancement Office by phone at 618-235-1100 ext. 110 or by email at advancement@althoffcatholic.org.

Nominations for the 2023 Awards in Excellence close on December 6, 2022.

Awards in Excellence Nomination Form





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RISING STARS

Anne Nesbit Alred '06

Deputy, United States Marshals Service

Craig Toberman '07
Director of Business Services and Wealth Management 
Archford Capital Strategies
 
Steven Warchol '04
Director of Outreach & Education
Missouri Hospital Association
 
Emily Beyersdorfer '12
Registered Nurse, St. Clare Emergency Department
Lakewood, Washington
 
Sara (Thomas) Dietrich '04
Assistant Volleyball Coach
Missouri State University
Jennifer Hamlin '08
Special Operations Forces
Performance Dietitian EXOS   
                                       
Bridget Kapp '09
1st Grade Teacher
Pathway Academy Charter School
 
Lauren Selby Hopkins '01
Chief Growth Officer
Northwestern Mutual
 
Erica Szewczyk '07
Assistant Public Defender 
St. Clair County, Illinois 
Angela Comana Adams '05
Systems Engineer
Lockheed Martin Space Systems

Father Nicholas Junker '99
Catholic Priest
Diocese of Belleville

Nick Bauer '03
President
Empire Comfort Systems

Pat Kacsur '07
Associate
Relative Value Partners

Kimberly Bayley '00
Academic Marketing Manager
Penguin Random House

Brian Kapp '06
Director of Music
St. Michael's Catholic Church
Duluth, MN
 
Brian Bayley '02
F/A - 18D Weapon Systems Officer
United States Marine Corps

Jeana Fuccillo Kempe '03
Assistant Swim Coach
Louisiana State University
 
Hannah Becker '08
Landman
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
 
Jaclyn Kostelac, DDS '04
Dentist
Orthodontic Resident
Saint Louis University

Ann Beyersdorfer '10
Theatrical Scenic Designer
Freelance - NYC

Stacy Larkin '02
Project Manager of Clinical Information Systems
BJC HealthCare

Capt Levicy F. Crawford '02
Judge Advocate General
United States Air Force

Lizzie Nelson Lehde '04
Assistant State's Attorney
St. Clair County

Angela Kurowski Daubach '01
Senior Professional Sales Representative
Astellas Pharma US
 
Elizabeth Grimm Lenz, Ph.D. '01
Assistant Professor
The College at Brockport
State University of New York

JaRon Dent '03
Special Education Teacher
O'Fallon Township High School

Kevin Lisch '05
Professional Basketball Player
CAI Zaragoza (Spain)

Joseph DiGiovanni '10
Assistant Media Planner
FX Networks
Zenith Media

McGlynn Sisters
NETwork Against Malaria

Sara Dix '07
Tax Senior
Ernst & Young

Aaron McLean '04
Physician Assistant
UnityPoint Health
Methodist Hospital
 
Michael Embrich '99
Director of Web Communications & Digital
Assets; Adjunct Faculty
McKendree University

Louis Morton '02
Animator/ Designer/ Director
Freelance
M. Caitlin McDermott Embrich '04
Associate Attorney
The Law Offices of Susan Parnell Wilson

Patrick Neville, M.D. '01
Vascular Surgeon
Memorial Medical Group

Lial Field '04
Audit Manager 
Grant Thornton, LLP

Gabriel Orlet '10
History Teacher
Saint Joseph Academy, Brownsville TX

Colleen Hamilton '08
Marketing Coordinator
Carolina Hurricanes

Alexandra Rawlings '10
Audit Assistant
Deloitte & Touche LLP

Capt. Brian Hampton '03
AH-1W Pilot
United States Marine Corps

Michelle Smallmon '04
Radio Broadcaster/ Producer
101 ESPN/ Hubbard Broadcasting

Matthew Harter '02
Aviation Maintenance Technology Instructor
Southwestern Illinois College

Zach Umperovitch '06
Rube Goldberg Machine Expert
SynnLabs

Katherine Hoffarth, Au.D. '04
Doctor of Audiology
Mercy Hospital St. Louis

Matthew Warchol '01
Assistant Vice President
Bank of O'Fallon

Marcus Hustedde '07
Graduate Student, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences  
University of Alabama
 
Brian Yordy, Ph.D. '02
Scientist
McKinsey & Company

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI

Robyn Frierdich Weilbacher '83

Chief Nursing Officer, Mercy Hospitals

Larry Mank '65                                                                      
Former Teacher, Althoff Catholic High School
 
Gerard Reis '69                                                           
Senior Vice President, Gov't Affairs 
STERIS Corporation
 
Jared & Adrianne Neville '97
Regional Sales Manager & Teacher
 
Dan Whelan '84
Veteran, Former Command and Commercial Pilot
USAF and Southwest Airlines
Rick Arnold '80 (posthumously)
Marketing & PR Professional Maryville University   
                                                             
Kevin Richter '76       
Co-Founder & Partner
Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd.   
                              
Dennis Hatch '71 
Retired Circuit Judge, Public Defender
Washington County, Illinois
 
Marita Kubicki Wassman '80
Program Director & Advanced Certified Therapeutic 
Riding Instructor, Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International 
 
John O'Gara '79
Associate Circuit Judge
Michael Aleman, M.D. '90                                                 
Kaiser Permanente
Urologic Surgeon
 
Pam Schmid Kramer '69
Hospital Administrator
Eastside Medical Center
 
Joe Arnold '84
Political Editor/ Reporter
WHAS TV, Louisville KY 
 
Courtney Landrum '86
Radio Personality
CBS Radio/ Y98 FM
 
Andy Banker '85
News Anchor, Reporter
KTVI, Fox 2
 
Mark Lucarelli, M.D. '83
Professor - Oculofacial 
Plastic Surgery
University of Wisconsin
 
Ted Banker '79
Former NFL Player
Cleveland Browns 
New York Jets
 
Rick Martini '71
Senior Vice President
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
 
Frank Boudreaux, Jr. '88
Former NFL Player
Special Agent 
United States Secret Service
 
Colonel Mike Miller '88
United States Air Force
 
Dan Brueggeman '65
Principal/ Teacher
St. Mary's H.S., Gibault
and Althoff Catholic 
 
Jerry Muckensturm '71
Former NFL Player
Chicago Bears
 
Christine Cavataio '84
Senior Vice President
Cannon Design
 
Tracy Neighbors '78
International Tax Counsel 
Microsoft Corporation
 
Lorraine Cavataio '87
Equity Shareholder
Sandberg Phoenix von Gontard, P.C.
 
Ellen O'Brien, M.D. '78
Orthopedic Surgeon
Private Practice
 
Regina Chiu, M.D. '91
Cardiologist
Prairie Cardiovascular Consultants 
 
Sheila O'Brien '73
Justice (Ret)
Illinois Appellate Court
 
Margaret M. Doyle, Ph.D. '85
Associate Curator
Dept. of Exhibition Programs
National Gallery of Art
 
Ron Padgett '78
CEO/ Owner
Padgett Building and Remodeling Co.
 
Amy Podhrasky Edgar, DVM '95
Managing Veterinarian 
Northgate Small Animal Hospital
 
John Peter, M.D. 72
Professor of Pediatrics
Vice President of Medical Affairs
Saint Louis University School of Medicine 
Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center
 
Glenn Fournie '81
Senior Vice President of Operations
ROHO Incorporated
 
Matthew Poelker '79
Scientist 
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
 
Mary Lynne Gasaway Hill, Ph.D. '82
Professor
St. Mary's University of San Antonio                                    
                    
Gary Poleskey '66
Colonel, USAF (Ret)
Vice President
Dayton Aerospace, Inc.
 
Nicholas Gates '97
Owner and Artistic Director
Hip Hop Foundation Fanatics
 
Kim Fenoughty Rawlings '76
Vice President, Investments - Financial Advisor
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
 
John Goodwin '66
Circuit Judge (Ret)
State of Illinois
20th Circuit Court
 
George Renner '69
Funeral Director/ Partner
George Renner & Sons Funeral Home, Inc.
 
James Graham '71
Executive Vice President
Head of Domestic and
Global Treasury Management
PNC Bank 
 
Lisa Nunez Safarian '83
Vice President
North America Row Crops
Monsanto
 
Greg Gundlach '69
President & CEO
Beno J. Gundlach Company 
 
Kathy Sullivan Schaefer '72
Community Volunteer
Guidance Counselor
Althoff Catholic High School
 
Dennis Hall, Ph.D. '66
Professor of Physics and
Professor of Electrical Engineering
Vanderbilt University 
 
Mark Schmitt '81
Senior Vice President & CIO
Logistics & Customer Care
Brown Shoe Company, Inc.
 
Claire Hatch '74
Principal
Blessed Sacrament School 
 
Jim Shay '73
President/ Owner
Shay Roofing, Inc.
 
Debbie Edwards Hazlett '76
Manager/ Co-Owner
Express Medical Care, LLC
Nursing Supervisor, Cardinal Glennon
Children's Medical Center  
       
Peggy Taphorn '81
Producing Artistic Director
Temple Theatre
 
Yvette Howell Hoeffken '80
Nurse Manager
Siteman Cancer Center
Washington University
 
Jay Tebbe '76
President & Publisher
Belleville News-Democrat
 
Jennifer Schutzenhofer Jeffries '92
Deputy Director 
Resources & Requirements
(JFCC Space/ DJ8)
United States Air Force
 
Craig Weidemann '69
Vice President for Outreach
Vice President for Online Education
Pennsylvania State University 
 
Nancy Landgraf Jordan '75
Managing Director
International Business
Credit Suisse
 
Michael Wenzel '66
CPA
Wenzel & Associates Ltd.
 
Malcolm Katt '68 (posthumous) 
Former President
Chelar Tool & Die
 
Ransom Wuller '72
Attorney/ Partner
Freeark, Harvey & Mendillo P.C. 
 
Sr. Mary Kennedy, SSND '74
Missionary
Honduras
 
Kathy Crotty Wuller '83
Former Professional Volleyball Player
Director of Student Services - Althoff Catholic

SALUTE TO CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Elaine Laws Assumption '78

Pam Schumacher

Christy Gundlach

Summer Camps!