Seton Hill University Honors 11 Alumnae with Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award
Noreen Dornenburg, director of business valuation and litigation support services for Urish Popeck & Co., LLC in Pittsburgh, has successfully combined a career in academia with one in business. In her current position she uses her expertise in management consulting, appraising, and business ethics while continuing as an adjunct and visiting professor of business ethics, business policy, and strategy and management for several Pittsburgh universities. An accredited senior appraiser certified by the American Society of Appraisers, Dornenburg also holds a Ph.D. and master’s, both in philosophy, from Yale University and an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado. Previous full time academic positions have included professorships in philosophy, humanities, ethics, and business policy at Skidmore College, the University of New Haven, Regis University and Presbyterian College, where she was named Knight Visiting Professor of Business Ethics. Widely published in business journals, Dornenburg has delivered presentations locally, nationally, and internationally. Among her 150 valuation and consulting clients are Coors Brewing Company, Denver; Anchor Glass Company, Tampa; and US West, Denver. Dornenburg has received the Colorado Distinguished Educator Award and has been named Regis College Faculty Lecturer of the Year. She is a member and past president of the American Society of Appraisers, a charter member of the Society for Business Ethics, and an honorary member of Equipment Appraisers of North America.
Olga Gera, served for many years as the chief executive officer of the internationally acclaimed Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival. She also served as grant writer, development director, artistic director, curator, and festival coordinator as the festival grew to be recognized as one of the “Top 100 Events in North America” and “Best Art and Humanities in Mid-Atlantic Region.” Now retired, Gera has established her own consulting firm, Icarte, Inc. which serves arts organizations, is writing a cookbook, and is studying Aramaic in fulfillment of her love of languages. Gera entered Seton Hill in 1940 to study dietetics and French but took leave with the intervention of World War II. An interest in art led her back to Seton Hill in 1972. Shortly after her graduation, Gera was named executive director of the Alex Fletcher Memorial Art Center in Greensburg, the birthplace of the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival. With thirty-five years experience as an artist, working and coordinating regional and national exhibits, Gera has received notable commissions with Vulcan Mold, Inc., Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Rexall Drugs, Gallatin Bank, and private collections. Gera’s and the Festival’s awards are numerous and include the Pennsylvania Heritage Award, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Recognition, Pennsylvania House of Representatives Legislative Citation, Greensburg Cultural Council Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award and Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners Arts Citation. Gera has also been named a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International, a two-time Hazlett Award nominee (Governor’s Award for Excellence in Arts) and an Athena Award nominee. A native of Bradenville, Pa., Gera is the mother of one son, Mark. Her husband, George, is deceased.
Suzanne Law Hawes, public health worker, nursing educator and consultant, psychoanalyst, and retired dean, School of Nursing and Allied Health, William Paterson College in New Jersey (where she was the only woman in the President’s cabinet), has been the recipient of numerous honors for her outstanding contributions to the nursing profession. The first nursing consultant for the New Jersey Department of Higher Education, she wrote the nursing needs study for the state’s first master plan in health professions and designed a course of study for Union College to meld three hospital programs into an associate’s degree program. Following her graduation from Seton Hill, Hawes received a bachelor’s in nursing and a master’s in nursing education, both from Columbia University, earned her doctorate in the sociology of education from Rutgers, and completed post doctoral studies in psychoanalysis at the Center for Modern Psychoanalytic Studies in New York. After a brief stint in public health nursing, she began her career in nursing education at Columbia. Subsequent positions included a term as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malaysia; director of nursing, Perth Amboy Hospital; nursing consultant, Thomas A. Edison College and Union College; and director of education, Raritan Valley Hospital and Rutgers’ School of Nursing. Hawes received a citation of merit from President Ronald Reagan, has been named to the New Jersey State Nurses Association Roll of Honor, and received the Columbia University-Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She has collaborated with peers in numerous professional publications, is an author of Chronic Care Nursing, and has written a family history that includes her grandparents’ 200 descendants. A board member and vice president of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, Hawes has also been elected to the Mountain Lakes Board of Education and currently serves as President of the Columbia University School of Nursing Alumni Association. She volunteers in the Nurses’ Health Study, the Women’s Health Initiative, and physiology studies on aging at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Sue and husband John, parents of Mary Jo and John Jr., currently reside in Southampton, N.Y. but are planning a move to New Jersey.
Nancy Ritz Hudson, clinical dietitian, educator, consultant, and contributor for numerous dietetic publications, is also the author of Management Practice in Dietetics, the second edition to be released this year. Hudson earned both her certification in dietetics and an M.S. in nutrition at the University of Kansas before embarking upon her career as a therapeutic dietitian at Kansas City General Hospital. Teaching at several university schools of nursing followed before she was named chief clinical dietitian at Stamford Hospital and, subsequently, director, clinical nutrition, Children’s Hospital, Oakland. Hudson served as director of the Dietetics Programs for the University of California, Berkley, Department of Nutritional Services for the last fourteen years. She recently accepted a position as lecturer in food service management, University of California, Nutrition Department. A former president of the Bay Area Dietetic Association, Hudson has served as a member of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Review Panel for Approval of Dietitian Education Programs, as an ADA Legislative Leader and member the ADA Scholarship Committee. She is a site visitor for the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education, advisor to Napa State Hospital’s Dietetic Internship, and Pacific Gas and Electric’s Food Service Technology Center. Recipient of the California Dietetic Association’s Excellence in Education Award, Hudson has also received the University of California, Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources Teaching Award, the ADA’s Outstanding Dietetic Educator Award and the Bay Area Dietetic Association’s Outstanding Dietitian Award. Hudson and husband John, who reside in San Leandro, California, are the parents of Elizabeth (SHU ’93) and Joseph.
Joan Smarrella Levan’s business acumen and knowledge of the fashion industry provided her with the proper tools for an outstanding career as a retailing executive, during which she broke gender barriers. Levan’s career path began as an executive trainee for the Higbee Company in Cleveland and included promotions in rapid succession to assistant buyer, branch manager, and division buyer. A move as a store buyer to Winkelman’s, a 100-store chain in Detroit, enabled her to gain more experience as she traveled throughout Europe, the Far East, and Middle East on business. Several years later Levan was hired by Woodward and Lothrop as a divisional merchandising manager and, within two years, was promoted to vice president, the only female VP in merchandising. Levan subsequently joined Associated Dry Goods where she became president and CEO of the marketing division and vice president of the two billion dollar corporation, the only woman to serve at that level. When Associated Dry Goods was sold, Levan opened a chain of 11 stores in the New York area, which she operated until she retired. The Boy Scouts of America has recognized Levan with the Good Scout Award and the Silver Beaver Award. She has been named the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation’s Woman of the Year and has served on fundraising committees for the National Jewish Hospital in Denver, the Peconic Bay Medical Center, and the Family Counseling Service. A past president for the National Mother’s Day Council, Levan has also served on the board of directors of the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising. She counts addressing Seton Hill’s Class of 1981 at Commencement as one of her greatest honors. Levan’s two sisters, Theresa Metcalfe (SHU ’57) and Pauline Lane (SHU ’62), are also Seton Hill graduates. She and her husband are residents of Westhampton, New York.
Kerry McGarty Neville, owner of her own food-nutrition company, KLMN Communications in suburban Seattle, has merged her two loves, nutrition and writing/communications, into a successful business endeavor. Neville holds an M.S. in nutrition communications from Boston University; a certificate in communications from the Communications Institute, Boston University; and a Certificate of Professional Cooking from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. After working for several years as a clinical dietitian in hospitals, Neville accepted a position as a research scientist at Kraft in Chicago where she served as the nutrition liaison to Kraft Kitchens for recipes and cookbooks. A subsequent move to Burson-Marsteller Public Relations provided her with public relations experience to complement her nutrition background. Neville’s company will celebrate its eighth anniversary this summer. KLMN Communications serves food companies and associations by developing nutrition education materials (including brochures and websites), developing and evaluating recipes for nutrition criteria, writing and editing consumer publications and cook books, and managing a speakers bureau. A freelance writer for the Chicago Tribune’s “Good Eating” column, Neville was selected to present one of her columns as a segment on a local cable station in Chicago and soon became a regular on nutrition subjects for the Fox News in the Morning program. Her move to the Seattle area a year ago has provided her with the opportunity to continue her business and has opened new doors for media work, which she loves. Neville has been recognized as Young Dietitian of the Year for both Chicago and the state of Illinois. She has served as a board member for several dietetic associations in the Chicago area, is a media representative for the Washington State Dietetic Association and is the author of numerous published articles and columns. Neville and husband Rob have one son, Tim.
Patricia Goodwin Norry, who spent her entire professional life with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (formerly the Atomic Energy Commission), retired in 2005 as deputy executive director for management following 48 years of distinguished service. During her career, Norry served as special assistant to the Commission Chairman Glenn Seaborg; environmental affairs officer; special assistant to the director of research, NRC; director of administration, and director of information resources management. A graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, Pat also enrolled in graduate study in clinical psychology at George Washington University and received a Stanford University Fellowship for a year of study in Public Administration. Norry has been the recipient of the Presidential Meritorious Award on two occasions, the Presidential Distinguished Award, the NRC Meritorious Award, and the NRC Distinguished Award. A member of the Small Agency Credit Union Board of Directors, Norry has served as the chair of the Energy Federal Credit Union Board of Directors for 15 years, and is now a director emeritus. She is a board member of her Neighborhood Citizens Association, a Lifetime Member of Senior Executives Association, a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, and of Kiwanis. Norry and her husband, Leonard, residents of Chevy Chase, Md., are the parents of one son and grandparents of three.
Many Baltimore area non-profit organizations have benefited from the dedicated volunteer support of Margaret O’Neil Reese, whose early career included viral research and college instruction. First associated with the University of Pennsylvania Children’s Hospital in polio and coxsackie virus research and then with Microbiological Associates, Bethesda, in Herpes virus research, Reese also taught freshman biology at Trinity College in Washington. A dedicated parishioner involved in all phases of the life of Resurrection Church in Ellicott City, Md., Reese, with four other women, organized the St. Paul – Resurrection Home School Association, which is a major support organization for the large and growing school. She is an active volunteer, advocate, and financial supporter for the Gabriel Project, a program which supports and encourages single pregnant women to choose life, by providing job training, education, life skills, access to medical care, and follow-up assistance. Reese has participated in fundraising efforts for the Delray School for Cerebral Palsy Children, the American Diabetic Association, March of Dimes, Leukemia Society, and others. A former member of the Seton Hill University Board of Trustees, Reese has also served on the Seton Hill Alumni Corporation Board. Reese was one of five O’Neil sisters to graduate from Seton Hill. Older sister Mary Lucretia Costello graduated in 1955 and younger sisters Sharon Kahn (SHU ’59), Kathleen Isleib (SHU ’62) and Eileen O’Neil (SHU ’68) followed her. Reese and husband Charles, who have six children and nine grandchildren, recently established the James M. and Mary Hogan O’Neil Scholarship in memory of Reese’s parents.
Virginia Seery, statistical analyst for the Georgia Department of Community Health in Atlanta, has had a distinguished career in scientific research and in teaching. Her fields of expertise include zoology, pharmacology, biochemistry, and epidemiology, and she has completed research and taught in institutions throughout the country. Following graduation from Seton Hill Virginia earned an M.A. in zoology from Duke University, a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Washington, and, most recently, an M.P.H. in epidemiology/biostatistics from Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. Seery received a National Science Foundation Fellowship to study at Duke and remained there as a graduate assistant before accepting a position as a research assistant in the Department of Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School. She returned to graduate school as a pre-doctoral trainee of the National Institutes of Health at the University of Washington and completed her doctorate. Research at Oregon State University and at the Scripps Clinic and Research Institute followed. Seery subsequently joined the faculty of Emory University and then Western Illinois University. After serving on the faculty at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, she returned to Atlanta to complete her M.P.H. and remains there today. The author of numerous published research papers, Seery has been the recipient of NIH, NSF, and university grants. She is a dedicated member and advocate for her parish’s Pro-Life committee and serves on an Archdiocesan service project group. An ardent outdoorswoman, Seery has a passion for sailing, skiing, hiking, and traveling to areas where she can participate in these activities. Among her travels she has included four trips to Alaska in the last five years and traveled to Prudhoe Bay to dip her hand in the Arctic Ocean.
Darla Thomas, an educational counselor for Hawaii schools, is widely recognized for the innovative drug prevention activities that she developed for public schools and private organizations in Hawaii and other areas of the South Pacific. Thomas has partnered in the program with the Elks Lodge in Hawaii to involve the state’s attorney general, lieutenant governor, superintendent of schools, Honolulu Police Department, medical teams, local businesses, citizens, parents, and other civic officials in drug prevention rallies and educational activities. Following her graduation from Seton Hill, Thomas traveled to Hawaii to vacation and was hired to teach a first grade class in the public schools. She soon became involved in part time counseling at the Family Peace Center and Child and Family Service while attending night school to earn two advanced degrees, an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Chaminade University of Honolulu and an M.Ed. in Educational Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. For a year she served as a position counselor and victim advocate for the attorney general’s office and then returned to the Department of Education as a counselor. Thomas is a leader and advocate with the Governor’s Citizens Achieving Reform in Education organization and, as a member of the Department of Education, meets with other state leaders to improve Hawaii’s educational system. She has mentored counseling practicum students from two local colleges and has taught parenting classes. Her extensive professional affiliations include numerous educational, counseling, and domestic violence organizations. She serves as Drug Awareness Chair for the Elks Lodge in Hawaii. Recently recognized by the Elks Lodge of Honolulu as the Outstanding Drug Awareness Leader of the Year, Thomas is the first school counselor in Hawaii to complete the requirements for the National Board for Professional Teachers Standards in School Counseling. Thomas and her husband Brian Roberts are the parents of five children and the grandparents of seven.
Mary Barbara Just Zappone’s experience as an entrepreneur, caterer, and consultant for resorts, hotels, and restaurants has greatly enhanced her acclaimed career as professor of culinary arts at Westmoreland County Community College (WCCC). She has developed most of the courses that she teaches, including culinary arts, baking/pastry, hotel management, and travel and tourism. Zappone earned an M.S. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and began her career as a home economics teacher at Hempfield High School. She became the owner/manager of her family’s catering/deli/grocery business while teaching. Her tenure at WCCC began several years later, as did her ownership and management of a pasta manufacturing and distributing business. Concurrently, Mary served as a general management consultant for numerous country clubs and restaurants in the western Pennsylvania area. In addition to developing and conducting culinary study tours of Italy, Zappone has served as a food stylist and recipe tester for the Tribune Review and the “WCCC Home Plate Cookbook” and has coordinated the judging of recipe contests, apprentice cook-offs, food booths for the Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival, and student participation in culinary salons and competitions. Mary has served as president, board chair and secretary of the American Culinary Federation, Laurel Highlands Chapter, and has chaired committees for the American Culinary Federation. In 2004 Zappone received a hat trick in culinary awards – the Westmoreland County Community College Educational Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award; American Culinary Federation, Laurel Highlands Chapter’s Chef of the Year; and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Top 48 in Education. She has been inducted into the American Academy of Chefs and has been recognized with additional WCCC awards. Zappone and husband Michael, parents of son Michael and daughter Maria, live in Greensburg.