-1-

2

7th AnnualDistinguished

Alumni & Friends of The Worcester

Public SchoolsAwards

November 8, 2017College of the Holy Cross

PRESENTED BY

Worcester EducationalDevelopment Foundation, Inc.

-2-

community.hanover.com

We take special pride in our partnerships with the Worcester Public

Schools and other local partners who are committed to building

even stronger public schools, and encouraging students to achieve

their full potential. With this in mind, we join the WEDF in honoring

the recipients of this year’s award.

As a leading property and casualty insurance company, we know something about building strong communities, too.

701-0453 (10/16)

-3-

Distinguished Alumni and Friends of the Worcester Public Schools 2017

JAKI BYARD (Posthumously),

Musician

BARBARA CARROLL (Posthumously),

Musician

DENNIS DIMITRI Physician

KIMBERLY HADDAD Health Care Leader

SHEILA HARRITY Educational Leader

MARK HOLDEN General Counsel

JOHN MIRICK Attorney

GAIL RADCLIFFE Scientist

JOHN VO Artist

GEOFFREY ZAKARIAN Chef Restaurateur

•••

Corporate Friend of the Worcester Public Schools

UNIBANK

-4-

November 8, 2017

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are delighted to welcome you this evening to the 7th Annual

Distinguished Alumni and Friends of the Worcester Public Schools Ceremony to

recognize ten individuals who stand out among their fellow Worcester Public

Schools graduates for their achievements in the career paths they have chosen.

They join 60 current members and together they bring great pride to our

community. Some are well known here at home, and others have made their

mark nationally and internationally. We are sure that more than once this

evening you will say to yourself, “Wow.”

The Worcester Educational Development Foundation, Inc. (WEDF) was es-

tablished for the sole purpose of supporting the Worcester Public Schools which

is nurturing the distinguished alumni of tomorrow. Similar to the educational

foundation of tonight’s honorees, today’s students are exploring a wide variety

of fields of interest that will lead them to their life’s work. WEDF applauds the

administrators and teachers who have dedicated their lives to ensure that our

most precious resources, the students in our schools, are ready to become our

future leaders.

WEDF is able to fulfill our mission through the generosity of a caring

community. We are grateful to the foundations, corporations, organizations

and individuals who are committed to public education and confident in WEDF

as we focus our efforts on supporting arts and culture, college and career

readiness, health and wellness, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics).

We thank you for being here tonight.

Sincerely,

Stephen M. Pitcher Louise Clarke

President Executive Director

-5-

5:30 Reception. . . . . . . . . . . . . Music By The Burncoat String Orchestra

6:30 Welcome and Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Hank Stolz, Emcee The music of Jaki Byard & Barbara Carroll

7:30 Greetings from WEDF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Pitcher, President Joseph Petty, Mayor Edward Augustus, City Manager Maureen Binienda, Superintendent

Presentation of Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thomas Murray, Chairman Hank Stolz

Program Book Contributors: Kerry Mulcahy’s Journalism Class Maliah Chagnon, Michael Gonzalez, Evangelina Karamboulas, Michelle Nguyen, Chris Son, Jarytza Vazquez, Tiana Westbrook, Amoret Zamarro

Burncoat String Orchestra: conducted by Dani RimoniTommy Lam – Violin, Ethan Brozovsky- Violin, Ioanna Tchangova – Violin, Garrett Levesque –Violin, Ms.Lina Nguyen – Viola, Kim Nguyen – Viola, Aaron Balboa - Cello

Special thanks to our Master Of Ceremonies,Hank Stolz!

And special thanks to Peggy O’Connor and Elizabeth Rice

ProgramNovember 8, 2017

-6-

Distinguished Alumni and Friends of

the Worcester Public Schools

2016The Honorable John AndersonErica AyisiAmy Lynn ChaseEdwin “Ted” Coghlin (Posthumously)Robert Goddard (Posthumously)James LearyGail RandallDaniel Sedgwick, DMAEric SedgwickMarcy Supovitz

2015 Mary AframePhil BolducArthur Chase, (Posthumously)Leslie FishLaura GoldsteinStephen MillsJoe O’BrienTony SimollardesAnn-Marie SoulliereDonna WilliamsGerry Weston & WICNHarvard Pilgrim Health Care

2014John Conte Mary Beth Leonard Paul Gervais (Posthumously) The Honorable Mel Greenberg Dorothy Hargrove & Gordon Hargrove Mark Harootian Frances Perkins (Posthumously)William Soutra, Jr.Joshua Swidler UNUM Corporation

2013Myrna BensonLaddavanh ‘Anna’ BouphavichithDeborah D. CaryAllan P. ‘Kool Kojak’ GriggJames HoganAlexis HyderAudrey Kurlan-MarcyErin Moran McCormickMichael OrlandThe Pagano FamilyJames RushtonJonathan Silverman

2012John Durkin, Ed.D. Jeffrey Greene Robert Harizi, M.D. Thomas Hehir, Ed.D. The Honorable Jordan Levy The Honorable Paul Mullaney Rachel Markarian Gladys Rodriguez-ParkerMilton Peterson Ralph SantanaThe Hanover Insurance Group

2011Charles Birbara, M.D.Joanne Feinberg GoldsteinLee GurelJarrett KrosoczkaHelena & Christos LiazosMiguel LopezJessie RandallStephen Pezzella, M.D.Isaac SpencerThe Junior League of Worcester

-7-

The Class of 2017

JAKI BYARD Musician Commerce High School

John Arthur Byard, Jr. was born in Worcester in 1922 and attended Elizabeth Street School and

Commerce High School. Some accounts indicate his graduation was postponed by service in the military. Jaki began taking piano lessons at five or six from Grace Johnson Brown but these ended with the Great

Depression. As a boy he often walked to Lake Quinsigamond to listen to bands performing there, including Benny Goodman’s and Fats Waller’s, and listened to others on the radio. He studied music “right up to Harmony IV” at Commerce High. He began playing professionally at 16. In 1938 Jaki was a founder of the legendary Saxtrum Club in the Laurel-Clayton neighborhood and said he combined the words sax, trumpet, and drums to make up the name.

In 1941 Jaki was drafted into the Army where he met Earl Bostic with whom he toured after the war. In 1946, following his discharge, he headed to Boston, and later to New York. He studied classical composers into the 1960’s. Piano remained his main instrument, but he was also recorded playing drums, cello, vibraphone, guitar, and both alto and tenor sax. He was a member of the bands of Herb Pomeroy and Maynard Ferguson, and recorded extensively with Charles Mingus.

In 1969 the president of the New England Conservatory hired Jaki as a charter faculty member to create the Jazz Studies Program, and then called Afro-American Music. For more than 15 years at NEC Jaki taught arranging and improvisation and led The Apollo Stompers, a big band composed of Conservatory students. He also taught at the Hart School of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and Bennington College, among others, and lectured for three years at Harvard.

George Russell, a colleague on the NEC faculty, later said, “Jaki always personified the past, present, and future of jazz, wherever or whenever one might have been fortunate enough to experience his challenging ideas. … There will never be anyone who can take his place.”

-8-

BARBARA CARROLL COPPERSMITH Musician Commerce High School

Barbara Carole Coppersmith was born in Worcester on January 25, 1925, grew up on June Street, attended

the Worcester Public Schools and graduated from Commerce High School in 1943.

A pioneer in a field dominated by men, Ms. Carroll was frequently introduced as ‘the first lady of jazz piano.’ With her bright red hair piled high, she embodied a timeless bohemian elegance and artistic grace. Many years ago, the critic Rex Reed said of Barbara, “The music sounds different on her piano than anybody else’s because her fingers have personal messages in their touch, like felt mallets hitting your heartstrings. She makes it sound so effortless, yet it’s complicated enough to baffle the mathematical Messiahs at M.I.T.”

The era’s leading jazz critic, Leonard Feather, called her “the first girl to ever play bebop piano.” In 1957 Barbara was named to the roster of Steinway artists. The only other jazz pianist on it at the time was Duke Ellington. In 2003 she was awarded the Kennedy Center’s Women in Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award.

The jazz press nicknamed her Barbara ‘Bebop’ Carroll. She made appearances on festival stages throughout the world with many of the greatest figures in jazz, including Art Tatum, Billie Holiday, and Tony Bennett. She recorded numerous albums, played at the Carlyle for 25 years, and at most major jazz clubs in the United States. She also played at Birdland in New York where a tribute to her was held on April 15. Her last recording, “Barbara Carroll Plays Birdland” was released in December. Throughout her career she championed other female pianists, helping them to make themselves heard in the male-dominated world of jazz.

-9-

DENNIS DIMITRI, M.D. Physician

Doherty Memorial High School

Dennis M. Dimitri M.D., F.A.A.F.P., is a Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Family Medicine &

Community Health at UMass Memorial Medical Center and UMass Medical School. Before joining the department in his current role in 2006, he was in private practice in Worcester for over 20 years.

Dr. Dimitri was President of the Massachusetts Medical Society in 2015-2016, and currently chairs the MMS Task Force on Opioids and Physician Communication. He has been a member of many MMS committees with emphasis on issues of advocacy, legislation and regulation, and physician workforce. He has served as an officer of the Worcester District Medical Society and chaired its legislative committee. In 2011, he was honored with the Worcester District Medical Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

While President of the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians, he led the academy’s advocacy efforts on implementation of the groundbreaking Massachusetts universal health care reform acts. He was recognized for his advocacy efforts by the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine with their annual Advocacy Award in 2015.

He has been appointed to serve at various times on the Massachusetts Special Commission to Study Feasibility of a Pain Management Access program, The Governor’s Medical Education Working Group on Prescription Drug Misuse, The Massachusetts Medicaid Delivery Model Advisory Committee, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Patient Centered Medical Home Pilot Coordinating Council, and the Massachusetts Healthcare Workforce Advisory Council.

Active in his community, Dr. Dimitri is a former vice chair of the board of trustees of Clark University and served for eight years as a founding trustee of the board of UMass Memorial Health Care. He is currently a member of the board of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. In 2011 he was inducted into the Worcester Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame for his philanthropic efforts in support of the club. He attended Oxford Street School, Woodland Street Preparatory School, Doherty Memorial High School and Clark University, and received his M.D. at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center.

-10-

KIMBERLY HADDAD, JD, MPH Health Care Leader Doherty Memorial High School

Kimberly A. Haddad, UMass Medical School’s Common-wealth Medicine Chief of Staff, is a celebrated scholar,

leader, and strategist specializing in public health policy. Prior to UMass Medical School, she served as Director of Health Care Policy and Deputy General Counsel at the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance, where she co-

ordinated state and federal health reform implementation across the Administration. As General Counsel and Health Policy Advisor to Massachusetts Senator Richard T. Moore, she assisted the Senator with the development of Chapter 224—the Com-monwealth’s groundbreaking health care cost containment and quality improvement law. A Doherty Memorial alumna, she has received law and public health degrees from Northeastern School of Law and Tufts School of Medicine, and worked as Enforcement Counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Victim Witness Advocate for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, and Research Associate at Harvard Business School.

At UMass Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine division, Haddad advises on strategic, operational, and business initiatives across the enterprise. Commonwealth Medicine’s services and expertise help state and federal agencies and other health care organizations in 28 states and 7 countries create and apply the health care solutions they need — from offering innovation on clinical, policy, and financial challenges, to developing and administering programs serving vulnerable populations.

Haddad learned Spanish through her travels in Central and South America while staying with families in Guatemala and Argentina and doing public health work in Mayan villages, an experience she says was one of the most enriching of her life.

-11-

SHEILA HARRITY, ED.D. Educational Leader

Doherty Memorial High School

In 2013, Sheila Harrity received one of the most prestigious awards in education, the National Principal

of the Year award for her leadership role at Worcester Technical High School. She was the first Massachusetts principal to receive the award, established by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, which honors secondary school administrators who have developed thriving learning experiences for students, and have made significant contributions to the education profession. She was thanked for her public school leadership in the Oval Office by President Barack Obama. That same year, WTHS was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.

Also in 2013, Sheila, a graduate of Doherty High School, received her Doctor of Education degree from Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies. Since that time, she has received Honorary Doctoral Degrees in Humane Letters from Becker College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester State University.

Currently, Dr. Harrity is the Superintendent-Director of the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School District. From 2006 – 2014, Sheila was the principal of Worcester Technical High School. In March of 2014, Dr. Harrity had the pleasure of informing the senior class that the President of the United States, Barack Obama, would be their commencement speaker.

Sheila is a graduate of Providence College where she was the guard for the women’s basketball team. She has appeared on C-Span and has testified at a House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on technical education and training programs. She is the vice chairperson of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education, is a member of the Massachusetts STEM Advisory Council Executive Committee, and is a board member of Becker College. Sheila resides in Worcester with her husband and two daughters.

-12-

MARK HOLDEN, ESQ. General Counsel Doherty Memorial High School

Mark Holden is an excellent example of the type of scholar-athlete that is nurtured by the Worcester

Public Schools. As a 1981 graduate of South High School, Mark was an honor student who starred on both the football field and basketball court. After graduation, Mark matriculated to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst

where he continued to excel academically, graduating cum laude in 1985 with a degree in Political Science. After gaining admittance to the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University Law School, where he was an associate editor of the Catholic University Law Review, Mark obtained his Juris Doctorate and was hired by Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauser and Feld, a Washington, DC law firm.

In 1995, Mark moved to Wichita, Kansas to join Koch Industries, Inc. Mark quickly established himself as an outstanding, hard-working legal mind. He distin-guished himself there and moved to his current position of Senior Vice President and General Counsel, where he serves as corporate secretary. He is also president and COO of the legal division of Koch Companies Public Sector, which provides legal and government and public affairs services to Koch Industries and its affiliates. Mark also sits on the boards of two Koch Industries subsidiaries, Georgia-Pacific Equity Holdings, LLC, and Molex Electronic Technologies Holding, LLC. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors of Americans for Prosperity. Most recently, Mark has appeared on the Fox network and MSNBC.

Currently, Mark lives in Wichita, Kansas with his wife Louise. They are the proud parents of four children. Although Mark travels extensively in his career, he never forgets his Massachusetts roots, his loyalty to local sports teams, and his hometown of Worcester.

-13-

JOHN MIRICK, ESQ. Attorney

North High School

John O. Mirick advanced through the Worcester Public Schools from kindergarten through Grade 6 at Lee

Street School, then to Chandler Junior High, Forest Grove Junior High, and graduated from North High School. After North, John went on to Amherst College, graduating magna cum laude. On a Fulbright Scholarship, he earned an MA from University College at the University of London, followed by Harvard Law School from which he received a JD cum laude. He was formally admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in December 1972 and is also admitted to and has practiced in Federal Courts up to and including the Supreme Court of the United States.

John began his distinguished career with the leading Boston law firm of Hale & Dorr where he played an important role in several high profile cases including litigation that desegregated the Boston Public Schools. After several years in Boston, he relocated his family to Worcester and joined Mirick, O’Connell, DeMallie & Lougee, which had been founded by his grandfather in 1916. John became a partner in 1978.

John’s professional achievements are of the very highest order. For example, he has been named one of the “Top 100 Massachusetts Super Lawyers” by Boston Magazine and Law & Politics. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ©2017 in the field of Commercial Litigation. His legal work is reflected in many important “published decisions” of the Supreme Judicial Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for several Circuits and U.S. District Courts. Published deci-sions are considered an important source of legal guidance and are the source of Common Law.

John has been active in the Worcester and Greater Worcester Community throughout his life. He served on the Worcester Public Schools’ PEAK (Providing Enrichment for Able Kids) Advisory Committee and is a past trustee of Preservation Worcester and the Worcester Center for Crafts. He was a soccer coach for Worcester Youth Soccer. Both of his sons are Doherty High School alumni

-14-

GAIL RADCLIFFE, PH.D. Scientist North High School

Gail E. Radcliffe, Ph.D. has more than 25 years ex-perience assisting medical device and diagnostics

companies with technical assessment, marketing and clinical/regulatory issues. Gail founded Radcliffe Consulting in 1998 after having worked at GENE-TRAK and CYTYC, biotechnology companies developing cutting edge in-vitro

diagnostic products for the healthcare industry. Dr. Radcliffe’s accomplishments as a scientist include patented inventions for detection of colon and breast cancers.

Dr. Radcliffe’s education in the Worcester Public Schools began at Rice Square Elementary School and continued at Harrington Way Junior High and North High Schools. Dr. Radcliffe credits dedicated teachers such as Dr. Deidre Loughlin and Gunnar Classon for fueling an interest in science that had been sparked when she was a young child during discussions sitting around the dinner table. Dr. Radcliffe received the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) award and the Most Likely to Succeed Award at North High.

Educational pursuits continued at the College of the Holy Cross and Washington University. She obtained a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Brown University and returned to Worcester for post-doctoral training in Molecular Immunology at U. Mass Medical School. This decision was both professional and personal as by now she had a young family and realized that juggling career and family would require lots of help from grandparents!

While establishing herself in her field, Dr. Radcliffe always made time to give back to the Worcester Public Schools. She could often be seen at Lake View and City View Schools conducting science classes or coaching teams for Odyssey of the Mind competitions. In addition, she and a colleague started the Scientists in the Schools program where scientists from UMASS were matched with classrooms in several elementary schools in the district. When GENE-TRAK closed, she arranged for the scientific equipment to be put to good use by donating it to the Worcester Public Schools.

Dr. Radcliffe is currently on the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives, working with others to support growth of start-up biotechnology compa-nies. Several of these companies provide internships for today’s students interested in science careers.

-15-

JOHN VO Artist, North High School

John Vo is a graduate of North High School and the College of the Holy Cross. At Holy Cross, John majored

in philosophy and visual arts. Since then, he has made his childhood dream come true by establishing, with his brother Tommy, Nine Dot gallery, a Main South home for young artists that provides space to draw, paint and collab-orate with other creative individuals.

John took his first art class at Holy Cross and began as a painter and 2D artist. In 2010, John was a Fulbright Scholar and visited Vietnam for the first time to learn the folk arts of silk painting and woodblock printing. John has exhibited his work at Ho Chi Minh University of Fine Arts and has participated in group exhibitions here in Worcester, Boston and New York.

While at North, John ran cross country and was captain of the team during his senior year. Upon graduation at Holy Cross, John received the John Paul Reardon Medal and Award for excellence in studio art.

GEOFFREY ZAKARIAN Chef Restaurateur, Burncoat High School

Geoffrey H. Zakarian is a world renowned chef restaurateur, award-winning author, and television

personality. Mr. Zakarian is a Worcester native and an alumnus of Thorndyke Road School, Burncoat Junior- Senior High School and Worcester State University. While at Worcester State, Geoffrey was encouraged to join the wine club by a favorite professor, with its requisite trips to Boston-area eateries. Thus his eyes were opened to the world of fine dining, and his professional interest in it grew on a post-graduation trip to France, where a love for French cuisine was born. Follow-ing this experience, Geoffrey decided to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America.

In 2001, Geoffrey opened his own restaurants in New York City that received top ratings. As his career progressed, Geoffrey served as a principal at several other NYC, Atlantic City, and Florida restaurants and become a celebrity cooking judge, including a stint as the Iron Chef America on the Food Network program. He has authored two books, launched a food storage container line this year, and served as chairman of the food rescue organization City Harvest, which helps to fight hunger in NYC.

-16-

Corporate Friend of the Worcester Public Schools

UNIBANK

For more than 147 years, UniBank has been building unique bonds with residents and businesses throughout Central Massachusetts and is a respected member of

the communities it serves. This relationship-building approach to banking is the model for the bank’s operations and the foundation for its growth and prosperity.

As a community bank, UniBank is proud of bank employees and the commit-ment they make to the community by volunteering for a wide range of organizations. Employees give back by coaching sports teams, providing financial counseling to the elderly, teaching first time homebuyer classes, volunteering at food pantries, and building affordable homes. Employees volunteer countless hours annually by serving as board members and committee members at organizations whose missions focus on affordable housing, financial literacy, public health, the environment, economic development, youth development, and historic preservation.

In addition to employees’ volunteer efforts, UniBank is committed to providing financial support to hundreds of the areas non-profit organizations every year. In 2016 the bank supported more than 300 local non-profits with donations and sponsorships in excess of $600,000. In 2016 UniBank launched the Invest Worcester program. Invest Worcester is a socially responsible banking program that leverages money deposited into a savings account to provide mortgages, small business loans, and community development financing within the city of Worcester. Invest Worcester invites individu-als, businesses, and Worcester municipalities to take an active role in making the City of Worcester a better place to live and work.

UniBank is headquartered in the Blackstone Valley with assets of $1.6 billion as of September 30, 2017. A full-service, mutually owned community bank, UniBank has branches in Central Massachusetts and MetroWest. UniBank has a Worcester branch on Gold Star Boulevard and opened its newest full-service branch at 193 Boston Turnpike (Route 9) in Shrewsbury (at the former site of Spag’s) on September 20, 2017.

UniBank is dedicated to contributing to the overall quality of life and economic health of the communities it serves, while maintaining a high level of financial soundness and integrity. UniBank is an Equal Housing Lender and a Member FDIC and Member DIF.

WEDF salutes UniBank for its ongoing support for our work with the Worcester Public Schools.

-17-Agency: Davis AdvertisingClient: Cornerstone BankW.S.# COR082217AFile Name: COR082217A_SponsorshipAds.inddLocation: Art Dept>Financial>Cornerstone BankArtist: NTAE/AC: BB/PT

Media: WEDFSize: 4.5” x 7.5”Color: bwBleed: noDate: August 2017Photo: thinkstockOther:

Request for PDF to be put in Box Holding Tank

AE/AC: ________ Date: ___________

W.S.#: _________________________

PDF uploaded to Box Holding Tank

Artist: _________________________

Date: __________Time: ___________

Revision #: A

Worcester • Charlton • Holden • Leicester

N. Oxford • Rutland • Southbridge • Spencer

Sturbridge • Warren • Webster

cornerstonebank.com800-939-9103 Member FDIC

Member DIF

A strong foundation makes for a successful future. With our expanded resources and commitment to exceptional service, we’ve set the groundwork—let’s start building.

Visit us today!

Let’s Build Your

Future, Together.

-18-

Congratulations to Worcester Educational

Development Foundation and your

Distinguished Alumni & Friends

1160 West Boylston Street, Worcester MA 01606 Telephone: 508.853.0789

www.oconnorsrestaurant.com Hosts & Proprietors:

Brendan & Claire O'Connor

“Even if the last move did not succeed,

the inner command says move again .”

Seamus Heaney

Special thanks to these Worcester Public Schools Educators

HHeard Street SchoolJohn CooneyLillian StrackPhilip Beals

HWoodland Street Prep School Marion Harris

HSouth High SchoolHelen DavisEarl LeonardPJ O’ConnorEdna McNamaraArthur J. SmithPasquale QuitadamoGeorge Fanning

HMay Street SchoolKathryn DaleyJane Jackson

HForest Grove Middle SchoolMartin LynchFred Rushton

HDoherty Memorial High School Bert Bolduc Janice Corrazini Marion Giacomelli Francis Bositis Paul Marano

HPEAK Clare Nadolski Gary Hagenbuch

The Clarke Family

-19-

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

SalutariansCollege of the Holy Cross

Hanover Insurance Group FoundationUnibank

High Honors SponsorCornerstone Bank

Cynthia & Stephen Pitcher

Honor Roll SponsorsCoghlin Services

Fallon HealthFidelity Bank

Kick-the-Ball MediaUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School

Table Sponsors Dennis Dimitri

Educational Association of WorcesterKimberly Haddad

Sheila HarrityMark HoldenJohn Mirick

Gail RadcliffeUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School

Worcester Technical High School

Advertisers and FriendsArena & Lowery Families

Cerrone, Graham & Shepherd, P.C. Clarke Family

Tony EconomouHolmes Shusas

Joan & Joseph MacDougall, Jr.Magay & Barron

Stephen MillsMurray & Murray

O’Connor’s RestaurantSullivan Travel

-20-

-21-

CongratulationsClass of 2017

Distinguished Alumni

Thank You Worcester Teachers!

Steve Mills

&

Holmes Shusas FloristFRESH AND FREEZE DRIED FLOWER MERCHANTS

1 Arrat Street, Worcester, MA 01609www.holmesshusas.com • 508-853-2550

Cerrone, Graham, & Shepherd, P.C.CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACOUNTANTS AND CONSULTANTS

Congratulates the Award Recipients446 Main Street, 10th Floor, Worceter, MA 01608

www.cgscpas.com • 508.754.8512 (p) • 508.754.8502 (f)

-22-

17-674-086 Rev. 00 10/17

fallonhealth.org

Moving forward with community

-23-

Improving Our CommunitiesAt Fidelity Bank, it is part of our long-term mission to help improve the quality of life in our communities. Our contributions to the communities we live and work in are something we take very seriously. Because a community full of happy people living full lives is the company we want to keep.

We are proud to know through supporting the community, we are helping to create a strong foundation for all of us.

Leominster Worcester Fitchburg Gardner Shirley Barre Millbury Paxton Princeton

Thank you for all you do.

800.581.5363 fidelitybankonline.com

-24-

Thomas V. Murray, Jr. Esq. • Sean C. Murray, Esq.688 Pleasant Street

Worcester, MA 01602(508) 754-4900

www.murraylawyers.com

-25-

Congratulations to

Sheila Harrity for setting such

an inspiring example of leadership in education

-26-

-27-

Proud Sponsor of the

Worcester Educational Development FoundationDistinguished Alumni and Friends of the

Worcester Public Schools

Congratulations to all honorees, especially our own:

Kimberly Haddad Dr. Dennis Dimitri

55 Lake Avenue NorthWorcester, Massachusetts 01655-0002

http://www.umassmed.edu

-28-

Thank you!

2017 WEDF Distinguished Alumni

Awardees and Role Models

Arena and Lowery Families

“Being a role model is the most powerful form

of educating…..”

-29-

It’s all about the children…..The Worcester Educational Development Foundation, Inc. (WEDF) is here for the

children of Worcester.

Established in 2005, our mission is to support the programs and initiatives of the Worcester Public Schools as its administrators and teachers work to ensure that every student has a strong educational foundation and is ready for post-secondary education and the world of work and citizenry.

This year, WEDF continues to focus on four key areas: Arts & Culture; Health & Wellness; College & Career Readiness; and STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics). Through the generosity of local foundations, 22,000 students will engage with cultural institutions through classroom preparation followed by grade-level field trips. Coats for Kids will distribute warm winter outerwear to 3,000 students; AVID, funded by Hanover Insurance, will begin preparing students for high level courses beginning in elementary school; memorial scholarships will be distribut-ed; and WEDF will offer mini-grants for classroom teachers and district personnel.

WEDF depends on a caring community to carry out our mission. To embrace more support for the Worcester Public Schools, this year WEDF is initiating an alumni network. If you are interested in joining the alumni network, or if there is a particular area you would like to support through a contribution, please contact WEDF at execdir@wedfwps.org. To learn more about WEDF, please visit our website at wedfwps.org. To make a donation, please make checks out to: WEDF, Suite 224, 210 Park Avenue, Worcester, MA 01609.

We deeply appreciate your continuing support.

-30-

WEDF BOARD OF DIRECTORS2017-18

Stephen Pitcher . . . . . . . . . .President

Maria Gorsuch-Kennedy . . . 1st Vice President

Louise Clarke . . . . . . . . . . .Vice President, Executive Director

Frances Arena . . . . . . . . . . . .Treasurer

John Monfredo . . . . . . . . . .Clerk

DIRECTORS Maureen Binienda Joseph MacDougall, Jr.

Kathleen Finnegan Megan Marszalek

Jamie Hoag Susan O’Neil

Linda Larrivee Kimberly Salmon

Michael Lyons Omar Velazquez

2017 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF THE WORCESTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMITTEE

Thomas Murray, Chairman

Frances Arena Janet Lyons

Shannon Bartley Stephen Mills

McHala William Brophy Kerry Mulcahy

Louise Clarke Jan Parent

Tony Economou Stephen Pitcher

William Wallace

-31-

-32-

• Blackstone • Douglas • Hopkinton • Milford • North Grafton • Shrewsbury • Sutton

• Upton • Uxbridge • Whitinsville • Worcester

unibank.com Member FDIC/Member DIF

is pleased to support The Worcester Education Development Foundation