2024 Community Awards Recipients Announced
October 21, 2024
The Cretin-Derham Hall Community Awards Dinner was held on Monday, October 21, 2024 at the Saint Paul Hotel. This wonderful evening celebrates the CDH community and honors alumni and friends from Cretin, Derham Hall and Cretin-Derham Hall. The Community Awards recognize the significant accomplishments of our distinguished alumni and friends, along with the support and congratulations of the entire community.
The following awards were presented:
The Saint De La Salle Award
Presented annually in honor of the Christian Brothers to a distinguished alum in recognition of his outstanding service to his community and to Cretin and Cretin-Derham Hall. This award recognizes achievements in ministry exemplifying the highest and best traditions of Cretin High School.
After graduating from Cretin in 1969, John attended Saint Mary’s College and transferred to Saint Thomas. He started his career servicing equipment at Northwest and Delta Airlines. During this time, John and his wife, Sandy, established a cleaning business and managed 25 commercial and residential cleaning contracts. They decided early on to prioritize the dignity of work and wages, including healthcare, for their cleaning staff. This commitment to equitable practice sustained their business and upheld the principles of social responsibility, allowing their employees to lead lives of dignity and security.
John and Sandy adopted five children and they are dedicated to providing a nurturing family life with opportunities for growth and love. Sandy was a swim coach and John coached Special Olympics basketball and softball teams.
John notes that his heroes are his mother and father, who, like St. John Baptist de la Salle, instilled in him the meaning of how to be a “man for others” from an early age, demonstrating through their actions the importance of compassion and service to those in need. Ultimately, they exemplified the principle of “paying it forward” and leaving behind a legacy of kindness, generosity, and service that continues to inspire him daily.
Bishop Joseph Cretin Award
This award is presented annually to a distinguished Cretin alum in recognition of his outstanding service to the community and to Cretin-Derham Hall, and for his achievements in his profession exemplifying the highest and best traditions of Cretin High School. This award is presented in memory of the school's founder Bishop Joseph Cretin, the first Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
General (Ret.) Thomas A. Schwartz '63
Tom Schwartz is a retired United States Army four-star general who commanded the United States Army Forces Command from 1998 to 1999 and United States Forces Korea from 1999 to 2002. Since retirement from the service, Tom served on various boards, councils and advisory positions. He was named a Distinguished Graduate from West Point in 2009.
Tom attended the United States Military Academy and was commissioned in the infantry following graduation in 1967. He served as a platoon leader and company commander with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry in Vietnam from August 1968 to October 1969, earning both a Silver Star and a Purple Heart. In addition to Forces Command and United States Forces Korea, Schwartz also commanded III Corps and the 4th Infantry Division from October 1993 to November 1995.
Tom earned master's degrees from Duke University and the Naval War College. He is also a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Ranger School, the Armor Officer Advanced Course, and the Armed Forces Staff College.
The Carondelet Award
This award is presented annually to a distinguished woman who is reflective of the charisms of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Derham Hall. Women who receive this award have attained eminence in their particular field of endeavor.
Susan attended Marquette University, earning a degree in Political Science and French. Currently, Susan is the Senior Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. For more than three decades there, she has participated in the deliberations and decisions of the Executive Leadership Team, bringing the lens of external stakeholders, the developing needs of the community, and changing trends in healthcare policy. She serves as Lurie Children’s ambassador with external stakeholders in Washington, D.C., Springfield, Illinois, Chicago and the Midwest.
Lurie Children’s is the single largest provider of care to low-income children in Illinois. Susan and her team advocate to protect and enhance essential government funding to ensure that children have access to mental and physical health care and to improve their health and safety. Susan is proud of Lurie Children’s relentless pursuit of cures and healthier futures for children.
Along with her husband Tom, Susan’s greatest accomplishment and joy in life has been
raising four children: Annie, Jack, Pat and Matt.
The Hugh Derham Award
This award is presented annually to a distinguished woman who is reflective of the charisms of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and Derham Hall. Women who receive this award have exemplified Derham Hall's ideals of excellence, service, and love of the dear neighbor.
After attending Derham Hall, Jane earned a degree in Elementary education from the College of Saint Catherine. After college, Jane spent time between working for the family business - Metzger Building Materials - and teaching afternoons at Webster Elementary School. Eventually, she transitioned to a full-time position at Metzger, working side-by-side with her parents as she took on more responsibility. After her father retired in 2011, Jane was named to her current role of President of Metzger Building Materials.
Jane reflects on her family’s commitment to Catholic education and their generosity toward supporting Catholic schools. The foundation of Christian ideals and education taught by the Sisters of St. Joseph continues to influence Jane in her work today. She felt empowered and encouraged by her friends, her teachers, and her parents to work hard, to be of service, and to love the dear neighbor.
The Eugene & Mary Frey Community Award
Instituted in 1999 in recognition of the tremendous commitment Eugene ‘48 and Mary Frost Frey ‘52 have demonstrated to Cretin-Derham Hall and the larger community, this award is presented to individuals who reflect the mission and values of Cretin-Derham Hall through deep connection and involvement with Cretin-Derham Hall and other community interests.
After attending Cretin High School, Joe attended school at the University of Minnesota while working at Midwest Vending, eventually purchasing the company. Joe enjoyed data collection, which helped develop better technology for vending machines. He notes that developing people from within the company is important to him. The sense of belonging came from his experiences at Cretin.
The sense of community and belonging was special for the Harris family, especially when their daughter Shannon graduated in 2010 from Cretin-Derham Hall. Shannon suffered from Cystic Fibrosis and was in the hospital often. The CDH community and prayers helped carry Shannon and the Harris family through very difficult times.
The community support they received has inspired them to give back to others. Joe and Katy established “The Shannon Open,” a golf tournament named for their daughter, who lost her fight with Cystic Fibrosis in 2017. The Open is dedicated to continuing the fight to find a cure and they have raised over $700,000 toward that goal.
In addition to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, proceeds raised from this event are also donated to the Cretin-Derham Hall Shannon Harris Scholarship Fund – which provides significant financial support for students with a chronic illness, or to students with a family member with chronic illness.
Monsignor Ambrose Hayden Legacy Award
This award recognizes individuals whose spirit and energy reflect an understanding of the need to preserve the past and provide for future generations. Recipients exemplify the charisms of the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet.
Katie Stewart '87 & William Stewart
Both Katie and Will believe in the importance of the Cretin-Derham Hall community and honoring its past and present. With that as a foundation, the Stewarts have treasured the CDH traditions that have evolved over the years, but embrace the opportunity to build on old traditions and create new ones. This creates a community that remains committed to one another during high school years and beyond.
Two of three Stewart children graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall. Katie also served on the CDH Board and the 2020-2025 Strategic Planning Committee. The friendships and connections to CDH’s mission from these experiences have inspired Katie and Will to give back and help assure Cretin-Derham Hall’s sustainability into the future.
Richard R. Engler Lifetime Achievement Award
The Richard R. Engler Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to one recipient to honor a lifetime of exemplary service and dedication to Cretin-Derham Hall and the broader CDH community. This award is presented in recognition of the long history of service by Dick Engler, the President of Cretin-Derham Hall between 1990 and 2015, whose commitment and hard work impacted generations of CDH families.
Nancy Parlin, Derham Hall class of 1952, impacted the lives of countless people, but most significantly, her life of faith and service formed by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet community includes decades of dedication working with students.
Attending Derham Hall was also formative in her faith life. Nancy eventually followed in the footsteps of her teachers and became a Sister of St. Joseph Carondelet. She enjoyed being academically challenged and continued to learn and teach throughout her life.
Nancy attended the College of St. Catherine, earning a degree in Sociology. She continued her studies at St. Louis University, earning a Master’s Degree in Sociology. After earning her doctorate in Sociology at the University of Minnesota and leaving the convent, she taught at several colleges including the Fontbonne College; College of St. Catherine; University of Wisconsin - Parkside; Morehead State University and the University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
As a professor at Fontbonne College in St. Louis, Nancy became engaged in the racial justice movement. She joined the Peace Corps and served in Pakistan for three years. She also served as a Peace Corps trainer in Morocco. While at Morehead State, Nancy was the Dean of the Sociology Department. She retired as the Vice Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin - River Falls and was the first woman to hold this position in the University of Wisconsin system. Nancy loved the hope she found in her students and the prospects of their positive contributions to society.
The Signum Fidei Award
The Signum Fidei symbolizes ‘Rising Star’ and this award is presented annually to one or more individuals who reflect the ideals of the Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet. This award recognizes the recipient’s outstanding eminence in their particular field of endeavor and their outstanding service in the community.
Hayley Berrisford Mueller attended the College of St. Benedict; later, she earned a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Hamline University.
Hayley’s career in philanthropy began in college before returning to Cretin-Derham Hall. She worked as a major gift officer at Catholic Charities and was involved in the capital campaign for the Dorothy Day Center in downtown Saint Paul. Hayley returned to work in a school setting as the Director of Development at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis. Later, she went back to Catholic Charities as the Director of Major and Planned Gifts and moved into the interim Vice President of Development role in January 2020. Hayley served as the Chief Development Officer at the YWCA Minneapolis. Currently, she is the Executive Director role at Park Nicollet Foundation, one of eight foundations at HealthPartners, where she works with generous donors and organizations to provide the best healthcare experience for patients and the community.
When reflecting on her experiences working in philanthropy, Hayley notes that she has seen first-hand the impact of people's generosity on students, people experiencing homelessness and poverty, young women and children, and patients seeking access to high quality healthcare. She believes that philanthropy turns dreams into reality every day!
John attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Economics with a concentration in Finance. During his early career at Morgan Stanley where he eventually was named Vice President in the investment bank, he developed a foundation in the financial industry which led to his role as an emerging markets credit trader. Later, John joined SoFi, a consumer fintech company. He transitioned to the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. government’s development finance institution, where he served as a Managing Director. During his time at the DFC, he built and led the agency’s first direct equity investment group.
Currently, John is an investment professional at Flourish Ventures, a global fintech-focused fund.
John collaborates with entrepreneurs to understand their vision and support them with guidance, resources, and mentorship. Seeing the tangible impact of a partnership of growth and success is what drives his passion for investing.
Madeline attended the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. She continued her studies at the London Business School and earned a Masters of Business Administration.
Madeline was an engineer at 3M before she worked as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group with healthcare clients. Recently, Madeline joined the executive team as the Chief of Staff at Augeo.
When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, the CDH community continued to care for Madeline. During the pandemic, she was immunocompromised due to chemotherapy, but her high school friends created a drive-by parade with signs of positivity and support. Many CDH community members joined a weekly Zoom call to say the rosary on Madeline’s behalf every week during the twenty weeks of chemotherapy.
Madeline worked on pro bono projects with Firefly Sisterhood, a non profit in the Twin Cities that matches breast cancer survivors with newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.
Sam attended Boston College earning a degree in political science and history. After working in politics for a few years, Sam went to law school back at Boston College, where he wrote for the Boston College Law Review. While completing his JD, he worked with the Anti-Terrorism and National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office and studied at Bucerius Law School in Hamburg, Germany, one of the premier law schools in the country. In 2018, Dougherty started working for Hogan Lovells, where he is a senior associate specializing in complex litigation and international arbitration.
Honorary Alumni Award
This award is presented annually to a person who has shown dedication and commitment to serve the Cretin-Derham Hall community.
Teri McCloughan
For leadership and dedication to Cretin-Derham Hall, especially in her role as Interim President during the 2023-2024 school year.
Over the past two decades, Teri has served the CDH community as Past Chair of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Advancement Committee. She was also the 2012 recipient of the Eugene and Mary Frey Community Award, for those individuals who reflect the mission and values of CDH.
Thank you for your commitment to provide a strong foundation for the future of Cretin-Derham Hall.