Vol.6 No. 3 - St. Thomas University

Summer 2005
Vol.6 No. 3
Contact
is published by the
Office of University Advancement
St. Thomas University
16401 NW 37th Avenue
Miami Gardens, FL 33054
TEL: 305-628-6660
FAX: 305-628-6703
Susan M. Smith
Editor & Associate Director
ssmith@stu.edu
Kevin Shea
Assistant Editor
kshea@stu.edu
Jerry Bernfeld
Alumni Association Director
jbernfeld@stu.edu
Janine “Gigi” Laudisio
Director of Annual Giving
jlaudisio@stu.edu
Beverly S. Bachrach
Vice President,
Office of University Advancement
bbachrach@stu.edu
Rev. Msgr. Franklyn M. Casale
President
fcasale@stu.edu
For the Class Notes section, we
welcome alumni news and photos,
including career changes,
marriages, births, memberships
and honors. Please send
this information to Susan M.
Smith by fax, mail or e-mail
(see above).
Information Update
Please keep us informed of any
change in address, employment
or contact information by completing
the form on Page 3.
Include the e-mail address
(home or business) at which
you prefer to receive news
about St. Thomas University.
Please send by fax, mail or e-
mail to Carla Valeriani at: cvaleriani@stu.edu.
Thank you!
Contact is also available
online at:
www.stu.edu/alumni
Caribbean Carnivale
2nd Annual Leader for Life Gala
Almost 400 alumni, trustees and
friends of St. Thomas University donned
tropical attire and gathered May 13 at
Parrot Jungle Island in downtown Miami
for STU’s 2nd Annual Leader for Life
fundraising gala to honor four alumni
leaders for their impressive accomplishments
both in their professions and in the community.
STU President Rev. Msgr. Franklyn
M. Casale presented the prestigious award
— STU’s highest alumni honor — to
Mario Trueba, ’80, CEO of Mellon-
Florida, and to Danny Katz, ’93, Ivan
Marin, ’95, and Dan Axman, ’96, cofounders
of Complete Ticket Solutions.
During the cocktail hour of the tropical-themed
event guests were entertained
by steel drum music and street players
from the new Miami Performing Arts
Leader for Life Awardees - L to R: Danny Katz, Ivan Marin,
Dan Axman and Mario Trueba.
Biscayne College Reunion
Biscayne College graduates of the classes of
1970, 1975 and 1980 and their spouses gathered
in Miami in early April for a weekend to celebrate
good memories, good times and good
Biscayne College Reunion Weekend attendees – with Msgr. Casale, Prof.
Richard Raleigh, Rev. James MacDougall, Dr. Helen Jacobstein, Coach
Stibler and his wife Dorothy.
Center. A multi-course dinner of Caribbean favorites
was followed by a video featuring the awardees and a
live auction facilitated by WQAM - AM 560 sports
radio host and former NFL player Don Bailey, Jr. and
continued on page 6
friends.
Shula’s Hotel and Golf Club in Miami Lakes
served as headquarters for the weekend reunion.
A get-reacquainted reception was held in the
hotel on Friday evening. A few
managed to fit in an early golf
game Saturday morning before
joining the others on campus to
soak up the Miami sunshine at a
poolside brunch. Then they
headed off for a tour of the
campus many had not seen
since they graduated. Stops
included the new Chapel of
Saint Anthony, the Media
Center, Law School and the
dorms they called home during
their years at Biscayne College.
The highlight of the event
was the Saturday evening
continued on page 7

▲Contact
Summer 2005
1955
Alberto Beguiristain, Francisco de la
Cámara and Felipe J. Villaraus, alumni
of Santo Thomas de Villanueva Law
School in Havana, Cuba, the precursor
of Biscayne College, recently celebrated
the fiftieth anniversary of their graduation
and pray that some day they will go
back to Cuba and practice law again.
1970
Tom Casey, B.A., English, is Field
Organizer for the International Union of
Painters and Allied Trades for the
Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts and
all of Maine, Vermont and New
Hampshire. He and his wife are celebrating
their 30th wedding anniversary
this year by riding down the Colorado
River through the Grand Canyon in a
raft with their two children, Alyson and
Tom, Jr. They live in Lawrence, MA,
where Tom has served on a number of
city boards, including the Lawrence
Airport Commission and the Lawrence
Redevelopment Authority. Tom is spearheading
efforts to create a STU New
England Alumni Chapter.
L to R: Bill McLaughlin, Tom Casey, and
John Conroy looking at memorabilia at
2005 Reunion.
John Conroy, B.A., History, has just
retired from a 30-year career teaching
English, computers and math in
Gibbsboro, NJ. He and his wife Margo
have two children – John who is a police
officer for Montgomery County, MD,
and James, who is a junior at
Georgetown University.
Bill McLaughlin, B.A., English, is the
English Coordinator for Brandywine
School District in Wilmington, DE. In
1996, during his teaching career in
Wilmington he was selected National
English Teacher of the Year and received
the Russell Galt Award. He has coached
boys’ basketball over the years and his
team was Delaware State Champion in
1980 and he was basketball coach of the
year in 1984. He was also Campaign
Chair for his father who was Mayor of
Wilmington for two terms. Bill has been
married for 33 years to Toni, an
accountant, and they have one son,
Christopher, a junior at Neumann
College.
Richard Murray, B.A. Accounting,
received the New Jersey Hospital
Association’s (NJHA) Distinguished
Service Award for
2005. President
and CEO of
Kennedy Health
System since 1992,
he is a fellow of the
American College
of Healthcare
Executives and Past
Chairman of the
NJHA and the American Osteopathic
Hospital Association. He has also
served on the Board of Trustees of
Rowan University. Richard lives in
Haddonfield, NJ, with his wife
Jacquelynn.
1975
Vincent Butera, B.A., is the State Sales
Manager for Florida and Alabama for
ACS, Inc., a computer services and software
company. He married Susan, his
high school sweetheart, in 1976 and
they have two boys, 25 and 21. They
now live near Atlanta in McDonough,
GA.
Rick Cywinski, B.S., Accounting, was
the tax manager at two publicly traded
oil companies during the late 70s and
early 80s. He and his partner then ran a
successful CPA firm in Houston, TX. In
1991 Rick joined the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in the
Houston field office. He is now Chief of
Tax Policy at the FDIC’s headquarters in
Washington, DC. Rick is married with
four children.
Lew Reed, B.A., Business
Administration, is Vice President of
Sales for Bentley Systems, Inc., a software
developer that provides engineering/CAD
software. In his 30-year
career in sales he has worked for various
technology companies, such as Data
General, Gould, Inc., Pioneer,
Bayer/Agfa and Harris Corp, moving
from a sales rep into management. He
has been married 29 years to Kathy
Burns, a Barry University alumna who
he met while in college in Miami, and
they have two sons, Patrick and Bryan.
Both graduated from the University of
Scranton and Patrick has just received
his master’s in education from Seton
Hall University. Lew and Kathy live in
Morristown, NJ.
1976
William B. Berger, B.A., Criminal
Justice and M.S., Human Resource
Management (1978), served 16 years as
Police Chief in North Miami Beach, and
is now Chief of Police of the City of
Palm Bay, FL. He graduated from Nova
Southeastern University Shepard Broad
Law Center with a J.D. in May 2003.
William served as the President of the
International Association of Chiefs of
Police Organization 2001/2002.
1979
Mark R. Antonelli, B.A., Accounting,
is an attorney/partner at Gaebe Mullen
Antonelli Esco & Dimatteo, P.A. Mark
has been married for 20 years and has
three children Jenny, 18, Chris, 15 and
John, 13.
1980
Sean Donohue, B.A., worked for many
years as an athletic trainer in the Miami-
Dade Public School System after get-
2

▲Contact
Summer 2005
ting his master’s in Sports Medicine
from Western Michigan University. He
then obtained a degree in school administration
and is currently Assistant
Principal at Hialeah High School in
L to R: 1980 alumni Curt Strassel, Peter Sinagra, Sean
Donohue, John Rooney and Sharon Tarter-Dranetz at
2005 Reunion
Miami. He and his wife Maria have
three children, Maria (21), Kerry (20)
and John (9).
Sharon Tarter-Dranetz, B.A., is office
manager for a chiropractor. She lives in
Miramar, FL, and is married with two
children, Sterling, 14, and Crystal, 10.
Bob Storin, B.A., Sports
Administration, has recently accepted a
new position with Comcast as Director
of Sports & Sponsorship Program
Development with the Mid-Atlantic
Division of Comcast Spotlight.
1982
Ervin Gonzalez, B.A., Political
Science, a partner in the Miami law
firm, Colson Hicks Eidson, was recently
named as one of the top one
percent of lawyers in the state
of Florida in Florida Trend’s
2005 Legal Elite. Legal Elite
honorees are selected by their
peers in a statewide balloting
process. He was also selected
as one of the best personal
injury litigators for 2005 by
Best Lawyers in America,
widely regarded as the preeminent
referral guide to the
legal profession in the U.S.
1984
Salvatore Arena, B.A., Accounting, has
been a police officer in Delray Beach
since 1987. He has been married for 13
years to Marcia, an elementary school
teacher. They have two boys Logan, 10,
and Brendan, 7.
1992
Martha L. Ayerdis, B.A., Criminal
Justice, has received her M.B.A. in
Health Administration from the
University of Miami. Currently Sales
Administration Supervisor for United
Healthcare, she previously worked for
the Department of Children and
Families as a Client Trust Fund
Coordinator in the Foster Care
Department.
1993
Ellen B. Goldin-Goff, M.S., Sports
Administration, and husband, Bob, had
a son on February 2, 2005. Justin Scott
Goff weighed 8 lbs. 9 oz and was 20
inches long. Ellen and her family now
live in Mount Airy, MD, where she is
now the Applications Development
Supervisor for the Housing
Opportunities Commission in
Montgomery County, MD.
1994
Laura Christine, M.S., Sports
Administration, recently accepted a
Vice President for Direct Marketing
and E-commerce position for Skechers,
based in Manhattan Beach, CA.
Mitch M. Morrall, MS, Sports
Administration, has been appointed
Director of Events of Miami’s Orange
Bowl Committee. He was previously
Director of Business Development &
Event Logistics for the McDonald’s Air
& Sea Show in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
continued on Page 4
STU Alumni Update Form
Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Year Graduated: _________Major: _______________________________________Degree: ___________________
Address:______________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
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E-mail: _______________________________________________________________________________________
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News for Contact:_____________________________________________________________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Please fax to the Office of University Advancement at (305) 628-6703 or mail to 16401 NW 37th Ave., Miami, FL 33054
3

▲Contact
Summer 2005
Dedication of Rev. Jorge Sardiñas Art Gallery
At the April 8 opening of
Celebrations, the exhibition
of the artwork of Fr.
Sardiñas, the STU art
gallery was dedicated to
Rev. Jorge A. Sardiñas.
Family, friends, members of
the St. Thomas University
community, and parishioners
from the many
Miami parishes where he
had served as a priest
packed the celebration of his life and his artwork.
New York gallery owner Gail Casale, who curated the exhibition,
has been appointed director of the Sardiñas Gallery. She
reported that almost the entire collection of 140 pieces was sold
that evening. A handful of select pieces remain for sale, in addition
to framed exhibition posters.
Please contact Jessica Antelo at (305) 628-6660 or at
(From left): Rev. Msgr. Franklyn M. Casale, Gail Casale, John
Priber, and Dr. Antonio Fernandez, STU professor and Chair of the
Fr. Sardiñas exhibition committee
jantelo@stu.edu for more information. Proceeds from the sale
of the artwork will be used to support the gallery.
4
continued from page 3
1995
Mike Mason, B.A., Communications,
has worked in television news as an “on
air”reporter in Mississippi and Florida.
While working for NBC in Ft. Myers,
FL, he received the prestigious National
Edward R. Murrow award. While there,
he became the first reporter to announce
the names of the two terrorists who flew
the planes into the World Trade Center
and he landed the only interview with
the couple in Venice, FL, who had
unwittingly rented a room to them. After
three years with ABC in Tampa, FL,
during which he was named sole recipient
of the National Investigative
Reporters and Editors Award, he is taking
a break from news. He has moved to
Miami Shores and is keeping busy writing
children books.
Martin Najarro, B.A., Sports
Administration and M.S.,
Management, and wife Alma
Damadzik-Najarro, B.A. Sports
Administration (1998) are pleased to
announce the birth of their son Adrian
Martin on October 27, 2004. Adrian
weighed in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 inches long.
He was born in Boca Raton, FL.
1997
Alex Puga, B.A. Criminal Justice and M.S.,
Mental Health Counseling (2001) and
Emmie Blanco, B.A., Psychology (1999),
were married January 14, 2005 in the
Chapel of
S a i n t
Anthony –
the first STU
alumni to be
married in
the new
chapel on
campus.
Alex is the
Education
Coordinator for the Charlee Program in
Miami and Emmie is a Probation Officer for
the Advocate Program at Miami-Dade
County Courthouse.
1999
Joe Amdor, M.B.A., Sports Administration,
has joined Forge Sponsorship Consulting as
Vice President for Event Marketing. He
lives and works in Draper, UT.
David F. Goldberg, M.S., Sports
Administration, is a lecturer at a private
junior/senior high in Sendai City in
Northeast Japan. He has been practicing
Kyokushin karate for almost four
years and hopes to get his black belt by
the end of this year. He says he is
always open to returning to sports management
and the U.S.
2000
Guerdy Réjouis-Abraira, B.A.,
Communications, is the Senior Sales
Manager for The Fisher Island Club
Catering Department for high-profile
social functions such as NASDAQ 100
Players Opening Party, Conde Nast
Vogue Colleciones Party, Gucci
Fashion Shows and Ocean Drive VIP
Receptions.
Tony Sanchez, M.S., Management, is
commander of Biscayne Park Police
Department in
Miami. He serves
as Chairman of
the Advisory
Committee for
Increasing
continued on page 5

▲Contact
Summer 2005
41st Commencement
Ceremony
Deacon Patrick Graybill and
Marian de la Fuente
Approximately 300
students received undergraduate
and graduate
degrees at STU’s 41st
Commencement held May
7 at the Miami Beach
Convention Center.
Gregory T. Swienton,
President and CEO of
Ryder System, Inc., and
Chair of the STU Board of
Trustees, was the keynote
speaker.
Honorary degrees were awarded to Marian de la Fuente,
well-known journalist for the Telemundo network, Deacon
Patrick A.Graybill, educator, theater professional and translator,
and the late Tom Pennekamp, a leader in the insurance
field whose degree was accepted by his widow Jeani.
L to R: Msgr.
Casale, Jeani
Pennekamp
and
Archbishop
Favalora
Lakeside Internet Cafe
The Library Internet Café extends to outdoor tables in front
of the library entrance and 10 tables and 3 benches surrounding
the lake. The area now supports extended day and evening use of
laptops, other electronic devices and the wireless computer network.
In support of aesthetic and environmental-water quality,
lake fountains run day and night with aquatic lighting. Funding
for this project was part of a grant from NASA.
Evelyn and George
Goldbloom Convocation Hall
Dedication
continued from page 4
the Graduation Rate and Decreasing the Dropout Rate for
Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and was recently
appointed to the Aircraft Noise Abatement Task Force of
Opa-Locka Airport, representing Miami Lakes. He is president
of the Miami Lakes Civic Association.
2001
Lucy P. Martinez, Communication Arts, recently joined
Hispanic Unity of Florida in Hollywood, FL, as Fundraising
and Special Projects Coordinator. She coordinated
HispanicFest, the largest Hispanic event in Broward County,
plus many other community-focused events. Previously she
was with the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel as Promotions
Associate in the Marketing Department and Sales
Coordinator in the Advertising Division.
2003
Nicole Fernandez, B.A., Communications, is a Realtor
Associate for Help-U-Sell in Miami.
(from left) Kim and Elise Kessler and Gary Goldbloom
Convocation Hall, the University’s main venue for on-campus
events, was dedicated May 19 as the Evelyn and George
Goldbloom Convocation Hall, thanks to a generous gift from
real estate developer and former STU trustee George
Goldbloom and his wife Evelyn. Archbishop John C. Favalora
conducted the dedication and blessing of the newly renovated
hall, together with Rabbi Solomon Schiff.
Gary Goldbloom and Elise Kessler, son and daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Goldbloom, and friends of the Goldbloom family
attended the event together with members of the University’s
Board of Trustees, faculty and staff.
5

▲Contact
Summer 2005
Caribbean Carnivale continued from page 1
Suzy and Joe Lacher with Carol
Williamson and son Trae.
Raul Martinez, gala chair
with his wife Nancy.
Gala proceeds of
over $220,000 will benefit
STU’s general scholarship
fund.
“We had a wonderful
evening that raised thousands
of dollars for scholarships
for St. Thomas
students and recognized
the tremendous accomplishments and contributions of these
fine alumni,” said Martinez, Vice President of Caribe Homes
and a member of STU’s President’s Board of Advisors.
Lively bidding at the live auction resulted in a Miami Heat
One of the most popular
auction items –
a gourmet Italian
dinner for six prepared
by STU president,
Msgr Casale
(left) went twice – for
a total of $5,600.
Left: (L to R) Ana
Oyarzun, Mario
Trueba,’80, Suzanne
Trueba and Ramon
Oyarzun, ’80.
Below: Ray Trevino bids
successfully for the Miami
Heat basketball signed by
Shaquille O’Neal.
6
Lilliam and Gus Machado
enjoying one of the PAC
Street players
L to R: Victor and Lisa Mendelson
with Gregory and Joann Swienton
basketball signed by the entire
team going to Gregory Swienton,
CEO of Ryder System and Chair
of the STU Board of Trustees, a
one-week stay in a Swiss Chalet
going to Danny Katz and Tom
Rozek., CEO of Miami Children’s
Hospital got a Carnival Cruise for two in the owner’s suite. The evening
ended with dancing to the beat of a calypso band.
Above left: L to R: Raul and Nancy Martinez with Don and Priscilla
Bailey. Above right: L to R: Steve Putman, Jamie Adams,’98, and
Robert Onsgard.
L to R: Alexis Fernandez,’03, Kathryn and Douglas Cueny, Dr.
Marco Nova, Sandra Nova and Alicia Patron Fernandez, ’92.
Left: The
four
alumni
awardees
with PAC
street
players
STU Alumni Association to Launch New
On-Line Portal
The St. Thomas University Alumni
Association is currently developing a new
website to be launched later this year. It
will offer a comprehensive selection of
news and services to alumni and friends,
including event registration, on-line giving,
club/chapter support, e-mail, a new on-line
directory and many other services.
The online directory will initially list the name of each alumnus,
former name, preferred class year and majors. We will show
other information such as home address, home phone, home e-
mail address, business address, only with your permission.
This summer, all alumni will receive a letter from the Alumni
Association with his/her login name and password for the new
site. Once you have logged in, you can choose what information
you would like to appear in the directory and take advantage of
the many services the site will offer.
We welcome any feedback on the current website and suggestions
for features and content for the new one. Please send your
comments to Jerry Bernfeld at jbernfeld@stu.edu.

▲Contact
Summer 2005
Biscayne College Reunion Weekend 2005
continued from page 1
Class of 1975 classmates Lew Reed, Charles
Steinmetz, Gerry Byrnes, Vinny Butera, Marcos
Vidal, Joseph Vazquez, Larry Scaglione and Rick
Cywinski
Vinny
Butera(’75),
Charles
Steinmetz (’75),
Tom Freiwald
(’80) and Larry
Scaglione, (’75)
Reunion Dinner, which included a trip down memory lane with
Professor Richard Raleigh, Fr. James MacDougall and former
basketball coach Ken Stibler.
The Reunion Weekend closed with University President
Monsignor Franklyn Casale celebrating Mass in the Chapel of
Saint Anthony followed by a brunch. This was the very first
Mass celebrated just
for alumni in the
Chapel since it was
Mike Madden, ’70, with Prof.
Richard Raleigh
dedicated in
February 2004.
As a gift to St.
Thomas University,
all three classes have
joined together to
raise money for The
Gathering Place, a
student lounge to be
located in the new Carnival Cruise Lines Science & Technology
Building, which is scheduled to open by the end of 2006. We
look forward to the participation of all alumni from these classes
in this class gift and hope to see them at the dedication of the
building which will take place towards the end of next year.
Please contact Alumni Director Jerry Bernfeld at jbernfeld@stu.edu
or (305) 474-6857 for more information on the
Gathering Place and the new science building.
1970 alumni Tom Casey, John Conroy, John Dooner and Mike Tierney
Vice President for University
Advancement Beverly S.
Bachrach, Amy Jacobstein(’75)
and Dr. Helen Jacobstein
John Dooner (’70) and
Ted Mandes (’70)
Tom Toscani (’70), Ken Stibler
and Bill McLaughlin (’70)
2006 Class Reunion
Weekend
Alumni of the
Class of 1975
with Prof.
Richard
Raleigh
If you graduated from Biscayne College/St. Thomas
University in 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986 or 1991, it's time
to start thinking about your class reunion in 2006. The Alumni
Association is looking for volunteers to serve as Class
Coordinators for the reunions. If you're interested, please e-
mail us at alumni@stu.edu or call (305) 474-6857.
7

June 30 Deadline to Support 2005
Annual Fund
Your gift to the Annual Fund has great impact. The Fund
supports institutional scholarships; helps with maintaining and
attracting talented faculty; and provides much needed resources
for University programs.
Affordability is a bigger issue than ever. Over 98% of the
University’s students require financial assistance to complete
their education – your annual support helps to provide each student
an average of $6000 a year toward the cost of tuition.
St. Thomas University’s fiscal year ends June 30, 2005.
Please, visit Alumni & Friends at www.stu.edu to make an
on-line donation.
Get Your STU License Tag
Don’t Forget! Next time you renew your tag, help fund scholarships
by purchasing the STU tag. For every tag purchased,
the university receives $25.00 for scholarships for STU students.
To order your own STU specialty license plate, please contact
Alumni Association Director Jerry Bernfeld at (305) 474-6857.
Alumni Night at the Ballpark
Friday August 12, 2005
Florida Marlins vs. San Francisco Giants.
Tickets are $22 each, with a portion of the
proceeds supporting St. Thomas University
scholarships. For additional information,
please contact Jerry Bernfeld at
jbernfeld@stu.edu or (305) 474-6857.
Save the Date!!
3rd Annual Leader for Life Gala
May 6, 2006
New Jersey Chapter Hosts A Day
at the Races
Saturday, September 24, 2005
The New Jersey Chapter of the STU
Alumni Association is hosting “A Day
at the Races’ on Saturday, September
24 at beautiful Monmouth Park Race
Track in Oceanport, NJ. The event is
NEW JERSEY
open to all alumni and their families.
CHAPTER
The cost is $46 per person and includes
track admission, a private trackside
viewing area and a buffet luncheon at 12 noon. Post time for
the first race is 1:15 p.m. For additional information, please
contact Alumni Association Director Jerry Bernfeld at (305)
474-6857 or by email at jbernfeld@stu.edu.
OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT
16401 N.W. 37th Avenue
Miami Gardens, Florida 33054
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NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
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PERMIT NO. 1259
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8