Recognizing Extraordinary Commitment to Catholic Schools | Awards Ceremony Photo Gallery

The following award recipients are recognized by ACAAP for going above and beyond in their service and dedication to Catholic schools. Their awards were formally presented on Thursday October 12, 2022 at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. 

2022 ACAAP Recognition Award Recipients

Outstanding Volunteer Service: We have two very deserving award recipients.

E. Dennis Kelly, Jr. - Diocese of Fall River
AND
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Feitel – Xavier High School, Middletown, CT

Board Member of the Year

Paul Chisholm, Cathedral High School, Boston

Support Staff Distinguished Service Award 

Amy Rogovich, Our Lady of the Assumption School, Lynnfield, MA

The Catholic Philanthropist of the Year Award

Jack Shields, Boston College High School 

Sister Ann Moynihan Rising Star Award 

Shawna Igoe, Director of Alumni and Volunteer Engagement at Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, MA

William McNeill Award

Alison Mueller, Director of Marketing, Enrollment, and Development, Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire

Outstanding Volunteer Service: Two very deserving award recipients

Outstanding Volunteer Service Award Recipient: E. Dennis Kelly, Jr. - Diocese of Fall River

Dennis Kelly is the former CEO of Bristol County Savings Bank which operates mainly on the Southcoast of Massachusetts. He has volunteered for his parish, St. John's in Attleboro for many years on the Parish finance council and School Advisory Board. More recently, Dennis volunteered to serve as the following: * Vice-Chair of the Bishop's Finance Council * Member of our Diocesan Audit Committee * Board member of the Foundation for the Advancement of Catholic Education or FACE. Dennis has an impeccable reputation and is a true professional. 
The Diocese itself was in great financial difficulty and with the help of Dennis we have been able to accomplish the following: * Reconstituted Finance Council * A balanced budget * First ever audit of the Diocese * Development of a Finance Council Charter * Development of an Audit Committee * Development of a financial transparency report * Development of an internal audit function * Identification of new lay volunteer leaders for the Diocese * New process for scholarship applications Just to name a few! There would be challenges but God would put the right people in place to help, and Dennis was one of the first people to reach out. There are many challenges ahead but they will be addressed head on and eventually succeed with the gifts of Dennis' leadership, expertise and great personality. We are pleased to recognize Dennis with our Outstanding Volunteer Service Award. 

Outstanding Volunteer Service Award Recipient: Mr. and Mrs. Richard Feitel – Xavier High School, Middletown, CT

Rich Feitel started at Xavier High School in 1969 as a history teacher and junior varsity basketball coach. Shortly thereafter, he turned basketball over to others and took on track and field coaching for 16 years. Rich is known best for the relationships he made and kept with students, fellow faculty and coaches, as well as the families of Xavier High School. Raising a son who attended Xavier and a daughter who attended Mercy (sister school), as well as grandchildren who also attended both schools, Rich and Lauralane Feitel have been ambassadors for Xavier for more than 50 years and a team in the true sense of the word. In 1982, Rich was asked by Principal Bro. James Kelly, C.F.X., to start an alumni association, which is still active today. In 1985, Rich left teaching and became the first Director of Alumni and Development for Xavier. In 2016, he received the Lifetime Service Award from the school. Rich officially retired from Xavier in 1997, but not from work. For the next 21 years, until 2018, Rich traveled the country with Catholic School Management helping other schools with his expertise in alumni engagement and charitable gift development. At Xavier, the Feitels opened an endowed scholarship fund for student tuition support, placing them into the exclusive Heritage Society They donate annually to the fund while promoting charitable giving from others. They remain engaged in Xavier activities and in deep and meaningful relationships with alumni, faculty and staff. If any one couple can be called Mr. and Mrs. Xavier, it is Rich and Lauralane Feitel. In 2018, after a period of time when the annual Xavier Alumni Golf Classic saw a decline in attendance and proceeds in support of financial aid, Rich was called back into action and given a free hand to bring it back to life. And this he did with Lauralane right beside him. The first tournament with Rich back in the fold brought in proceeds of about $60,000 for financial aid, followed by $75,000 in 2019, then $87,000 in 2020 despite the global pandemic. A couple on a mission, the Feitels do not tire of investing their blood, sweat and tears in the Xavier High School family. Whether it be the annual Alumni Golf Classic, athletic contests, Home & School Association events or traveling the country with alumni and other close Xavier friends, Rich and Lauralane have made a family out of students and colleagues. 
We are therefore proud to recognize Rich and Lauralane Feitel with our Outstanding Volunteer Service Award.

Board Member of the Year Award Recipient: Paul Chisholm – Cathedral High School, Boston

Paul has been on Cathedral's Board since 2005, and Board Chair for the past 10 years. He has helped in many different ways throughout the years and three different capital campaigns. Most recently, when Cathedral needed a Head of School in 2019 he stepped in as Interim Head of School until the position was filled in February of 2020. He was helping lead their leadership team, faculty and students during a time of transition, while raising funds for the school. Then in March of 2020, the Admissions Director resigned and Paul stepped in to help with Admissions until a new person was hired in July of 2020. They were able to end the 2020 school year well in spite of the pandemic and 100% of their students graduated and were enrolled in college. Paul is the glue that kept the school together during some very difficult times of transition. He is a leader and has given of his time, talent and treasure again and again. He provides leadership and guidance for the two biggest fundraisers of the year, the annual gala and annual golf tournament which combined raises $1.3 million. He truly cares about the students and wants to help provide opportunities to these young people that they wouldn't otherwise have. Cathedral is unique in that all of it’s students come from low-income families and require financial aid and tuition support. As a result, the majority of their funds to keep the schools doors open comes from donors like Paul. In 2016-2018 Paul led the Capital Campaign of renovating the school convent into the Applied Learning Center that is used for STEAM. Paul played a critical role in managing that project securing millions of dollars for the renovation and seeing it through to completion. Professionally, Paul is a retired founder and CEO of mindSHIFT Technologies.
We are grateful to Paul, and honored to recognize Paul Chisholm with our Board Member of the Year Award.

Support Staff Distinguished Service Award Recipient: Amy Rogovich- Our Lady of the Assumption School, Lynnfield, MA

Amy Rogovich has worked at OLA School for over 6 years. She has 2 boys who attend the school and they were students at the school before she started her employment. Amy does everything related to maintaining the front office, but also handles admissions. She handles the FACTS system in contacting parents, attendance, report cards, honors certificates and all parent questions. She has the ability as a parent to relate to the students, but also assist parents when they call with attendance questions, dismissal questions, ZOOM link questions, lunch questions. When OLA was forced to go remote Amy provided ZOOM links, was able to assist families with connection issues and put together a virtual tour that we provided to families via ZOOM all spring and summer. Amy goes above and beyond each and every day. She engages prospective families if they call the school, she is the talking point at virtual open houses (being a parent and an employee) and she has a fabulous relationship with the Principal, Vice-Principal and all of the faculty and staff. Amy is able to put students at ease if they are not feeling well and need to visit the nurse. Also, with Covid this past couple years, she has been available to help out at indoor lunch if the children were not able to go outside. Amy also maintains the social media pages for the school and creates posts and emails when they have special dress down days or celebrate Catholic Schools Week, etc. During Covid, Amy faced really busy days if tardy students arrived or early dismissals needed to happen. Parents will call her and she facilitates the dismissals. Amy has a knack for fixing whatever problem is thrown her way. We are told, and we have every reason to believe,  that Amy is a one of the kindest, most upbeat people you will ever meet and she is treasured by the administration, faculty, parents and students at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Lynnfield, Massachusetts.

The Catholic Philanthropist of the Year Award Recipient: Jack Shields, Boston College High School 

Following in the footsteps of the Shields family's tradition of philanthropy, in 2020 Jack Shields made a transformational gift to BC High of $5,000,000 to establish the Jack Shields '79 Center for Innovation. As a visionary entrepreneur who changed the way hospitals manage medications for patients with chronic disease, Jack views a culture of innovation, risk-taking and entrepreneurial thinking as the key to changing education in order to better prepare young people for the knowledge economy - and these are the goals of the Center. Jack's incredible investment will fuel the creation of new programs in three areas: an "innovation curriculum" will encourage students to grow into agile thinkers and resilient contributors who are courageous, reflective, and committed to addressing society’s most pressing issues. Student and alumni network programs will bring in influential guest speakers, fund hack-a-thons, pitch competitions and entrepreneurship tournaments with other schools, along with opportunities for students and alumni to develop and grow personal and professional connections. Lastly, the Center will offer hands-on experience for BC High's students in all grade levels in areas such as computer science, robotics, and media. By fostering collaboration between students, alumni and faculty, Jack's gift will impact not only virtually every one of BC High's 1,440 students, but it will have a ripple effect, engaging BC High's 15,000 member Alumni Network and Boston's education and nonprofit communities. The Center has already begun to act as a catalyst for new partnerships at BC High with leaders such as Babson University President Steven Spinelli, and former Governor Jane Swift. Jack launched the Center in recognition and gratitude for the Catholic, Jesuit ideals that shaped him while he was a student at BC High. A football player who went on to play at Notre Dame, Jack's lessons on the field - including resilience, grit, perseverance, and teamwork - are what led him to his success in business and in life. Jack is not only involved at BC High as a donor but as a volunteer leader who served as a Trustee from 2000-2006 (including as Chair 2004-2006) and as a Trustee Associate from 2006-2017. He is deeply committed to organizations on the Massachusetts South Shore that provide opportunities to young people and support struggling families, including the Boys & Girls' Club in Brockton, Father Bill's & MainSpring the Weymouth Food Pantry, and Plymouth Area Coalition for the Homeless. As BC High President Grace Cotter Regan says, (quote) "Jack truly embodies our mission and the formation that we hope for our young men at BC High - that they serve their communities as leaders who are contemplatives in action and 'men for others.'" (end quote) 
We are honored to recognize Jack Shields with the Catholic Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Sister Ann Moynihan Rising Star Award Recipient: Shawna Igoe, Director of Alumni and Volunteer Engagement at Bishop Feehan High School, Attleboro, MA

(This award is offered in Memory of Sister Ann who was an invaluable long-time Board member of ACAAP)
Shawna Igoe’s career in Advancement began on March 9, 2020. A week later, Bishop Feehan High School’s campus closed, and Shawna’s job hasn’t been the same since. Despite the pandemic’s challenges, Shawna has done remarkable work to help Feehan’s Advancement efforts grow over the past two years. As Director of Alumni and Volunteer Engagement, she has greatly improved Feehan’s outreach, participation and relationships in both areas. Shawna helped alumni stay in touch through the pandemic by keeping reunion committees together and meeting via Zoom. Her personal outreach to alumni has laid the groundwork for several feature stories and compelling class updates in Feehan’s biennial magazine, Cornerstone. She also drove the launch of an alumni "Rock Talks" speaker series, where high-achieving graduates in interesting careers shared their stories with students and other alumni via Zoom. Likewise, Shawna’s work to recruit and lead volunteers has been outstanding. Although concession stands were closed and teacher appreciation day was cancelled, Shawna continued to help connect volunteers’ skills and interests with the school’s needs. Her teams of parents and alumni assembled and installed classroom technology to facilitate the Feehan’s hybrid educational model for the 2021-22 school year. Other teams measured distances between desks to keep students safe in classrooms as Feehan returned to full, in-person learning. Shawna also led more than 50 volunteers to plan Feehan’s “Un-Gala”, a virtual version of their annual community-wide fundraising event, which raised more than $370,000 for the school. Shawna’s work in Advancement is a second career for her. She is an engineer by training and worked in the corporate world before taking time away to raise her two sons. She serves Feehan because she values Catholic education and feels her gifts and talents can better connect the school with the community. If she chooses, she certainly could run an advancement office in the future. The Bishop Feehan community feels blessed to have her skills and energy, and we are very pleased to present Shawna Igoe with the Sister Ann Moynihan, CSJ Rising Star Award.

 
William McNeill Award Recipient: Alison Mueller, Director of Marketing, Enrollment, and Development, Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire

(The William A. MacNeill Award is presented to a current member of ACAAP whose contribution to a member organization(s) and/or to the profession encompassed by the membership reflect honor on ACAAP, its mission and its purpose. The recipient will have served in the advancement or admissions profession for a reasonable length of time and be honored for a pattern of service and performance rather than for unusual success in a single event. The award honors William MacNeill, the first President of the New England Association of Catholic Development Officers (NEACDO), now known as ACAAP, for his 30+-year commitment to Catholic school advancement and for the inspirational example of leadership and knowledge he has embodied to all in the profession.)
Alison Mueller has worked for the Diocese of Manchester since 2015.  Her love for and commitment to Catholic education was obvious from day 1. She quickly became a person that is well trusted by the faculty and staff of all of the diocese’s Catholic schools, 18 in total. Alison is a most trusted advisor and mentor. Her experience and advice is invaluable. As well as being an important supporter to our schools, Alison is also an amazing colleague. Her concern and care for her co-workers makes her an integral part of the office, and someone that has the best interest of everyone in her heart. In her role, Alison supports and provides guidance to all 18 Diocesan Catholic schools in their marketing and enrollment efforts. She also works to promote enrollment on a state-wide level. Recently, Alison was instrumental in opening a new Catholic school in Gorham, NH in 2019, in an area that had been without a Catholic school for more than a decade. She also helped secure more than $230,000 in donations in its first year. In the summer 2020, Alison led and launched a state-wide marketing campaign "See you in Class" and transfer incentive program (TIP), which was featured on WMUR Television, the Union Leader, and NBC Boston, among others. This TIP created a surge in interest and enrollment in Catholic schools across the state, in a time where diocese across the country were closing schools due to COVID. This campaign yielded nearly 500 new student enrollments system-wide, with another 190 on waitlists as of opening day. This made it the first time in 15 years that total enrollment increased from the year prior. Additionally, the NCEA reported that the Diocese of Manchester was one of only 10 dioceses in the nation to see an enrollment increase of 1% or more (out of 174 dioceses) This campaign sought to achieve the Catholic Schools Office's mission of affordability, accessibility, and availability of Catholic education for any child that desires it. At the foundation of Alison’s successes is her incredible faith. Her love of God, trust in Jesus, and dependence on the Holy Spirit is at the core of all that Alison does. As an accomplished artist, Alison has also honored our Holy Mother in a number of amazing pieces that she has painted. Her entire life and career is grounded in Christian love. She is an incredibly giving woman, and the Catholic schools of NH are so fortunate to have her working for their success. 
ACAAP is truly honored to present the William McNeill Award to Alison Mueller.