Williamsville Wall of Fame
Members of the Wall of Fame Class of 2019 are:
From Williamsville South High School:
- Christopher H. Toone, Class of 2009, Founder & CEO, The Senase Project, a non-profit organization that focuses on public education in rural Africa
- Elaina Giolando, Class of 2007, Life Transformation Coach and freelance writer
- James Dao, Class of 1975, Op-Ed Editor, The New York Times
- Michael Walline, Class of 1991, Western New York Theater Actor, Choreographer, and Director
- John Flaschner, Class of 1980, Vice President of Community Impact for The PGA Tour
- Mark F. Fassl, Class of 1980, Retired U.S. Army Colonel; former NATO Afghanistan Training Mission Inspector General; current Inspector General for the Alabama Department of Corrections
- Maureen Cattieu, Class of 2002, Founder & Director, Cartagena Paws, an animal rescue in Cartagena, Columbia
- David M. Brown, Class of 1978, Retired CIA Officer; currently, Senior Project Manager, ManTech International Corp.
- Henry J. Stopinski, Ed.D., Class of 1980, Superintendent of Schools, Royalton-Harland Central School District
- Penny Myers, Class of 1992, Cantor for Temple Beth Zion
Williamsville Wall of Fame Members
The Williamsville Wall of Fame was established in 2000 to honor district graduates who have distinguished themselves in their professions and in service to their communities.
Since the program was launched, 106 alumni have been inducted into the Williamsville Wall of Fame. The honorees have included entrepreneurs, musicians, authors, physicians, scientists, professors, entertainers, government officials, journalists, law enforcement and military officers, all of whom have achieved great success in their careers and serve as role models for today’s students.
The Williamsville Central School District dates back to 1893 and some members of the Wall of Fame are graduates of the original Williamsville High School. In 1950, the high school was moved to its current site on Main Street in the Village of Williamsville and is now home to South High School. As the population in the area grew, so too did the school district. In 1968, North High School opened its doors to students followed in 1975 by East High School. The Wall of Fame honors graduates from all three high schools, as well as those from the original high school. For more information about the Wall of Fame event or sponsorship options, please call (716)626-8008 [Call: (716)626-8008].
Members of the Williamsville Wall of Fame are listed below, by year of Induction with their profession/title at the time they were inducted.
2000
Williamsville South High School:
Neil Abercrombie (South HS, 1955) United States Congressman, Hawaii
William L. Christie (South HS, 1962)Conductor; Professor, Paris Conservatory
John C. Feuz (deceased, South HS, 1961)Businessman, Buffalo, NY
Robert Williams Leland, PhD. (South HS, 1981)Department Manager, Sandia National Laboratories
Carol Wincenc (South HS, 1967)Musician; Professor of Flute, Julliard School of Music, NY
Williamsville North High School:
Christopher Braun (North HS, 1984)General Manger, Braun Oldsmobile (Buffalo NY)
Marvin K. Malek, M.D. (North HS, 1969) Medical Director, South Troy (NY) Health Center
Joanne Schlosser (North HS, 1976) Author; President, Food Allergy Awareness Institute
Williamsville East High School:
JoAnn R. DiNoto (East HS, 1984)Lieutenant, Amherst (NY) Police Department
Seth Godin (East HS, 1978) President, Yoyodyne
David Young (East HS, 1987) Former Executive Director, Buffalo Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc.
2001
Williamsville South High School:
Edward Norman Hirsch (deceased; Williamsville HS, 1939) Linebacker for the original Buffalo Bills NFL Football Team
Linda Gail Kent (South HS, 1964) Ballet Dancer/Teacher
Marc Lacey (South HS, 1983)Washington Correspondent for the New York Times
Ronald E. LaPorte, Ph.D. (South HS, 1967)Professor, Pediatrics and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh
Stephen R. Lewis, Jr., Ph.D. (South HS, 1956)President, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota (retired)
Wendie Malick (South HS, 1968) Movie and television Actress
Trey Measer (South HS, 1968) President and Publisher, Bee Publications, Williamsville, NY
Joyce Carol Oates (South HS, 1956) Award-winning Author; Professor at Princeton University
Williamsville North High School:
David J. Altman, M.D., Ph.D. (North HS, 1979)Vice President of Clinical Affairs & Chief Medical Officer, Cognigen Corp.
Williamsville East High School:
Douglas R. Bacon, M.D. (East HS, 1977)Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic
Christopher A. Warlick, Ph.D. (East HS, 1987) University of Minnesota Medical School
2003
Williamsville South High School:
Bill Cole, MS, MA (South HS, 1972) Founder and CEO of Procoach Systems; author and motivational speaker
Robert S. Kinkel (South HS, 1975) Music director and founding member of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Kevin Leman, PhD. (South HS, 1961) Internationally known psychologist, author, speaker, television personality
Jonathan Ralston (South HS 1977) Award winning journalist and political commentator
Faith Ryan Whittlesey (South HS, 1956) Former United States Ambassador to Switzerland
Williamsville North High School:
David Kim (North HS, 1981) Concertmaster, Philadelphia Orchestra
Kelvin H. Lee, PhD. (North HS, 1987) Associate Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University
Richard Lewis (North HS, 1977) President and CEO, White Directory Publishers
Lynn M. Steinbrenner, M.D. (North HS, 1972) Chief of Oncology, Veteran’s Administration WNY Healthcare System
Paul A. Povlock (North HS, 1980) Commanding Officer, USS San Francisco, United States Navy
Williamsville East High School:
Leonard M. Castrianno (East HS, 1989; deceased-9/11/01)Junior stockbroker, Cantor Fitzgerald, World Trade Center, New York
Kathleen Kiesel Flemming (East HS, 1978) Banker and entrepreneur
Todd Marchant (East HS, 1991) Professional hockey player, NHL Columbus Blue Jackets
Craig Schorr (East HS, 1986) International strategy consultant & financial services manager; Naval Reserve Officer
2005
Williamsville South High School:
Matthew R. Abbott (South HS, 1980) NASA Flight Director, Houston TX
Jamie Adair (Williamsville High School, 1934) United States Navy, Rear Admiral; WWII Veteran (Deceased)
James Dombrowski (South HS, 1981) Professional Athlete; NFL New Orleans Saints (Ret.)
Joan Pluzdrak Dorn, Ph.D. (South HS, 1972) Associate Professor, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine-School of Public Health and Health Professions at the State University of New York, University at Buffalo
Marla Eglowstein Rich, M.D. (South HS, 1975) High Risk Maternal Fetal Physician; Founder, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Service, St. Peter’s Hospital, Albany, NY
John B. Sheffer, II (South HS, 1966) Founder and former Executive Director of the Institute for Local Governance and Regional Growth at the State University of New York, University at Buffalo
Wende Westinghouse Logan-Young, M.D. (South HS, 1953) Diagnostic Radiologist and founder of The Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic, Rochester NY
Williamsville North High School:
Gregory R. D’Alba (North HS, 1976) Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, CNN Advertising & Sales
Wendy Domster (North HS, 1976) Santa Clara (CA) Fire Department, Firefighter
Patricia Flanagan, M.D. (North HS, 1975) Pediatrician; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Brown Medical School, Providence RI
Thomas Mockaitis, Ph.D. (North HS, 1973) Professor of History and former Department Chair, DePaul University, Chicago IL
Williamsville East High School:
Vincent L. Cryns, M.D. (East HS, 1979) Associate Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Northwestern University, Chicago IL
Erin M. Peradatto (East HS, 1977) New York State Supreme Court Justice, Buffalo NY
Janet Snyder (East HS, 1983) Radio Personality/ Morning Show Host, WKSE-FM, Buffalo NY
David Wright (East HS, 1982) ABC News Correspondent, London
2007
Williamsville South High School:
David Handel (South HS, 1982)Director/ Bolivia National Symphony
Dr. Peter Lansbury, Jr. (South HS, 1976) Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School
Jan Marshall (South HS, 1966) Genetic Scientist
Sandra Schorr, M.D. (South HS, 1966) Pediatrician; Hospitalist
Williamsville North High School:
Dr. Gary Malvern (North HS, 1976) Professor of Music History/ Furman University (SC)
Ronald Markezich (North HS, 1985)Vice President of Managed Solutions, Microsoft Corp.
Mitchel Spoth (North HS, 1982 - deceased), Firefighter
Williamsville East High School:
Samuel Savarino (East HS,1976) President and CEO, Savarino Companies
Cathleen Schmidt (East HS, 1977) President and CEO, Citizens Bank of New Hampshire
Dr. Paula Vertino (East HS, 1980) Co-Director, Cancer Genetics & Genome Instability Program, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University
Eric Jordan Young (East HS, 1989) Entertainer
2009
Williamsville East High School:
Curan Bonham (Class of 1997), Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellow, Congressional Hunger Center/Bioversity International
Anthony J. Casuccio (Class of 1987), Music Producer; Founder and Principal Sound Engineer, Xtream Audio Mastering
Michael Rossetti (Class of 1977), Attorney and Partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
Nirav R. Shah, M.D., M.P.H. (Class of 1990), Assistant Professor of Medicine and Associate Director for Research at New York University School of Medicine, and Associate Investigator at the Geisinger Center for Health Research
Daniel Terry Mank (Class of 1981),Founder & President, ZITEC, Inc., a manufacturing company and defense contractor
Daniel Mittleman, Ph.D. (Class of 1976), Associate Professor in the College of Computing & Digital Media, DePaul University, Chicago
Deborah A. Roess, Ph.D. (Class of 1969), Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University
Eric L. Stewart (Class of 1983), Middle School Principal, Loudoun County Public Schools, VA
Mark Danni (Class of 1984), Artistic Director; Conductor; Broadway Musician
Christopher J. Lucas, Ph.D. (Class of 1958), Professor, College of Education & Health Professions, University of Arkansas
Sherry Margolis (Class of 1973),Television News Anchor, Detroit, MI
Dan H. Sanes, Ph.D. (Class of 1974), Professor & Neuroscientist, Center for Neural Science, New York University
Joshua Sanes, Ph.D. (Class of 1966), Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology; Paul J. Finnegan Family Director, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University
Williamsville South High School:
Domenic V. Cortese (Class of 1974), President, Cortese Brothers Construction, Buffalo NY
Jane V. Leland, Ph.D. (Class of 1976), Food Scientist, Kraft Foods
Daniel L. Foote (Class of 1982), Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State
Laura Painton Swiler, Ph.D. (Class of 1983), Engineer, Mathematician, Sandia National Laboratories
John C. Askey (Class of 1981), Chief of Police, Amherst, NY
Laura M. DeLuca (Class of 1976), Clarinetist, Seattle Symphony Orchestra
Torey Hirsch (Class of 1975), President, Greater Buffalo Gymnastics
2013
Williamsville South High School:
Anthony Bannon, Ph.D., Class of 1960,Executive Director of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo State College
Howard B. Cohen, Class of 1975,Partner, Gross, Shuman, Brizdle & Gilfillan, PC, Buffalo, NY
Colleen DiPirro, Class of 1968, President and CEO of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce
Gina Bronkie Hammond, Class of 1966, Computer Science Engineer and retired Director/Program Manager of CSC, a global IT services company
Randolph A. “Murph” Piazza, Class of 1993,former Peace Corps volunteer whodied in 2010
Michael L. Joseph, Class of 1977,President, Clover Management and Clover Management Construction, Inc., Buffalo, NY
Gregg Lipsitz, Class of 1977, President, L&M Financial, Buffalo, NY
Sujata Yalamanchili, Class of 1985, Partner and Practice Area Leader, Real Estate & Finance Practice Group, Hodgson Russ LLP, Buffalo, NY
Atif Zafar, M.D., Class of 1984, Hospitalist, Indiana University Health, Indianapolis, IN
Colonel Mary J. Bradley, Class of 1985, Judge Advocate General Corp, United States Army
JoAnn M. Kelsch, Class of 1980, Director, Clinical Services, Independent Health, Buffalo, NY
David T. Evans, Ph.D., Class of 1988, AIDS researcher and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin
Williamsville South High School
Elizabeth Allen, Class of 2002, Deputy Communications Director and Deputy Assistant to President Barak Obama
Kara A. Buscaglia, Esq., Class of 1995, Town of Amherst Justice
Holly J. W. Huart, Esq., Class of 1972, Environmental Attorney and Professional Dancer
Joseph E. Marine, M.D., Class of 1982, Associate Professor of Medicine and Vice Director of the Division of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University
Lenora Foote, Esq., Class of 1986, Support Magistrate, Erie County Family Court
Stephanie Browning McVicar, Au.D., Class of 1984, Pediatric Audiologist and Director of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program for the State of Utah Department of Health
Andrew J. Shaevel, Class of 1983, Chief Executive Officer of Bobalew Ventures
Reed Birney, Class of 1972, Awarding-winning actor, movie, television, and stage
Brian Freyburger, Class of 1989, Computer programmer, Inventor, and Entrepreneur (Invisalign Systems)
USN Lieutenant Commander David P. Kawesi-Mukooza, Class of 1996
2017
Williamsville SOUTH High School:
Bridget E. Niland, Class of 1990, Athletics Director/Associate Professor of Business, Daemen College
Mark P. Pitirri, Class of 1985, Detective, Amherst Police Department
Lindsay Anne Shookus, Class of 1998, two-time Emmy award-winning producer for Saturday Night Live, New York, NY
Ronald S. Shubert, Class of 1970, Partner at Phillips Lytle LLP
Williamsville EAST High School:
Capt. Thomas F. Hurley, II, Class of 1982,U.S. Naval Officer, retired; Library Media Specialist at Williamsville East HS
Kyle J. MacBeth, Ph.D., Class of 1988, Research and Development Scientist/Director; Myeloid Cancer Transitional Development at Celgene Biopharmaceutical Corporation, San Francisco, CA
Peter J. Olsen, Class of 1990, Senior Vice President, M&T Bank
Steven J. Weiss, Class of 1983, Partner, Cannon Heyman & Weiss LLP
Williamsville NORTH High School:
Marc Fineberg, M.D., Class of 1985, Chief of Sports Medicine and Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at SUNY Buffalo; Team Physician for the Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, and University at Buffalo Athletics
Sean P. Galliher, Class of 1977, Associate General Counsel for Skechers USA, Inc., Manhattan Beach, CA
Hiroshi Mashimo, M.D., Ph.D., Class of 1978, Physician Scientist; Principal Investigator and Faculty Member, Harvard Medical School, Boston VA Healthcare System, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Director of Gastrointestinal Stem Cell Research and Director of Gastrointestinal Motility and Advanced Procedures; Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Richard A. Scherer, Class of 1974, Journeyman Refrigeration Mechanic, Winter Garden, FL
Related Links
2017 Induction Photo Gallery