2011 Alumni Award Recipients

       

Pictured Above: Jerry Hollenkamp, Nancy Hollenkamp, Dan Hilvert, Paul Kelly, Pat Emmett, and Mike Cappel  (Not Pictured: Gregory Procaccino)

Athletic Excellence – Paul Kelly ‘55

Paul’s list of athletic accomplishments at Elder is most impressive. He was the leading scorer of the undefeated 1954 football team. Paul received Honorable Mention All-City recognition from all three Cincinnati newspapers. Paul also played one year of varsity basketball, but it was in baseball that Paul excelled, playing on varsity for three years for Don Ruberg. The 1954 team was Ohio High School State Runner-Up and the 1955 team was State Champion. Paul was co-captain of the team and named honorary captain of the first Cincinnati Post All-City Team and received first team All-State honors. Paul also had the honor of playing in the first Ohio All-Star game in Columbus with teammate Dick Selcer and Coach Don Ruberg.

Paul attended The Ohio State University on a baseball scholarship and signed a professional contract with the Cincinnati Reds playing four plus years in their minor league system. He worked as athletic ticket director at the University of Cincinnati and as ticket manager of the Cincinnati Bengals from where he retired. Paul is a member of the Price Hill Old-Timers Baseball Hall of Fame.

Paul’s award reception marks a first for the Alumni Awards. He and his departed brother, Jim ’46, become the first brothers to receive awards. Paul and his wife of 46 years, Carol, have four children, three of whom are Elder grads, and nine grandchildren.
 

Professional – Mike Cappel ‘65

Mike Cappel came to Elder from St. William School and participated in wrestling and football while at Elder. As a senior, Mike was co-captain of the wrestling team and received a scholarship to compete at the collegiate level at the University of Cincinnati.

Mike started his academic pursuits as an accounting major. While in school, he worked as a dorm advisor at St. Rita School for the Deaf. Inspired by the students at St. Rita, he changed his major to deaf education and thus began his lifelong dedication to Catholic education.

After graduating from UC, Mike taught and coached at the Oregon School for the Deaf and the Indiana School for the Deaf. He later returned to Cincinnati and began working at St. Rita. There Mike coached football, girls and boys basketball, and soccer. He was the school’s Athletic Director for twenty-nine years. During his thirty-eight year tenure at St. Rita, Mike taught many different classes. He started the St. Rita Basketball Tournament and the St. Rita Athletic Hall of Fame, as well as the Lion and Lioness of the Year awards.

Throughout his professional career, Mike was also an active parish member and coach at St. William Church. Mike and his wife, Debbie, have three children, two of whom are Elder grads. They are proud grandparents of seven grandchildren. Mike and Debbie are currently members of St. Aloysius on-the-Ohio Church.

Professional – Dan Hilvert ‘64

Dan Hilvert came to Elder by way of St. William and participated in both football and basketball. He studied at Xavier University and after graduation, returned to Elder.  He joined the Social Studies Department and is now in his forty-fourth year of teaching. Over that time, countless Elder students have benefitted from Dan’s dedication and professional approach to teaching. For twenty years, Dan has been Social Studies Department Chairperson, and for fifteen years, he has worked with the Xavier University Collegium Program resulting in college credit for more than 400 Elder students.

In 2005, Principal Tom Otten commissioned the development of several task forces to evaluate the various aspects of the Elder experience and make recommendations designed to assure future and growth. Dan was chairperson of the Faculty Task Force that provided a forum for faculty suggestions regarding the future of Elder. Dan is retiring this year, but will still teach the XU Collegium class.


Christian Leadership – Nancy and Jerry ’78 Hollenkamp

Jerry and Nancy founded the Aubrey Rose Foundation in memory of their youngest daughter. Aubrey was born with a unique heart and required five open-heart surgeries. She had a heart and double lung transplant at eighteen months of age. Aubrey got to love life for another eighteen months, when very suddenly and unexpectedly, she passed away two days before her third birthday. The Foundation was created to help families caring for children with life-threatening illnesses. In addition, they award educational scholarships to children so they can better themselves.

The Foundation has helped close to 200 families with life-threatening illnesses by providing $250,000 in financial assistance. It has awarded 190 scholarships to date to grade school students for their Catholic high school education. These scholarships are not based on academics nor athletics, but rather how good of a child the student is. The Foundation also works with Ronald McDonald House, Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Medical Center of Dayton to support families caring for sick children.

Nancy and Jerry have been recognized for their tireless effort to raise awareness for organ donation. In April, 2001, Nancy and Jerry helped found the Workplace Partnership for Life with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. In November, 2006, the Foundation funded open-heart surgery for a three-year-old child.

Jerry and Nancy have been involved in numerous other areas including Girl Scouts, St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish, the American Heart Association, the Mt. Healthy Business Association, and Elder and Mother of Mercy high schools.


Spirit – Pat Emmett ’79

Pat Emmett is a self-described lifelong entrepreneur and has been involved in nearly every aspect of the automotive industry including repair, towing, auto body, car sales, financing, and repossession. Pat currently owns several businesses, all automotive-related, with his business headquarters on Mayhew Avenue in Delhi.
Pat also loves music and, for years, has been the “behind the scenes” person for Dave Allen in many musical adventures at Elder, St. William Parish, and other locations in the community. Pat knows the technical side of the business. He owns extensive sound equipment. He lends the equipment and sets it up, all at no charge. Pat has donated sound equipment to Elder for the press box and PAC. He provides sound for all Glee Club, Seton-Elder Performing Arts Series events and Elder Masses.

He is a musician, a drummer, taking after his deceased father, Jerry. He plays for the Performing Arts Series and Glee Club Cabarets. Pat enjoys performing live music and making friendships with other musicians and learning from them.

Dave Allen noted, “Pat is a very giving person who tirelessly goes about his work to always make sure that the students of Elder have the best experience possible.”
Pat and his wife, Lynn, have two children.

Cultural Enrichment – Gregory Procaccino ‘76

Gregory Procaccino is an accomplished actor, director, and arts critic. He has appeared Off-Broadway, on television, and in films.

Gregory’s Off-Broadway credits include A Second Chance and Anthem for Doomed Youth. He has several regional credits including co-starring with Nanette Fabray in Cactus Flower. Gregory has performed at the White House for both Presidents Carter and Reagan.

Television appearances include Murphy Brown and HBO’s Tanner 88. He has appeared in the movies Milk Money, A Mom for Christmas, and This Train. Directing credits include Carousel and Same Time Next Year for the Showboat Majestic.

Gregory has served as a theater and film critic for the weekly paper Everybody’s News and as an on-air personality for WKRC 55 radio. He was the winner of the 1987 Northern Virginia Theatre Alliance Best Actor Award, and was nominated for a 1990 Best Supporting Actor Emmy for his performance in A Christmas Carol on the Fox Network.