Annual Sanctae Crucis Awards to be Given by Holy Cross

WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross will honor five outstanding alumni/ae at the fifth annual Sanctae Crucis Awards ceremony on Friday, May 3, at a dinner at the College.

The awards are the highest non-degree recognition bestowed by the College on an alumnus or alumna. The College's Mission Statement is the foundation for the Sanctae Crucis Awards, which are presented in three categories: Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement, Award for Outstanding Community Service, and Outstanding Young Alumnus/Alumna Award.

The following individuals will be honored:

Joseph A. Bodanza of Leominster, Mass., is a member of the class of 1949. Since 1996 he has been using his own money and raising other funding to bring physically-impaired Vietnamese children to Massachusetts for medical treatment.

John C. Gannon is a member of the class of 1966 and former chairman of the National Intelligence Council, and former deputy director for intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency. Having served in the most senior analytical positions at CIA and in the intelligence community, Gannon is now the vice chairman of the Intellibridge Corporation, a Washington, D.C.,-based provider of customized, Internet-based intelligence and advisory solutions for major corporations and government organizations.

Julie A. Halpin earned her Holy Cross degree in 1984 and is founder and CEO of the Geppetto Group, a leader in advertising for children and young adults, located in New York City.

Marcia S. Lee, a 1993 graduate of the College and resident of Washington, D.C., is the staff director for the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and a senior advisor for drug policy and research with the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs.

James J. O'Connor Sr. of the class of 1958 is retired chairman and CEO of Unicom Corporation and its subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison Company in Chicago. He held the position for 20 years and has devoted a lifetime of commitment to his community. O'Connor currently serves as chair of the Big Shoulders Fund of the Archdiocese of Chicago, raising $117 million for inner city Catholic schools.