ST. JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK TO HONOR ALUMNI AT ANNUAL GALA

October 06, 2023

BROOKLYN and PATCHOGUE, N.Y. – October 6, 2023 – St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) will honor six distinguished alumni at its annual Esse Non Videri Gala Awards, toasting the best of St. Joseph’s and raising funds for student scholarships on Friday, November 3 at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City, New York.

“We are extremely proud of these individuals who represent the best of what our alumni offer to their communities,” said Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., president of SJNY. “On behalf of everyone at St. Joseph’s, I congratulate this year’s honorees and thank them for setting such a wonderful example of what it means to live a life that is worthy of our motto, Esse non Videri – to be, not to seem.”

This year’s honorees include:
•    Lifetime of Leadership Award: Tom Harris ’91, president of Times Square Alliance
•    Leadership in Social Responsibility Award: Catrina Rhatigan ’04, deputy inspector for Nassau County Police Department 
•    Leadership in Purpose and Social Impact Award: Retha Fernandez ’16, community offshore wind strategic engagement manager for Long Island National Grid Ventures
•    President’s Distinguished Alumni Award: Elyse Deublein Harney ’51, founder of Harney & Son’s Fine Teas and Elyse Harney Real Estate
•    Rising Star Award: Gianna Gulli Elliot ’15 Esq., associate attorney for Marsh Law Firm
•    Rising Star Award: Kyle Harnig ’21, co-founder and owner of DK’s Barbershop

“We are thrilled to recognize these distinguished alumni for their dedication and commitment as leaders in their fields,” said Rory Shaffer-Walsh, SJNY's vice president for institutional advancement. “We are proud to call each of these honorees a member of the St. Joseph’s alumni community.”

For more information or questions regarding the Esse Non Videri Gala Awards Dinner, visit sjny.edu/gala or email [email protected] or call 631.687.2655. 

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH'S UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK
St. Joseph’s University, New York has been dedicated to providing a diverse population of students in the New York metropolitan area with an affordable education rooted in the liberal arts tradition since 1916. Independent and coeducational, the University provides a strong academic and value-oriented education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, aiming to prepare each student for a life characterized by integrity, intellectual and spiritual values, social responsibility and service. Through its Brooklyn, Long Island and online campuses, the University offers degrees in more than 100 majors, special course offerings and certificates, affiliated and pre-professional programs.