Six Canisius graduates are the latest to receive the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Presented annually by the Alumni Association Board of Directors, the award recognizes graduates who demonstrate leadership and have made significant contributions to their chosen professions. The latest Distinguished Alumni Award honorees are:
Petrina V. Genco ’70, PhD / Director, Human Leukocyte Antigen Lab / Mayo Clinic Florida
Dr. Petrina Genco’s drive toward scientific discovery related to pathology is integral to thousands of life-saving bone marrow and organ transplants. As director of the Human Leukocyte Antigen Lab at Mayo Clinic Florida, she matches patients with donor marrow and manipulates immune responses to increase the chances that patients’ bodies accept transplanted organs. She collaborates with physicians and scientists to determine treatment plans for patients as a consultant in the Mayo Clinic’s Laboratory and Transplant Medicine divisions. Genco also mentors the next generation of medical innovators, in her role as assistant professor of pathology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
Christopher M. Kelly ’83 / Partner-in-Charge-Cleveland / Jones Day
Christopher M. Kelly is partner-in-charge at the Cleveland office of Jones Day, one of the world’s largest and most respected law firms. He oversees the firm’s capital markets practice, representing companies that seek to raise money in private and public capital markets, and advising corporate boards of directors on regulatory and governance concerns.
Kelly’s intelligence, insight and experience ensure that his clients are represented incisively, ethically and, above all, successfully. His efforts consistently earn him a place in the annual Best Lawyers in America guide and on Chambers U.S.A. list of “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.”
Hon. Anthony M. Masiello ’69, HON ’96 / President and Partner / Masiello, Martucci, Calabrese & Associates
Hon. Anthony M. Masiello left an indelible mark on the region’s physical, cultural and economic landscapes, throughout his three terms as mayor of the city of Buffalo. He doubled the amount of state aid to Buffalo and marshaled the re-engineering of the Buffalo Police and Fire Departments. Masiello also secured state and local funding for projects like the HSBC Arena and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.
Now president of Masiello, Martucci, Calabrese and Associates, Masiello puts his formidable government experience and contacts to work for his clients, earning his reputation as an effective, results-oriented lobbyist.
James C. Metzler ’72 / AICPA Vice President, Small Firm Interests/ American Institute of CPAs
James C. Metzler is vice president for small firm interests for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). With nearly 400,000 members, the AICPA sets the standards for private companies and ethical standards for the accounting profession. Metzler shoulders responsibility for some 45,000 firms in the country, and is an advocate for small firms on standard-setting, legislative matters, practice issues.
This past year, Accounting Today magazine named Metlzer among the top 10 most influential accountants in the U.S., recognizing him as a gifted communicator who listens to the needs of members to steer AICPA priorities.
J. Donald Schumacher ’72, HON ’92, PsyD/ President and CEO / National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
J. Donald Schumacher is an eloquent voice in the national conversation about end-of-life care. As president and CEO of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, he spearheads efforts to improve and expand access to hospice care, and enhance quality of life for the terminally ill and their loved ones.
A long-time standard-bearer for hospice and palliative care, Schumacher founded Hospice West Inc. in Waltham, MA and Hospice of Mission Hill in Boston. In 1989, he assumed leadership of the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Cheektowaga, and increased its services exponentially throughout his 13-year tenure.
William P. Sisler ’69, PhD/ Director / Harvard University Press
William P. Sisler is director of Harvard University Press (HUP), one of the most selective and prestigious scholarly presses in the world. In his 22-year tenure, Sisler piloted the esteemed press to bring notable and enduring works in the sciences, humanities and social sciences to print, while taking bold steps in new directions. From innovative partnerships to a diverse, translation program, Sisler’s contributions enrich the academic world. Most recently, he instituted a secondary publishing model at HUP that markets scholarly books with popular appeal in the virtual world, further expanding and facilitating scholarly conversation around the globe.
