By Marnie McAllister, Record Assistant Editor
The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) presented awards to 35 elementary educators during the Archdiocese of Louisville’s annual gathering to mark the start of another school year Aug. 9.
The celebration at St. Peter the Apostle Church included Mass and the awards presentation.
One teacher from 35 of the archdiocese’s 38 elementary schools received Catholic Education Foundation Teacher Awards, funded by the Dan Ulmer family. (Three schools did not have award nominees this year.)
Dan Ulmer attended the celebration and shook hands with each recipient.
Brad Rives, chair of the CEF, spoke to the educators before presenting the awards. He noted that his mother taught at St. Margaret Mary School for 20 years and said that he personally appreciates the service of Catholic school teachers.
He also said that the CEF has awarded $17 million in grants for Catholic education since its inception in 1997.
This year, he said, the CEF is awarding $2.1 million in grants. Of that sum, $1.7 million has been awarded to students for tuition assistance. The remainder is divided between grants for technology, religious education and professional development.
The 750 educators attending the celebration applauded enthusiastically at his announcement.
The Ulmer teacher awards are presented each year to one teacher in each of the archdiocese’s 47 Catholic elementary and secondary schools.
Award recipients must have at least five years of experience in Catholic schools, they must be certified and demonstrate a positive influence on their students. The Ulmer family established the awards in 2004 and so far more than 200 educators have received them.
Recipients receive $1,000 and a work of art. This year’s recipients and their schools are:
Lois Ann Smith, Ascension School; Mary Jo Brockie, Holy Family School; Marty Murphy, Holy Spirit School; Letty Tapia, Holy Trinity School; Julie Davis, John Paul II Academy; Margy Blair, Notre Dame Academy; Suzanne Burton, Our Lady of Lourdes School; Edward McCabe, Pitt Academy; Linda Greenwell, Sacred Heart Model School;
Also, Lois Hunn, St. Agnes School; Stacie Short, St. Albert the Great School; Helen Maxedon, St. Aloysius School; Bambie Phelps, St. Andrew Academy; Ellen Burkhardt, St. Athanasius School; Gina Carter, St. Augustine School; Sandy Shircliff, St. Bernard School; JoAnn Ellery, St. Dominic school; Shea Rutledge, St. Edward School; Pam Conway, St. Francis of Assisi School;
Also, Christopher Huelsman, St. Gabriel School; Paula Cecil, St. Gregory School; Angela Eby, St. James School in Elizabethtown, Ky.; Lindsey Henley, St. James School in Louisville; Chastity Livers, St. Joseph School; Angela Sizemore, St. Leonard School; Charlotte Colley, St. Margaret Mary School;
Also, Shannon Dauenhauer, St. Martha School; Laura Johnson Aubrey, St. Mary Academy; Laura Wolz, St. Michael School; Diana Meyer, St. Nicholas Academy; C. Anne Perryman, St. Patrick School; Tim Dooley, St. Paul School; Jennie Condra, St. Raphael School; Sarah Deskins, St. Rita School; and Alicia Sallee, St. Stephen Martyr School.
