The Catholic Education Foundation will honor six individuals, including a bishop, at its 35th annual Salute to Catholic School Alumni event March 18.
The event will take place at the Galt House in downtown Louisville.
Richard A. Lechleiter, president of the foundation, said he expects it to be a “great event” and is particularly excited about the list of honorees, which includes Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville, formerly a priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville.
“This is a wonderful group of individuals from all walks of life,” said Lechleiter. “We think it’s important to recognize our clergy.”
Lechleiter said he’s also looking forward to hearing from the speaker, Jeff Brohm, head football coach for the University of Louisville.
“Anyone who knows the Brohm family knows how much their faith and Catholic education means to them,” he said.
He noted that Brohm was previously recognized at the annual dinner as a Salute to Catholic School Alumni honoree. Brohm’s Catholic school career began at St. Bernard School.
“He was also a great quarterback at Trinity High School. People know and admire him. It’s an honor for us to have him speak,” Lechleiter said. “He’s lived this experience. It really has had an impact on how he coaches the young men on his team.
Brohm teaches them that it’s “not just about being a great football player, but about being a great man. He’s the perfect example to have on stage.”
The foundation is expecting a sold-out crowd of 1,600 attendees and hoping to beat last year’s record of $1.6 million in net proceeds.
“Every year has to be a record year. The cost of education is rising. It’s not optional for us to have a down year,” he said. “It determines our success next fall for our families that need us.”
This year’s Salute to Catholic School Alumni honorees are:
Bishop J. Mark Spalding
Bishop Spalding is a graduate of Bethlehem High School in Bardstown, Ky. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Louisville on Aug. 3, 1991, and installed as the 12th bishop of the Diocese of Nashville on Feb. 2, 2018.
Bishop Spalding served as pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Holy Name Church and Immaculate Conception Church in La Grange, Ky. He also served as vicar general for the Archdiocese of Louisville.
William E. Mudd
Mudd is the president and chief operating officer of Churchill Downs and a graduate of Bellarmine University. His Catholic education started at St. Rita School, followed by St. Charles Elementary and Middle School. Mudd also served in various financial roles at General Electric. Mudd and his wife Michelle are members of St. Bernadette Church. The couple have three sons and three grandchildren.
Donna L. Heitzman
Heitzman is the retired senior portfolio manager for KKR Prisma Capital and a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy. She attended St. Raphael School. She began her financial career at Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) in Louisville. She also served for 18 years at Capital Holding Corporation. She retired in 2016. Heitzman and her husband Michael are members of Holy Trinity Church. They have two sons and three grandchildren.
Gregory A. DeMuth
DeMuth is a market executive at German American Bank and a graduate of Bellarmine University. His Catholic school education began at Holy Trinity School. He graduated from Trinity High School in 1981. DeMuth has spent most of his career in corporate banking, including at Liberty National Bank, Bank of Louisville, First Financial Bank and Republic Bank. He and his wife Margie are members of St. Albert the Great Church. They have four children and two grandchildren.
Jennifer Black Hans
Black Hans is the retired senior legislative analyst for the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. She attended Ascension School until she was eight, when her family moved overseas. She returned to Louisville in her sophomore year of high school and enrolled in Presentation Academy, from which she graduated in 1988. She graduated from the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law and served as assistant Jefferson County attorney. She served at the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance in Frankfort, Ky., and later joined the Office of the Attorney General. She is a member of Ascension Church and has a son.
E. John Raque III
Raque is a retired business executive and a graduate of Bellarmine University.
He attended St. Raphael School and St. Xavier High School. His career began in his family’s business, O’Connor & Raque Office Products, where he served for 40 years, including as vice president of operations. He is involved in various community services, including as a member of the Bellarmine University Board. Rague is a member of St. Raphael Church. He and his late wife Jane have three children and eight grandchildren.
Charles H. Leis
The foundation will also honor Charles H. Leis, board chair of EdChoice Kentucky, with its Community Service Award. Leis is being honored for his advocacy work on school choice, said Lechleiter. Leis took the reins on school choice in 2016 after retiring and approached it with the same dedication he brought to his business career, Lechleiter noted.
Emily McCarty, a middle school math teacher at Holy Spirit School, will receive the Father Joseph McGee Outstanding Catholic Educator award during the event.
The award was established in 1988 to “commemorate Father McGee’s lifetime commitment to Catholic education. It is presented to a teacher who exemplifies this deep dedication to Catholic schools,” according to the Catholic Education Foundation.
