2004 Hall of Fame Inductees

Donald N. Boyce, '55 - Don Boyce grew up in Alabama, rose through the local, then national, business world, and never forgot his deep roots in western NY. His role as controller of Akron's Strippit led to his becoming acting president of the company, then Corporate Treasurer and eventually CEO of its parent company, Houdaille Industries. From 1988 to his retirement in 2000, Don served as Chairman of IDEX Corporation, a NYSE-listed manufacturing company, with much of that time also spent as IDEX's CEO, President, or both. During his adult life in Oakfield, he was active in the United Methodist Church, and served for seven years on the OACS school board. Honored in 2001 by his college alma mater, Rochester Institute of Technology, for being among its outstanding alumni, Don continues to serve on its Board of Trustees. He and his wife Jeris (also from the OACS Class of '55) have endowed a scholarship there, targeted for students from western NY and especially Genesee County, so that future students like him, from small towns, but with big dreams and bigger ability, can reach their potential as well.

Ray Cianfrini, '63 - Part of the heart and soul of Oakfield since earning his law degree in 1972, Ray has served the community and school district through his law practice, government work, and generous volunteer commitments. His many contributions have included elective office as village mayor, village trustee, and school board member. Ray was one of the founders of the Oakfield Betterment Committee and was instrumental in organizing the first Oakfield Labor Daze in 1983. He has served as a president of the Oakfield Historical Society and has been a frequent speaker to the Society on a variety of local topics. Other community and professional involvement has included being president of the Genesee County Bar Association, chairman of the first Genesee County ethics committee, an Assistant District Attorney and Assistant County Attorney, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Genesee Community College, board member for the Holland Land Purchase Society, member of the American Legion, and a still photographer for the Buffalo Bills.

Teresa Drilling, '79 - Millions of people worldwide, and thousands of OACS alumni, have laughed with and admired Teresa's work while not knowing she was the person behind it. During her college years at RIT, her interest and talent in animation led to the creation of an animated film, The Owl and the Pussycat, that subsequently won awards and was shown on HBO. This was the first of Teresa's many distinctive achievements. Her award shelf holds an Emmy statue and two Emmy certificates, several "Best Animated Short" and "Outstanding Animation" awards, and numerous other forms of recognition. Her work has included animated television shows and segments, including several on Sesame Street; television commercials; and animated short and full-length motion pictures, including 2000's Chicken Run, 2003's Elf, and 2005's Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Widely considered to be one of the nation's top stop-motion animators, Teresa was a featured speaker at Rochester's 2005 High Falls Film Festival.

Peter J. Gerone, '46 - "Threatening letters with razor blades hidden in the envelopes don't scare Pete Gerone. Neither do firecrackers set off on the front steps of his home in the middle of the night." So began an article in Tulane University's magazine upon his 1999 retirement. Pete, an acclaimed virologist, became director of Tulane's primate research lab in 1971. In this capacity, he oversaw a more-than-sixfold increase in the lab's monkey population (to more than 5,000) and expanded the research focus from animal behavior to infectious diseases. Significant breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS were made under his leadership, and other noteworthy discoveries happened that may one day tackle diseases such as cancer, Lyme disease, leprosy, and cystic fibrosis. Dr. Gerone's keen scientific mind, and his courage in exposing himself to personal danger for his research, have paved the way to a longer and healthier life for millions of people worldwide. In the words of Tulane President Scott Cowan upon his retirement, "Pete is a fine scholar, a very effective leader, and a wonderful human being."

Jim King, '78 - A pioneer at OACS (he was in the first class of students to use the school's new time-share computer in 1977), Jim has continued his innovations to become a prominent leader in software and information technology. At General Electric, he developed one of the earliest forms of software upon which interactive web and other client-server applications of today are based. As Director of Systems Architecture for NCR, he established the long-term direction for the company's products. Continued career growth led him to increasingly responsible roles at AT&T Bell Labs, Reed Elsevier, and Microsoft, where he was one of their top 100 "thought leaders," working on a new product area called Knowledge Management Solutions. Jim had a five-year stint as Chief Information Officer for The McGraw-Hill Companies, and Senior Vice-President of Business Operations for McGraw-Hill Construction, before joining Brightpoint in 2005 as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Despite his career involving working in Manhattan, Seattle, and around the world, Jim has by choice set up his home for the past 20 years in a small Indiana community that reminds him of Oakfield. In his spare time, Jim is actively involved in historic preservation through the Indiana Landmarks organization, is active in his church, and coaches several youth sports.

D. Mark Kingsley, '80 - Mark combined his love of music and talent for art into Greenberg-Kingsley, an award-winning Manhattan-based graphic arts studio specializing in work for the music industry. Mark was nominated for a Grammy award in 2000 for The Blue Note Years box set. His art has been featured in CDs and promotional materials for Jewel, 10,000 Maniacs, Ginger Baker, Yes, Pat Metheney, Bette Midler, and many jazz, world and classical musicians. His work outside the music industry includes fragrance packaging for Ralph Lauren, Armani, Drakkar Noir and Paloma Picasso; advertisements for HP; product and package design for the Guggenheim Museum and the Jewish Museum; and promotional work for VH1 and the Sci Fi Channel. Mark is actively involved in civic preservation and educational mentoring in New York City. A fixture in the "Downtown" new music community there, he has appeared in "very small roles" in three avant garde productions.

Brenda Krause Eheart, '62 - Frustrated by the morass of foster care for special-needs children, Brenda took extraordinary steps and achieved extraordinary results. Using $1 million in grant and other money, she purchased Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, a decommisssioned military site, in 1994, turning it into Generations of Hope, a program combining hard-to-place foster children, willing families to care for them, and senior citizen volunteers who want young people in their lives. Much of this was modeled on the sense of community she carried with her from her youth in Basom. Brenda and her program have won Presidential recognition, and widespread attention from such media as Ms. Magazine (January 1997 "Women of the Year" issue), a front page New York Times story, Oprah Winfrey, network television news, and dozens of other publications and television shows. A research faculty member at University of Illinois, Dr. Eheart has written two books and more than 30 articles on adoption, orphans, and evolving family structures. But in a world in which numerous people propose solutions to problems yet few ever test their theories, Brenda went out and found a solution, labored hard to make it work - and succeeded.

Rose Sapienza Mead, '39 - Rose is known by generations of Oakfield-Alabama families and alumni. As a language teacher for 32 years at OACS, she can point proudly to hundreds of people who, even though "tempus fugit," still know that the answer to the plea, "S'il te plaît, maman - encore cinq minutes!" is "Pas question! Il y a beaucoup à faire." There was always much to be done! In addition to leading students of varying ability into the worlds of French and Latin with style and poise and humor, she served as advisor to the French Club and established the tradition of trips to Quebec and France in the early 1970s. She also advised the AFS (American Field Service) Club, which annually hosted visiting international students who attended OACS. Rose was longtime organist at St. Cecilia's in Oakfield, and a charter member and three-year board member of the Oakfield Historical Society. She continues her position on the planning committee for the annual OACS Alumni Reunion, which attracts hundreds of former graduates from as early as 1932. To keep abreast of developments in her former profession, Rose continues membership in a number of professional organizations. Bien fait, Mme Mead!

Mike Woodward, '64 - In a career that has taken him from Buffalo to the midwest and back to Batavia, Mike has risen to the highest levels within the financial services industry. Currently a Senior Vice President for American Express, running what the company calls its "Woodward Region," he sits on the Board of Directors of both American Express Financial Advisors and its IDS Life of New York subsidiary. Outside the office, Mike has supported and participated in conservation and outdoor activities through his leadership in Ducks Unlimited in both New York and Indiana, and the Oakfield Rod & Gun Club. As the father of six children who went through OACS, Mike has been active in OACS Sports Boosters. Other civic involvement includes membership in the American Legion, Board of Directors for the Boys Clubs of America, and Board of Directors and Treasurer for the Oakfield-Alabama Dollars for Scholars.

Norman A. Zigrossi, '54 - Norm used courage, integrity, and excellence to carry him to the highest levels of law enforcement and government service. He began his career with the FBI as a Special Agent, working in many of the Bureau's field offices. His FBI career culminated in his being the Special Agent in Charge of the field offices in San Diego and Washington DC (the second-largest FBI field office in the country). His Washington assignment coincided with a tense time in the Cold War, and his responsibilities there included directing foreign counterintelligence for the FBI, and its elite Hostage Rescue Team. He left the FBI in 1986 to become the first Inspector General of the Tennessee Valley Authority, eventually rising to become the TVA's Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Services. He has not forgotten his roots, mentioning Oakfield in his official biography. He still returns frequently to the area to visit family.