1960s
Betty Mae Tenney '69
served as Grand Marshal for Townsend's 250th Anniversary Parade and Old Home Day Celebration on June 20, 2026. This date is special because on June 20, 1776, Townsend voted to support our country’s independence.
1980s
Rose Cardarelli, Ed.D '81
served as a panelist at the Global Women Leadership Summit & Impact Award Ceremony. Her panel focused on Global Women Leadership: Advancing SDGs Toward 2030. The event was hosted by the World Women Organization. Cardarelli is Founder/CEO of the International NGO Education for All Coalition, Rotary International Representative and Principal Representative to UNICEF & UN North America.
Ricky A. LeBlanc '87
recently celebrated 35 years of practicing law, a professional milestone recognized by Martindale-Hubbell with the designation that he has been “proudly serving the community since 1991. Throughout his career, LeBlanc has represented thousands of individuals and families affected by mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, advocating for working-class individuals, veterans, and vulnerable families harmed by corporate misconduct and institutional neglect. LeBlanc received his B.S., cum laude, in History and Education from Fitchburg State.1990s
Lori L. Marenda-Lang '99
a history educator at Salem High School, was named to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW) Commonwealth Heroines Class of 2026, the Commission announced recently. Ms. Marenda-Lang earned her undergraduate degree in history at Western Illinois University, and h.r master’s degree in history from Fitchburg State University.
Julie A. Naff '95
recently won four Capital Emmy Awards. The Capital Emmys recognize excellence in television and digital journalism across the National Capital Chesapeake Bay region. Working with various production teams from WETA (the leading public broadcasting station in the nation’s capital, serving Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia), Naff won awards in four categories at the 68th Capital Emmy Awards on June 20, 2026. The awards were as follows - Position: Editor Category: DIVERSITY/EQUITY/INCLUSION - SHORT FORM CONTENT (UP TO 10 MINUTES), In Slavery’s Wake - Position: Editor Category: ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT - SHORT FORM CONTENT (UP TO 10 MINUTES), All Chopin’s Notes - Position: Producer Category: ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT - LONG FORM CONTENT (LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES), K-pop in the Community - Position: Editor Category: EDITOR - PROGRAM WETA Arts – “Flashband” (“Building the Band”) Naff is no stranger to the Emmy stage, having won in 2025 for her work as a Post Producer/Editor on the video "A Circus By and For All" in the category of Short of Short Form Content in Diversity/Equity/Inclusion. Naff received her bachelor's degree in Communications Media/Television Production from Fitchburg State.2000s
Carmy Cesaire, Jr. '05
has been appointed the Head Football Coach at La Jolla Country Day School. Cesaire played college football for Norwich University in Vermont as a freshman, then transferred to Fitchburg State, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. In that time, he was a two-year captain, a team MVP and an all-conference wide receiver for the Fitchburg Falcons. After graduation, he coached at Fitchburg for five seasons before coming to San Diego. He has been coaching at La Jolla for over a decade, starting as a linebackers and running backs coach, moving up to offensive coordinator and then assistant head coach. 
Dawn E. Dunbar '03
has been chosen as the new Town Administrator for the town of Harvard. The Select Board voted 5-0 in favor of the appointment. Dunbar is the first woman to hold the office since it was created in 1988. Dunbar previously served as Harvard's assistant town manager, was named interim town administrator earlier this year. Dunbar came to Harvard after 12 years in Groton, where she began her career in municipal government supporting the town’s planning, conservation, and zoning boards before advancing to executive assistant to the town manager, a position she held for nearly nine years. She then served three years as Groton’s town clerk. She received her bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Fitchburg State.
Mary E. Gallant-Cote '02
has been nominated by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to serve as an Associate Justice of the Juvenile Court. She currently serves as Clerk Magistrate for the Berkshire County Juvenile Courts, a position she has held since June 2022. From 2016-2022, Attorney Gallant-Cote served as Assistant Regional Legal Counsel in the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where she managed and litigated a substantial caseload of care and protection matters and provided legal guidance to agency staff on complex child welfare issues. From 2009 to 2016, she was the owner and sole practitioner of the Law Offices of Mary Gallant-Cote in Springfield, where her practice focused on representing clients in a broad range of civil and criminal matters in the Probate and Family, Juvenile, and District Courts in Western and Central Massachusetts. Gallant-Cote was a member of Fitchburg State's first cohort of Moot Court participants and since graduation has served as both an assistant coach for Fitchburg State students and as a judge for Moot Court competitions hosted on campus.
2010s
Marcio J. Cirino '10
has been promoted to vice president and mortgage loan originator, based at the bank’s Leominster office. A 15-year veteran of Rollstone Bank & Trust, Cirino brings 13 years of residential lending experience to this role, serving homebuyers and homeowners throughout Central Massachusetts. Cirino received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
Shannon K. Fitzgerald '14
has been selected by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) as the 2026 ACSM Certified Professional of the Year. This distinguished award recognizes an outstanding ACSM certified professional who has made exceptional contributions to advancing the health, well-being, and quality of life of individuals and communities through exercise science and clinical practice. Fitzgerald is a clinical exercise physiologist and registered nurse serving at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Manchester, New Hampshire and has been selected for her visionary leadership and impactful innovations in expanding access to rehabilitation services. “We’re not defined by one role or one season of life,” Fitzgerald said. “Life and wellness aren’t about perfection; they are about persistence and possibility. It’s a privilege to witness the resilience of my patients every day, and an even greater privilege to be a part of a profession that helps people find their way back to themselves.” Fitzgerald received her bachelor of science in Exercise Science from Fitchburg State.
Kyle F. Hofer '19
has graduated from medical residency, completing his 3-year training at UMass Chan Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency. He will soon be starting his full-time position as a family practitioner with Dartmouth Health in Hudson, NH. Hofer, a pediatric leukemia survivor, decided early in his life to go into medicine. He graduated with his bachelor's degree in Biology from Fitchburg State, where he was part of our LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) Early Acceptance Programs to Medical, Dental, Pharmacy and Podiatry School. This program reserves a number of spots in each year's incoming class for Fitchburg State students. Students interviewing successfully are granted provisional acceptance into the program. Pictured with Hofer is his mother, Christine Hudson, '13, who went on to earn her Juris Doctor in 2017.
Stephen M. Hogue, Jr. '16
was a volunteer at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Out of the 18,000 volunteers, he was one of only 2,000 non-Italian people selected. When he applied he only had a 13% chance of being chosen. His interest in the Olympics was sparked when he attended a figure skating event with his grandmother during the 2002 Salt Lake City games. He was stationed in the figure skating arena, where he watched Team USA skate to gold and was present for the medal ceremony. He was also on duty during many of the short track speed skating events. Along with volunteering, he was able to attend the Opening Ceremonies and built up an impressive pin collection. At any Olympic games, pins are like currency. Hogue had his own pins made so he would have something to trade. He came away with hundreds of pins from all different countries, sponsors and individual athletes.
Kacey E. Morin '16
ran the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20 for Runway for Recovery, a Newburyport-based nonprofit whose mission is to provide families with a continuum of support along their journeys with breast cancer. This will be Morin's fifth marathon, having run the Boston Marathon before as well as the Providence Marathon and the Baystate Marathon. Morin received her Master's degree in Special Education from Fitchburg State.2020s
Julia Arena '26
one of our newest Falcon alumni, has been named as one of Worcester Magazine's 2026 College Volunteers of the Year. The list highlights students from Worcester-area colleges who have dedicated themselves to making their communities better. Arena, who served as a Presidential Ambassador while on campus, started a program at Fitchburg State called "Give and Go." Knowing how expensive it can be to furnish a dorm room, this program has students donating loved-but-no-longer needed items (both necessary and decorative) during move-out, which can then be passed on to incoming students. While Arena may have graduated this year, Give and Go will continue to better campus for years to come.
Christopher J. Black '25
has joined the Gardner Police Department. Black is the first graduate of Fitchburg State's Police Program to join the department. He has been assigned to the overnight shift. Black received his bachelors degree in Criminal Justice and then moved directly into the police academy through Fitchburg State's 4+1 Criminal Justice program.
Alyssa J. Fields '24
along with Derek Tirrell '25 and the team from Another Age Productions, recently won a 2026 Boston/New England Emmy in the Health/Medical - Long Form Content category for "Beyond Medicine: The Story of Boston Community Pediatrics." Alyssa worked as Editor on the project and Derek served as Associate Producer. Both graduated with bachelor's degrees in Communications Media. Congratulations Alyssa and Derek!
Timothy R. Foley '22
was recently named the ECHL’s Joe Babik Award winner. Foley serves as the Broadcasting and Media Relations Coordinator for the Worcester Railers (the ECHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues). In his fourth season with the Railers, Foley becomes the first Worcester staff member to earn the Joe Babik Award, which is an annual honor presented by the ECHL to recognize the league's top Media/PR Director of the Year. During his time at Fitchburg State, Foley worked with the Athletics Department utilizing his talent for play-by-play work for a number of sports, but notably for the ice hockey team. He also worked at 105.3FM and AM1280 WPKZ in multiple roles and spent two summers as a broadcaster for the Cape Cod Baseball League’s Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League, eventually becoming the team’s Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations in the summer of 2022. Foley received his bachelor's degree in Communications Media from Fitchburg State.
Jalil A. Johnson '24
has been appointed by Behavioral Health Network, Inc. as Senior Vice President overseeing the organization's Care Management Division, Developmental Services Division, and Population Health and Organizational Quality. Prior to joining BHN, Dr. Johnson served as Senior Vice President at the Center for Human Development (CHD), where he led efforts to integrate clinical operations and managed large multidisciplinary teams. Johnson received his MBA in Healthcare Administration.
Michael "Mike" R. Norman Jr. '26
has been named as new Head Coach of the Brockton High School Football team. Norman Jr. is an alumnus of Brockton High School, where he was a standout quarterback. He then played for Stonehill College as a defensive back. He has been working as an assistant and head coach of the Freshman football team in Brockton prior to being named head coach. Norman Jr. received his master's degree in educational leadership and management.
Benjamin Sullivan '24
was recently appointed as director of MBA and Graduate Programs and assistant professor at Elms College. In this role, Sullivan will provide leadership and oversight for graduate business education at Elms while teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in accounting, taxation, entrepreneurship, and other business disciplines. He will help guide the continued growth and development of the college’s MBA program, which offers flexible courses to support the many students who are working full-time while pursuing their degrees. Prior to joining the college, he built a career in both corporate and entrepreneurial settings. His professional background includes serving as controller and vice president at Michael’s Party Rentals; vice president of Business Development for the Stepping Stones Group’s Autism and Community Division; and co-founder and chief financial and operating officer of New England ABA, a fast-growing provider of applied behavioral analysis services. Sullivan earned his MBA in Accounting from Fitchburg State.
Derek M. Tirrell '25
along with Alyssa Fields and the team from Another Age Productions, recently won a 2026 Boston/New England Emmy in the Health/Medical - Long Form Content category for "Beyond Medicine: The Story of Boston Community Pediatrics." Derek served as Associate Producer and Alyssa worked as Editor on the project. Both graduated with bachelor's degrees in Communications Media. Congratulations Derek and Alyssa!