LATROBE, PA – Saint Vincent College has announced its 2023 Alumni of Distinction in recognition of exemplary service, commitment and the ways in which their accomplishments, affiliations and careers have honored the legacy of Saint Vincent.
The 2023 honorees include Tiffany Gilbert, C’03, of Pittsburgh; Jennifer Miele, C’00, of Irwin; Vincent P. Morris, C’70, of Bonita Springs, FL; David J. Novak, C’83, of Richmond, VA; Dr. Louis Vodzak, C’58, of Sarver; Jack Wilson, C’68, of Annapolis, MD; and Michael Keslar, C'80 of Export.
The Alumni of Distinction will be honored this year as part of Homecoming and Fall Family Weekend during a ceremony on Friday, Sept. 15, at the Fred M. Rogers Center on campus.
Tiffany Gilbert
Tiffany Gilbert graduated from Saint Vincent with a bachelor’s degree in political science and public Administration. She is current working pursuing her master’s degree from Saint Vincent in curriculum and instruction.
After graduating from Saint Vincent, Tiffany went on to be the Executive Director of the East Liberty Women’s Care Center in Pittsburgh. Tiffany is also a pastor at Another Level Ministries with a concentration on Women’s Ministry and Children’s Ministry, while also being a frequent panelist on the Sister2Sister Christian Television show on Cornerstone Television Network.
Tiffany’s father, Winford Craig, a Saint Vincent alum, helped lead her to Saint Vincent College. Tiffany transferred to SVC after her freshman year and discovered shortly after that she had found her perfect fit on campus, and her siblings followed in her footsteps, also going on to attend Saint Vincent.
Tiffany always enjoyed the peaceful moments she had on and the many serene spots on campus. She also appreciates the lasting friendships she made throughout her college career along with the professors who took the time to challenge her while extracting greatness. She holds that that is something she has kept with her throughout her life.
Currently residing in Pittsburgh, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her family and traveling to new places. She also enjoys running and walking outside and gymnastics and always wonders what it would have been like to become a gymnast.
Jennifer Miele
From the time she stepped foot on campus, Jennifer was a very active member of the SVC community. She became immediately involved within in the Athletic Department when head baseball Coach Mick Janosko hired her to be the statistician for the baseball team. From that point on, she knew she had made the right choice for college.
Jennifer graduated from Saint Vincent with a bachelor’s degree in public policy, while also receiving a minor in communication. After graduating from Saint Vincent College, she went on to earn a master’s degree in politics from Virginia Tech, while also receiving a certificate in strategic planning from Georgetown University.
Currently the Chief Communications Officer for the Diocese of Greensburg, Jennifer was a reporter for WTAE Channel 4 news in Pittsburgh before becoming the youngest Vice President of Marketing for Excela Health. She credits Saint Vincent for all of her success in her career.
Jennifer won the Catholic Press Association Award for best communication/marketing executive in North America for three straight years in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She also won numerous Telly American Videographers Association and Communicator awards of excellence and was the recipient of the Athena Winner’s Circle award for community service in 2013, having served on more than a dozen non-profit boards since 2005.
Jennifer acknowledges Dr. Gary Quinlivan as the single most influential person in her professional life. She thanks Dr. Quinlivan for moving mountains to find internships that would help her capitalize on her of business and communications majors. Dr. Quinlivan helped Jennifer secure work at the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.; KDKA Television; and The Political Economy Research Center in Bozeman. She’d also thanks Br. Ben Janecko, Dr. Andy Herr, Dr. Gabe Pellathy, and Coach Mick Janosko for helping her achieve her goals here at Saint Vincent.
Jennifer and her husband, Jason, currently reside in Irwin with their two children, Francesca and Vivienne. Jennifer is grateful to her parents, Joe and Gerry Miele, for making so many sacrifices to pay for her college education. Jennifer is especially appreciative of her best friends and roommates at Saint Vincent who are still like family to her 23 years later.
Vincent P. Morris
Vince has loved Saint Vincent since the first time he came to campus. From watching Steelers practice, to seeing Arnold Palmer and the completion of the science building, he fell in love with Saint Vincent College.
During the summer of Vince’s junior year in 1968, as a technician for a DuPont subsidiary, he constructed and shipped to NASA a multi-gas analyzer that ultimately was included in a launch package. Vince also conducted tests on flame-resistant hydraulic fluid used in Navy aircraft carrier catapult and arresting gear systems as a Quality Control Chemist for a specialty oil firm.
After his graduation in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Vince went on to work for Merck & Co. Inc., for which he was the Director for Vaccine Manufacturing before his retirement.
Vince remembers Fr. Charles McFadden, who left a lasting impact on him, as he was always willing to help and provide guidance and support when needed. Vince’s message to current students and young alumni is to identify passions and then focus on achieving them. He holds that oftentimes the first step is the most difficult, but once taken, the path to fulfillment and success becomes a more spirited personal challenge.
Vince loves spending time with his wife, Sue Capps Morris. He remains interested in the advancement of biologicals and the role that they continue to play in the advancement of prevention and control of viral and bacterial diseases. From a personal perspective, Vince remains focused on athletic competition and understanding what the human body is capable of achieving at his age.
David J. Novak
Before David Novak became a United States District Judge, he was a 1983 graduate of Saint Vincent with a bachelor’s degree in political science. David is the first graduate of SVC to be nominated for an Article III Judge.
David was confirmed on October 16, 2019, as an Article III Judge by President Donald J. Trump and was then confirmed by the senate. Prior to his appointment, he previously served as a United States Magistrate Judge from 2012 until his elevation in 2019. Before ascending to the bench, David served as an Assistant United States Attorney and EDVA, ending his tenure in that office as the Chief of the Criminal Division with the supervisory responsibility over all criminal prosecutions brought in the district.
He has received numerous awards, including the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security and the CIA Seal Medallion for his work as a member of the prosecution team of United States vs. Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person to be convicted for his role in the September 11 attacks.
David has also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas and as a trial attorney with the Department of Justice. He began his career by serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia. After completing his undergraduate studies at Saint Vincent, he went on to receive his law degree from Villanova Law School.
David enjoys spending time with his family.
Dr. Louis S. Vodzak
Louis is a 1958 graduate of Saint Vincent, graduating with a bachelor’s degree. He went on to receive his doctorate in dental science from the University of Pittsburgh and then followed that up by receiving his Certificate of Orthodontics from the University of Pennsylvania.
After school, Louis became the founder of the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Clinic at Children’s Hospital of Northern California, and several years later, he founded a clinic at Kaiser Permanente Hospital Department of Genetics. Louis also taught at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in California as an adjunct professor.
Louis is a veteran of the Vietnam War as a lieutenant commander (LCDR) in the US Pacific Health Service Commission Corps in the Hospital Division and in the US Coast Guard as a dental surgeon.
Louis thanks the late Father Joel Lieb, O.S.B., for his success, as Father Joel guided and mentored him during his time at Saint Vincent to better prepare him for early admission to dental school, and his mother, who introduced him to the school that greatly influenced his life years before he would actually attend.
Currently, Louis is retired and living in Sarver with his wonderful wife, Betty, of 65 years. He is the father of four children and the grandfather of five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Louis is a winemaker, farmer, gardener and beekeeper, and he is also an avid canoe enthusiast.
Jack Wilson
A 1968 graduate, Jack received a degree in history and a minor in secondary education. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he went on to Troy State University, where he received his master’s degree in secondary education. Committed to continuing his education, he received a second bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Maryland before receiving a second master’s degree in human resources and labor relations from Saint Francis College. He went on to receive his Ed.D. in human and organizational performance from the University of Southern California.
Currently, Mr. Wilson is a Senior Consultant at Innovo Strategic Solutions, LLC, a company that does strategic planning, leadership coaching, organizational design and DEI projects based in Crofton, Maryland. Jack went to school every decade of his working life and ran HR for over 25 years, reporting to five different CEOs in the communications business, mostly on the west coast.
Jack loves to read and travel, and his present interest is in economics and investing, subjects he didn’t study in college. One of his favorite pastimes is spending time with his wife, Juliette; his daughter, Meghan; and his son-in-law, Mike.
Michael Keslar
Michael Keslar graduated from Saint Vincent with a degree in Economics. During his time at Saint Vincent, he played tennis and was the captain of the team in 1980. He originally considered Saint Vincent because he wanted to be a priest, but he eventually changed his mind and went into business.
Mike currently works for BNY Mellon and is the President and Divisional Chief Information Officer in Pittsburgh. In this role, he manages 3,500 software engineers and programmers and oversees $500 million in technology investments. Michael says that even though he has a "senior" role, he doesn't define that as success, but rather defines success as having been able to help so many people along his career journey. Recently named CIO of the year by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Mike has over 30 years' experience with BNY Mellon and continues to provide leadership for critical business lines and create opportunities for the region. Mike is also on the Board of Directors for Vibrant Pittsburgh and the advisory boards for the computer science programs at the University of Pittsburgh, from which he received his MBA, and Robert Morris University.
When asked about the most influential people, he named Brother Norman Hipps, who he is still friends with to this day. His advice for current students and younger alumni? To find their passion at Saint Vincent and pursue it.