The following is a recap of Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools award recipients. The awards were presented on March 2, 2026, at a STREAM Symposium which included all Diocesan Catholic School faculty and staff. Awards include years of service, leadership, excellence in STREAM education, and exemplars of Catholic Education.
Legacy Award
The Legacy Award for 2025 goes to a faculty member who has been a teacher in the Diocese of Venice for 35 years: Johanna Meyers of Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers.
Blue Apple Award
The Blue Apple Award is given to teachers who have demonstrated leadership and excellence in STREAM, technology, and innovation at their school. The color blue in the Bible has been used to described by scholars as denoting the Holy Spirit and Truth or service to God, as well as the waters of new creation in the book of Genesis, and most importantly the color blue is often associated with our Blessed Mother.
Teachers receiving the 2026 Blue Apple STREAM Leadership awards and nominated by the principals of the Diocese of Venice are: Trisha Calfee, Bishop Verot Catholic High School, Fort Myers; Julie Cardena and Natalie Ruta, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Sarasota; Landon Fulmer and Elizabeth Kohr, Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Parish, Ave Maria; Kim Kassin, Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School, Venice; Nicole Asay, Incarnation Catholic School, Sarasota; Maureen Leigh and Angela Sarnac, St. Andrew Catholic School, Cape Coral; Karen Olsen, St. Ann Catholic School, Naples; Jennifer Williams and Marissa McCarthy, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, Port Charlotte; Megan Van Wart and Ana Ozores, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School, Naples; Mindy Pfleger and Stacie Delacuesta, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Fort Myers; Susan Caveness, St. John Neumann Catholic High School, Naples; Blaire Hamric, St. Joseph Catholic School, Bradenton; Maria Paben, St. Martha Catholic School, Sarasota; and Michella Aippersbach, St. Mary Academy, Sarasota.
Charitas (Crystal Cross Award)
The Crystal Cross Award is the highest Diocese of Venice Department of Education award given to teachers and faculty of Diocese of Venice Catholic schools. Crystal Cross Award recipients are nominated by their peers and colleagues as exemplars in Catholic education. Crystal Cross Award recipients are considered as teachers or administrators who:
- Produce excellence in all that they do (teaching, leading, etc.),
- Radiate with care and compassion towards students and colleagues,
- Treat others as brothers and sisters in Christ,
- Embodies the Catholic Faith inside and outside the classroom,
- Leads by example,
- Spreads Truth, Beauty and Goodness to those around them.
Recipients are: John Gadomski and Margaret Kennedy, Bishop Verot Catholic High School; Jaime Patmor, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School; Carol Hart and Amy Gawron, Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Parish; Elise Filbrandt, Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School; Alexandra Kern, Incarnation Catholic School; Bethany Gunn and Colleen Mattfeld, St. Andrew Catholic School; Elizabeth Benito, St. Ann Catholic School; Elizabeth Costa, St. Catherine Catholic School; Kim Smith, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School; Moise Staël Dantes, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School; Lindsay Engel, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; Andy Niewedde, St. John Neumann Catholic High School; Mary Ellen Tavernier, St. Joseph Catholic School; Leslie Lambert and Tammi Peters, St. Martha Catholic School; and Kelcee English, St. Mary Academy.
Years of Service honorees
5 years of Service:
Michelle Aippersbach and Christine Coolidge, St. Mary Academy; Patrick Barock, Melanie Blake, Leyda Calvillo, Dixie Kreulen, and Janette Sanchez, St. Catherine Catholic School; Barbara Baez and Courtney Knowles, St. Martha Catholic School; Kate Hart, St. Joseph Catholic School; Stacey Berkow and Taylor Gaither, Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School; Gerard Cantwell, Louis Fornaris, and SueEllen Patkunas, St. John Neumann Catholic High School; Angela Currier, Linda Pasquarello, Brianna Rodriguez, Katie Scarantino, Kelly Sanders, and Jennifer Townsend, St. Ann Catholic School; Courtney Daily, Melissa Fetterman, Bianca George and Ryan Krause, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School; Allison (Denison) Priviette, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; Felicia Linden, Yania Martinez, and Janelle Zingaro, St. Andrew Catholic School; Megan Van Wart, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School; Kristy Vizzone, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School; and Amy Yager, Incarnation Catholic School.
10 years of Service:
Andrea Bach, Incarnation Catholic School; Ron DelaCuesta and David Zukin, Bishop Verot Catholic High School; Amy Gawron, Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Parish; Kelly Givens and Randal Hedel, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School; Jeffrey Jodice and Greg Morgan, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; Ellen Smith, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School; Dr. Marc Snyder, Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Parish; and Jeanine Francois-Gonzalez, St. John Neumann Catholic High School.
15 years of Service:
Elizabeth Davis and Andrea Tonitis, St. Martha Catholic School; Sara Delapaz, St. Catherine Catholic School; Juli Ferguson, St. Joseph Catholic School; Camile Nieves, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; Sister Patricia Roche, FMA, and Jam Stryfeller, St. John Neumann Catholic High School; and Rebecca Reynolds, St. Mary Academy.
25 years of Service: Deanna Breen, Bishop Verot Catholic High School; Stephanie Rode, St. Andrew Catholic School; Evelyn Velasquez, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School.
30 years of Service: Shannon Dalton, Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School, Suzie O’Grady, Bishop Verot Catholic High School.
Assisting in Leadership Award
The Assisting in Leadership Award, new to 2026, is for assistant principals, deans and instructional leaders who bridge the gap between vision and implementation. Recipients are: Kate Hamstra, Matt Hiller, Christina Miller and Christine Otis, Bishop Verot Catholic High School; Stefan Gates, Dr. Matthew Ittig and Carol Cassidy, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School; Andrea Bach, Incarnation Catholic School; Tim Roder and Deacon Edward Watson, Donahue Academy of Ave Maria Parish; Andrew Hamstra and Kelley Tucker, St. Andrew Catholic School; Nick Lahr, St. Ann Catholic School; Jim Reynolds and Monica Nelson, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; Elizabeth Davis, St. Martha Catholic School; Kiawania Heard, St. Mary Academy; Barbara Guerra, St. Joseph Catholic School; Dr. Donna Noonan and Dr. Benjamin Weber, St. John Neumann Catholic High School; Nissa Mitchell, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School; Dr. Judy Dickinson, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School; and Christna Tylka, Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School.
School Leadership Recognition
School principals of the 2025-2026 school year:
Suzie O’Grady, Bishop Verot Catholic High School; Ben Hopper, Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School; Roberto Pugliares, Epiphany Cathedral Catholic School; Amy Yager, Incarnation Catholic School; Dr. Marc Snyder, Donahue Academy at Ave Maria; Bambi Giles, St. Andrew Catholic School; Micah O’Connor, St. Ann Catholic School; Steven Cullipher, St. Catherine Catholic School; Amy Barron, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School; Dr. Marcel Brown, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School; John Gulley, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; Sister Patricia Roche, FMA, St. John Neumann Catholic High School; Tom Noonan, St. Joseph Catholic School; Mari Jo Hanson, St. Martha Catholic School; and Rebecca Reynolds, St. Mary Academy.
