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Alumni Achievement Award
Alumni Awards
Alumni Achievement Awards
Launched in 1983, the Alumni Achievement Awards recognize alumni who have been successful in their careers and/or active in church and community service.
The awards are presented annually by the SJU Alumni Association Board of Directorys and the University. Each 20 through 50-year reunion class recognizes an individual classmate for his accomplishments. The awards presentation takes place each year on Saturday morning during the SJU Reunion Rally.
2026 Alumni Achievement Recipients
Kevin Healy, M.D. ’76
Kevin J. Healy, M.D. ’76
Dr. Kevin Healy’s service knows no boundaries. Healy has traveled the globe contributing his medical expertise to 120-plus volunteer missions since 1997.
He became an anesthesiologist in the Navy and started volunteering for international medical missions while in private practice in Ames, Iowa. He led a multi-disciplinary team on missions to Guatemala. He provided anesthesia support to surgical teams in Africa, Asia and the middle East.
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Healy left his practice in 2010 to focus on volunteer medical service. In 2013 he served on 15 international missions in southeast Asia, India, Africa, South America, Palestine and Gaza. His wife and both of his sons have participated in missions with him.
SJU and CSB students benefit from his expertise, too. He and his wife Rosanne, CSB ’77, fund the Fr. Rene McGraw Community Engagement Scholarship, which promotes the Benedictine values of service and peace.
Robert Walsh Jr. ’81
Robert Walsh Jr. ’81
Bob Walsh brings his Benedictine influence to the bench as an Associate Judge for the 18th Judicial Circuit in Illinois’ DuPage County, where he is highly regarded as a fair and impartial jurist who exhibits humility and compassion.
Walsh was installed as a judge in March 2025 after a 40-year legal career with Clifford Law Offices, one of the National Law Journal’s 50 Elite Law Firms. His advocacy for the rights of the injured and underrepresented have earned him recognition by Illinois Super Lawyers, as a Best Lawyer in America and as the 2024 recipient of the Accipiter Award from the Fenwick High School, his alma mater.
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Walsh has long volunteered at Visitation Catholic Church in Elmhurst, Illinois, and as a coach for Little League and other sports.
A dedicated Johnnie with a talent for connecting people, Walsh has organized a variety of trips over several decades to unite Johnnies from different classes, including the Baseball Road Trip, which has convened to travel to ball parks across the country every year since 1987.
John Gag ’86
John Gag ’86
John Gag has led New Ulm-based Gag Sheet Metal to tremendous success and poured himself into community volunteer roles, but with true Benedictine humility, he passes the credit to others.
Gag Sheet Metal now brings in more revenue weekly than the $350,00 it made annually when Gag started working there in 1986, growing from a 4,000-square-foot building on one and a half city lots to 60,000 square feet of building on three city blocks.
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His explanation for that success: “Aggressively engaged and motivated team members.”
Gag’s long list of volunteer work includes serving as a SERTOMA member and past president, on the NUMAS Haus women’s shelter and New and Ulm Chamber of Commerce boards, the CTE Center advisory board, the Martin Luther College-New Ulm Annual Golf Classic fundraising committee and the New Ulm Club. He’s also a City of New Ulm reserve police officer and member of police commission.
How does he find the time? “The folks on our team have allowed me to be very active with various non-profits,” he humbly explains.
Russ Jundt ’91
Russ Jundt ’91
The SJU and CSB crew team instilled Russ Jundt’s deep respect for water, and a J-Term class sparked his interest in entrepreneurship.
Jundt channels that stewardship and innovative spirit into Conserva Irrigation, the company he founded in 2010 that builds and retrofits residential, commercial and municipal irrigation systems, reducing water usage from 40 to 60 percent over traditional systems.
Conserva Irrigation has grown to 85 locations and $55 million in annual revenue, and earns honors that include top ranking in Irrigation and Water Management and the 2025 Irrigation Association Innovator Award for Jundt.
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A serial entrepreneur, Jundt started a painting venture in college and owns and operates two other businesses, Mosquito Squad of Twin Cities and Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, and hopes to inspire current SJU and CSB entrepreneur students to launch their own social enterprises.
Service has been another constant for Jundt, who volunteers in his Minnesota and Florida parishes and throughout the communities where he lives. He has held various positions on committees and boards, including the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association GAC and various Fresh Water Societies, and has guided legislators and municipal water managers to better understand water conservation as it relates to irrigation systems. Jundt enjoys working with domestic and global philanthropic organizations — most recently the Wyland Foundation and Charity Water.
Steven Knapp ’96
Steven Knapp ’96
The Rule of Saint Benedict provides the cornerstone for Colonel Steve Knapp’s 30-year career as a U.S. Army nurse, battalion commander and chief for the Army’s Medical Readiness and Strength Branch.
“My assignments have taken me across the globe, and in each place, I was guided by the Benedictine principle to welcome the stranger, to serve the sick and to see Christ in every person I met.”
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Knapp heeded Saint Benedict’s call to listen while working in medical-surgical wards in South Korea and developing public health initiatives in Germany, Japan and Afghanistan, hearing soldiers’ needs, community concerns and the guidance of his peers.
Just as Saint Benedict balanced prayer and work, Knapp sees his work as an active expression of his Catholic faith as he carries out assignments from leading a 1,200-member healthcare team and overseeing a complex hospital system with 13 departments across four continents to orchestrating regional operations for medical facilities in six European nations.
He applies these same principles to his service to the church, which is grounded in humility and valuing others.
Michael Murray ’01
Michael Murray ’01
His passion for photography and dedication to community have created a unique brand of success for entrepreneur Michael Murray, founder and owner of St. Paul-based Michael Murray Photography.
Murray cultivated his technical talent and interpersonal approach at Saint John’s University, and his company has developed into a community cornerstone thanks to his relentless pursuit of excellence and dedication to building relationships with the clients for whom he’s crafting permanent, priceless images. People trust Murray to capture their intimate moments.
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He has contributed hundreds of hours as a volunteer youth coach, teaching kids skills while giving them a mentor and role model, and also donates time and photography to the Nativity of Our Lord Parish’s Men’s Club.
While his powerful photos compose the public face of St. Paul-based Serving Our Troops, Murray volunteers behind the scenes and has traveled to Kuwait for the organization, which provides steak dinners to service members deployed overseas.
Jeff Kaminski ’06
Jeff Kaminski ’06
Jeff Kaminski takes hospitality to new levels.
Kaminski, owner/president of Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, has led a team of more than 600 employees for 20-plus years. He took over as president in 2018 and is spearheading an expansion that includes 200 more rooms and a new convention center and recreational lake.
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Kaminski’s leadership extends to the state level through his role as incoming chairman of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and his work on its finance committee and board of directors, where his advocacy and testimony have helped pass and implement bills and laws for the industry.
Hospitality also plays an important role in Kaminski’s personal life. A lifelong member of St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Wisconsin Dells, he and his family regularly assist with fundraisers and help cook at parish dinners. Kaminski is a committed hockey dad who coaches his oldest son’s team and serves as the Association Coaching Education coordinator.
“His dedication to all of these organizations is unmatched,” one nominator wrote. “… His contributions are endless, and people look up to him.”
Past Recipients
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Dr. Owen J. Lynch ’75, Tom Guetzke ’80, Paul Melchior ’85, Todd Vande Hei ’90, Joe Deignan ’95, Spencer Sokoly ’00, Gevon Moss ’05, John Wander ’75 |
| 2024 | Mark Jantzer ’74, Wayne Liebhard ’79, Bernie Sinner ’84, Brian Kueppers ’89, Rob Bellin ’94, Darius Husain ’99 and Brian Eder ’04. |
| 2023 | Michael McCarthy ’73, Kevin Seggelke ’78, Denny Schleper ’78, Troy Fritz ’88, Ryan Hagan ’93, Micah Kiel, Ph.D. ’98, Brian Peterson ’03 |
| 2022 | Dick Howard ’72, David F. Taylor ’72, Mark Thiel ’77, Jim Carey ’82, Kevin “Casey” Eichler ’82, Tim Gallagher ’87, Brian Lenzmeier ’92, LeRoy Popowski ’97, Joe Koopmeiners ’02, Erik Stenberg ’02 |
| 2021 | John A. Knapp ’71, Ed Bonach ’76, John G. Asmussen ’76, Dave Hesse ’81, Michael Ryan ’86, Bill Kozlak ’91, Chris Palmer ’96, Nicholas Rowland ’01 |
| 2020 | John A. Knapp ’71, Ed Bonach ’76, John G. Asmussen ’76, Dave Hesse ’81, The Rev. Michael Ryan ’86, Bill Kozlak ’91, Chris Palmer ’96, Nicholas Rowland, Ph.D. ’01 |
| 2019 | Paul Bernabei ’69, Jim Scheibel ’69, Steve Felton ’74, John Phelps ’79, Paul Williams ’84, Bryan Olson ’89, Bill Vance ’94, Eric LeCompte ’99 |
| 2018 | Jim Gelbmann, M.D. ’68, James A. Mohs, M.D. ’68, Steve Armstrong ’73, Joseph A. Gilles ’78, Brig. Gen. Joseph Kelly ’83, Jerry Morris ’83, Rick Wojciechowski ’88, Joe Blee ’93, Nathaniel Nelson ’98 |
| 2017 | Richard Weening ’67, Vic Moore ’72, Mark Muedeking ’77, Dave Philp ’77, Carl Procario-Foley ’82, Mike Baumann ’87, Efrem Smith ’92, Lee Torborg ’51 |
| 2016 | Steve Askew ’66, Terry Hartman ’66, J. Todd Kelly ’66, John Lawler ’71, Frank Dooley ’76, Evan Applequist ’81 (posthumous), Shaun McElhatton ’81, Paul Nakasone ’86, Murray McCartan ’91, Dan Schumacher ’96 |
| 2015 | Peter Conzemius ’65, Michael Howlett ’70 (posthumous), Fr. Michael Tegeder ’70, Dr. Thomas Gelhaus ’75, Steve Wolfe ’75, Mark Poepping ’80, Eric Olson ’85, John Boucher ’90, Craig Junker ’90, Mark Morrey ’95 |
| 2014 | Thomas Borak ’64, John Chromy ’64, Mike Healy ’64, Gary Eichten ’69, Nick Hayes ’69, John Laliberte ’74, Tim Marx ’79, Bob Morris ’84, Stephen Yurek ’84, Mark Vande Hei ’89, Dean Holt ’94 |
| 2013 | John Lindstrom ’63, Al Woodward ’63, Joseph Cronin ’68, Larry Hergott ’68, Kim Culp ’73, Kevin DeVaan ’78 (Posthumous), Stuart Harvey ’83, Patrick Lynch ’88, Lino Rulli ’93, SOT ’95 |
| 2012 | Bob Praus ’62, Jon Theobald ’67, Tom Hokr ’72, Michael Urbanos ’72, Chris Boyd ’77, Tim McHale ’77, Rob Culligan ’82, Rick Odenthal ’87, Denis McDonough ’92 |
| 2011 | Mike Murphy ’61, George Nemanich ’61, Bob Weber ’61, Pat Maxwell ’66, Tony Biebl ’71, Dan McGlynn ’76, Chris Coburn ’81, Joe Vaughan ’86, Robb Neuenschwander ’91 |
| 2010 | Carmen Fernholz ’65, Michael Marchand ’70, Don Geng ’75, David Morreim ’75, Daniel Garry ’80, Patrick Plonski ’85, Tom Wicka ’90 |
| 2009 | Ralph Kilzer ’57, Don Hall ’59, Ken Roering ’64, Fr. Bob Flannery ’69, John Hooley ’74, Tom Schnettler ’79, John Wiehoff ’84, Jim Goodman ’84 (posthumous), Kyle Loven ’89 |
| 2008 | Bernie Dan ’83, Art Froehle ’63, Greg Scherer ’68, Roger Scherer ’58, Matt Stergios ’78, John Thavis ’73, Rob Fairbank ’88, Dr. Russel Reiter ’58 |
| 2007 | Ron Sandeen ’57, Bill Schubert ’62, Mike Scherer ’67, Bruce Hentges ’72, Randy Althoff ’77, Paul Krump ’82, Mike Culligan ’87 |
| 2004 | Robert Gavin ’62, Gregory Jaunich ’83, Richard J. Pope ’58 |
| 2003 | Gordon Bailey ’57, Robert Basten ’82, Richard Bresnahan ’76, Dr. Thomas F. Smith ’61, Stephen Sommers ’80 |
| 2002 | John Burke ’88, Thomas E. Burnett, Jr. ’85, C. Terry Dooley ’51, Hon. Franklin Knoll ’62, Jeffrey Korsmo ’80, James Nordlund ’61 |
| 2001 | Pete Cheeley ’76, Phillip Hessburg ’52 |
| 2000 | Andy Biebl ’70, Bernie Kukar ’62, Dick Nigon ’70, John J. Symanitz ’22 |
| 1999 | Rev. Jack Davis SJU ’65, SOT ’69, Robert Labat ’59, Cyril Paul ’59, Flip Spanier ’55 |
| 1998 | Mike Hagstrom SJU ’81, SOT ’94, Christopher J. Kauffman ’58, Edwin M. Theisen ’52 |
| 1997 | Lee A. Hanley ’58, Donald Schwarz ‘7, Axel Theimer ’71, Chuck Waletzko ’77 |
| 1996 | Mike Augustin ’62, Robert D. Christensen ’62, Jon Hassler ’55, Steve Seidel ’78 |
| 1995 | Joseph Cavanaugh ’81, Daniel A. Eller ’65, Hilary Thimmesh, OSB ’50, W. James Van Hercke ’51 |
| 1993 | John E. Brandl ’59, Maurice W. Britts ’50, Joe Fitzgerald ’80, Robert A. Liners ’49 |
| 1992 | William C. Sherman ’51 |
| 1991 | Mike Hennessey ’70, Eugene Koch ’51 |
| 1990 | Gregory J. Lais ’78, John McCutcheon ’74, Roger J. Nierengarten ’48, J. Patrick Rooney ’48 |
| 1989 | Don Breen ’56 |
| 1988 | Sir Etienne Dupuch ’31 |
| 1987 | Gerald W. Christenson ’53, Julian Plante ’61, Fred Senn ’64 |
| 1986 | John Dwyer ’50, Edward L. Henry ’43, Jerry Loomer ’69, George A. Sinner ’50, Arnold Weber, OSB ’48 |
| 1985 | Dave Durenberger ’55, Rev. Marc Tillia ’53 |
| 1984 | Roger E. Birk ’52, William Kling ’64, John (Johnny Blood) McNally ’49, John E. Simonett ’48 |
| 1983 | Edward Devitt ’34, Jere Knight ’38, Eugene J. McCarthy ’35 |