2013 Alumni Achievement Award

John Lindstrom '63

John Lindstrom has been called to practice the Benedictine value of listening throughout his entire career. After practicing law in the Willmar, Minn., area for ten years and serving two terms as a Minnesota state representative, he received the call of a lifetime. He was appointed by Governor Wendell Anderson to Minnesota's 8th Judicial District bench, a position he held with honor for 29 years. Since retiring in 2005, Lindstrom is a community volunteer, mediator and arbitrator and avid Johnnie football fan.

Al Woodward '63

For more than 40 years, Al Woodward has been a practicing attorney, specializing in corporate finance, securities laws and mergers and acquisitions. As senior counsel at Leonard, Street and Deinard in Minneapolis, Minn., Woodward has frequently been selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers® and has been named among Best Lawyers in America® in the area of corporate law. Woodward has volunteered with a number of community and church organizations, provided pro bono legal services and served on numerous non-profit boards.

Joseph Cronin '68

In 1981, Joe Cronin set out to create a company that would elevate the culture, behaviors and results of organizations through positive motivation. Incentive Services is now a national leader in the performance improvement and recognition industry. Cronin's philosophy of personal and organizational motivation and leadership inspired his book Peak Performance and the creation of Incentive Services University. In addition to his duties as president and CEO, he and his wife, Joan (Berens) Cronin '68, are actively involved in Urban Ventures, an organization committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty in south Minneapolis.

Larry Hergott '68

Larry Hergott's successful career as both a cardiologist and a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine would itself be enough to warrant an Alumni Achievement Award. However, one classmate notes, "His creative writing is most compelling,not just for how it reflects his character, but also how it significantly affects other medical professionals in our society." Hergott has long been interested in the philosophy of medicine, and in recent years, his position has allowed him time to write poems and essays about care and compassion in medicine. His writings have inspired writing awards in his name at both the University of Colorado Medical School and Southern Methodist University.

Kim Culp '73

Kim Culp is founder and President of The Excelsior Group, a premier real estate investment firm in the Twin Cities. Culp was formerly a regional chairman of Marshall & Ilsley Bank and an investor, vice chairman and president of Century Bank prior to its sale to Marshall & Ilsley Bank. He was also president and CEO of The Shelard Group, a Twin Cities-based commercial real estate services company that provided leasing, brokerage and property management services. Culp has served on numerous non-profit boards including CommonBond Communities, Catholic Charities and Benilde-St. Margaret's School.

Kevin DeVaan '78

Kevin DeVaan had a successful 30-year career in the insurance industry. His wide-ranging experience in legal, financial, product development and marketing aspects of the business established DeVaan as an expert in his field. DeVaan was the CEO and principal of both Marquee Financial Group, LLC, and Fiduciaries Risk Retention Group. One classmate noted that "Kevin was a devoted husband and father who put family first, but managed to devote an enormous amount of time to volunteer and charity projects." SJU was a beneficiary of DeVaan's generosity-he served on the Alumni Association Board and helped to launch the Benedictine Bar Association. DeVaan died unexpectedly on Dec. 14, 2012, and his family will accept his Alumni Achievement Award in his honor.

Stuart Harvey '83

Stuart Harvey has established himself as a strategic business leader. He has served as chairman, president and CEO of Ceridian Corporation, a human resource and payment solutions provider, since 2010. Prior to joining Ceridian, he was CEO of Elavon's Global Acquiring Solutions organization. At Elavon, he led the company's international expansion, primarily in Europe. Harvey and his wife, Mary, have been enthusiastic supporters of Fr. Richard Frechette, CP, D.O., who recently received the Pax Christi Award from Saint John's Abbey and University. The Harveys strongly support Frechette's work with Friends of the Orphans in Haiti.

Patrick Lynch '88

Pat Lynch believes that the role of a business leader brings with it a significant responsibility for community involvement. Since graduation, he has managed to do both. He has worked in the transportation industry in various roles, eventually co-founding and serving as president of Granite Logistics Services, LLC., a transportation brokerage firm. Naming the organizations and charities Lynch is involved with sounds like a who's who of the St. Cloud area: Catholic Charities, CentraCare Clinic, the Sartell City Council, the St. Cloud Economic Development Partnership and the McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship at SJU.

Lino Rulli '93, SOT '95

Hundreds of thousands of people each weekday listen to Lino Rulli host The Catholic Guy on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Rulli, who holds a masters in theology from SJU, uses knowledge, humor and spontaneity as he discusses life, religion and theology with his co-host, a Catholic priest. Rulli previously was host and executive producer of Generation Cross, for which he won back-to-back Emmy Awards. In 2011, he released his first book, Sinner. Last year, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, hired Rulli to be his personal media adviser. He currently handles Cardinal Dolan's national television appearances, his radio show, books and social media presence. His next book, Saint, is due out in September.