Alumnus of the Year Brother Martin High School
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The 2018 Senator Allen J. Ellender Alumnus of the Year Brother Martin High School Honoring Mr. Joseph J. Caruso, Jr. Class of 1979 JW Marriott New Orleans The mission of Brother Martin High School is to form young people through holistic education that fosters academic excellence in a caring, disciplined community which integrates Catholic tradition and the charism of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to meet the needs of a changing world. Program Master of Ceremonies Mr. Scott C. Corrente, Sr. ’83, Alumni Director Blessing Before the Meal Mr. Salvador M. Brocato III ’88 President, Brothers of the Sacred Heart Alumni Association of New Orleans Brunch Award Presentation Mr. John J. Devlin III, President and Mr. Gregory M. Rando ’77, Executive Vice President Response Mr. Joseph J. Caruso, Jr. ’79 Closing Prayer Mr. Gregory M. Rando ’77, Executive Vice President The Senator Allen J. Ellender 1908 Memorial Alumnus of the Year Award 1890 - 1972 The Ellender Award was established in 1972 in honor of the late Senator Allen J. Ellender who served as a member of Congress for 36 years. Senator Ellender was first elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1924 and was chosen Speaker of the House in 1932. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1936 to replace Huey P. Long. Senator Ellender served as chairman of many congressional committees and, at the time of his death in 1972, was the President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate. The Senator Allen J. Ellender Alumnus of the Year Award is presented annually by the Board of Directors of Brother Martin High School to an alumnus selected for contributions to his profession and for his religious, civic, business, educational, and community involvement. Recipients of the Ellender Award are alumni whom the Board of Directors honors for their commitment to the mission of Brother Martin High School and who serve as outstanding role models for the Brother Martin students of today. 2018 Alumnus of the Year Joseph J. Caruso, Jr. Brother Martin 1979 Joe is the Executive Vice President and Chief Audit Executive at IBERIABANK Corporation in New Orleans. He is a member of the Senior Leadership team of this $28 billion regional bank holding company and is responsible for providing advice and counsel on risk management and internal controls to the Board of Directors’ Audit Committee, Senior Management and various bank committees. He reports functionally to the Board of Directors’ Audit Committee. Joe possesses an extensive compliance background in banking, finance, trust, enterprise risk management and governance. Prior to joining IBERIABANK Corporation in 2011, Joe served as Senior Vice President and Regional Audit Director for Capital One Bank (formerly Hibernia National Bank) for twenty-four years. He also spent three years as a Senior Auditor with Grant Thornton, Certified Public Accountants. Joe is a Louisiana Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fiduciary & Investment Risk Specialist. He is affiliated with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Louisiana Society of Certi- fied Public Accountants, The Fiduciary and Investment Risk Management Association and the Institute of Internal Auditors – New Orleans Chapter. After graduating from Brother Martin High School in 1979, Joe attended the University of Holy Cross, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. Joe is the recipient of the 2016 Cor Et Mentem Award from the University of Holy Cross for service to the university and community. In 2011, he received the Servus Fidelis Award, the Willwoods Community honor for dedication and service to the entity’s ministries. He was honored in 2001 with the Charles Keller Memorial Award, United Way’s highest honor for distinguished volunteer service and commitment to the community. He was also named the 1998 Alumnus of the Year for the University of Holy Cross. Joe is a member of the Brother Martin High School Board of Directors. He serves as Co-Chair of the Brother Martin Phase III Capital Campaign, Chairman of the Brother Martin Prayer Breakfast Committee and a member of the President’s Dinner Committee. Joe is a former board member of the St. Aloysius Century Foundation and previously served on the Phase II Capital Campaign, Alumni Giving and the Class of 1979 reunion committees. Joe is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Willwoods Community as Chairman of the Finance Committee, the Board of Trustees of Notre Dame Seminary and a member of the Community Impact Com- mittee for United Way of Southeast Louisiana where he serves as Co-Chair of the Audit Committee. Joe has been married to Erin Vezina Caruso for 32 years. 2017 David G. Trepagnier, Sr. Brother Martin 1983 David G. Trepagnier, Sr., a 1983 graduate of Brother Martin High School, is an accomplished New York Life agent who has served the metropolitan New Orleans area for nearly 30 years. David and his wife, Marianna, are the parents of sons David Gerard ’14, Harrison ’15, and daughter, Marin. As a 1988 graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, David received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. He was elected treasurer of Beggars Fraternity as a sophomore and served as their president during his junior and senior years. In May of 1988, David entered into a contract with New York Life and was elected “Rookie of the Year” by the General Agent Managers Association (GAMA) in 1989. In 1995, he received the “Agent of the Year Award” from the Louisiana Association of Life Underwriters. In 1995, 2006 and 2007 David led the New Orleans General Office in life insurance sales. He’s a “29 consecutive Council qualifier”, a Lifetime Member of the council, and at age 43, David became Senior Nylic. He is a “29 year qualifier of the Million Dollar Round Table” and a member of National Association of Life Underwriters (NALU). As an Executive Member of St. Matthew the Apostle Church’s three-phase Capital Campaign, David assisted in raising $3 million dollars. He is also a member of the Archdiocese Life Insurance Foundation. David was a major donor in Brother Martin’s Phase II Capital Campaign (Branton Chapel) and currently serves on the Phase III Capital Campaign Steering Committee and on the board of the St. Aloysius Century Foundation. David, Marianna, and their family support the Celebration of the Crest, Brother Martin athletics and numerous other school events. 2016 Roderick K. West Brother Martin 1986 Rod is the executive vice president for Entergy Corporation. He has executive responsibility for Entergy’s five utility operating companies and for the customer operations and regulatory services organizations. Collectively, Entergy’s operating companies serve nearly 3 million customers in four states in the U.S. Gulf South. West is a member of the Office of the Chief Executive, the company’s senior-most leadership team. Widely known as a proven hands-on leader, Rod was uniquely involved in the rebuilding of Entergy New Orleans, Inc. and the great American city that it proudly serves. In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina struck and flooded 80 percent of the city, he served as manager of the metro New Orleans region. His responsibilities included the city’s electric infrastructure. After ensuring the safety of his workforce, many of whom lost homes to the storm, Rod and his team went to work overseeing a $250 million reconstruction of the nearly destroyed New Orleans electrical infrastructure. Before joining Entergy, Rod was a senior attorney in the New Orleans office of Vial, Hamilton, Koch & Knox, L.L.P. commercial litigation department. He also spent five years with the New Orleans-based firm of Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre, L.L.P. and is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association. His charitable and community work are largely focused on education, healthcare, economic development and the rebuilding of south Louisiana and New Orleans. Rod serves as president of the Allstate Sugar Bowl, serves on the board of directors for the Edison Electric Institute as well as on the board of trustees for the University of Notre Dame. Previously, he served twelve years on the Louisiana State University System Board of Supervisors, serving as chairperson from 2006-2007. In 2000, Rod was appointed for a six-year term by former Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster to the Louisiana State University System Board of Supervisors. In 2006, he was reappointed to another term by former Gov. Kathleen Blanco and named board chairman through the 2006 and 2007 academic year. In May 2009, he was named to the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees. Rod is a member of both the Executive Leadership Council and Sigma Pi Phi fraternity. An accomplished problem solver, Rod is a constant go to person for civic results in his hometown. In 2010, he led the New Orleans business community in achieving a dedicated source of funding for the redevelopment of New Orleans Recreation Department. He also made the closing arguments to NFL owners on behalf of the city’s bid to host Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. Rod received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame where he lettered three years as outside linebacker and tight end for Lou Holtz and the Fighting Irish’s 1988 National Championship football team. He received his Juris Doctor from the Tulane University School of Law in 1993 and his MBA from Tulane University in 2005. Rod remains close to Brother Martin having served on the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Alumni Board of Directors, guest judge at the Crusader Cook-off, Crimson & Gold Network speaker and he is an annual supporter of the Celebration of the Crest.