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Alumni Association

Overview

Who We Are

The Mercy Alumni Association, founded in 1923, currently serves more than 6,000 graduates from the Mercy School of Nursing, Mercy College of Northwest Ohio, and Mercy College of Ohio.

Every graduate is considered a member of the Association. Honorary membership may be conferred upon persons who have rendered service to this association or upon any individual whom the association wishes to honor. Such memberships are conferred by a majority vote of the Alumni Board.

What We Do

The association is organized for charitable, educational, and social purposes to support both the College and our alumni. Activities include:

  • Fall Mass for our deceased alumni and brunch held at Mercy College,
  • Annual meeting and banquet held at Alumni Weekend in the Fall which honors especially our members of 25, 40, and 50 years,
  • Scholarships awarded annually to current students of Mercy College; alumni have the opportunity to designate their gift to the Annual Fund for Alumni Scholarships,
  • Distinguished Graduate Award presented at the Alumni Banquet. Members may nominate themselves or another alumnus for this award. (See link to the nomination form and listing of awardees to date),
  • Mercy News, published several times a year, updates members on the latest news of the Association, its members, and the College.

Alumni may utilize College resources including career services and the library.


Upcoming Alumni Events

Alumni Weekend 2021

Join us September 25-26. Click here for more information and registration.


Alumni Board

Governance of the Association

The Association is governed by a Board and follows the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association.

There are no annual dues for members. However, members are asked to make a contribution through the College’s Annual Fund held in fall each year. Gifts from alumni may be designated by the donor to support the work of the Alumni Association including the awarding of scholarships annually.

Any member of the Association may volunteer or be invited to serve on the Alumni Board. Contact may be made with any Board member or by contacting Hannah Bohn at the contact information below.

Alumni Board 2021–2022

PresidentKaren Turpening DziengelweskiClass of 2013
SecretaryTheresa O'Donnell
Class of 1980
TreasurerMarie Archambeault Masztak
Class of 1964
Other MembersBernadette Knetchel Butle
Class of 1958
Timothy Frank
Class of 2015, 2018
Cynthia Heins
Class of 2004
Rhea HernandezClass of 1989
Nich HollinsheadClass of 2019
Nicole MetroffClass of 2018
Katy SampsonClass of 2016, 2018
Nikki WilkinsClass of 2008, 2016

Distinguished Graduate Award

Purpose

To recognize the humanitarian, professional, and philanthropic accomplishments of Mercy Alumni.

Criteria

Alumni of the Mercy School of Nursing or Mercy College of Ohio who have graduated at least ten (10) years ago and who have demonstrated commitment to the Mercy Values of compassion, excellence, human dignity, justice, sacredness of life, and service are eligible. Alumni may self-nominate or submit a nomination for another Mercy graduate. You may print the PDF nomination form out, fill it out, and return it, or you may just fill out the form below.

Award YearAwardeeYear of Graduation
1996Charlotte Baron1929
1997Sister Patricia Ann Dalke, RSM1957
1998Marty McGeein1959
1999Nancy Nusbaum Hammon1950
2000Kathy Shadle James1978
2001Patricia Wagner1950
2002Claudella Achambeau Jones1959
2005Carol A. Whittaker1972
2006Helen Mae Dickman1939
2008Rosemary Szymanowski Shugar1984
2009Sister Rita Mary Wasserman, RSM1952
2010Ruth Rohr Pio1953
2011Rosemary Daniel Butzer1960
2012Irene Held Brooks1962
2013Maria Nowicki, Ph.D1970
2014Marie Archambeault Masztak1964
2015Marsha Hailman Brown1967
2016Rev. Neil Kookoothe1982
2017Bernadette Knetchel Butler1958

2018

Marilynne R. (Mansfield) Wood, PhD, MSN, RN1966
2019Kathleen Burkey Welter1963
2021Kathleen Moriarty Lilly1981
2021Carol Annesser1980

Due to COVID-19, Alumni and Friends Weekend 2020 took place in a virtual format and a Distinguished Graduate Award was not given out. Therefore, we are excited to announce two Distinguished Graduates for 2021! These graduates will be recognized at the Alumni Reunion/Banquet on Saturday, September 25.

Kathleen Moriarty Lilly
Kathleen (Kathy) Moriarty Lilly is a 1981 graduate of Mercy School of Nursing.
After graduation, Kathy went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude with her BSN from University of Toledo. Today, she serves as the Executive Vice President for Organ Procurement Operations at LifeLink Foundation, which involves operational oversight for LifeLink of Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico.

Through LifeLink, Kathy has worked with her staff in Puerto Rico to recover their first donor and facilitate transplants within weeks after Hurricane Maria. She has served with the Association of Organ Procurement Organization and on the Disease Transmission Ad Hoc Committee for the United Network for Organ Sharing. Kathy has authored and contributed to scholarly publications, contributed to media stories, TV, radio, and print.

When asked about one of the most memorable moments in her career, Kathy shares that it became a very small world when she learned that one of her Mercy classmates needed a heart transplant. “It was a daunting responsibility as the transplant coordinator serving the center where (my classmate) waited to assure the lifesaving gift was obtained in time.” Fortunately, Kathy was able to assist her classmate with receiving the life-saving transplant, and her classmate then went on to resume a very productive life as a parent, spouse, and active nurse.

Carol Annesser

Carol Annesser is a 1980 graduate of Mercy School of Nursing.
After graduation, Carol went on to receive her BSN from Mercy College of Detroit and MSN from Eastern Michigan University. Today, she serves at The Neighborhood Free Health Clinic, which exists to express the love of Christ by providing free quality health care to the uninsured and underserved in the north Toledo neighborhood and the surrounding community. Her nominator writes, “The Clinic’s mission mirrors the mission of Mercy Health and is a reflection of Carol’s life of serving and giving to others.” At the Clinic, Carol continues to serve the Mercy College community by overseeing nursing students who receive clinical hours there.

Carol's nominator writes, "Carol was a mentor to me and an excellent nurse. She served many roles within the old Mercy Hospital with her final role as a nursing supervisor. She was well respected, very professional, and served as a resource to all of us. After Mercy School of Nursing closed, Carol continued on with her education and taught our young as a professor for the Mercy College BSN program. The needs were many, patients and staff calling for help and advice. She never complained."

Congratulations Kathy and Carol!
Thank you for your demonstrated commitment to the Mercy Values of compassion, excellence, human dignity, justice, sacredness of life, and service.

Mercy College Advocate Award

Purpose

To acknowledge a person or person(s) who have significantly impacted the growth and development and/or advanced Mercy College of Ohio and its alumni association.

Criteria

Alumni, faculty, staff, administration, current students, and friends of Mercy College may self-nominate or submit a nomination for another individual. This individual must display commitment to support the efforts at Mercy College of Ohio to benefit the students and the organization.

Questions? Contact Hannah Bohn.