In a direct response to sponsors submitting candidates for the Collinwood Hall of Fame, we have recently modified the induction process. Previously, candidates would be vetted and every 2 to 3 years those being inducted would be informed of induction and invited to the Hall of Fame ceremony. Due to the long period of time between these events, sponsors would not know status until the event. In response to suggestions we now continually accept and process candidates and those being inducted will be announced on a quarterly basis and designated Pro Tem until the actual induction. Then they will become listed with the complete Hall of Fame membership.
Pro Tem
First Quarter, 2018
Dr. Lee Rosen, PHD
Dr. Lee Rosen, PHD, represents all the key values that CHS instilled in us. Dr. Rosen graduated from Collinwood High School in 1965. Lee received his BS from Eastern Michigan University in Biology, his MS from Pennsylvania State University in Biology, and his PhD from Pennsylvania State University in Physiology with a postdoctoral in Toxicology at the NIH and another at Case Western Reserve University. He was a scholar who contributed to the betterment of this country through science. He was a loved and respected mentor to young scientists and staffers alike at the National Institute of Health. He was a loving husband, proud and loving Father and Grandfather. He was a Scuba diver and lived life with gusto. On October 22, 2015, Dr. Rosen passed away after a short but valiant battle with acute myeloid leukemia. He left a sister, Regina (Gina) Rosen who is also a CHS grad, and his dear wife Barbara and their children.
When you think of medical imaging research, a lot of names come to mind, but when you think of those having the most impact in terms of being an advocate for funding in radiology and imaging sciences, one name stands out—Dr. Lee Rosen. Dr. Rosen was a Scientific Review Officer at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 26 years and head of the Biomedical Imaging Technology (BMIT) study section for financial grant review.
He is most certainly missed by those who served on his study sections and by those whose careers have been impacted by his constant efforts to make the grant review process as effective, efficient, and fair as possible. Lee not only went out of his way to recruit the best and the most appropriate reviewers for his study sections, but also took the added time and energy to talk with applicants about their submissions. His dedication to helping young scientists understand the review process was exemplified by the number of grant workshops he arranged and hosted at numerous scientific meetings over the years. It is impossible to count the number of medical imaging investigators that have benefited from Lee’s advocacy, support, wisdom, and above all, friendship.
Dr. Rosen’s career was an intriguing mix of scientific and business ventures, starting with managing 12 multidisciplinary assessments and inventory studies for highway and construction projects with SJ Rosen Associates! As a Senior Scientist with Buchart Horn, he provided support for environmental, area drainage and sewage, and corps of engineering dredging construction efforts; with The Aerospace Corporation, he provided technical support on projects including the health effects of 60 Hz electromagnetic fields; and with W/L Associates, he provided technical support on contracts to the Department of Energy (DOE) including establishing a liaison between US and Canadian agencies with similar research interests in electromagnetic health studies. From 1991 to 2003, he conducted independent research at the Food and Drug Administration laboratories on pineal cell physiology, and for 1 year, assisted Food and Drug Administration investigators with computed tomography technology.
From 1989 to 2015, he was a Scientific Review Officer at the center for Scientific Review at the NIH where he was responsible for the review of imaging technology grant applications, which is where most of us know him from either as reviewers or as applicants. According to Lee, his “major strength (was) in the knowledge of specialists in the various fields of study of imaging.”
Lee also organized numerous outreach efforts for investigators ranging from presentations on review for other organizations to all-day seminars, including mock study sections at American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), Radiological Society of North America (RNSA), International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) Medical Imaging, the Society of Interventional Radiology, and the Office of Extramural Research. He organized and conducted workshops as educational events for study sessions on topics such as imaging software, electromagnetics, magnetoencephalography, molecular imaging, and validation.
After one such event, Lee and others went on a boat ride and scuba dived or snorkeled—scuba diving was really Lee’s passion but not just for himself. He always wanted everyone, whether at a review meeting or after hours, to feel comfortable, relaxed, and appreciated—that is what made working with him so pleasurable. He shared his interests with everyone not only about science and NIH but also about himself as well, which made working with him a pleasure and a privilege.
Lee touched the lives of so many people, and here are just a few comments that summarize how we all felt about him. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him;
“Lee was the consummate gentleman and administrator—always trying to be fair and move the field of diagnostic imaging forward.” Flemming Forsberg, PhD, Thomas Jefferson University.
“Lee Rosen was an extremely dedicated Scientific Review Officer who highly valued educating the reviewers as well as the grant writers. He was always willing to discuss the process one-on-one or as a speaker at various national meetings such as SPIE Medical Imaging, AAPM, RSNA, etc. His goal was to get the best science funded.” Maryellen Giger, PhD, University of Chicago.
“Serving on study section helped me become a better scientist; serving on Lee’s study section helped me become a better person. I find it a struggle to talk with people that I don’t know, and left to my own devices, I would have wasted the opportunity that study section provides to meet new people. But, Lee loved to share a good meal and he made it easy for me participate in the dinners that he coordinated. Lee always requested pictures of my kids and enthusiastically shared pictures of his grandkids. After my father died, Lee always asked after my mother. Lee made a point to publicly congratulate study section members when they earned professional promotions. He publicly thanked members when they finished their terms. Through these small gestures, Lee was a model of how the professional side of our lives can be conducted with warmth and generosity.” Mia Markey, PhD, University of Texas at Austin.
“Lee understood how critical the peer-review process was to the biomedical research enterprise. In my opinion, he went out of his way to ensure a fair review for all grant applications and, importantly to me as a reviewer, he made sure that his reviewers were happy and treated well. I never hesitated to participate on a Lee Rosen review panel. I knew it would be a beneficial experience because Lee would make it so. I have no higher respect for anyone at the NIH than I had for Lee Rosen. I will miss his humor and his humanness.” Robert Nishikawa, PhD, University of Pittsburgh.
“I knew Lee for more than 20 years. To me, he embodied everything good about the NIH. He was generous with his time and quick to offer advice to new (and not so new) investigators. He clearly took his responsibility in overseeing the evaluation of research proposals very seriously, yet always with humor and a genuine concern for his reviewers (he once told he waited until my kids were older before inviting me to be a charter member of his study section). He will be sorely missed.” Richard Leahy, PhD University of Southern California.
With special thanks and credit to: Elizabeth A. Krupinski, PHD, “In Memoriam, Lee Rosen, PhD: SRO, Advocate, and Friend”
Charles Gill, ’62, CHSAA-HOF Chairman
Second Quarter, 2018
James E. DeGeronimo, Sr. (Business)
James E. DeGeronimo, Sr. has spent the last 50 or so years as an entrepreneur after graduating from Collinwood High School in June of 1962. In 1964 he married fellow CHS classmate Rozella Delre and together they raised three children until Rozella’s untimely passing in 2007.
James’ first work experiences after high school included short stints as an ambulance driver and a worker at the Fisher Body plant. Now on his own, he founded “International Accents”, an import/export business capitalizing on the mid ‘70’s desire for large wall paintings and accent furnishings. He then joined in the real estate upsurge in Florida land sales and gained knowledge of the vital mortgage sales industry.
In the late ‘70’s, James founded a new company he named “American Graffiti” and adopted a type of home business sales force to sell the popular personalized shirts and clothing of the era. He then formed a partnership to form “Our Gang Entertainment.” Our Gang produced the popular “Dancercise” records with many artists that predated the exercise videos of the ‘80’s. Seeing the inevitable, James moved on to become the VP of video store sales for the company that eventually became Block Buster. With his brother Kenny, James started “VideoGenics”, a company that concentrated on selling and supporting video tape production as well as video store franchising to rent the VHS videos and transfer existing 16mm and 8mm film to VHS format. This afforded James valuable exposure to the franchise sales industry contacts.
In 1986 James set up a business to study the current high rates of mortgage interest. Available court house records afford the data needed to offer the high rate borrowers a more affordable solution. In 1986, with the help of his daughter Laura, James started Mortgage Placement Services, Inc. out his northeastern Ohio home. His son, James Jr., joined him in the business and eventually his second son, Joe, also joined him. Based in Mentor, Ohio, the very successful company became one of the largest Mortgage Brokerage services in Ohio.
James Sr. is a two-time president and Co-founder of the Ohio Association of Mortgage Brokers. He spent 4 terms as the Vice president of Legislation/Government Affairs, and for six years he was the Ohio Representative to the National Association of Mortgage Brokers. These organizations played an important role in obtaining state regulations which better serve the loan industry and its customers. James Sr. wrote the state’s first Mortgage Broker Reform Bill. James Sr. retired form MPS in 2006 leaving his son James, Jr. to direct the company. In addition, he served three terms as a trustee on the board of the Cleveland Better Business Bureau.
Following 20 successful years with MPS, James Sr. started a related business named Majestic Security, LLC. This business provides regulatory compliance products to serve the financial industry as well as identity protection products to all industries.
James DeGeronimo Sr. has demonstrated the true Collinwood HS spirit by superior achievement for our community and our society. We are proud to call you a fellow Railroader.
Charles Gill, ’62, CHSAA-HOF Chairman – May 18, 2018
Joseph J. Orosz – Law Enforcement
Joseph J. Orosz attended Collinwood High School from 1958 to 1963. Upon graduation he went to work for General Electric Lamp Equipment Operations and in 1968 was hired as a patrolman with the Beachwood Police Department and attended Case Western University Law Medicine Center for three months of law enforcement training.
In 1975 Joseph was promoted to Sergeant by the Beachwood Civil Service Commission. He was second in command of his shift of five officers and was responsible for calls for police assistance, traffic accident investigations, traffic enforcement, burglary investigation and crime scene processing. To further his education and better serve his new position, Orosz attended John Carroll University and Case Western University taking courses in management and supervision.
During this time one of the most memorable assignments was being a personal body guard for Sara Churchill, daughter of Winston Churchill, as she was visiting the US and staying in the city of beachwood
Orosz was a member of the Beachwood Police Honor Guard which provided honors to fallen police officers, dignitaries and escorting the national flag on ceremonial occasions.
In 1981 Joseph was assigned as the officer in charge to the Beachwood Detective Bureau. The detective bureau consisted of four other detectives and Det. Sgt. Orosz. His duties consisted in reviewing daily the crimes committed in Beachwood, their solvability factor, case assignments to detective bureau personnel and their timely conclusion. He was the liaison with the local, county and state prosecutors in charging individuals with crimes and their bond hearings, case preparations and Grand Jury reports and testimony. Testifying in local, county and state court trials as witness and investigating officer.
Orosz became a training officer for the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy in Columbus, Ohio and Shaker Heights Police Academy wherein he trained officers from all over the US in investigations into auto theft, rape, insurance fraud, and defensive driving.
In addition to detective bureau responsibilities, Orosz also served as a Crime Prevention Officer, frequently holding block meetings with residents regarding latest crime trends in the area and how to lower their risk of becoming a victim and enlightening retail store employees on shoplifting, fraud and their personal safety.
In addition to investigating a myriad of crimes, Orosz was instrumental in organizing and directing The Suburban Auto Theft Strike Force which was made up of twenty one police departments in northeast Ohio which in turn provided personnel, equipment and intelligence to combat the siege of auto theft in the greater Cleveland area from 1981 thru to 1991.
In 1991 Orosz was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by the Beachwood Civil Service Commission and was in command of eight officers. During this time he was responsible for the jail facility and prisoners, preliminary investigations into crimes occurring during his watch and assisting the Chief of Police in the daily operation of the Police Department.
During the course of 1994, Orosz applied for several Police Chief Positions, believing that after twenty six years of service in law enforcement, that he could carry his knowledge, experience and training to benefit another community. In July of 1994, after twenty-six years of service, Orosz retired from the Beachwood Police Department and was appointed Chief of Police of the Chester Township Police Department in Chester Township, Ohio where he served for the next twelve years.
During this time he restructured the police department to successfully serve a changing community. By instituting the feeling of Omni-presence by strict traffic law enforcement, accidents and related fatalities were lowered noticeably as was the reduction in property damage, vandalism, and burglary and other associated crimes.
In 2001, Chief Orosz was named Officer of The Year by The Geauga County Bar Association for the successful investigation of a homicide resulting in the arrest and conviction of the three assailants.
In September of 2006, Chief Orosz retired from law enforcement for a total of thirty-eight years in law enforcement.
Joseph married his high school sweetheart, Bonnie Cirino Orosz in 1965 and blessed with a son Joseph Jr.
Third Quarter, 2019
Karen L. (Vesel) Dethloff, BS, MS, MBA, CHFM, FASHE
A June 1970 graduate, Karen Dethloff was an honors student and an active member of the Science Club, National Honor Society and Gym Leaders. She helped form the school’s first women’s basketball and badminton teams, serving as the basketball team’s captain and winning the Cleveland women’s singles badminton championship her senior year. She was also awarded Grand Champion for her project “Clam Extract as a Growth Deterrent in Animal Tumors” in the 1970 Northeastern Ohio Science Fair.
After graduation, Karen pursued her dream of becoming a veterinarian; attending The Ohio State University while working as a life guard and veterinary assistant, and volunteering as a surgical assistant at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine Surgical Research Lab. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science in 1974.
When circumstances changed, Karen refocused her educational pursuits and earned a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering at Cleveland State University, and became a Clinical Engineer at Huron Road Hospital. Instead of taking care of animals, she was responsible for the care and interface of medical equipment with human patients. She later earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University focusing on healthcare management.
Two years later, Karen was tapped to become the Director of Maintenance for Huron Road Hospital, ensuring the proper operation and safety of the building, utilities, and medical equipment. She is believed to have been the only woman in the country performing this role at the time. She ultimately became the Administrative Director of Operations overseeing Engineering and Maintenance, Clinical Engineering, Telecommunications, Environmental Services, Nutrition Services and Security. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing 200 union and non-union employees with an operating budget of $7 million. She also coordinated in-house and contracted construction and renovation projects from concept through completion; projects included a $6.7M surgery addition.
After 12 years at Huron Road Hospital, Karen became Director of Construction Administration and Project Management for the Biomedical Research Building at Case Western Reserve University. What was to have been a one building, three-year job, became a 16-year career including the design and construction of six buildings, and hundreds of renovation projects totaling over $450M. During her tenure at CWRU, Karen directed a staff of project managers, accounting and administrative staff, was responsible for departmental operations; planning, design and construction of campus renovations and remodeling projects; overseeing >100 projects annually.
Her experience with signature design firms includes oversight of the Peter B. Lewis Building for the Weatherhead School of Management, designed by acclaimed architect Frank Gehry.
Karen moved back into healthcare as the Director of Facilities Management for the MetroHealth Medical Center where she was responsible for plant operations and maintenance managing a $16M budget and a unionized staff of 75. Her responsibilities included overseeing compliance and regulatory standards, energy management and capital budget development. In 2007, her position expanded to include responsibility for two long-term care facilities, an ambulatory surgery center and MetroHealth’s Old Brooklyn Campus. In 2016, as the result of acquisitions and new construction, Karen’s responsibilities, grew to over 5.25M square feet with a Facilities operating budget of over $20M. During this time, Karen also oversaw the coordination of utilities cutovers as a new 60K square foot, 87 bed ICU was constructed over an existing and fully functional Emergency Department and Operating Room.
Promoted in 2019 to Vice President of Facilities Management, Karen’s role now includes the oversight of Facilities Construction, and associated staff, overseeing multimillion dollar construction projects throughout The MetroHealth System. This includes oversight of a union and non-union staff of 118, with responsibilities for the System’s four hospitals, three free-standing Ambulatory Surgery Centers, three free-standing Emergency Departments and over 35 outpatient facilities. Current annual operating budgets exceed $23M and capital improvements averaging $6M. The role also includes coordination with a $974M Campus Transformation Project, for MetroHealth involving the building of a new hospital and completely transforming the property into a park-like setting. Her education and experience has prepared her for her role as caretaker of the aged 3.3M square foot main campus, keeping it safe and functional while the new campus is designed and constructed.
During her career, Karen Dethloff has become a local, state and national leader in healthcare engineering and facilities management. She earned her Senior level status and then became the only woman engineer to earn Fellow status in the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association. Less than 1% of the more than 12,000 members of ASHE ever achieve Fellow status.
Karen was elected a national Board Member of ASHE, and has served on numerous national committees and task forces supporting ASHE, healthcare engineering, planning design and construction, and the professional development of healthcare engineers since 1987. She continues to serve on local and state societies as a member, past board member and past president of both the Northeastern Ohio Society for Healthcare Engineering (NOSHE) and the Ohio Society for Healthcare Facilities Management (OSHFM).
She is also a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and is a former board member and treasurer of the Altenheim & Shurmer Place (Senior Living Community). She also has several published articles, has spoken at numerous engineering conferences, and been listed in Who’s Who and other renowned publications.
Karen is married to Richard F. Kubea; they reside in Painesville Township, Ohio.
CHS HALL OF FAME
Names below are sorted in alphabetic order.
Click on any name below to read about each inductee’s accomplishments.
2014 Hall Of Fame Inductees
| Inductee Name | Graduation Year |
Induction Year |
Category |
| Dr. Tony Adamle | 1942 | 1994 | Sports & Medicine |
| John Atwood | 1952 | 2010 | Business |
| Eppie L. Barney, Jr. | 1962 | 2014 | Sports |
| Erskine L. Bevel | 1983 | 2002 | Business |
| Carl W Brown | 1975 | 2010 | Science & Math |
| Judge Francine M Bruening | 1960 | 2004 | Law |
| Vincent Campanella | 1959 | 2008 | Government |
| Karen Marlowe Campbell | 1958 | 2017 | Sports |
| Joseph Cannavino, Jr. | 1953 | 2004 | Sports |
| Michael Cannavino | 1945 | 2004 | Sports |
| Michael F. Cavotta | 1962 | 2014 | Sports/Business |
| Col. Robert J. Chant | 1949 | 1998 | Government |
| Mario Chiudioni | 1948 | 2008 | Community Affairs |
| James R Cody | 1963 | 2006 | Government |
| Dr John E. Coletta | 1952 | 1996 | Medicine |
| William Compton | 1935 | 1996 | Business |
| Donald Corcelli | 1949 | 1996 | Business |
| Dr John Corina | 1946 | 1998 | Music |
| Silvio Cornachione | 1947 | 2006 | Sports |
| Barbara J. Bailey-Cox | 1954 | 2014 | Arts |
| Charita White Crockom | 1971 | 1994 | Educator |
| Dr John Charles Cutler | 1933 | 1996 | Medicine |
| Primo Del Calzo | 1952 | 2004 | Science |
| Mayor Dan DiLiberto | 1966 | 2004 | Government |
| Paul A. Disantis | 1957 | 2014 | Education |
| Celia Dolgan | 1956 | 2002 | Community Affairs |
| Peter P. Ducosky | Proclamation | 2017 | Government |
| Irma Winkel Dugan | 1950 | 1996 | Communications |
| Florence Mclean Duncan | 1944 | 2008 | Arts |
| Paul Falzone | 1963 | 2008 | Law Enforcement |
| Felix A. Fatica | 1953 | 2014 | Business/Sports |
| Katherine Alden Forrest | 1959 | 2017 | Medicine |
| Dr. Hudson DeMott Fowler, Jr., MD | 1930 | 2006 | Medicine |
| Dr Richard Fratianne | 1950 | 2002 | Medicine |
| Judge Norman Fuerst | 1942 | 1996 | Law |
| John Galovic | 1964 | 2010 | Educator |
| Dr. Donna Graves McClendon | 1972 | 1998 | Law Enforcement |
| David Griffin | 1980 | 2006 | Business |
| Col. Alan J Grill | 1949 | 2008 | Government |
| Barbara Naugle-Grubb | 1958 | 2014 | Community Affairs |
| Wallace Guenther | 1952 | 1996 | Sports |
| Col. James Hannam | 1959 | 2010 | Government |
| Dr Charles Harper | 1974 | 1996 | Medicine |
| Valerie Bradley Hicks | 1971 | 1998 | Business |
| William Hilbrink | 1946 | 2010 | Art and Music |
| Dr. Herbert Hochhauser, Ph.D. | 1955 | 2006 | Educator |
| Daniel J. Hrvatin | 1952 | 2014 | Arts/Business |
| Ted Huffman | 1973 | 2017 | Community Service |
| Jonathan Iafeliece | 1970 | 1996 | Business |
| Domenick Iammarino | 1958 | 2010 | Sports |
| Dr Albert Iosue | 1958 | 2004 | Medicine |
| Senator Jeffrey D. Johnson | 1976 | 1996 | Government |
| Allan V. Johnson | 1952 | 2000 | Community Service |
| The Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones | 1967 | 1994 | Law |
| Barbara “Bobbie” Janet Joslin Thielemann | 1952 | 2017 | Educator-Community Activist |
| James J Kozel | 1945 | 2002 | Business |
| Richard Latessa | 1947 | 2006 | Art and Music |
| Fred J. Lekson | 1948 | 2014 | Business |
| John S. Lekson, Major General | 1935 | 2014 | Government/Military |
| Thomas Mackar | 1967 | 1998 | Educator |
| William Martin | Proclamation | 1998 | Proclamation |
| Victor Y. Mathews | 1963 | 2017 | Community Service |
| Dr. Ernest Mazzaferri | 1954 | 1998 | Science |
| Patricia Mell | 1971 | 1996 | Educator |
| Lu Ann Mitchell | 1975 | 2000 | Law |
| James B. Morgan | 1947 | 2000 | Business |
| Theo Morrow | 1963 | 2010 | Sports |
| Fred R. Nance, Sr. | 1943 | 2006 | Business |
| John Opie | Proclamation | 1994 | Proclamation |
| Anthony Palermo, Jr. | 1944 | 2006 | Technology |
| Samuel F. Palumbo | 1951 | 1996 | Business |
| Domenic Pannitto | 1953 | 2002 | Sports |
| Gino Paoloni | Proclamation | 1996 | Proclamation |
| Michael D. Polensek | 1969 | 1996 | Government |
| Jack Reinhardt | 1937 | 2010 | Community Affairs |
| James J. Riley | 1956 | 2014 | Arts |
| William E. Ruse | 1953 | 2000 | Science |
| Edward S. Sadar, M.D. | 1961 | 2014 | Medicine |
| Milton Schalois | 1949 | 2004 | Business |
| Dr. Joanne A. Schoen, M.D. FACOG | 1955 | 2000 | Medicine |
| Jack H. Schron, Sr. | Proclamation | 2006 | Proclamation |
| Rocco Scotti | 1939 | 2004 | Music |
| Domenic T. Scricca | 1949 | 2002 | Government |
| Dr. Elinor Scricca, Ph.D. | 1949 | 2004 | Educator |
| Major John Sercel, USAF | 1950 | 2017 | Government |
| James R. Sikler | 1952 | 2008 | Educator |
| Ben Silla | 1948 | 2008 | Sports |
| Clarence Sindy | 1941 | 2008 | Community Affairs |
| Colonel Anthony Skur | 1949 | 2000 | Government |
| Dr. Daniel C. Sterns, III | 1939 | 1998 | Medicine |
| Dr. Ronald J. Taddeo, M.D. | 1952 | 2002 | Science |
| Evelyn Jahn Taub | 1943 | 2000 | Educator |
| Commissioner Mildred Teuscher | 1951 | 2004 | Government |
| L. Jack Thomas | 1949 | 2002 | Educator |
| Victoria Mandato Thomas | 1949 | 2008 | Educator |
| Carl Toth | 1966 | 2017 | Art |
| Joseph J. Trivisonno | 1953 | 2000 | Sports |
| Florence Unetich | 1940 | 2000 | Art and Music |
| James Upper | 1954 | 2008 | Law Enforcement |
| Donald Vaccariello | 1957 | 1998 | Sports |
| Urban Vaccariello | Proclamation | 2000 | Proclamation |
| Johnny Vadnal | 1941 | 2002 | Music |
| Sam Ventura | 1949 | 2006 | Community Affairs |
| Colonel Robert Vidrick | 1949 | 2010 | Government |
| Josephine Bernot Voinovich | 1928 | 1994 | Humanitarian |
| The Honorable George Voinovich | 1954 | 1994 | Government |
| George W. Waylonis, M.D. | 1952 | 2014 | Medicine |
| Mayethel Sims White | 1962 | 1996 | Educator |
| Danny Williams | 1971 | 1994 | Community Affairs |
| John W. Wood, Sr. | 1950 | 2002 | Law Enforcement |
chsalumniassociation 