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Tech’s Titans
Center for Technical Studies salutes stand-out grads
By M. ENGLISH
(An excerpt from the April 18, 2004 Times Herald, Sunday Edition)

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The Central Montgomery County Center for Technical Studies will honor the inaugural members of its new Distinguished Alumni Association this Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
CTS graduates Michael Cirafesi, Steven Delaney, Guy Reinbold, Joseph Verruni and Charles Viola will become the organization’s first inductees during a special awards ceremony at the Plymouth-based school. Their recognition will follow a dinner prepared by current students in CTS’s culinary program. “We just felt that this was the perfect way to show support and respect for our graduates,” Kathy Bello, the school’s coordinator of special projects and vice-chairman of the DAA’s board of directors.
“We’ve seen walls of fame at other schools and colleges, and we think it’s a terrific way to honor people who have been successful in their fields and - at the same time - provide role models and inspiration for the students who attend the school now.”

The 12-member DAA board consists of CTS staff and board members as well as representatives from the Colonial, Norristown Area and Upper Merion Area school districts, CTS’s primary feeder area. Patricia Iannelli, Colonial’s accountability of compliance director, is chairperson.

The group began meeting last October. After soliciting nominations from fellow staffers and associates throughout the area, members whittled a list of some 13 names to five - the maximum number of inductees allowed each year.
Selections were made on the basis of the nominees’ “significant” contributions to academics, the arts, careers, business, the humanities or public service.
All honorees must have graduated from CTS at least 10 years prior to their DAA induction.”We couldn’t be happier about the five alumni we’ve chosen,” Bello says. “There’s no question that they’ve made major accomplishments in their individual areas of expertise, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.”