Raymond Gambardella, D.M.D. – CLASS OF 1961

 

Dr. Gambardella has been in oral and maxillofacial surgery practice in the greater New Haven area since 1975.  He has proudly cared for thousands of patients and takes an individual and undivided approach to each one.

            After graduating from Hamden High School in 1959, Dr. Gambardella earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from SCSU, graduating cum laude in 1963. He taught for two years at Michael J. Whalen Junior High School and then attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine where he earned a DMD and graduated cum laude in 1969.  He completed his residency training in New York City and then served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1972-1975 as an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, attaining the rank of Major.

            Dr. Gambardella belongs to many professional societies including the Connecticut Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Dental Association, Connecticut State Dental Association and the New Haven Dental Association.  He has served as an oral surgeon attending at Hospital of Saint Raphael for over 30 years and during this time has been involved in the training of oral and maxillofacial surgery residents for 25 years.

          Dr. Gambardella considers it an honor indeed to have been selected for this recognition. He is married to the former Jean Sidoli and they have two children, Raymond Jr. and Dr. Lee Gambardella-Mamdani.  He and his wife have five grandchildren. 

           

Carl Porto, J.D. – CLASS OF 1960

Attorney Carl M. Porto graduated from Hamden High in 1960, playing both varsity hockey and baseball. Carl then received degrees from Boston University and the University of Connecticut School of Law.  

Mayor William Adams appointed Carl to the Hamden Civil Service Commission, the Hamden Code of Ethics Committee and an Assistant Town Attorney. 

Carl became Hamden’s Town Attorney during the administration of Mayor Richard G. Harris, whose mayoral campaign Carl chaired.

Carl has been involved in the greater New Haven community serving on the boards of Hamden Hall Country Day School, the Bank of New Haven and Citizen’s Bank of Connecticut and Rhode Island.  He is a past president of the New Haven Country Club and the Quinnipiak Club, and a former board member of the Hospital of St. Raphael Foundation, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Shubert Theater, as well as Grand Knight of Council 3605.

In 2004, Carl received the Hamden Chamber of Commerce Notable Citizen Award. He is also an Associate Fellow of Timothy Dwight College, at Yale University.

Professionally, Carl is a past president of the New Haven County Bar Association and currently serves as chair of the CBA Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, and in that capacity authored the definition of the practice of law in Connecticut.

He was elected as a member of the CBA House of Delegates and has been recognized as a James W. Cooper Fellow.  He has served on numerous CBA Committees and co-chaired the US District Court Master’s Program.

Carl is the managing partner in the law firm of Parrett, Porto, Parese and Colwell, P.C., with offices in Hamden and Guilford.  He resides in Hamden with his wife, Terry, a first grade teacher at Hamden Hall.  They have three sons, Attorney Carl M. Porto, II, Attorney Joseph M. Porto and Attorney Mark M. Porto.  Carl and Terry are the proud grandparents of 5 grandchildren.

           

Jack O’Donnell, J.D. - CLASS OF 1972

Attorney Jack O’Donell attended Hamden Public Schools graduating from Hamden High School in 1972. While at Hamden High, Jack played baseball and football and served as Senior Class President.  Thereafter, he attended Wesleyan University where he also played baseball and football and graduated in 1976.  He earned his Juris Doctor at Western New England College School of Law in 1980.

Attorney O’Donnell has practiced law in Hamden and New Haven since 1981 and served as a National Football League Players’ Association player agent from 1982 to 1986.  Over the years, his law firm has employed numerous young lawyers and law school interns from the area.  Although he has been a general practitioner for most of his 31 years, Jack is primarily known as a criminal defense attorney.  He is particularly proud of the work he has done assisting Hamden’s youth in the criminal justice system.

As many young people as Attorney O’Donnell has helped with legal matters, he has worked with even more as Coach O’Donnell. 

He has been a coach for 27 years (and counting) for the Hamden Soccer Association, Hamden Fathers’ Baseball and Softball Association, Hamden Regional Youth Basketball League and the Connecticut State Nutmeg Games.  These experiences have been some of the most rewarding in Jack’s life.

Jack is married to the former Karen Jacobs (HHS 1971) and they have four children: Sam Morley (HHS 1997), Jack (HHS 2004), Hank (HHS 2007), and Maggie (HHS 2015).  They reside in Hamden.

           

Joseph Camilleri, M.D. – CLASS OF 1977

Joe Camilleri graduated from Hamden High School in 1977 and was a member of the National Honor Society and the varsity basketball team.  He then attended Trinity College where he received his BS in biochemistry.   He was awarded the Louis Arone Prize for excellence in chemistry & graduated with honors in biochemistry.  He obtained his MD degree from New York Medical College where he was a member of AOA, the national medical honor society, and also completed his residency in urology there.

     Joe has been in the private practice of urology in the New Haven area as a member of Urology Group PC since 1991.  He has been a voluntary member of the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine in the section of urology.  He is currently a member of the medical board of Yale New Haven Hospital, and has been recognized by Connecticut Magazine as one of the state’s top doctors in the field of urology for the last four years.  He is a member of multiple professional organizations. 

     Joe has been a sponsor of Hamden youth basketball, softball and baseball.  He continues to reside in Hamden with his two children, Joe and Anna.

            Leslie Paier aceto, j.d. – CLASS OF 1990

Leslie Aceto grew up in the Centerville area of Hamden and attended the Hamden Public Schools, graduating from Hamden High School in 1980.  While at Hamden High, Leslie was a member of the national honor society, student council and yearbook committee.  In her senior year she was tri-captain of the varsity cheerleading team.  Upon graduation, Leslie attended Boston College and then returned to Connecticut to attend law school at the University of Connecticut, graduating cum laude from both educational institutions.

            In law school, Leslie focused her studies on corporate and tax law. However, she was also member of the Moot Court Team and a semi-finalist of the Louiselle Moot Court Competition. 

Upon graduation from law school, Leslie joined the law firm of Zeldes, Needle & Cooper, P.C. in Bridgeport, Connecticut where she continues to practice today as a managing partner and member of the transactional department.  Over the years she has also served on the firm’s hiring committee.  Her practice largely consists of hotel development and management, and real estate transactions through the representation of developers and corporate clients. 

In addition to her professional efforts, Leslie has remained active in the Hamden community through her many years of participation as a member of the executive board of the Bear Path PTA, serving as secretary and co-president.  She routinely volunteers as room mother and team parent for the sports teams that her children participate in. 

Leslie and her husband reside in Hamden with their three children who are currently attending Hamden Public Schools.  

LOUISE ROZETT – CLASS OF 1988

                                               

Louise Rozett had the good fortune to attend Shepherd Glen, Spring Glen, Sleeping Giant, Michael J. Whalen and Hamden High. After getting a BA in psychology from Vassar College and an MFA in acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University, she moved to New York to pursue a career as an actor and a playwright.

As a playwright, her work has been produced in various incarnations by great companies such as the Naked Angels and Reverie Productions; at great places like New York Stage & Film, the New York International Fringe Festival, the Chicago Dramatists Workshop, and the Victory Gardens Theatre; and by great actors such as Tony Award-winner Frank Wood and John Finn (Cold Case, The X-Files). Louise won the 1988 Connecticut Young Playwright’s Award; received honorable mention in the 1998 Jane Chambers Playwriting Award; and was a finalist for the 1998 Princess Grace Awards Playwright Fellowship, the 2004 Stanley Drama Award, the 2006 Heideman Award, and the 2007 Next Generation Playwrights Contest. She is published in New Monologues for Women, by Women, and Young Women’s Monologues from Contemporary Plays. As a performer, Louise played the role of Hope in the original production of Urinetown at the 1999 New York International Fringe Festival.

            Louise’s first novel, Confessions of an Angry Girl, published by Harlequin Teen, comes out in August. She lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend, Alex Bhattacharji, and their giant dog, Lester, and sings in a band every once in a while.

NICHOLAS COLLICELLI - Distinguished Service Award

Nick Collicelli began his career in Hamden as a teacher and later administrative assistant at Whalen Junior High School.  His career led to positions as team leader and assistant principal at the Hamden Middle School and finally as K-12 Director of Social Studies.

            Nick was the founder of the Hamden High School Human Relations Club (HRC). The purpose of this group was to develop the leadership qualities of students while at

the same time planning and implementing activities which reduced prejudice and discrimination.

            The HRC has received local, state and national recognition including being named Multicultural Program of the Year in 2002 by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the National Association for Multicultural Education. In 2004 The HRC received the National Civic Star Award in a ceremony in San Francisco.  This award was given by the American Association of School Administrators.

Nick’s work has been recognized by the Hamden Board of Education, the Anti-Defamation League, United Way, The Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, and the Hamden Chamber of Commerce.  Nick received the Hobart and William Smith Colleges “Touching the Future Award” in 2009.  This award, which was presented at the college commencement, was especially gratifying since a former HRC president, Colleen Carpinella, nominated him for impacting her life in a positive manner.  Nick presently serves as an Affiliate Faculty Member and Coordinator for Field Experiences at Albertus Magnus College.

Nick is the father of three children, Nicholas, Adam, and Steven. He and his wife Chris reside in Ansonia.

 

On May 15 at 6 p.m., the Hamden Education Foundation will celebrate its 11^th annual Alumni Awards Dinner at Laurel View Country Club.  For additional information or to purchase tickets, contact Wendy Ocone at (203) 407-2202 or by email at wocone@hamden.org. Graduates from the 1960s are leading the way this year.

I interviewed Woodrow Clark, a man that has had an amazing life since he left the high school in 1963.  Today, he is known as an expert in sustainable communities, looking for solutions to climate change. Years ago, Clark and his brother, Wayne Clark, had their own business, Waynewood Nurseries, and used the proceeds to go to college. Both obtained their PhD's. You can read his bio below. Woodrow Clark said it is a "real honor" to come in from California to be named a distinguished alumnus. When he was a member of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the   organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2007. Clark said he didn't travel to get the prize, instead staying home during the birth of his 4-year-old son, Paxton. When it comes to climate change and the environment, Woodrow Clark says his son's life is at stake, as well as the lives of our children and grandchildren, unless something is done today.

Here are the bios, as provided by the foundation:

        

Woodrow Clark, Ph.d. - CLASS OF 1963

Dr. Woodrow Clark, a long-time advocate for the environment and renewable energy, is an internationally recognized author, lecturer, public speaker and advisor specializing in sustainable communities. Dr. Clark was one of the contributing scientists to work on the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNIPCC). This organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 2007.

            In 2004, he founded, and now manages, Clark Strategic Partners (CSP), an environmental and renewable energy consulting firm, using his political-economic expertise to guide and advise public and private clients worldwide on sustainable smart, green communities.

Dr. Clarks’ five books and 50+ peer-reviewed articles reflect his concern for global, sustainable communities.  His last book, Global Energy Innovations concerns the “green industrial revolution” and explains the solutions to climate change through public policy, science, economics and finance. Clark also teaches graduate courses in these areas throughout the world.

            Prior to launching CSP, Dr. Clark was Senior Advisor on Renewable Energy, Emerging Technologies, and Finance to California Governor Gray Davis from 2000-2003. From 1999-2000, he was a Visiting Professor of Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship at Aalborg University, Denmark, where he was a Fulbright Fellow in 1994. Dr. Clark was the Manager of Strategic Planning for Technology Transfer at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for the University of California and U.S. Department of Energy, during the 1990s. In 1980, he founded a mass media company, Clark Communications, in San Francisco. This company specialized in the production and distribution of documentary and educational films focused on “social issues” such as “sexual harassment”, “health issues” and older workers.

            Dr. Clark earned three masters’ degrees from different universities in Illinois and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. He lives with his wife, and their four-year old son in California.