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In Gratitude

Board of Governors Salutes Former Chairman Maria O. Grant

(Winter 2010 Newsletter)

In thanksgiving for her service as chairman of the Thomas Aquinas College Board of Governors from 2003 to 2009, the College hosted a celebratory dinner in honor of Mrs. Maria O. Grant on October 24, 2009, during the Board's annual retreat. Below are excerpts from the various speakers' praise in her behalf:

R. James Wensley, chairman of the Board of Governors: "An exceptional woman and a model to all chairmen to come … Maria steered our ship through some difficult waters, not the least of which was bringing Tom Dillon's dream for the Chapel to fruition."

At the Board of Governors dinner honoring former chairman Maria O. Grant, from the left: Michael and Elena Cahir (the Grants' son-in-law and daughter), Rev. Marcos J. Gonzalez, Mrs. Grant, and her husband, Richard.

Peter L. DeLuca, interim president: "I am really very, very happy to have the opportunity to express my own appreciation and the College's appreciation to Maria for her many years of diligent work as chairman of the Board of Governors. She really set a standard, and I can't tell you how great a contribution that has been to the College."

Carson Lind, member of the Thomas Aquinas College Class of 2010: "I would like to thank Mrs. Grant on behalf of the students. My classmates and I realize that she was a key factor in leading the Board, and her leadership was a key factor in making the past few years for us possible."

Sarah Jimenez, member of the Thomas Aquinas College Class of 2010: "In appreciation for your dedication to Thomas Aquinas College, we would like to present you with this spiritual bouquet, compiled from prayers from the alumni, students, faculty, and staff of the College.… Many of these prayers will be offered in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel which, thanks to your leadership of the Board during your time as chairman, the students are able to enjoy."

Senior Sarah Jimenez presents Maria O. Grant, former chairman of the Thomas Aquinas College Board of Governors, with a spiritual bouquet on behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Jerry Panas, philanthropy consultant: "We've worked with maybe 300-400 colleges and universities, and I've never known a chair with the dedication, the commitment, the devotion of Maria Grant.…She knows exactly what she wants to achieve, but she always does it with compassion and a gentle hand - kind of a combination of a Jack Welch and a Mother Teresa. Maria, you can see the love that exists in this room for you."

Rev. Marcos J. Gonzalez, pastor of St. John Chrysostom Church in, Inglewood, Calif.: "Pope Pius XI memorably said, 'Let us thank God that he lets us live among the present problems. It is no longer permissible among anyone to be mediocre.' Thomas Aquinas College is not a place of mediocrity. It has never been from its very beginning. A woman like Maria Grant is not a mediocre woman. These are the kind of men and women that we must be. These are the kind of graduates that this great college must produce, men and women who are far above mediocrity."

-- Qtrly Newsletter, Winter 2010 --