Homecoming Weekend 2016 / 2016 Hall of Fame Inductees

2016 LHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees

On Thursday, October, 20, 2016, the Livingston Education Foundation honored four alumni as they were inducted into Livingston High School Alumni Hall of Fame Reception.

	Barbara Anselmi - Class of 1992 Barbara Anselmi is the composer/conceiver of It Shoulda Been You which played on Broadway in 2015. ISBY also had productions at The George Street Playhouse in NJ and The Village Theatre in Issaquah, Washington and starting this summer will be playing at many theaters across the country. Her composing career started immediately after 9/11 when she wrote (music and lyrics) the song "All Join Together" which served as the title song of a CD that raised $40,000 for the New York Times 9/11 Fund. She was then commissioned by the ACLU to write the music for The Orphan Train, with book and lyrics by Susan and Sasha Nanus (published by Samuel French). She also wrote the music for an adaptation of A Christmas Carol for The Acting Company Salon Series, starring F. Murray Abraham as Scrooge and Lynn Redgrave as the narrator. Before composing she worked for years as a music director/arranger/orchestrator. Barbara’s work as an orchestrator has been heard on television (So You Think You Can Dance), recordings and concerts and her music has been featured in many concerts and showcases across the country. Barbara serves on the faculty at CAP 21 Musical Theatre Conservatory, The New Studio at NYU, and Barnard College. She earned a bachelor of music from New York University and is an alumna of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop.

	Dr. David Dean - Class of 1979 Dr. David Dean is a cardiothoracic surgeon and surgical director for heart transplant and device therapy at Piedmont Transplant Institute. He specializes in cardiac transplantation, mechanical circulatory support and cardiac surgery. Dr. Dean is a graduate of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and completed his internship and residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. He was also a post-doctorate research scientist at Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Dean is a board-certified thoracic surgeon and sits on the heart review board of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). He has authored numerous abstracts and publications. Dr. Dean is passionate about the use of new cardiovascular technologies to prolong life and has gained national recognition for his research. A principle investigator and nationally-renowned expert in the area of ventricular assist devices, Dr. Dean is able to sustain the life of patients awaiting heart transplants as well as those who are not deemed candidates for transplant.

	Howard Katz - Class of 1967 NFL Senior Vice President of Broadcasting Chief Operating Officer, NFL FILMS Veteran television sports executive Howard Katz was named the NFL’s Senior Vice President of Broadcasting and Media Operations in March 2005. The appointment added duties to Katz’s role as Chief Operating Officer of NFL Films. He joined NFL Films in May 2003. Katz is responsible for creating the annual NFL playing schedule, managing relationships with the NFL’s broadcast partners and played an integral role in creating the NFL broadcast packages with CBS, ESPN, FOX, NBC and NFL Network. At NFL Films, Katz is responsible for managing business activities at the NFL’s 200,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art film and television studio complex in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. Prior to his current post, Katz was the President of ABC Sports, where he served from March, 1999, through April, 2003. Under his leadership at ABC Sports, Katz acquired or renewed television rights for the NBA, Indianapolis 500 and the Indy Racing league, the British Open, the PGA TOUR, and the Little League World Series. Additionally, the contract to televise the Bowl Championship Series was extended, along with the addition of the Big East Conference college football deal and an extension of the Big 12 Conference contract. Mr. Katz is credited with signing John Madden to join ABC’s Monday Night Football and with creating the first-ever primetime golf match between Tiger Woods and David Duval in August, 1999, as well as subsequent follow-ups that aired in primetime each summer. Before his post at ABC, Katz served as Executive Vice President, ESPN, where he oversaw all remote and studio production for all of ESPN’s domestic and international networks, as well as the company’s engineering and technical operations and ESPN Radio. Katz joined ESPN in May, 1993 and played an integral role in the company’s expansion, including the launches of ESPN2 and ESPNEWS. Before joining ESPN, Katz had been president and chief operating officer of Los Angeles-based Ohlmeyer Communications Company, a diversified sports and entertainment production company founded by legendary television executive Don Ohlmeyer. Katz began his television career in 1971 as a production assistant at ABC Sports before joining Trans World International where he worked in both New York and Los Angeles (1974-83) as vice president, responsible for TWI’s television production and program development. In December 2013 Katz was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame followed eleven months later by induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. A graduate of Colgate University, Howard and his wife Janet will be celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary in June. They have two sons, Scott, an Emmy Award winning sports television director, and Brett an attorney with the firm of Browne George Ross. Scott and his wife Stacey are the parents of Arielle, Maya and Jake. Brett and his wife Jacklyn are the proud parents of a daughter, Lee.

	Patricia Russo - Class of 1973 Patricia Russo is a nationally respected leader focused on improving the quality of life for women in Connecticut and the United States. For over twenty five years she has held numerous leadership positions in public, private and not for profit organizations centered on women's rights. She has also held leadership positions on federal, state and local political campaigns. Currently, Patricia serves as Executive Director of the Women's Campaign School at Yale University. The Women's Campaign School at Yale is a non-partisan, issue neutral political campaign training program for women interested in running for public office, and for women interested in campaign management. Based at Yale Law School, it is a leading program attracting women from the U.S. and internationally. She is also a member of the Council of Women's Health Research at Yale University and chairs its Philanthropy and Communications Committee. Patricia is a member of the national leadership team of Political Parity, a bi partisan initiative founded by U.S. Ambassador Swanee Hunt and former Massachusetts Lt. Governor, Kerry Healey. It is dedicated to increasing the number of women in elected office. Patricia served twenty-three years as a member of Connecticut's Permanent Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), including eight years as its Chair. She is now Commissioner Emerita on behalf of the agency. She is a member of the PCSW's Fourth Congressional District Advisory Council. She is an honorary member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Patricia is the founder of the Connecticut Women's Agenda, a state-wide advocacy coalition comprised of women leaders. She is also a co-founder of the Women's Business Development Council of Connecticut, which assists women entrepreneurs. She is a co-founder of the Connecticut NARAL Foundation, which educates and protects women's reproductive rights. She also served on the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame. Professionally, Patricia served as the Director of Southern Fairfield County's Centers for Planned Parenthood of Connecticut. She also served as Executive Director of the Middlesex County Sexual Assault Crisis Center, and as Development Director for the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Patricia lived in Tokyo, Japan for three years. During that time, she served as a member of the Executive Committee of Democrats Abroad-Japan, leading voter registration and fund raising initiatives. She also co-chaired the U.S. State Department's mentoring program for Japanese women attending graduate school in the United States. She has received numerous awards and citations for her leadership in the area of women's rights. She has been named "Woman of the Year" by the Connecticut Chapters of both the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Business and Professional Women (BPW). She was also the recipient of the prestigious Hannah G. Solomon award, given by the National Council of Jewish Women. She also received the National Abortion Rights Action League of Connecticut's Catherine Roraback Leadership award. An accomplished public speaker, she has been frequently interviewed and quoted in national, state and local newspapers and magazines. She speaks extensively on issues of importance to women before many national women's organizations. She is a popular guest speaker at the Clinton Foundation. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the George Washington University and a certificate in health care and non-profit management from the Yale University School of Management. While an undergraduate student, Patricia served as an intern to U.S. Congresswoman Bella S. Abzug (D-NY), who inspires her to this day. Patricia Russo currently serves as Executive Director of the Women's Campaign School at Yale University. She is a nationally respected leader focused on improving the quality of life for women in Connecticut and the United States. For over twenty-five years she has held numerous leadership positions in public, private and not for profit organizations centered on women's rights. She has also held leadership positions on federal, state and local political campaigns. Currently, Patricia serves as Executive Director of the Women's Campaign School at Yale University.