The Central High School Foundation (CHSF) hosted its 25th Hall of Fame Ceremony at Central on Oct. 17. The ceremony included a dinner and inducted 10 notable individuals who have contributed to Central’s legacy, including a distinguished educator.
Matthew Aden, class of 1974, was awarded the Cable TV Pioneers Award in 1984 and has held leadership positions at multiple telecommunication companies. He has given back to Central with his former role as president of the CHSF Board, leading campaigns for funding technology and the arts addition.
Class of 2001 alum Robert X. Fogarty created the public art projects EvacuSpots and Dear World to help New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. EvacuSpots uses outdoor art to direct disaster evacuations, the only use of public art for this purpose. Dear World, which began as Dear New Orleans, encourages storytelling through writing the start to a life story on one’s body.
Krisie Hayes, 1973 graduate and CHSF Board member, has served as the distinguished chair of dermatology and the assistant dean for students and multicultural affairs in the college of Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She has also earned the UNMC Unsung Hero Award, 2023 Distinguished Service to Medicine Award and Women’s Dermatologic Society Volunteer of the Year Award.
Attending Central until 1951, Keith Kretschmer went on to serve in the U.S. Army in Korea and then in the White House for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. He then led successful careers in the founding and directing of companies, ranging from financial sectors to computer industries.
Class of 1964 alum Col. David A. Napioliello served in the Army for 28 years, retiring to work with veterans and in the defense industry. Napioliello received the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award in the Army, and was in the UN Peace-Keeping Forces when they won the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize. Upon retirement, Napioliello was awarded over 30 decorations for his service in over 35 assignments.
1997 graduate Jed Ortmeyer played eight seasons in the National Hockey League, the first player from Omaha to play professional hockey. Playing for the New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and Minnesota Wild, Ortmeyer won the Rangers’ Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award twice. In 2015, he was inducted into the Omaha Hockey Hall of Fame.
Harold Pharoah, who graduated in 1966, helped found the Veterans Committee of Central’s Alumni Association and led the restoration of the school’s Vietnam veterans memorial. Pharoah has also created fundraisers, led initiatives for a Nebraska license plate, and started the Nebraska Prostate Cancer Alliance to raise awareness for prostate cancer.
Class of 1961 alum Richard Steele cofounded Peaker Services, a company providing backup generator maintenance. The company has grown to be worth $35 million and serves clients in the utilities, railroad and maritime sectors.
Judy Storm, this year’s distinguished educator, taught at Central for 27 years and continues to substitute teach. She began teaching at Central in 1985 and served as chair of the Special Education Department. In 2008, she received the Alice Buffet Outstanding Teacher Award and in 2005 received the National Association of Student Councils Award for Leadership of Youth.
2004 graduate Patrick Venditte pitched in five Major League Baseball seasons, the second Central graduate to play in the MLB. Being the first pitcher in the modern era of baseball to pitch ambidextrously, the “Venditte Rule” was established, which requires pitchers to communicate to batters which hand they will pitch from.
The inductees visited Central to share their achievements with students on Oct. 18.
