Staff report
Thomas More University Alumni Association recently celebrated the career achievements of seven Thomas More alumni in its 2024 Alumni Association Awards Ceremony.
“I am so grateful for all the individuals who took the time to nominate someone for an award,” said Courtney N. Kleier ’17, director of alumni engagement and annual giving. “In a busy world, it is incredibly significant to be deliberate in recognizing members of our community who have made a difference and deserve distinction.”
Gieske and McIntyre — Professional Achievement
Two honorees, Michael Gieske, M.D. and Scott McIntyre, both received the Professional Achievement Award, recognizing a level of excellence in their respective career fields.
Gieske, a family medicine physician for over 37 years, serves as director of Lung Cancer Screening and Physician Advisor Advocacy at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. Gieske has been a lung cancer screening program leader for over eight years. He graduated from Thomas More with a Bachelor of Arts in biology in 1980.
McIntyre is partner at BakerHostetler LLP. He is a certified specialist in employment and labor law by the Ohio State Bar Association who studied history and pre-legal studies at Thomas More before attending the J. David Rosenberg College of Law at the University of Kentucky to receive his Juris Doctor. As a student at Thomas More, McIntyre was highly involved on campus, including serving as student government president, was a James Graham Brown scholar and fellow, and won the top leadership award for graduating seniors.
Kenneth Reis
Kenneth Reis ’72 received the Citizenship Award, recognizing the significant impact he has made on the community through service and leadership.
Reis has dedicated much of his life to preserving and sharing history, particularly that of his community in Grant’s Lick. Married to Janet Barth Reis for 52 years, together they have three sons and eight grandchildren. Ken’s journey began with his education at St. Thomas School, then onto Thomas More University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in art education. From there, he pursued a master’s in art education from the University of Cincinnati. The first in his family to attend college, he taught art to middle school students in Kentucky for 32 years before retiring in 2004 and later working for the Cincinnati Museum Center Children’s Museum for a decade.
Terry Connor and John Cimprich
Thomas More University Vice President and Director of Athletics Terry Connor received the Service Award, honoring the time, energy and expertise he has provided and continues to provide to the University, while Faculty Emeritus John Cimprich, Ph.D. received the Lasting Influence Award for the positive and lasting impact he has made on the lives of Thomas More students.
Connor currently serves as vice president and director of athletics at Thomas More. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and went on to obtain a master’s degree in education from Xavier University in 1996. His first year working at the Thomas More was 1997. He and his wife, Michelle, a 1994 graduate, reside in Covington, Kentucky with daughter Jalee (2020 graduate), and son Braden (2021 graduate).
Cimprich grew up in southwest Ohio and now lives in Northern Kentucky. After earning three history degrees (Bachelor of Arts at Thomas More, Master of Arts and doctorate at Ohio State University), he was a temporary research fellow at the Andrew Johnson Papers, plus a temporary instructor at Ohio State University and Southeast Missouri State University. From 1985 to 2016 he worked at Thomas More University where he taught surveys in World Civilizations, U.S. History, ancient western history, and geography; upper-level U.S. courses; and seminars on historiography and once on Lincoln. Professional activities have covered a wide range, including three books and numerous essays in the field of the American Civil War period.
Sierra O’Bryan and Sister Loretto Marie Driscol
The Emerging Leader Award went to Sierra O’Bryan in recognition of excellence in her post-collegiate life and commitment to Thomas More University as a recent alumna. The final honor, the Legacy Award, was awarded posthumously to Sister Loretto Marie Driscoll, CDP, Ph.D. for the lasting legacy and deep impact she has made on the University community.
O’Bryan is a software engineer at Clubhouse, specializing in native Android development. With nearly a decade of experience in the tech industry, O’Bryan has worked across a diverse range of companies, including Fifth Third Bank, Kroger, Procter & Gamble, as well as Twitter and Clubhouse. She takes pride in building user-facing products that help people. She
holds a Bachelor of Science in physics and a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Thomas More, a Master of Science in physics from the Ohio State University, and is currently completing an Master of Science in computer science at Northern Kentucky University.
Awarded posthumously,Sr. Loretto Mariegraduated from Thomas More University (then Villa Madonna) with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She continued her career at Thomas More serving as an English professor, chair of the English department, and head librarian during her tenure at the University.
“This is our chance to elevate the impact of what our mission calls us all to do as alumni: to examine the ultimate meaning of life, our place in the world, and our responsibility to others,” said Kleier. “We had some robust competition this year, and the committee had to weigh many great alumni stories.”
For more information and full biographies of each 2024 Alumni Awards honoree, visit tmuky.us/24honorees.
Thomas More University Alumni Association welcomes ongoing nominations of outstanding alumni online at tmuky.us/25nominate.