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Chagrin Falls Alumni Association

Keeping Tiger Pride Alive

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THOMAS CHAMPLIN

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

Tom was the optimal blend of intelligence and athleticism. His capacity to set the course of a ballgame was brilliantly illustrated in the 1975 District Basketball Championship. Stealing the ball at mid-court on several straight possessions in the opening minutes, he set the tone for the game, propelling the Tigers to a District title in convincing fashion. Tom was All-Conference in basketball, baseball, and football. In baseball, he lettered four years as an infielder and catcher. In basketball, he was named a Plain Dealer All-Scholastic. He earned All-State honors in football. At the University of Virginia, Tom lettered three years as a flanker on the football team.

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JANE PHEND

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1983

While she was an outstanding athlete in volleyball and track, it’s the basketball wizardry of Jane Phend that few will forget. She dominates the CFHS record books as she once did her opponents. Among her career records are total points, assists, and steals. She scored 43 points in a single game and 39 points in a state tournament game, also school records. During the 1983 season, when the Lady Tigers were State Runners-up, Jane averaged 24.9 points a game and 27.0 in tournament play. As a senior, she was UPI First Team All-State and Player of the Year AA. She was also AP First Team All-State. Jane played in the McDonald’s All Star Classic and was invited to try out the for Pan American Games in 1983. She went on to star in basketball at the University of Cincinnati, where she was a 4-year letter winner. In 1987, she won the Helen Norman Smith Award for her college’s Most Outstanding Senior Female Athlete. Also during her senior year, she was First Team All Metro Conference.

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MARGARET H. CROWEL

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1943

Maggie earned from her classmates the nickname “swish” in a time when girls basketball was still more than 30 years from being an official sport in high school. Her athletic skills are well remembered. She was voted “Best girl athlete” from the Class of 1943. In 1945, she enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, for which she starred in athletics. Maggie was a member of the Woman Marine basketball team which in 1960 won the East Coast Championship and was runner-up for the All Marine League Championship. She was also a member of the Quanitco and Paris Island basketball team and a player on the All Marine Tournament basketball team. Her teams in softball and bowling also won the All Marine Tournament championships. Maggie was presented the Highest 3-game Series Award by the Women’s Bowling Association of North Carolina.

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ROBERT J. ROEDER

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1946 (Honorary)

The enormous voluntary contributions from Bob Roeder to the athletic programs in Chagrin Schools defy measurement, unless of course, we look, listen and remember. The press box and scoreboard we see at Harris Stadium, the lights by which we view the athletic events there, and the sound through which the action is communicated, are largely due to the efforts of Bob. With a background in electrical engineering, he set out in the late 1960’s to make sports in Chagrin safer and more accessible. He started by installing new sound and lighting systems at the Rec Center pool. Since 1970, he has periodically upgraded the sound and lighting systems at the football stadium. Bob was instrumental in the design and the construction of the new press box. He supervised the construction of the original “steps to the falls.” In 1964, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Chagrin Valley Jaycees for his community efforts. If the sound system ever goes bad at Harris Stadium, Bob will probably be the first to know. He has been the familiar “Voice of the Tigers” football announcer for the past 26 years.

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JOHN B. HURST

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1952

John began coaching boys cross country at CFHS in 1963. His first three teams went undefeated in dual meet competition. By 1970, the Tiger runners were among the best in Ohio, finishing second in the state meet. The following year, John’s team won the state crown, the first ever in any sport by a Chagrin team. During his 25 years as head coach, the Tigers compiled a 124-68 dual meet record. Along the way to the state title, his teams won five Chagrin Valley Conference championships. John was named CVC Coach of the Year in each of those years. In 1971, he was selected Northeast Ohio Coach of the Year.

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RICHARD W. EVANS

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1951

Owner of Evans Printing Company for 26 years, Dick’s talents and altruistic endeavors have been duly recognized by the communities in which he lived and worked. In 1968, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the Chagrin Valley Jaycees. Sun Newspapers selected him as “Citizen of the Year” for Solon in 1992, the same year he was named to the Solon Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame. Numerous paper companies have presented him awards of excellence in printed communication. Dick was president of the Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1967 and in 1994. He is a life member of several local organizations including the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, Valley Art Center and the Chagrin Falls Historical Society.

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JOEL M. JONES

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1955

Joel’s splendid academic performance at Chagrin Falls High School was but an early chapter in a life replete with scholastic achievement. Since 1988, he has been president of Fort Lewis College, the public liberal arts college for Colorado. For the previous 19 years, he was a professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico, where he received his Ph.D. in 1966. He earned his B.A. from Yale University in 1960 and his M.A. from Miami of Ohio in 1962. Dr. Jones has published more than 50 scholarly articles, chapters of books, and reviews covering such topics as American social/ intellectual history, environmental studies and cultural diversity. In 1972, he received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Educational Press Association of America.

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PETER VAN NORT

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1955

An outstanding student and all-around athlete at Chagrin Falls High School and in college, Peter is currently the president and chief operating officer of H. B. Zachry Company, an $800 million a year construction and maintenance company in San Antonio, Texas. He was graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1959. As a junior there, he completed the year as the top academic performer in a class of 850. As a senior, he was selected to be Brigade Commander, the highest ranking student military position. Peter was the first person in the history of Navy to be commissioned into the Engineering Duty Corp directly from the Naval Academy. Early in his career, he worked with Admiral H. G. Rickover, managing the application of nuclear power in ships.

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ROBERT J. HARMON

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1964

Bob credits his former teachers in Chagrin Falls for giving him the foundation from which to launch a successful career in medicine. In addition to his current appointment as Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Dr. Harmon heads the Division of Child Psychiatry there and is Director of the Infant Psychiatry Program. He has been the recipient of a Research Scientist Development Award and serves on the editorial board of several journals including the Infant Mental Health Journal, of which he is Associate Editor. Dr. Harmon is a lecturer on infants and family and has authored or co-authored more than 80 publications. He was recently elected to the Governing Council of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,

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DONALD R. SCHREGARDUS

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1968

It is only natural that playing along the Chagrin River and mixing chemicals in Neal Wheatcraft’s chemistry class are among Don’s fondest memories of his old hometown. In 1991, this former Eagle Scout was named director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency by Governor George V. Voinovich. As the top ranking EPA officer in the state, Don administers all laws and regulations dealing with environmental protection. He manages an agency of 1100 employees and a $70 million per year budget. Don has earned several prestigious awards for his work including the U.S. EPA Bronze Medal in 1989 and the EPA Superior Performance Award in 1976, 1982, 1983 and 1988.

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Wendy Diamond

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1988

Wendy Diamond is a Social Entrepreneur, Humanitarian, Endangered Animal and Rescue Advocate, World’s Premiere Pet Lifestyle expert, Best-Selling Author, and TV Personality. She is heralded and recognized as a pioneer in the animal world; dubbed “Martha Stewart of the Milk Bone Dish” by The New Yorker, and crowned the “Canine Queen” by Forbes. She founded Animal Fair Media with a specific mission to save disenfranchised animals in shelters, and endangered wildlife globally, by promoting animal welfare and rescue, healthy pet lifestyles, and responsible breeding. Since its beginning, the number of animals euthanized annually has dropped by 58 percent, from 12 million to 4 million. Wendy has authored several best-selling books including: Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from the Dog, What I Learned from the Cat, My Cat’s Life, My Dog’s Life, How to Understand Men Through Their Dogs, How to Understand Women Through Their Cats and It’s a Dog’s World: The Savvy Guide to Four-Legged Living; A Musical Feast and All Star Feast. With the help of Lucky, her first adopted dog, and Baby Hope the second one, Wendy holds 3 Guinness World Records. Lucky Diamond is The Animal Photographed with the Most Celebrities with 363 celebrities. Baby Hope had the most expensive pet wedding in history raising money for a wing at the Humane Society of New York. Wendy herself received a Guinness for the longest curtsey relay in 5 minutes of 314 curtsies. Recently she launched Women’s Entrepreneurship Day (WED) at the United Nations in 144 countries, which is a day to celebrate, support and empower women entrepreneurs and women owned businesses globally. Wendy has received countless honors and titles including the 2016 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Grand Marshal of Barkus, & Chairwoman of the Katrina Pet Memorial. She also serves on the Board of Advisors for the United Nations Millennium Development Goal Achievers, Grey Muzzle Foundation, Social Innovation Forum/United Nations and World Entrepreneurship Day.

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Mark Gebler

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

Community Service Award
Like many fathers in Chagrin Falls, Mark Gebler became involved in the youth programs of his sons (Scott ‘00, Brett ‘02, and Zak ‘05) from Indian Guides to football and wrestling. However, Mark not only took lead roles in these ventures, he continued on with them when his sons went on to high school and college. His volunteerism began with the Chagrin Valley Jaycees where he was Co-Chairman of Blossom Booths and Games from 1983-86. He was also Chairman of Blossom Time Run water stops for 14 years. His efforts were recognized in 1995 with the Chagrin Valley Jaycees Distinguished Service Award as the Outstanding Jaycee. From 1989-93 he was Nation Chief for the Geauga County YMCA Indian Guides. His duties included promoting, organizing events, including field trips for approximately 225 youth members and their fathers. His efforts were also felt in the Chagrin Athletic Association. During the 1990s, Mark was the Head Wrestling Coach and Commissioner of Wrestling building the program from 16 wrestlers to 61. Additionally, he was a Head Football Coach in CAA at this time. He would later volunteer as a football coach on the CFMS staff for 12 seasons. Further, he has continued to volunteer as the Head Statistician for the CFHS Varsity Football Team, a role he began in 1997. Mark had a 36 year career in the postal service with 10 years as the Postmaster of Chagrin Falls. A highlight from his career was overseeing the naming of the Chagrin Falls Post Office to the Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush Post Office Building. Michael Kashkoush ‘01 died while in combat in Iraq, while serving in the U.S. Marines. Mark continues to volunteer in a number of roles in Chagrin today with his wife Debi Shukys Gebler ‘75.

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David Kravitz

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

David Kravitz is an entrepreneur and inventor who has served in various senior executive, directorship, and advisory positions throughout his career in the life sciences. For over 20 years, his focus has been in the fields of trauma and transplantation medicine, women’s reproductive health, therapeutics adherence, and regenerative medicine. David is a co-inventor of several dozen medical technology patents and is a founder of numerous med tech companies, including Organ Recovery Systems, where he served as Chairman and CEO. In 2004, he was named to Fast Company magazine’s “Fast 50” list of global entrepreneurs/innovators. He presently serves as CEO of Lifeline Scientific, Inc., a company that he co-founded. David has extensive background in mergers and acquisitions, has led companies through international, public, and private institutional financings. Additionally, he has led the development, regulatory approvals, and launches of several global medical technologies, including the market leading LifePort family of solid organ recovery and transport systems. LifePort is a standard of care in clinical transplantation worldwide and has been prominently recognized for its industrial design and engineering. His accomplishments include design excellence awards from the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MDEA Critical Care/Emergency Products category), an exhibition at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Popular Science Magazine’s breakthrough technology BOWN Award, and selection into the permanent Collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. David’s medical technology developments in transplantation have been widely studied and published in leading peer reviewed scientific journals including the New England Journal of Medicine. Throughout his career, he has remained active in early childhood education, having founded a Montessori-based preschool in his local community. Also, he is a publisher of books, innovative products, and curriculum in the field of early childhood literacy. David presently serves on the board of directors of several companies in the life sciences.

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Dr. Christine Schomisch Moravec

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

Dr. Christine Schomisch Moravec is a Staff Research Scientist and Director of Basic Research in the Kaufman Center for Heart Failure at the Cleveland Clinic. Christine is also one of three Associate Directors of the Bakken Heart-Brain Institute and holds secondary appointments in the Department of Molecular Cardiology and the Center for Integrative Medicine. Her specialty interests include heart failure, cellular malfunction in cardiac dysfunction, drugs that may improve contractility of the failing heart, and remodeling of the failing heart using both surgical and psychophysiologic interventions. Dr. Moravec also runs the human heart tissue bank at the Clinic. Christine was named an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association. In addition to her research work, she holds academic appointments at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and at Cleveland State University. Christine serves as Chair of Graduate Studies within the Lerner Research Institute and as President of the Board of Directors of the Northeastern Ohio Science and Engineering Fair, a regional science fair held each spring for 600 students from the Cleveland area. Widely published in peer-reviewed scientific journals such as the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Circulation,Circulation Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Dr. Moravec has authored numerous journal articles and abstracts describing work in her laboratory. She serves as a reviewer for scientific journals including Circulation, Circulation Research, the American Journal of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research, the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology and the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and is a member of local and national AHA peer-review study sections. Dr. Moravec has been invited to present her research at national and international meetings and conferences. Christine has also earned the Outstanding Educator Award from the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.

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TOM ANDERSON

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1966

Tom has had an award winning career as an independent recording engineer, producer, & studio design consultant. After graduating from the University of Denver, Tom went to the Bay area as a musician and in the role of production engineer and assistant engineer. He has worked in primarily all the music genres in his career from jazz, rock, funk/soul, blues, pop, folk, world, & country. During his illustrious career he was in high demand by the top record labels like Warner Bros. and A & M Records. His work has been nominated for 3 Grammy Awards and earned multiple Recording Industry Association of America Gold and Platinum Album awards. Tom has been an engineer on albums for many bands and individual singers including The Allman Brothers, America, Hoyt Axton, The Blackbyrds, Alice Cooper, David Crosby, Pablo Cruise, Alex DeGrassi, The Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, Jerry Garcia Band, The Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, The Marshall Tucker Band, Steve Martin, Paul McCartney and Wings, Buddy Miles, Van Morrison, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Poco, REO Speedwagon, The Rolling Stones, Sly and the Family Stone, Rick Springfield, Supertramp, Stephen Stills, Joe Walsh, & Steven Wright. He has also recorded such artists as Jimmy Cliff, Bing Crosby, Buddy Miles, Jimmy Page, Gary Puckett, & Tommy Smothers. A few years ago Tom would relocate back to Chagrin Falls where he runs T A Audio, a sound engineering firm and is a college instructor in the fields of audio engineering, production techniques, sound for film and sound design.

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If you have an updated address, phone number, or email, then please include that in the message area below.

    Contact Info:

    alumni@chagrinschools.org

    440.247.4387

     


    CFAA Alumni Director:

    Brian McKenna '88

    Office Manager:

    Jana Young ‘82

    Find Us:

    Chagrin Falls Alumni Association

    400 East Washington Street
    Chagrin Falls, OH 44022

    We invite you to join the growing numbers of volunteers who are helping to ensure a bright future for the CFAA and Chagrin Falls Schools. Whether it is through your time or resources, all of us appreciate your generous gifts. To become more involved, contact the Alumni Association. We look forward to your comments, questions, and suggestions. Don’t forget that we appreciate your help in making the CFAA run successfully with the donation of your annual dues of $20 or more.