EDGECLIFF SPRING CELEBRATION 2025
This year’s event was held on Saturday, April 12, 2025. It was a fun evening of catching up and reminiscing, recognizing the Edgecliff gifts to Xavier, and celebrating together. We capped off the evening with a wonderful performance by Xavier’s Concert Choir. Thank you to all who joined us!
Sister Mary Sullivan Award Winner:
Loretta Connors Owens is a 1976 graduate of Edgecliff College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She went on to get her MBA at Vanderbilt University and was a Fannie Mae Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Loretta was the founding chief executive officer for THF, The Housing Fund, which is a Community Development Financial Institution that provides second mortgages for lower income homebuyers. Under her direction, The Housing Fund obtained over $20 million and assisted over 9,000 lower income families in Nashville in finding homes.
In 2010, Nashville suffered its worst flood in 500 years. Loretta was appointed to the cities’ flood recovery team and helped to establish the Nashville Rebuilding Assistance Program. This program helped home owners in rebuilding through refinancing mortgages to repair flood damage. Loretta was tireless in her efforts at helping with flood recovery with a hands-on approach, clearing debris and trees 7 days a week.
Loretta also worked for the Nashville Development and Housing Agency and spent 37 years serving in leadership roles for Nashville’s metropolitan government. Here, she was responsible for the Community Development and Block Grant and the HOME Investment Partnership grants.
Loretta has been active in many other related organizations, including the Nashville Rotary Club and Nashville Leadership class of 2002. She has served as the President of the Board of the Nashville Civic Design Center, Chair of the Nashville Affordable Housing Forum, and President of the Gulch Business Improvement District. She clearly has made a positive impact on the city of Nashville during a very important growth period.
Family is also of upmost importance to Loretta. In 2000, her father suffered a sudden and severe stroke, and Loretta oversaw all of his care. She renovated her home to accommodate him, found excellent caregivers to help with this all-encompassing effort, managed his finances and did it with grace and humility. Through all that she does, she operates in a cheerful, optimistic, and even-handed manner, regardless of the challenges and problems that occur.
Loretta, together with her husband Ed, have been enjoying traveling over the past few years and are impressed to see how big and dynamic the world is. In fact, they were in New Zealand when she got the good news that she was the Sullivan Award winner!
Congratulations Loretta and thank you for all that you have done to represent the Edgecliff family in such a wonderful light! You are truly deserving of the Sullivan Award.
More Information:
Fred Martens has worked to create some fabulous new Edgecliff spiritwear this year, please check it out. You have to order directly from the link, we will not have any for sale at the event, so order today!
Follow the Edgecliff Facebook Page for more information!
DONATE TO THE EDGECLIFF SCHOLARS FUND HERE
Questions? Please email Alumni@xavier.edu or call Dori Moellering at 513-745-3192.
| Sr. Mary Virginia Sulivan Award Recipients | ||
| Award Year | Name | Class Year |
| 2025 | Loretta Connors Owens | 1976 |
| 2024 | Nancy Ochs McDonald | 1976 |
| 2022 | Mary Margaret Kindel | 1967 |
| 2021 | Christina K. Klocke | 1963 |
| 2020 | Sr. Victoria Vondenberger, RSM | 1968 |
| 2019 | James W. Jackson '76 & Mary Margaret Mazza Jackson '77 | 76 / '77 |
| 2018 | Martha Graf Teter | 1968 |
| 2017 | Helen Yeraout Vollman | 1970 |
| 2016 | Virginia (Jinny) Power Berten | 1962 |
| 2015 | Paula Geers McIntosh | 1971 |
| 2014 | Charlene Firstos Dittrich Hatton | 1961 |
| 2013 | Margaret A. Clark (Hornschemeier) | 1971 |
| 2012 | Patricia L. Kruse Herbold, BA | 1962 |
| 2011 | Sr. Phyllis Ann Kemper OSU | 1974 |
| 2010 | Charles H. Matthews, PhD | 1975 |
| 2008 | Kathleen Frances Byrne Kammer | 1961 |
| 2007 | Cathy Croes Tepe | 1966 |
| 2006 | Frederick LaMont Martens | 1977 |
| 2005 | Susan Rains Garry | 1957 |
| 2004 | Barbara Widmeyer Trauth | 1969 |
| 2003 | Theresa Duwel Thiemann | 1950 |
| 2002 | Adele Gratsch Lippert | 1954 |
| 2001 | Rosellen Galterio Creighton | 1971 |
| 2000 | Joan Shirley Halloran | 1950 |
| 1999 | Mary Jo Beresford | 1971 |
| 1998 | Ruth E. Meyer | 1940 |
| 1997 | Theresa Stavale Bruemmer | 1959 |
| 1996 | Bonita Neumeier | 1971 |
| 1995 | Sylvia Sieve Hendon | 1965 |
| 1994 | Not Awarded | |
| 1993 | Anne Dammarell | 1960 |
| 1992 | Mary Jo Kramer Brauner | 1964 |
| 1991 | Joeline Adams Lecture | 1969 |
| 1990 | Margo Jill Dugan Bohnert | 1964 |
| 1989 | Pat Robinson Scherer | 1953 |
| 1988 | Margie Rack Richter | 1949 |
| 1987 | Sr. Mary Ellen Buchignani, R.S.M. | 1967 |
| 1986 | Adele Pohl Corbett | 1936 |
| 1985 | Laverne Muldrow Summerlin | 1959 |
| 1984 | Betty Dierker Hagerty | 1946 |
| 1983 | Sally Bunker Fellerhoff | 1953 |
| 1982 | Sr. Elaine Charters, R.S.M. | 1954 |
| 1981 | Sally Thompson Watson | 1947 |
| 1980 | Margie Ebertz Adams | 1940 |
| 1979 | Meg (Margaret) Duwel Mazza (Bollin) | 1954 |
| 1978 | Claire Arling Cahill | 1963 |
| 1977 | Louise Meyer Doering | 1940 |
| 1976 | Sr. Mary Dolora Brinker, R.S.M. | 1936 |
| 1975 | Joanne Homan Schweer | 1945 |
| 1974 | Jean Decker Kemper | 1947 |
| 1973 | Mary Burns Bohlen | 1945 |
| 1972 | Peggy Becker Jackson | 1953 |
| 1971 | Claire Bassman Seidenfaden | 1944 |
| 1970 | Mary Imm Labelle | 1963 |
| 1969 | Marjorie Ruff Christian | 1943 |
| 1968 | Mary Overbeck Bedinghaus | 1948 |
