NU2NU Award
Recognizing significant volunteer service within the Norwich community.
The Office of Alumni Relations has created a program to recognize one of Norwich’s most important assets: our vast network of alumni and the lifelong bonds that exist within the Norwich family.
The NU2NU Award honors alumni for generous, enthusiastic, and ongoing efforts that support and build alumni-to-alumni connections and/or enhancing student engagement. Designed to celebrate alumni who exemplify the spirit of mentoring, this award cultivates a culture of giving back to the university by contributing their time and talent.
NU2NU Award Honorees
The NU2NU Awards honor alumni for generous, enthusiastic, and ongoing efforts that support and build alumni-to-alumni connections and/or alumni-to-student relations. Designed to celebrate those who pay it forward, this award fosters a culture of giving back to the university through alumni contributions of time and talent.
2025 NU2NU Honorees
Peter Pomponi ’75
Peter has been an inspiration to his class and a model of courage and perseverance in the face of adversity. Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years after graduation did not slow Pete down or dampen his commitment to supporting Norwich and his class. He has remained a champion for the university, always speaking with prospective students and promoting his alma mater. He is an avid supporter of Norwich hockey and can be seen, along with his wife, Kristin and their three daughters, at many NU games near his home in Waltham, MA. He served as the 1975 Class Agent for 15 years and continued reunion planning for another 35 years. His leadership, positive attitude and infectious smile have never waned, no matter the circumstances. Pete is an inspiration to his classmates and everyone who has had the pleasure of meeting him.
Gary T. Lord, Emeritus Dana Professor of History
Throughout his time at Norwich, Gary has been dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing the university’s history. Professor Lord joined the Norwich University faculty in 1969 and was named a Charles A. Dana Professor of History in 1990. The legacy of Norwich and its founder, Alden Partridge, were topics of much in-depth scholarly inquiry by Professor Lord over the five decades of his academic career. He took a lead in collecting and conserving important historical artifacts for the Norwich Museum, the predecessor to the Sullivan Museum and History Center, as well as playing a key role in the establishing the Norwich University Special Collections. Norwich University in American History, a collection of Professor Lord’s articles originally published in the Norwich University Record, will be available at Homecoming 2025. Proceeds from sales of the book will benefit Friends of the Library, Archives and Museum.
2024 NU2NU Honorees
Richard Branca ’78
In his 40+ years in Los Angeles, Richard Branca ’78 has been a champion for Norwich’s West Coast family. He started his film industry career in 1980 in the sound department at MGM, which later became Sony Pictures Studios. While at Sony Pictures, Richard helped several Norwich alumni get started in the motion picture business including Mike Earls ’79, Bob Tolman ’80, Mike Rizzuto ’97, Jake Head ’97, Patrick Brown ’98, Jack Ryan ’99, Dominic Bonellie ’00, Marshall Lee ’03, Steve Weber ’09, and Jesse Mattson ’10. Richard was also known for hiring retired veterans and giving many females and minority talent their start in the television and motion picture industry.
Along with his wife, Centa and children Josh, Joe and Nick, Richard was the “go to” for many alumni events in the LA area. He hosted ice cream socials and student send offs, often followed by a movie screening, and a Board of Trustees dinner at Sony. He supported Norwich staff, especially President Richard Schneider, on his numerous trips to Southern California. A former Cadets hockey player, Richard is a long-time supporter of Norwich’s Blueline Hockey Club. In his award acceptance remarks Richard recalled fondly the life and leadership lessons of his mentor and Norwich professor, Dr. Wallace “Wally” Baines.
Women Kicking Glass Steering Committee:
Kimberly Baumann ’87 & P’19, Karen Broadmeadow ’83, Tina Christiano ’83, Nancy Martin ’83, Mary McCarthy ’87, Sandy Merolla ’83, Fran Perez-Wilhite ’88, Annette Redmond ’83, Linnea Westberg ’78
For leading the NU Women Kicking Glass Project in celebrating this moment in Norwich history, recognizing trailblazing women, alumnae accomplishments, and significant NU ‘firsts,’ bringing recognition to the University for its progressive and proactive approach to admitting women, and raising funds for the Women Kicking Glass Scholarship.
Gretchen Archambault ’96
For her dedicated service as a member of the Board of Fellows for the School of Business, serving as a judge for the 2024 Amazon Web Services Competition and co-organizer for the Business Board of Fellows’ speaker series.
David Ortiz ’98
For expanding the Norwich network for current students and young alumni by organizing robust and thoughtful Norwich Connects networking events.
David was also recently featured in the Norwich Reveille “In the Field” news section, and here’s how he explained he is “Giving Back to The Hill and Beyond”: Ortiz spent eight years on the Norwich Alumni Board and now leads the Maryland Alumni Association while serving on the Board of Fellows. He mentors widely, often beginning with resumes. “I get random people on LinkedIn who know me or know of me, and they send me their resumes for advice.”
His motivation is simple. “I think Norwich is an important place. It builds really good men and women for the country.” He is focused on strengthening hands-on learning for today’s students. “Norwich also has great labs and is building a cyber fusion center. There is a strong hacking club, a cyber leadership development program, and students often participate in both.”.
2023 NU2NU Honorees
Joshua Paille ’11
A native of Madisonville, LA, Josh fostered a love for woodworking from a young age, influenced by his great-great-grandfather's talent in hand-carved fish and residential building construction.
Post-graduation from Norwich in 2011, he underwent Initial Entry Rotary Wing (IERW) training at Fort Rucker, Alabama, refining his woodworking skills in the base woodshop. His path less traveled landed him in Connecticut, he met Ashley, a middle school art teacher, and together they founded Theta Pi Woodshop in 2018, intertwining their shared passion for creativity and craftsmanship. They specialize in crafting custom plaques and gifts to honor service members and first responders, fostering a sense of unity and remembrance within the Norwich community.
Since 2021, they have had an integral role in several Norwich University projects including the Medal of Valor exhibit in the Sullivan Museum, construction of the American Legion wall in the Wise Campus Center, and the crafting of various items for Norwich clubs and organizations. This year they took on the massive project of creating a ring exhibit to celebrated Norwich’s ring centennial.
Richard Prevost ’76
Richard is a thirty-year veteran of the US Army and Army Reserve, retiring as a Colonel. He was a Government Acquisition Attorney for the Department of Defense. He then served as a professor at the Eisenhower School, National Defense University in Washington, DC and was the Faculty Lead for the Energy Industry Seminar. After retiring Richard returned to government service as the Supervisory Procurement Policy Analyst for the Marine Corps Community Services.
Richard received his JD from Syracuse University College of Law and holds postgraduate degrees from Boston University and the US Army War College. His awards include the NATO Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service. Mr. Prevost is an Active Member of the Virginia Bar and past Chair of the Military Law Section of the Virginia Bar.
While at Norwich Richard was the Regimental S-3 his senior year, a Distinguished Military Graduate and very active in organizations ranging from rugby, to WNUB, to the NU Chorus. He previously chaired the Board of Fellows committee for the College of Science and Mathematics and now serves on the NU Alumni Association Board of Directors.
More NU2NU Honorees
Gail Lull VC ’72 & P’01
Gail has demonstrated a constant effort and dedication to organizing reunions and other events that improve communication and strengthen ties between the Norwich University and Vermont College classes of 1972.
Kevin Mercadente ’77 & P’12
Kevin has hosted Student Sendoffs for the NU Club of Central Massachusetts for 21 consecutive years. These events are bringing more than 1,500 alumni, students, and parents together to welcome incoming students and their families to the Norwich family.
Norwich University Fins & Feathers program:
Michael Babyak ’92, Donald O’Neill ’87, Daniel Evans ’87, James Gikas ’86, Vincent McDermott ’90, Michael Valenti ’87, Charles Pappalardo ’87 and Hugh McLaughlin ’87
Established in 2014 by a small group of alumni, Fins & Feathers has grown to a series of multi-region sportsman’s gatherings that foster an appreciation for friendship, camaraderie, and our Norwich Values. Events include fishing tournaments (Fins) and hunting outings (Feathers). To date Fins & Feathers events have raised more than $300,000 to support a variety of projects including the Mynter Scholarship, Men's Hockey Weight Room Upgrade, Skull & Swords Scholarship, Brian Bill '01 Scholarship, Doc Martin Scholarship, Debra Evans '87 Memorial Scholarship, Amy Dunn Vieulleux ’01 Drill Team Scholarship, and the Norwich Fund.
Brian Bill Memorial Tournament Committee:
Robert Carroll ’97, Erik Liebegott ’92, William McIntosh ’95 and Brian Raymond ’90
The Brian R. Bill Memorial Golf Tournament honors U.S. Navy SEAL and 2001 Norwich graduate who was killed while serving in Afghanistan. Staged annually since 2012, the event funds the Brian R. Bill ’01 Memorial Scholarship which is awarded to undergraduate students in the Corps of Cadets, and to special operators enrolled in Norwich’s online degree completion program. To date $1.4 million has been raised for the scholarship, which annually awards $63,000 to Norwich students. Thus far, 10 traditional undergraduate students and 26 Special Forces Operators have received the scholarship.
Jack Bergquist ’67
Jack is such an enthusiastic supporter of NU that whenever Jack is asked to help he responds with an overwhelming, "Yes!" In the past few years, he has served on the Board of Fellows and then was named a chair of the Art & Architecture Board of Fellows. Jack helped design a car show as a new attraction for future Homecoming celebrations. Jack also created a gift match challenge to start an Art & Architecture endowment and attended Coaching for Leadership for mentoring students. Beyond all that, Jack is also a frequent attendee at NU Club of Connecticut events.
Recently he accepted his heaviest lift yet… take on a leadership role in the Partridge Society in order to help the Society clarify its mission and develop actionable items toward fulfilling that mission. Jack is visionary, a brilliant strategist and a take-charge leader who rolls his sleeves up and gets things done. There is no limit to what he is willing to do for Norwich.
Joshua Chafe ’07 & M’08
Originally from Boston, MA, Josh graduated from high school in Northfield, VT, and holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Architecture degrees from Norwich University. Co-founder and former director of the Emerging Professionals Network of Vermont (EPN), a component of the Vermont chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Josh remains actively involved with the EPN, which serves local emerging professionals by representation on the AIA Vermont Board of Directors, while in turn educating members about important developments within the design and construction industry. Joshua’s work with EPN also serves a larger purpose by organizing events and projects that bring together students, young designers and experienced architects, in order to promote Norwich University, architecture, and good design in our community.
As part of these efforts, Josh is the founding director of the Norwich Summer Design Academy. Since July 2015, Josh has introduced nearly 100 high school students from Vermont, Louisiana, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine to Norwich University. In a week long program, students grapple with design thinking and explore the communication of their ideas through various media and hands-on projects. Because of Joshua’s enthusiasm and professionalism, the Summer Design Academy has recruited students to Norwich and engaged them in the larger design community.
As project architect at TruexCullins in Burlington, VT, Josh and his firm participate in the School's job shadowing program and has helped shape students’ lives by serving on student design reviews, acting as a supportive and responsive mentor, reviewing resumes, advising students on their portfolios, conducting mock interviews, and hiring Norwich students as interns.
William A. Kingman ’80
William “Bill” Kingman is nominated for the NU2NU Award for his selfless contributions and volunteerism to Norwich University. Bill serves as the NU New Orleans Chapter point of contact. Annually, and for approximately the last 20 years, the Norwich University Regimental Drill Team has successfully competed in the Tulane University NROTC Mardis Gras Drill Meet. During this period, Bill served as the host and coordinator for many associated activities.
He personally coordinated with the New Orleans Saints Training facility to allow the Drill Team to practice their routines prior to each drill meet. He arranged alum dinners, coordinated Mardi Gras parade participation, and on occasion, he coordinated with the local television morning show for our cadets to appear. Bill also presented a gift to the champion Individual Trick Driller during the annual drill meet award ceremony. In addition to his work as the New Orleans point of contact, Bill has greatly assisted the NU Band Director/Provisional Battalion Faculty Advisor with schedule coordination, lodging, transportation and execution for other events, such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier tour, the 45th President’s Inaugural activities, and was the producer for our recent Regimental Band’s performance at Carnegie Hall.
His assistance and contributions have significantly boosted NU’s brand and recognition. In addition to the above, Bill is a former USAF Officer, and a distinguished retired ATF agent and notably, a Medal of Valor recipient. He has taught classes to NU’s criminal justice majors as a guest instructor. Bill is a second generation member of the NU family as his late Dad, Philip, is an NU ’53 grad. Again, it is truly an honor to nominate Bill for his contributions to Norwich University. His character and actions exemplify our commitment to our legacy of citizen soldiery and giving back.
Joe Milano ’66 & H’03
Joe’s service to Norwich includes president of the NU Club of Boston, vice president of the NU Alumni Association, member of the Board of Fellows, and longtime trustee. He founded a scholarship at his high school in order for prospective students to attend Norwich. A true citizen-soldier, Joe is the owner of the oldest restaurant in Boston and one the oldest in the nation, the Union Oyster House, which hosts many NU-related events. His generous donations to Norwich led to the construction of Milano Ballroom. A longtime member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in Boston, Joe also serves as Boston’s Honorary Consul General to Thailand.
Randall H. Miller ’93 & M’07
Randall Miller does a great deal working to gather stories for Norwich University to share with other alumni through his books, podcasts, and much more. He has been a steadfast supporter for alumni and students alike for years and does a great deal to help promote the university.