and first Hispanic woman to be elected
chair of a major university governing board.
She is Director of the Department of Community Health’s Office of Multicultural
Services. In addition to previous positions
in the Michigan House of Representatives
Alumni News
25
“It’s amazing what these women have done. They
are trailblazers who have changed the world.”
Judith McNally Redwine ‘66:
Outstanding Alumni Award
Judith Redwine majored in mathematics
at Siena Heights and held positions as a
math and science teacher before becoming
a college professor and administrator. She
served as president of Black Hawk College
in Moline, IL, from 1994 to 1999 and is now
chancellor at the State Center Community
College District in Fresno, CA. She is also
an accomplished author and recently coauthored an article titled “Laboratory for
a New Form of Democracy” in The Community College Journal.
“I have been influenced by Robert Greenleaf’s concept of servant leadership,” said
Redwine. “I am particularly proud of the
work that I have done to make higher education more accessible to the less fortunate.”
Those efforts include establishing higher
education centers in poor areas, raising
money for scholarships and insisting on
student support services to help students
succeed. Redwine has also been involved
with local, state and national leadership
programs.
Dorothy Gonzales ‘78:
Sister Ann Joachim Award
Dorothy Gonzales, the daughter of former
Lenawee County migrant parents, was a
non-traditional student at Siena Heights, a
working mother who earned a bachelor’s degree in social work then went on to graduate
school. Gonzales, who serves as chairman
of the Board of Trustees of Michigan State
University, is the first Mexican American
Lynne Redman Hill, Director of Alumni Relations
and as an advisor to former Governor James
Blanchard, she has also been active in a
variety of organizations such as Habitat for
Humanity, Black Child and Family Institute,
and the Michigan Democratic Party.
One of Gonzales’ many causes is reaching people who may otherwise let things
like language barriers stand in the way of
getting the help and support they need. “I
have tried to be a role model for those who
are coming after me,” Gonzales explained.
“I have contributed thanks to Siena Heights
and the values I learned there.”
Denise Keeley ‘88:
Recent Graduate Award
Denise Keeley graduated from Siena with a
Bachelor of Fine Arts, with a concentration
in sculpture. A non-traditional student who
returned to college after her children were
grown, she was named Art Student of the
Year in 1988. She currently maintains a
studio and has had work accepted in both
juried
and
single
artist
shows in
Michigan and
Ohio.
Keeley’s
sculptures emphasize
women
and express her perception of being a wife
and mother of eight adult children. She
also explores the stigma of AIDS in her
stonework.
“My art is a woman’s vision of the human
experience based on being a wife, mother,
and grandmother, and yet, for many years,
a faceless woman. By finally breaking the
silence imposed by a patriarchal society,
which seeks to suppress a woman’s voice, I
have found mine,” said Keeley. “My work
is intended to reflect the human condition
and the role of women in today’s society.
The struggle is not to catch a glimpse of their
faces, but to understand their souls.”
Barbara Chenicek, OP ‘57 and Rita
Schiltz, OP ‘46:
St. Dominic Award
Sisters Barbara Chenicek and Rita Schiltz
are award winning designers and co-founders of the INAI Studio on the campus of the
Adrian Dominican Motherhouse. Chenicek
holds a Master of Fine Arts degree
in design; Schiltz is a metalsmith and
graphic designer. Together, they specialize in
the design of
contemporary
worship
spaces.
They
have
traveled
throughout North America; their work
spans the United States and Canada,
and has been chronicled in professional
journals such as Interior Design and IBD:
Interior Design Magazine.
“Space has power to be a catalyst and
presence, bringing wholeness, beauty, and
a sense of the holy. Contemporary sacred
space calls a community to newness—
to that which it is desiring to become.
Such is our mission, our work and our
passion!” wrote C