Notable Alumni

Daniel Bologna (1983, Individual Studies)
Bologna is an inspiration to those who believe everyone deserves a solid education. As superintendent of Port Chester High School’s CLASS Academy, he reaches out to students who would’ve dropped out of high school long ago without the extra attention and support they receive from a very specialized curriculum he has designed. Students of Bologna's CLASS Academy attend classes at night and work at internships during the day—a formula that he’s discovered is just right for these individuals. The CLASS Academy is now in its fourth year, with a graduating class of 50.

John Caparella (1978, Hospitality Management)
Caparella is chief operating officer and executive vice president of Gaylord Hotels. Prior to that, he completed a distinguished career as senior vice president and general manager of the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, FL. He joined the Sheraton Corporation shortly after graduating from Delhi and quickly became one of the industry’s rising stars. He enjoyed a 17-year career with Sheraton that included an assignment at Sheraton’s corporate headquarters and management positions at hotels and four-star luxury properties in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Orlando. From there, he became the first executive vice president of planning, development and administration and president of PlanetHollywood.com. Caparella was presented the 2004 Gaylord Leadership Excellence Award by Gaylord Entertainment CEO Colin Reed. He was also named Outstanding General Manager of the Year by the American Hotel and Lodging Association and received the Golf Key Elite Award, which is given to the top five meeting properties in the world by Meetings and Conventions magazine. A strong supporter of the college, Caparella has served on the original capital campaign committee for the Alumni Hall Hospitality Center and has helped sponsor Delhi’s culinary team at the American Culinary Federation National Championship. Caparella has hosted Delhi students for an intensive weeklong internship at the Gaylord Plams as part of Delhi’s Kennedy Award program. He also volunteers his time as a member of the Hospitality Advisory Board.

Deborah Crute (1999, Veterinary Science Technology)
Deborah Crute is a Veterinary Science Technology graduate who was able to parlay her internship work at Delhi into a position as manager of the Heart of teh Catskills Humane Society. Now Crute oversees SUNY Delhi interns at the shelter, helping them acquire real-world experience. She also hosts information sessions for Delhi students, inspiring them to volunteer at animal shelters and learn more about animal care. Crute is a strong supporter of the shelter’s spaying and neutering partnership with SUNY Delhi. The college’s Veterinary Science Technology program provides services to the shelter as training for its students. In return, the shelter is able to prepare its animals for adoption.

Mark Grillo (1998, Electrical Technology)
Soon after graduating from Delhi’s Electrical Technology program, Grillo entered the Police Academy and became an officer with the 42 nd Precinct in the Bronx. His duties with the 42 nd made him a true American hero --he risked his own life to save 50 lives from the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Following that fateful day, he made appearances on VH1's Concert for New York broadcast with actress Julia Stiles (he's on the DVD too) and Cleveland's National Day of Remembrance. Today he serves as a New York City firefighter, realizing his childhood dream. Grillo is SUNY Delhi's Distinguished Alumnus for 2002.

Peter Hamilton (1977, Business Management)
A graduate of SUNY Delhi’s business program, Peter Hamilton serves as president of Delhi Motor Co., Inc., a third generation business which employs alumni from the college’s automotive program. As chairman of the board at O’Connor Hospital, he’s best known for championing healthcare in his community. His vision to ensure greater programs and services helped affiliate O’Connor with Bassett Healthcare, a growing upstate New York healthcare network. In recognition of his efforts, he was awarded the 2001 Trustee Leadership Award by the Healthcare Trustees of New York State. Hamilton currently serves on SUNY Delhi’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Division advisory committee and regularly supports special projects at his alma mater.

Erik Healy (1989, Engineering Science)
Erik Healy was recently named vice president of Whiting Turner, a major construction corporation. There, he has managed many engineering projects throughout New York, Virginia and Vermont. While working in Virginia for Whiting Turner, Healy was named Project Manager of the Year by the Washington Building Congress, which recognizes the highest standards and practices in real estate, design and construction. Currently, Healy serves as manager for a micro-electronics project for IBM in East Fishkill that totals nearly three hundred million dollars. Healy keeps close ties with his alma mater, serving as a member of the college’s Construction Technology Advisory Council. He has hired several students from Delhi’s engineering program as interns on the East Fishkill project and has used his industry contacts to arrange for the donation of nearly $10,000 worth of equipment for the college’s construction labs.

Sue Atkin Hoenhaus (1980, Nursing)
Sue Atkin Hohenhaus recently served as a Clinical Nurse Educator at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There she began a sexual assault nurse examiners training and was the primary instructor on this topic until last year. Currently, she serves as Project Manager, Emergency Medical Services for Children Enhancing Pediatric Patient Safety, at Duke University Medical Center. At Duke, she is administering a pediatric patient safety grant, which sprung from her work with the State Office of EMS as a child specialist. Sue pens a monthly column, “Clinical Nurses Forum”, in the Journal of Emergency Nursing. She and husband Jay are Registered Nurses and have four daughters.

Rick Holfoth (1988, Turf Management)
Rick Holfoth serves as Golf Course Superintendent at Country Club of Rochester, a private, 18 hole course located on a 150 acre site on the Cocheco River in New Hampshire.  A member of the New York State Turfgrass Association (NYSTA) Board of Directors, he was recently named the Peter P. Hahn Superintendent of the Year by the Finger Lakes Association of Golf Course Superintendents for the second time in his career. Rick was featured in Golf Course Management as an innovator in his field, documenting his irrigation restoration work at Irondequoit Country Club where he was superintendent. He serves on SUNY Delhi’s Golf/Turf Advisory Board.

Paul O’Neil  (1965, Hospitality Management)
O’Neil started his career working for the Sheraton Corporation as a management trainee and was the general manager of properties in New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Honolulu and Detroit. He then became managing director of the 2,400 room Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers and Sheraton Manhattan Hotel Complex. He was also the president of the North American Division, ITT Sheraton Corporation and president and chief operating officer of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. O'Neil served as chief executive officer of Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The 2,300-room resort houses the largest man-made marine habitat in the world with more than 50,000 aquatic animals. A long-time member of the SUNY Delhi’s Hospitality Management Advisory Council, he co-chaired the department’s capital campaign and, with his wife, established a scholarship endowment for SUNY Delhi Hospitality students.

Carl V. Petronio (1958, Civil Technology)
Carl Petronio began his career with the Petronio Construction Company in 1959,  where he served as president from 1967 to 1984. Today he is is a principal of the Allied Group, Incorporated, which he founded with three partners in 1984. As senior executive vice-president of Allied Builders, he has helped the Allied Group grow into a network of four corporations and fourteen partnerships. His activities encompass construction, real estate development, industrial park operations, regional distribution services, and low temperature warehousing. In his spare time, Carl enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and learning about Italian culture and history. He is a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association and is an instrument-rated pilot. An avid skier, he is a long-time member of the Holimont Ski Club of Ellicotville, NY. Carl recently served on an expert panel for Delhi's Technology Titans Day.

Bill Pullman (1972, Liberal Arts)
An actor who has appeared in over 40 films, Bill Pullman has starred in a wide range of roles including the President of the United States in Independence Day, a private detective in Zero Effect and a troubled musician in David Lynch's Lost Highway. Other film credits include   The Thin Red Line, While You Were Sleeping, Casper, Sleepless in Seattle, A League of Their Own, The Serpent and the Rainbow, and The Accidental Tourist. His most recent venture is starring in the romantic comedy Igby Goes Down. Pullman's acting debut took place at SUNY Delhi in 1971. He went on to SUNY Oneonta where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1975. Pullman returned to the Delhi campus in 1977 for a one-year stint as drama director.

Gary R. Rice (1976, Hospitality Management)
Gary R. Rice has 30 years of experience in the food service industry. He owns Rice’s Food Equipment and Consulting Company in Dallas, PA, a company that has been supplying food service equipment and offering kitchen design services since 1993. Rice is an active supporter of the scholarship programs for hospitality majors and assists the Hospitality Management department in acquiring specialized equipment for the program’s food laboratories. A true advocate of Delhi, Mr. Rice regularly brings prospective students from BOCES for visits to the campus. Gary R. Rice was named the 2006 Distinguished Alumnus.