LaShanda Taylor Adams '92

LaShanda Taylor Adams '92 is receiving the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award for her work as a child advocate attorney and significant contributions to reform the legal system to benefit children. LaShanda graduated summa cum laude from Spelman College with a B.A. in English. In recognition of her strong academic record and her interest in pursuing a career in public interest law, LaShanda was awarded a Root-Tilden-Kern public interest scholarship to attend New York University School of Law. While in law school, she received several awards, including the Derrick Bell Scholarship for Public Service and the Bergstrom Child Welfare Law Fellowship. She also served on the editorial board of the Review of Law and Social Change and represented parents in New York Family Court as a student attorney in the Family Defense Clinic.
 
After graduating from law school, LaShanda was awarded a Skadden Fellowship to develop a project at The Children’s Law Center in the District of Columbia. Since leaving the Center, she has continued to use her law degree to benefit children and families involved in the foster care system. Through her work at the New Jersey Office of the Child Advocate and the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, LaShanda has advocated for system reform.
 
Currently, LaShanda is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Law at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. She is the current Vice President of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) and serves on the Maryland Citizens Review Board for Children, to which she was appointed by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. In 2019, LaShanda was named a Fulbright Scholar by the Australian-American Fulbright Commission. LaShanda lives in Maryland with her husband, Tim, and daughter, Emilia.

Dr. Richard Kovacs  '72

Dr. Richard Kovacs '72 is receiving the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award for his significant and exceptional contributions to the field of cardiology. Richard Kovacs, M.D., MACC, is a clinical cardiologist, the Q.E. and Sally Russell Professor of Cardiology at Indiana University School of Medicine and the service line leader of Indiana University Health Physicians. Dr. Kovacs has focused his research efforts on three clinical topics: quality and measurement of quality, drug safety, and sports cardiology. He has published extensively on the pro-arrhythmic effects of non-antiarrhythmic drugs and serves on data safety monitoring boards for numerous clinical trials, including the NIH Alzheimer’s Disease Collaborative.

A long-time member of the American College of Cardiology, Dr. Kovacs is a past member of the Board of Trustees, has served as president and secretary, and chaired the Science and Quality Committee. Dr. Kovacs was a co-chair of the committee that revised the AHA/ACC Eligibility and Disqualification Recommendations for Competitive Athletes with Cardiovascular Abnormalities. He is a member of the ACC Sports and Cardiology Section and oversees the cardiovascular evaluations of players at the Annual National Football League Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Dr. Kovacs has served on the Joint ACC/AHA Task Force on Practice Guidelines, the National Cardiovascular Data Registries Management Board, and the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium. Dr. Kovacs also served as the medical director and CEO of Methodist Research Institute and a senior clinical research physician at the Lilly Research Laboratories of Eli Lilly and Company.  

A graduate of the University of Chicago and the University of Cincinnati, School of Medicine, Dr. Kovacs completed an internship and residency at the Indiana University Medical Center. His fellowship training also was at Indiana University, where he served as chief fellow and chief medical resident.

Rick Simmons '89

Rick Simmons '89 is a recipient of the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award for his innovative work in the field of executive coaching, offering specialized expertise to leaders and leadership teams around the world in the areas of business strategy, leadership development, and change management. Rick and his wife, Amy, co-founded the telos institute, a leading global organizational development firm in 2006. Prior to founding telos, Rick spent ten years in various senior strategy and sales leadership positions within the financial services industry. Seeking ways to make a more meaningful and longer lasting contribution to society, Rick left that industry to pursue a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, where he focused research on quantifying the value of coaching to individuals and organizations. 

Rick was recently named a Founding Fellow at The Harvard Institute of Coaching at the MacLean Medical School where he contributes insights and best practices to the growing field of executive coaching. Rick also earned his professional coaching certification from the Weatherhead School and has studied at the world-renowned Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. Before receiving his Master’s at CWRU, Rick earned a B.A. in Economics and Finance from Baldwin Wallace University. 

Rick and his wife also established the telos leadership foundation to provide transformational leadership development opportunities for young people of all backgrounds. Rick is a longstanding board member of Ravenwood Health, a non-profit agency that provides mental health and addiction services in Geauga County, that pivoted to serve the community after the Chardon High School shooting in 2012 and is now addressing the deadly opioid epidemic. Personally, Rick tests his beliefs around achievement by running ultra marathons. His recent tests include the 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015 USA Track and Field 24-Hour Run National Championships. 

George '55 and Mary Jane Garton '58

George Garton '55 and Mary Jane Garton '58 have been steadfast benefactors to Elyria Catholic High School since the early 1980s and continue their support to this day. George and Mary Jane established the Mary Garton Memorial Scholarship, upon the untimely passing of George’s sister, Mary Garton, a member of the ECHS Class of 1966 who served as an English  teacher at Elyria Catholic High School for many years. George says, “ It was the overwhelming positive feedback we received over the years from her students and co-workers that inspired us to consider a scholarship in her honor. She gave, in her relatively short life, the joy and reward of a Christ centered education to so many.” This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Richard Simmons, '89 and last year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Dr. Todd Sweda '84, both stated that Ms. Mary Garton made a significant impact on their lives. Ms. Garton also received an Elyria Catholic Alumni Award in 2008 for Excellence in education. The Mary Garton Scholarship has been helping students choose to attend Elyria Catholic for many years and currently provides four freshmen awards each year. Although George and his wife, Mary Jane, established the scholarship, they are also grateful to the many people who have continued to contribute to it over time. George Garton graduated from the US Naval Academy, served eight years in the Navy, and worked for two engineering firms. Mary Jane Garton attended Marygrove College, graduated from William & Mary, and was a church organist, choir director, and piano teacher. George and Mary have been married for 60 wonderful years and have six children and ten grandchildren.

Adrianna Davies '15


The 2021 Young Alumni Award of Excellence is being presented to Adrianna Davies '15, or as some may know her on-air as Adrianna Michaels, the morning meteorologist for Dayton 24/7 Now. Adrianna graduated Cum Laude from Ohio University in 2019 with a B.S. in Meteorology and a Journalism minor from the Scripps College of Communication. Adrianna interned at both Cleveland 19 in Cleveland and WBNS 10TV in Columbus while pursuing her degree. Upon graduation, Adrianna says she took the skills she developed from being EC’s Spirit Senate President and turned them into a career in front of the camera. Starting in Lima, Ohio with Hometown Stations, as their weekend meteorologist, she was quickly promoted within two weeks to be their morning meteorologist. After just six months, Adrianna earned a spot on the morning show in Dayton moving from a  television market ranked 189 in the U.S. to one ranked 63. Adrianna gets up at 1:45am every day to work her shift from 3am to 11am. When Adrianna isn't watching the clouds or catching up on sleep, she enjoys watching Cleveland sports, playing with her corgi puppy, Ruby, and exploring new restaurants. She is delighted to be able to stay in her home state and do what she loves. 

Spencer Roule '10

Spencer Roule '10 is receiving the 2021 Exceptional Service Award for both his depth of service to Elyria Catholic and his commitment to having a positive impact on today’s youth. Spencer currently serves on the Elyria Catholic Advisory Council, the Elyria Catholic Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, and the Elyria Catholic Golf Classic Committee. He created a 2020 Founders’ Day video and served as the MC and auctioneer at our 70th Anniversary Ball. Spencer believes that the coaches he had at Elyria Catholic had a strong and positive impact on his life and he strives to mentor young people in the same manner. He is an assistant basketball coach at John Carroll University and has spent many years coaching high school football. Spencer is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lorain Historical Society and chaired their 2020 Golf Outing. He is also a member of the Business Advisory Board for IPride Life Coaching.
 
Spencer is currently a Senior Associate at Cerity Partners Wealth Management firm. He is responsible for advising both individual and institutional clients, developing new client relationships, and raising the profile of Cerity Partners in the Cleveland market. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, he was a Financial Analyst with Marsh, Berry & Company where he worked to provide independent insurance brokers with investment banking transaction services, valuations, and business planning. Spencer received both his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus in Finance and Economics and his Master of Business Administration from John Carroll University.

Linda Zemanek Schuster '77

Linda Zemanek Schuster '77 is a recipient of the 2021 Exceptional Service Award for her steadfast service to our Elyria Catholic Athletic Department. Linda has provided sixteen years of dedicated service to our athletic department and student-athletes. Linda has anchored the department while transitioning seven athletic directors over her tenure, all while meeting the department's intense deadlines and providing our coaches, parents, athletes, opposing teams, and staff members with the utmost in positive, kind, and professional service. Linda constantly wears her signature smile! Linda attended LCCC after graduation and worked for NASA for fifteen years. She married Edward Schuster in 1986 and eventually stayed home to raise their four children, Cody '08, Jacob '08, Jared '10 and Ashley '11. Linda answered the call from the EC Athletic Director, Chris Fiore '81, in 2004 and began serving as EC’s Athletic Secretary. Linda loves working with the student-athletes of every sports program; they are all special to her. She is grateful to work with an amazing, giving, and selfless coaching staff. Linda says, “Our coaches are committed to teaching every athlete all they know about life AND the sport that they coach. They are not here at ECHS because we pay the biggest stipend, but because they love what they do and the students they have the opportunity to coach.” As one faculty member and coach says, “Linda models the EC pillars every way and every day and makes all who encounter her feel special and important.”