The St. Mary’s University Alumni Association will honor three graduates – Stephen M. Dufilho (M.A. ’69), Patrick N. Klasing (B.B.A. ’71) and Aloys “Al” J. Notzon, III (B.A. ’60) – at its annual Distinguished Alumni Dinner.

In addition, Rubén (B.B.A. ’60) and Verόnica Escobedo will receive the President’s Gateway Award for Advancement, which recognizes “an alumna or alumnus of St. Mary’s who has stepped up to lead an important fundraising initiative and/or has made a transformative gift to advance the University’s mission and promote excellence.”

The event will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 10, at the Omni San Antonio Hotel. The Distinguished Alumni Award is given each year to those individuals selected by the Awards and Recognition Committee of the Alumni Association.

Stephen M. Dufilho got his start at Frost National Bank, where he worked his way from cashier to executive vice president. Since, he has been chairman and CEO of BBVA Compass as well as other companies. While at St. Mary’s, an aptitude test showed that he was “95 percent banker.”

Before that, Dufilho had never considered the banking industry. He has served on the advisory boards of the School of Science, Engineering and Technology and the Bill Greehey School of Business, and he has been Chair of the Finance Committee and Chairman of the St. Mary’s Board of Trustees. And for the past six years, he has been a volunteer professor in the School of Business. Stephen and Adele Dufilho have started a legacy: More than 20 of their children and nieces and nephews have attended St. Mary’s.

Patrick N. Klasing is president of logistics company TAJ Worldwide, and he has shipped everything from armored vehicles to water slides around the world, a job that demands quality and reliability. The exposure to various cultures at St. Mary’s helped prepare him for working with individuals around the world. He has remained dedicated to the University, from volunteering on the Fiesta Oyster Bake Committee to serving on the Board of Directors for the Alumni Association for 22 years. He continues to volunteer as a section manager for Oyster Bake. Currently, Klasing serves on the board of directors for the Life Choices Pregnancy Crisis Center and is an usher captain and Eucharistic minister at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Aloys J. Notzon III decided to attend St. Mary’s after being awarded a scholarship while attending St. Joseph’s Academy in Laredo. He was a part of the ROTC program and joined the Army upon graduating. He retired after a long career as Executive Director of the Alamo Area Council of Governments. His many accomplishments include initiating the first 911 system in San Antonio, one of the first areas to adopt the emergency response service. He served on the St. Mary’s Board of Trustees for 26 years, leading the search committee that resulted in the University’s first lay president. He was also the youngest president of the St. Mary’s University Alumni Association in 1969 at age 30. The Notzons also established the Al and Angela Notzon Scholarship Fund to provide financial assistance to students in need.

Rubén and Verónica Escobedo have given their lives to service and philanthropy, to the benefit of St. Mary’s University, the Archdiocese and City of San Antonio, and beyond. Their financial support has been consistent and significant. In this past year, they have given gifts of $1 million to directly enhance the Catholic and Marianist identity of St. Mary’s and, in 2011, they were lead donors to the renovation of Assumption Chapel on campus. They truly display exceptional leadership and generosity in furthering the University’s mission and culture of excellence.

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