Gene taught for eight years at St. Mary’s Canandaigua and another eight years at Cardinal Mooney before coming to Aquinas in 1989. “I knew early on there was a real spirit here, it’s always been that way, a real family,” said Gene, who would spend the next 33 years teaching history and government at AQ. Scott Wise ’00, fellow Aquinas faculty member and Gene’s former student, credits Gene as one of the reasons he decided to become a teacher. “His class pushed me to be a better student and prepared me for college, not just learning facts, but learning how to think critically,” said Scott. “Gene is a good, kind man who was always a shining example of what Aquinas, and educators in general, should look like. He has helped to educate countless leaders and community members with a solid foundation in not only government, but life as well.” While Gene will miss seeing the students every day, he looks forward to spending more time with his own children – all five of whom are Aquinas graduates: Patrick ‘01, Maria ‘03, Kevin ’05, Theresa ‘08, and Andrew ’11. Looking back at his 49 years in Catholic education Gene said, “I’ve enjoyed it, it’s been a great life and I’ve had a great career.”We thank Gene for his dedication to Aquinas and wish him all the best in retirement! Gene Oberst Retires After 49 Years In Catholic Education 11 As the 2021-2022 school year came to a close, Aquinas said farewell to longtime history and government teacher Gene Oberst, who retired after nearly fifty years in Catholic education! Aquinas Welcomes New CFO Linda Steinkirchner recently joined Aquinas’ executive leadership team as the school’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). An accomplished finance executive, Linda brings over 30 years of experience in not-for-profit financial management and operations. She most recently held positions as Associate Vice President for Financial Affairs & Controller, and Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer at St. John Fisher University. Prior to higher education, Linda was the director of finance at the Center for Disability Rights, Inc & Regional Center for Independent Living, and the Vice President for Finance and Operations at the Strong Museum of Play. “I’m thrilled to join the Aquinas family and leverage my not-forprofit experience to assist the school in furthering its mission. I believe education is transformational for the student and the family.” Linda holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from SUNY Geneseo and a master’s degree in business administration from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Linda has served on the Boards of several organizations including the American Diabetes Association, The Exhibition Alliance (formerly the Gallery Association of New York State), and the Upstate New York College Collaboration (UNYCC). She lives in Brighton with her husband, Paul. Class of 1965 Donates Softball Scoreboard The Class of 1965 generously purchased and donated a new scoreboard to the girls softball program! A formal dedication of the scoreboard was held last spring and brought both members of the Class of 1965 and our AQ softball players together. We’d like to extend a sincere ‘thank you!’ to the Class of 1965, as this will be enjoyed by our Lady Irish and softball fans for years to come!
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