ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ

As Gannon University celebrates its 100th anniversary, this year’s Distinguished Alumni honorees take on a special significance—honoring not only extraordinary individuals but also a century of purpose-driven education, leadership and service. The 2025 Centennial Distinguished Alumni represent the very best of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ and Villa Maria College graduates whose lives have shaped communities, industries and futures. Their recognition is a highlight of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Homecoming and Family Weekend, marking a proud moment in this historic year. 

Homecoming and Family Weekend runs Thursday, Sept. 11 through Sunday, Sept. 14. The 2025 Distinguished Alumni recipients will be honored during a dinner at on Friday, Sept. 12 in the Yehl Alumni Room.  

This year’s honorees are: 

Phil Abram, MBA ’82 

Retired, Chief Infotainment Officer, General Motors Corporation  

Former President & COO, Sonos Inc.  

Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering   

Phil Abram, MBA, is currently retired and residing in Oro Valley, Az. He is a 1982 graduate of Gannon University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. In 1992, Abram received an MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. Abram retired as Chief Infotainment Officer at General Motors Corporation, reporting directly to the CEO of General Motors.  

There, he led the company’s newly formed networking division, driving the integration of breakthrough technologies such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, advanced cybersecurity systems, vehicle health monitoring and next-generation navigation. His work helped redefine the in-vehicle experience for millions of drivers and set a new standard in automotive connectivity.  

Before GM, Abram was President and COO of Sonos, where he guided the company’s explosive global growth in wireless home sound systems. He also held senior executive roles at Sony Electronics and contributed to major advancements in consumer audio and video products.  

Additionally, Abram dedicates significant time supporting his community. He volunteers with and supports multiple programs with Catholic Community Services (i.e. Catholic Charities) for the Diocese of Tucson, Az. He also provides his expertise to an organization which supports young entrepreneurs to establish themselves and their endeavors. He also dedicates significant time to helping maintain parks and trails at Catalina State Park outside Tucson, Az.

Abram continues to support Gannon University in a variety of ways. He utilized his cyber security expertise in the formulation of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Cyber Security Program and Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge (I-HACK). Abram also supports ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Alternative Break Service Trips (ABST) to the Arizona border during the student’s spring break each year. He is always willing to support ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ in any way he can. 

Bridget Barber ’81 VMC 

Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs, Barber National Institute  

Bachelor of Science, Nursing     

Bridget Power Barber ’81 VMC is a dedicated healthcare professional, community leader and advocate for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Born in Limerick, Ireland and raised in Erie as one of eight children, Barber credits her Catholic education at St. Andrew School and Villa Maria Academy with instilling the values of service, faith and perseverance that have guided her life and career.  

After initially pursuing nursing studies at Carlow College in Pittsburgh, Barber returned to Erie following the death of her father due to cancer and her mother’s cancer diagnosis, which resulted in her death 19 months later. She later completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Villa Maria College. She worked as a nurse at hospitals in both Philadelphia and Erie before devoting 15 years to raising her five children, all of whom attended Cathedral Preparatory School or Villa Maria Academy and now carry on the family legacy of service.  

Barber officially joined the Barber National Institute in 2000, where she has held various roles across clinical and administrative operations. She currently serves as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs, where she has overseen the growth of major events like the Barber Beast on the Bay, the community art show and the organization’s annual Christmas Ball and golf tournament. Her leadership has played a key role in expanding services and raising awareness for the mission of the Institute.  

In addition to her professional work, Barber has served on numerous boards including St. Mary’s Home of Erie, Asbury Woods, Erie Arts & Culture and the Villa Maria Alumni Association. She is also a member of the Association for the Cause of Dr. Gertrude A. Barber, which supports the canonization of the Institute’s founder.  

A proud Villa graduate and lifelong Erie resident, Barber remains committed to creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities to thrive and be fully included in their communities. She finds her greatest joy in spending time with her husband, John, their five children, and seven grandchildren—while continuing to live out the values that began with her Villa education. 

Mary L. Herbert, MPH, MS ’91  

Practice Manager/Clinical Director  

Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations/Birmingham Free Clinic  

Bachelor of Science, Biology   

Mary Herbert, MPH, MS ’91 is a dedicated public health professional and compassionate leader who has spent her career advancing healthcare access for underserved communities. After graduating from Gannon University, Herbert went on to receive her Master of Science degree in Biology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and received her Master of Public Health from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in 2005.   

Herbert is currently the practice manager and clinical director at The Program for Health Care to Underserved Populations (PHCUP)’s Birmingham Free Clinic in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Birmingham Free Clinic offers no cost medical care to underserved patients.   

Of the 30 years that Birmingham has existed, Herbert has been there for 26 years. During her tenure, she has worn many hats—first as an AmeriCorps member and now as its clinical director. She oversees daily operations, mentors students and volunteers, secures vital funding and leads a multidisciplinary team in delivering comprehensive, patient-first care. Under her leadership, the clinic has navigated sweeping changes in healthcare, expanded its services and served as a training ground for hundreds of future medical and public health professionals from the University of Pittsburgh and many clinical specialty departments within UPMC.  

Herbert’s steady leadership, collaboration and creativity have steered the clinic through several location changes, the implementation of electronic medical records, the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in Pittsburgh’s population and demographics, and the extraordinary changes to the U.S. healthcare system which impact the patients’ needs and the clinic itself.  

Herbert’s impact extends well beyond the walls of the clinic. She serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Free Clinic Association of Pennsylvania and Southwestern PA Area Health Education Center (AHEC), and volunteers with Jeremiah’s Place, a crisis nursery for children. Her commitment to service and health equity has earned her numerous accolades, including leadership and service awards from the University of Pittsburgh and the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship.  

Herbert is Gannon University’s mission in action. She is dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. She is an Erie native, with some of her siblings attending Gannon University as well. Herbert fondly reminisces about her time at Gannon University with fellow alumni across all years, because ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ graduates tend to find each other, even while working/volunteering at the Birmingham Free Clinic. 

Homer Smith, Jr. ’76  

Founder and CEO, HLSJ Consulting  

Retired, Counselor, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵdale School for Girls  

Retired, Labor Compliance and EEO Officer, City of Erie  

Bachelor of Arts, Educational Studies   

Homer Smith, Jr. ‘76 has dedicated more than four decades to serving the Erie community through education, public service and volunteerism. Following his graduation with a degree from Gannon University in secondary education, Smith remained in Erie and launched a decades-long career of public service that has impacted generations of students and residents.  

Smith began his career in the Intensive Treatment Unit at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵdale New Horizons, where he served the organization for more than 35 years. He also held two professional roles at Gannon University—first as a counselor in the Act 101/EOP program from 1976 to 1979, and later as assistant director of Alumni Services from 2005 to 2010.   

Between those appointments, Smith worked for the City of Erie for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005, in roles focused on human relations, ADA compliance and labor equity.  

Most recently, Smith worked for 11 years at Erie Rise Leadership Academy Charter School, serving in various capacities including Facilitator of Special Programs, Athletic Director and Public Relations Officer. Smith retired in 2022.   

In addition to his professional work, Smith has volunteered thousands of hours as coordinator of WERG’s Super Soul Saturday—a ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ community radio program he has helped lead for nearly 50 years.   

Smith, under Dr. Antoine Garibaldi’s term as Gannon University’s president, engaged a number of African American alumni to form the Gannon University African American Alumni Committee with the main goal of enhancing the experiences of black and brown students at the University. The group, among other things, has taken on several challenges over the years including establishing endowments to provide scholarships for eligible students.   

He is deeply involved in his faith community at St. James AME Church and has served on numerous nonprofit and civic boards throughout Erie, including GECAC, the NAACP and ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Alumni Board.  

Smith feels Gannon University has provided him with a rich undergraduate experience, valuable skills through his 1995 Leadership Training Program, amazing volunteer engagement with WERG, employment opportunities as a career counselor and Assistant Director of Alumni Services, lifelong friends and opportunities to network and reconnect alumni back to the University.

As part of the Distinguished Alumni honors, a special award is presented in memory of Monsignor Wilfred J. Nash to recognize alumni and friends of the university who uphold the ideals of faith and service in their life and work.  

 

The 2025 Monsignor Wilfred J. Nash Award recipient is:  

Mary Jo Cherry, Ph.D. ’74 VMC  

Professor Emerita, Education  

Ursuline College  

Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education   

Mary Jo Cherry, Ph.D. earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in May 1974 from Villa Maria College. She proceeded to earn a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maryland in May 1975 and a Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction: Early Childhood with a minor in Educational Psychology from Kent State University in August 1981. She pursued other courses during her early career at Boston College and Gannon University.  

Cherry began her teaching career at St. Catherine School, her home parish school, educating fourth graders. She spent 13 years as a faculty member and administrator at her alma mater, Villa Maria College, after earning her master’s degree. During that time, she not only taught courses in early childhood and elementary education at the College, but she served during those years at different times as Director of Maryvale Preschool and Kindergarten (ages 4 and 5), Villa Maria College Lab School (ages 2 ½ and 3) and the Villa Maria College Day Care Center (ages 6 weeks through 5 years). These experiences continued to allow her to bring real-life experiences to her college classes where the “stories” for which she became known formed the basis of transforming theory and research into understandable practice. Cherry also served for a time as the Dean of the College of Education, a joint partnership between Villa and Gannon University.  

January 1987 became a transformative time for Cherry in a new and truly spiritually blessed way. Cherry met Sisters Joseph John and Irene, who, at that time, were the Foster Mothers of the child who became the most special part of Cherry’s family as she adopted Nelle on Jan. 20, 1987.   

In July 1988, Cherry accepted a position as the chair of the Education Department at Ursuline College, which Gannon University entered a strategic partnership with in 2024, in Pepper Pike, Ohio. During the 34 years that followed, Cherry served in many different faculty and administrative capacities at Ursuline. She retired from Ursuline College in June 2022 and was awarded the title of Professor Emerita at that time.  

During Cherry’s professional years, she served on numerous college, state and national committees, as well as a presenter at conferences. She continues to serve on local committees, but her love now is the joy of being a reader of stories with children in her parish elementary school, Gesu Elementary School. Additionally, Cherry is a Zoom reader with children at DuBois Central Catholic School and with a “reading buddy” with whom Cherry began to read during COVID when the child was in kindergarten and continues today as her buddy enters sixth grade.   

Cherry is active as a member of Church of the Gesu, University Heights, Ohio where she is part of the ministries of lector, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, sacristan, and adult reading groups, as well as catechist for 4- and 5-year-old children. Her faith in God and all the blessings bestowed upon her give her strength and comfort always. 

The Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented by the Gannon University Alumni Board, the governing body of the Alumni Association. It is the highest honor an alumnus can receive. 

"We are incredibly proud of our alumni who have exemplified what it means to live a life of leadership, service and dedication," said Nancy Bird, vice president for University Advancement. "Their commitment to excellence inspires the entire ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ community, and we are honored to recognize their achievements during this special celebration." 

For more information on ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Homecoming and Family Weekend events, visit: .