During Reunion Weekend each year, Saint Mary’s University honors outstanding alumni who have made outstanding achievements in their professional careers, who best exemplify the Lasallian charism Saint Mary’s was founded upon, and who have generously contributed time and talent to the goals and objectives of their alma mater. This year, four alumni will be honored during a reception and ceremony Saturday, June 24, on the Winona Campus. Register online.
This year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipient is Paul Magallanes B’63 of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; the Alumni Appreciation Award recipient is Jerry Papenfuss B’62 of Winona; the Lasallian Service Award recipient is Jim Izzo B’75 of Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.; and the Outstanding Young Alumnus is David Dahlstrom B’10 of Austin, Minn.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Paul Magallanes B’63
Paul P. Magallanes B’63 is an accomplished FBI special agent veteran and founder of Magallanes Associates International. With over 21 years of experience in the FBI, Magallanes has an extensive background in investigations, training, and security consultation. He began his FBI career in Tampa, Fla., where he was one of the first to work in an undercover capacity. Throughout his career, he played a key role in various high-profile cases: in the Watergate Burglary case, he developed critical information leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. In the Greylord Case, he exposed corrupt Cook County judges in Chicago while working undercover. He was later jailed and became a national fugitive under an alias. In the John De Lorean drug case, he secured half a million dollars in cash for the purchase of cocaine. Magallanes was a leading member in the landmark successful Class Action suit, Perez vs. FBI, against the FBI for discrimination in the workplace against FBI Hispanic agents. In addition to his investigative work, he coordinated security for the 1984 Olympic Command Headquarters in Los Angeles. And he received numerous awards for his outstanding investigative and undercover efforts and has been featured in various international media outlets for his expertise.
Alumni Appreciation Award
Jerry Papenfuss B’62
Jerry Papenfuss B’62 is embedded in the community and works tirelessly to ensure its success. He has held leadership positions in community organizations at the local, state, and national level. As part of his work in radio broadcasting, he provided community organizations with live interviews, news stories, remote broadcasts and public service announcements at no cost. Papenfuss also was a co-developer of the residential development of Knopp Valley and the AmericInn of Winona. In retirement he continues as a volunteer, philanthropist, and fundraiser. Recognition in the community includes: the President’s Award from the Association of Fundraisers Upper Midwest Chapter, Ben-Adith Miller Community Service Award, being listed in the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the lifetime membership in the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce, Winona State University Distinguished Service Award, and the Benedictine Horizon Award. Jerry and his wife, Pat, have been married for 60 years and they have three married children and four outstanding grandchildren. For 57 years, Pat and Jerry and their staff, worked to develop 14 radio stations in five outstate Minnesota markets. They are active Republicans serving at the local, state, and national level. Last July, Jerry reached his 91st birthday.
Lasallian Service Award
Jim Izzo B’75
Jim Izzo B’75 graduated summa cum laude with a double major in history and political science at Saint Mary’s 50th commencement. In college, he was a member of Phi Alpha Theta (history honor society) and Pi Gamma Mu (international social studies honor society). He also proudly co-captained the wrestling team and served as president of Tau Kappa Epsilon. After graduating, he began a 44-year teaching career at Montini High School in Lombard, Il., where he served as teacher, student government moderator, class moderator, department chair, alumni moderator, coach, and athletic director before retiring in 2019. Throughout his career, Izzo lived the Lasallian mission, fostering character development in the many students he worked with along the way. He was awarded with Montini’s Lasallian Educator of the Year Award in 1994, was named Illinois Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1998, and was elected to both Montini’s and the Illinois Wrestling Coaches’ Hall of Fame. He has dedicated his life to serving and providing a Lasallian example to the thousands of young people with whose lives he came into contact.
Outstanding Young Alumnus
David Dahlstrom B’10
Hailing from Rochester, Minn., David Dahlstrom B’10 attended Saint Mary’s to study business and continue playing his lifelong passion, baseball. After an on-campus interview with Hormel Foods in 2008, he interned for the company the following summer and started full-time in the accounting department after graduation. In February 2022, Dahlstrom assumed the role of director of investor relations for Hormel Foods. In this role, he has numerous responsibilities including building and strengthening relationships with the investment community, leading the preparation and presentation of quarterly earnings materials, and communicating insight to executive management regarding company perception. Dahlstrom’s roots run deep at Saint Mary’s. His wife (Lindsey B’11), sister (Samantha B’12), and brother-in-law (Samuel B’12) all attended the university, and he cares deeply about keeping the strong talent pipeline between Saint Mary’s University and Hormel Foods alive and thriving. He returns to campus frequently to assist with career fairs, mock interviews, in-classroom presentations, fundraising events, and the business department’s strategies competition. He and Lindsey reside in Austin, Minn., with their three young children: Augie, Coralie, and Eddie.