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DEVELOPM ENT NEWS Mike Daigle ’65 Giving ‘Food for the Soul’ More than a half-century after graduating from Jesuit High School, Mike Daigle ’65 still feels the impact the school made on him during the Civil Rights era. “It was the early ‘60s in the south,” Daigle said “Schools weren’t integrated. I remember colored water fountains. We grew up in the Jim Crow south.” Fortunately for Daigle and his classmates, Jesuit provided a strong foundation. “Jesuit helped guide us through that, exposing us to what an open society could be like, exposing us to literature about the awful impact of segregation, exposing us to discussion in an open forum about civil rights,” Daigle said. “That, plus a deep commitment to growing as an individual in the Catholic faith.” Daigle is far removed from that time. But it helped form the commitment to others, and the commitment to giving back, that marks his life today. After graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in chemical engineering, Daigle, who was on an ROTC scholarship, spent four years in the military in Germany and then earned a graduate degree in civil engineering from Georgia Tech. He eventually landed employment back in Florida in the phosphate industry, with what would become The Mosaic Company, the world’s largest producer of phosphate products. Retired in 2016, Daigle has been dedicated to helping feed needy children in an impoverished area of Hillsborough County through Project Smile, which provides backpacks fi lled with food for the weekend. He also has been generous in giving back to Jesuit. “I always believed that my success in life was formulated at Jesuit.” Daigle said. Mike Daigle ’65 “I wanted to do something to recognize the sacrifi ce my parents made so I could go to school there.” Daigle learned that he would have to make a mandatory distribution from his IRA at age 70.5, but that it would not be taxed if it was donated to a 501(c)3 such as Jesuit. Daigle’s generous donation to the school will be recognized with the dedication of a counseling wing, as part of the school’s campus master plan, which is made possible by the ‘For Greater Glory’ capital campaign. “It always stuck with me – giving of your ‘time, talent, and treasure.’” Daigle said. “I always wanted, in the back of my mind, to give back to Jesuit. “Giving back is food for the soul.” Board of Trustees adds four new members Jesuit High School announced this summer four new members to the school’s Board of Trustees: Chris Diaz ’85, Fr. Douglas Hypolite, S.J., Allan S. Martin, P ’09, and Andrew Rey Jr. ’77. They each will serve three-year terms. Diaz joins the Board as the new president of the Jesuit High School Foundation, Inc. He is the Executive VP-Business Development for Seminole Financial Services and is responsible for the identifi cation, evaluation, and negotiation of renewable energy fi nance transactions focusing on solar and wind projects. Fr. Hypolite is a teacher at Strake Jesuit in Houston who has served Jesuit in Tampa twice, fi rst in the 1980s – he was Principal for three years, from 1982-85 – and then for more than a decade from 2002-15, serving the school in multiple capacities. Martin is CEO of Atlantic Merchant Capital Investors 34 JESUIT PERSPECTIVES • FALL 2017 and the former CEO of Mortgage Contracting Services. He was a founding investor of 2017-18 Jesuit High School Board of Trustees Mr. Joseph Caballero ’86 (Chairman) Rev. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. (President) Mr. James T. Burt ’74 Mr. Joseph Capitano Jr. ’84 Mr. W. Penn Dawson, S.J. Mr. Chris Diaz ’85 Mrs. Laura Alessi DeLucia, P ’05, ’08 Rev. Paul Deutsch, S.J. Rev. Vincent Giacabazi, S.J. Rev. Randall Gibbens, S.J. Rev. Douglas Hypolite, S.J. Mr. Allan S. Martin, P ’09 Mr. Brian Mooney ’81 Mr. Julio C. Muniz ’70 Mr. Andrew Rey Jr. ’77 USAmeriBank in Tampa and has served on the Board of Metropolitan Ministries and the Raphael Foundation. Rey Jr. is an Audit Partner at PwC with 30 years in the accounting industry. He has decades of experience with public and private companies, and high net worth individuals involved in entertainment, manufacturing and services industries, including major sports teams. He maintains CPA licenses in Florida, Georgia, New York, and New Jersey. Chris Diaz ’85 Fr. Douglas Hypolite, S.J. Allan S. Martin, P ’09 Andrew Rey Jr. ’77 Mr. R.J. Robbins Jr. ’77


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