STAC Honored John and Donna Azarian and Sr. Peggy Scarano, O.P. at its Annual Tribute Dinner

St. Thomas Aquinas College bestowed the prestigious Aquinas Medal upon John and Donna Azarian and the Founders Award upon Sr. Peggy Scarano, O.P. ’70, at its Annual Tribute Dinner on Friday, October 14, 2016 at the Pearl River Hilton (NY), announced Dr. Margaret M. Fitzpatrick S.C., president of the College.

John is the co-founder and CEO of The Azarian Group, L.L.C., a commercial real estate management and development company, and the owner of Azarian Realty Co., a commercial real estate brokerage firm. Donna is the owner of Azarian Agency, an insurance and financial services company, and the owner of Azarian Associates, a full service accounting firm. John and Donna have been involved with St. Thomas Aquinas College for many years. They formed The Azarian Family Scholarship at the College, awarding annual scholarships to deserving students, and continue the legacy of the Azarian-McCullough Art Gallery, which was donated by Barbara Azarian McCullough and her husband Paul. John is a member of the College’s Board of Trustees, serving on several boards, as well as an adjunct professor in the School of Business. John and Donna give generously of their time and talents to many organizations in their community and are active members of their church.

Sister Peggy has been a Dominican Sister of Sparkill for 52 years, and is a Regional Representative for SOAR! (Support Our Aging Religious), a national organization whose mission is to “raise and provide funds for Catholic religious congregations of women and men to meet the immediate needs of their retired and infirm members.” Previously, she was the Director of Development for the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill (NY) and is a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas Aquinas College. The Founders Award recognizes Sister Peggy’s tireless dedication to the ideals and values of the College’s founders, the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill. She is recognized as an exemplar of the College’s motto, “Enlighten the mind through truth.”

“Our honorees are exemplary role models in their careers and community, and the College is pleased to recognize and honor such outstanding individuals,” comments Dr. Fitzpatrick. “They are long-time supporters of St. Thomas Aquinas College and our students and alumni are the beneficiaries of their involvement with the institution.”

Proceeds from the dinner benefit academically worthy and financially needy students through the Azarian Family Scholarship and the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill Scholarship Fund. Please contact Linda LoRe, director of community relations, for information at llore@stac.edu or 845-398-4018.

More About Mr. & Mrs. John and Donna Azarian

As the co-founder and CEO of The Azarian Group, L.L.C., John owns, manages and develops 19 shopping centers, 17 in Northern New Jersey and two in New York State, including two office buildings, one medical building and one apartment complex. The Azarian Group's properties total approximately 1,100,000 square feet in size and include approximately 350 tenants. John is also the owner of Azarian Realty Co., and specializes in the leasing and property management of commercial properties. He is a licensed real estate broker in the states of New Jersey and New York. John has also acted as a court appointed rent receiver / property manager for shopping centers, apartment buildings and residential condominium complexes. He is presently working on several such assignments as well as acting as Property Manager for several properties for a major regional bank.

John graduated from Saddle River Day School, Saddle River, New Jersey (SRDS) and Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, where he was active in numerous clubs and activities, including his role as Editor of the school newspaper, "The Gauntlet”.

John is a member of the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas Aquinas College. He is a Member of the Development, Audit, and Aquinas Medal committees and President of the Investment and Finance committee. He is a member of the Planning Committee for the annual Aquinas Medal Dinner Dance and he has also served as a guest lecturer for numerous business classes at STAC. John is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at STAC where he teaches a weekly undergraduate class. The Azarian Group, L.L.C. is an MBA Business Partner of STAC.

John is a member of the Advisory Board of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey. He and Donna are board members of Hope and Heroes Children's Cancer Foundation at Columbia Medical Center in New York City. Hope and Heroes' mission is to "support and expand existing programs and therapies, develop new initiatives and enhance the research that is vital to continuing the fight against pediatric cancer and blood disorders."

Both John and Donna have been active members of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), attending numerous conferences, seminars, conventions, institutes and other professional forums on shopping center and commercial real estate matters. They have both attended and graduated from ICSC sponsored educational seminars and programs including the University of Shopping Centers and Management Institute I and Management Institute II. John was awarded the prestigious Certified Shopping Center Manager (CSM) designation from the ICSC in 1991, and was awarded the CRX designation from ICSC in 2013.

As the owner of Azarian Agency, an insurance and financial services company, Donna is affiliated with A+ rated companies and holds insurance licenses for Life, Accident, Health or Sickness, Personal Lines, and Property and Casualty. She is also a licensed real estate broker in New Jersey, specializing in leasing and property management of commercial properties. Donna graduated from William Paterson University (NJ) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Women’s Studies.

Donna is a member of the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE), a member of the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce (NJ), a member of the West Essex Chamber of Commerce (NJ), and the Vice President of the John M. Azarian Memorial Armenian Youth Scholarship Fund, a non-profit organization. She is a past member of the Washington School PTO, the Wyckoff Service Unit Team of Lenni Lenape Girl Scouts, leader of the Washington School Daisy Troop #1059 and Brownie Girl Scout Troop #481, and a past member and Sunday School teacher at St. Mary’s Armenian Church, Livingston, New Jersey. She is an active member of St. Leon's Armenian Church, Fair Lawn, New Jersey where she served as a Sunday School teacher and Pageant Director. She is also a past member of the Saddle River Day School Auction Committee, Development Committee, Upper School Liaison and has served as a member of the school's 50th Anniversary Committee, as well as President of the Saddle River Day School Parents' Guild. She is a past President of the Shadow Lake Club Association, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. In 2010 John and Donna were the honorees at the annual Saddle River Day School Auction / Dinner Dance.

John and Donna have four children. Their son, John III, attends St. Thomas Aquinas College.

More About Sister Peggy A. Scarano, O.P., B.S., M.S.

Sister Peggy was born and raised in the Morris Park section of The Bronx, NY. She is a graduate of Our Lady of Solace Grade School and St. Helena High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from St. Thomas Aquinas College, a Master of Science in Special Education from Manhattan College and a NYS certificate in Educational Administration from Fordham University.

In 1964, Sister Peggy entered the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill congregation. She began her career as a first grade teacher, special education (reading) teacher, and as a principal of a Catholic elementary school. Since leaving full time teaching in 1986, Sister Peggy has been involved in the ministry of fund-raising, first for another Dominican congregation of women and then as the Director of Development for her own congregation. Sister Peggy has been an active member of the National Catholic Development Conference, serving on several of its board committees, teaching in their Fundamentals and More Program, and presenting both locally and nationally on varying fund-raising topics, as well as mentoring professionals new to the ministry of development.

Sr. Peggy has served on several committees for the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill. She has recently been reappointed to the Leviticus Fund’s Board of Directors and serves as the chairperson of their Development Committee. She is president of the Board of Directors for Mustard Seed Migrant Ministry, a non-profit in Orange County, NY that responds to the needs of the Latino/Mexican farm-working community. During the past 30 years, Sister has been actively involved in the Rockland Development Council, Inc. She was instrumental in bringing the “Leave a Legacy” program to Rockland County (NY).

Sister Peggy has received several recognitions including: Outstanding Graduate from Our Lady of Solace Grade School, Bronx, NY, the Distinguished Service Award from the National Catholic Development Conference, and a Life-Time Achievement Award from the Rockland Development Council. An award named in her honor is presented annually at the Philanthropy Day celebration in Rockland County. She was inducted into the St. Thomas Aquinas College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2006.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located in Sparkill, Rockland County, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions and is included on the Military Friendly Schools® listing. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assemble for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.