Alumni Awards

Join USF for an evening reception as we celebrate the incredible achievements of our 2026 award recipients on Saturday, Nov. 7.

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John Francis Nicolai is an accomplished international tax executive, alumnus, and Chairman Emeritus of the University of San Francisco. During a distinguished 37-year career with Ernst & Young (EY), he held senior leadership positions across the United States and Asia, working in nearly 100 countries. He served as managing partner of EY's San Francisco office before relocating to Hong Kong to lead the firm's Far East tax practice. Following his retirement as a partner in 2009, he continued as a consultant to EY through 2011.

Today, Nicolai serves as a trustee of the Thelma Doelger Charitable Trust and the Doelger Charitable Foundation. Since 2025, he has also served on the Board of Directors of Andersen Group Inc., where he chairs the Compensation Committee.

A lifelong San Franciscan, Nicolai grew up in St. Francis Wood in a family with deep ties to USF. He attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory before enrolling at USF in 1968. As an accounting major, he was a member of the Alpha Delta Gamma fraternity and spent his junior year studying at Loyola University's John Felice Rome Center in Italy. That experience sparked a lifelong appreciation for art, music, travel, and global cultures.

Nicolai credits his Jesuit education with instilling the values of integrity, compassion, and service that have guided both his personal life and professional career. He is a strong advocate for people-centered leadership and believes USF prepares graduates to lead with collaboration, purpose, and ethical responsibility.

A dedicated university leader, Nicolai has served on the USF Board of Trustees since 2002 across two terms spanning two decades. As chair of the Finance Committee, he helped guide the university through the Great Recession of 2008. From 2019 to 2022, he served as Chairman of the Board, providing steady leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic while overseeing the university through an unprecedented period of change. He currently serves as Chairman Emeritus and remains active on the Finance, Investment, and Campaign Advisory Committees. Most recently, he co-led the search for USF's 29th president.

John and his wife, Claudette '84, have been married for more than 50 years and enjoy golfing, hiking, and spending time with their family.

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Jeanne Hahne, BSN ’75, is an innovative nurse leader, entrepreneur, inventor, and hospital chaplain whose career has been defined by a commitment to improving patient care through empathy, communication, and innovation.

After graduating from the University of San Francisco School of Nursing in 1975, Jeanne earned a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida, where she was later recognized with the 2022 Dorothy M. Smith Nursing Leadership Award for Excellence in Innovation.

Inspired by her early work on a burn unit, Jeanne recognized that standard protective masks created barriers to human connection. To bridge this gap, she envisioned and patented the FaceView Mask, a groundbreaking transparent surgical mask that enhances communication, particularly for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, older adults, children, vulnerable patients, and the general public.

As founder and CEO of FaceView Mask, LLC, Jeanne secured National Institutes of Health funding, published peer-reviewed research, and brought thousands of transparent surgical masks to market. Her work has received national media attention and earned the endorsement of Dr. Paul Ekman, the world's foremost authority on facial expression.

A recognized thought leader, Jeanne has presented at local and international nursing conferences and for the Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Loss, sharing her expertise on innovation, communication, and patient-centered care.

Today, Jeanne continues her legacy of compassion and service as a hospital chaplain at Rogue Regional Medical Center. Beyond her professional accomplishments, she is a proud wife and mother, a table tennis champion, and had the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a San Francisco Giants game.

Throughout her career, Jeanne has exemplified the University of San Francisco's mission to change the world through leadership, innovation, and a deep commitment to the dignity and well-being of others.

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Arthur Tay is Chairman and CEO of the SUTL Group of Companies, where he oversees the company's operations across Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region. Under his leadership, SUTL has grown into a diversified enterprise spanning leisure, lifestyle, and consumer goods, with its Consumer Goods division serving as a key supply chain and logistics partner across more than 30 markets in Asia.

An accomplished entrepreneur, Arthur is the visionary behind ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove, Singapore, the first marina in Southeast Asia to receive the prestigious Platinum Gold Anchor Award from the Marina Industries Association (MIA) in 2022. A lifelong boater and diver, he recognized the need for world-class marina infrastructure to support the region's expanding superyacht community. Today, SUTL Enterprise, a subsidiary of the SUTL Group, remains the only marina business listed on the Singapore Exchange.

Committed to environmental stewardship, Arthur champions coastal and ocean conservation initiatives and launched the inaugural Blue Water EduFest in 2022 to promote sustainability and marine education. In 2024, he assumed ownership of the Singapore Yachting Festival, building it into a premier regional event that brings together global brands, industry leaders, and luxury lifestyle audiences while strengthening Singapore's position as a leading yachting destination.

Arthur serves on the Board of Directors of the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) and is Chairman of the Singapore Boating Industry Association (SBIA), the leading voice for Singapore's recreational marine sector.

A University of San Francisco alumnus, Arthur also studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and Golden Gate University. He is an avid sportsman who enjoys diving, yachting, skiing, and golf, and lives with his wife and twin daughters.

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Dr. Lena Miller is a nationally recognized innovator in applying trauma-informed approaches to some of society's most pressing challenges, including homelessness, addiction, mental health, and public safety. She is the founder of Urban Alchemy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming people and places through love, respect, and healing. Under her leadership, Urban Alchemy has built the nation's largest community-based public safety programs, serving communities across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Atlanta, Birmingham, Santa Fe, and Denver.

Drawing on her expertise in psychology, education, and community activism, Dr. Miller has developed human-centered programs that help municipalities address homelessness and public safety while reducing crime and supporting long-term community stability. Before founding Urban Alchemy, she established and led Hunters Point Family, an organization that provided youth development, education, workforce development, violence prevention, reentry, arts, entrepreneurship, and environmental programs.

Dr. Miller earned her doctorate in psychology from the University of San Francisco. A longtime San Franciscan, she remains committed to helping communities heal, restore dignity, and create safer, more compassionate public spaces.

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Coach Jerome Gumbs '06 is the founder and CEO of Empower ME Academy (EMA), a nationally recognized nonprofit that transforms youth sports into a platform for leadership, character, and belonging. A former University of San Francisco basketball captain and professional basketball player, Gumbs has dedicated his career to proving that great coaches don't simply develop athletes—they develop people.

Born and raised on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gumbs credits his mother with instilling the values of service, integrity, faith, and perseverance that continue to guide his leadership. He also credits the coaches who changed the trajectory of his life—from Coach Cyril Benjamin, who introduced him to basketball and mentorship at age seven, to Coach Tinsley in Kentucky and USF Head Coach Phil Mathews, whose scholarship opened the door to higher education and a lifelong commitment to serving others.

After earning his business degree from USF and playing professional basketball in Europe for eight seasons, Gumbs returned to the Bay Area determined to create the youth sports experience he wanted for his own son—and ultimately for every child. He founded Empower ME Academy in 2013 on the belief that sports are among the world's greatest classrooms for developing leaders.

Since then, EMA has impacted thousands of young people across the Bay Area by combining elite basketball instruction with leadership development, social-emotional learning, and mentorship. Under Gumbs' leadership, the organization has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition assistance, ensuring children from all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to life-changing opportunities.

In 2025, Gumbs joined Stuart Hall High School as an assistant varsity basketball coach and will become the program's head coach in 2027, continuing his mission of developing servant leaders while building a championship culture.

Following the loss of both his mother and sister in 2024, Gumbs has remained steadfast in his commitment to serving young people, believing every child deserves a coach who sees their potential before they see it themselves.

Receiving the Living the Mission Award is especially meaningful because it honors the investment others made in him. Today, Gumbs strives to be for every child what his mother, Coach Benjamin, Coach Tinsley, Coach Mathews, and the University of San Francisco community were for him: people who believed in him before he believed in himself. Guided by his mother's belief that "the true purpose of life is to be of service to others," he continues to inspire young people to become confident leaders, compassionate teammates, and remarkable human beings.

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In 1984, Korean War Marine veterans Sgt. Don Reid, USMC, and Col. Hank Morris, USMC, together with Fr. Ed Malatesta, S.J., co-founded the Ricci Institute, the research arm of the University of San Francisco's Center for the Pacific Rim. The institute played a pivotal role in bringing the renowned 85,000-volume Jesuit East Asian book collection from China to the United States before Hong Kong's return to China. Reid and Morris secured the initial funding to preserve this extraordinary collection and establish it at USF.

In 1987, Don co-founded the University of San Francisco's Center for Asia Pacific Studies with then-President Fr. John Lo Schiavo, S.J. Since its founding, the Center has served as a gateway between San Francisco and the Asia Pacific region, advancing teaching, research, cultural exchange, and dialogue through academic programs, public events, and international partnerships.

During the Center's formation, Don worked closely with U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi to secure federal support and establish the Center's home on Lone Mountain. Following its approval by the USF Board of Trustees in 1988, Don became a trusted advisor and chair of the Center's Board of Trustees, helping build a distinguished board of supporters whose leadership and philanthropy strengthened the Center's national and international reputation.

As a co-founding board member and principal benefactor, Don has helped expand initiatives including the Center for Asia Pacific Studies Fellowship, Summer Stipend Program, and faculty and student exchange programs, particularly with Sogang University. These programs continue to foster scholarship, cross-cultural understanding, and meaningful connections throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Don's dedication to USF has been recognized through numerous honors, including the USF President's Medal in 2005 and the Asia Pacific Leadership Award in 2021, recognizing more than 38 years of service and support. Don and his late wife, Helen, became members of the Ambassadors Society and Diamond Circle and have generously supported students and the Center for decades. Through gifts exceeding $500,000 and a planned commitment of more than $1 million, Don's philanthropy will continue advancing the Center's mission for generations to come.