Honorees
Marie A. Batton
President’s Legacy Award
Notre Dame de Namur University is proud to announce the establishment of the President’s Legacy Award, which will honor extraordinary individuals whose leadership, generosity, vision and commitment to the values of the Sisters of Notre Dame and the university have made a lasting impact on the NDNU community. This prestigious award will publicly recognize individuals who understand the critical importance of providing educational access and academic excellence for all our youth and who have, through their actions and selfless giving, ensured that current and future generations of students have access to a quality education.
This year, we are excited to honor an outstanding member of the NDNU family and our Bay Area community, Marie A. Batton. Marie exemplifies the mission of Notre Dame de Namur University through her many contributions to the university as well as her distinguished history of community and civic involvement.
Marie Lo Buono Batton began her affiliation with NDNU in 1923 as a first grade student when the Sisters of Notre Dame moved the campus to Belmont from San Jose and opened both an elementary and high school in addition to a college. Through the years, Marie has been a generous benefactor of NDNU. From 2004 to 2012, Marie served as a member of the NDNU Board of Trustees and in 2003, she was honored as a member of the Leadership Society for having made lifetime gifts totaling more than $100,000. Marie embraces NDNU’s mission to provide a quality education to those students most in need. “I’m interested in students,” she says. “I would like to help them in any way that I can because we need so many good people in this world and I know they would be good people leaving NDNU.” In 2000 she established the W. F. and Marie Batton Foundation Endowed Scholarship to honor her late husband’s legacy of helping young people. Because of her generosity, future generations of students will enjoy their NDNU education with less financial stress.
Marie’s spirit of giving also extends beyond NDNU. She personally supports many community non-profit organizations, and as president and CEO of the W.F. and Marie Batton Foundation, has made substantial gifts to nonprofit organizations such as the Saint Francis Center, Sequoia Hospital, Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, and Second Harvest Food Bank, just to name a few. She was an active member of the Stanford Children’s Auxiliary for many years and is also a member of the Serra Club.
A petite woman with an unassuming manner, exceptional energy, and an air of timeless elegance, Marie’s selfless philanthropy has touched the lives of countless individuals and charitable organizations throughout the Bay Area. She is a role model and an inspiration, and we are proud to honor this “exceptional NDNU Jewel” with the first Notre Dame de Namur University President’s Legacy Award.
Hon. Rosanne Foust '02
Alumna of Distinction Award
Notre Dame de Namur University is proud to announce the establishment of the NDNU Alumni of Distinction Award, which will honor alumni who have achieved distinction through professional achievements and exceptional community contributions that personify NDNU’s tradition of excellence and service. The award will publicly recognize an alumnus/a who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in his or her personal and professional pursuits and represents the core values of an NDNU education — leadership in service, a deep respect for the individual, and promoting social justice. This individual brings distinction to NDNU, contributes to the betterment of society, and enhances his or her community.
We are excited to present our first NDNU Alumna of Distinction Award to an outstanding member of the NDNU family and Bay Area business community, Rosanne S. Foust ’02. She graduated from NDNU in 2002 with a Master's Degree in Public Administration and currently serves as the president and CEO of the San Mateo Economic Development Association. Rosanne is also a past mayor and current councilmember for the city of Redwood City.
Her professional work includes serving on the boards of multiple organizations such as the NDNU School of Business and Management Advisory Board, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, Peninsula TV, and the Redwood City-San Mateo Chamber of Commerce. In 2009 and 2010, Rosanne was honored by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the “Most Influential Women in Business in the Bay Area.” She was honored by the Redwood City-San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce in 2002 as the Athena Businesswoman of the Year and in 2009 as the Chamber’s “Person of the Year."
Rosanne’s influence in the community and her spirit of giving extends beyond her professional work. She exemplifies NDNU’s core values through her extensive volunteer work in the community. Rosanne is passionate about helping youth, seniors and the disadvantaged, and serves on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations.
Rosanne has been a mentor for NDNU students and has encouraged our students to pursue public service by providing internship opportunities and employment for NDNU graduates. She is an esteemed alumna and an inspirational role model for past, present and future NDNU students.
In addition to her extensive business and community pursuits, Rosanne manages to successfully juggle the demanding personal priorities of a wife and mother. Our honoree is married to Jim Hartnett, former Redwood City mayor, and is the mother of two daughters, Julia and Lydia.
Hon. Mike Nevin
Community Spirit Award
In keeping with Notre Dame de Namur University’s (NDNU) commitment to promoting the values of social justice through community engagement, NDNU established the Community Spirit Award. This award publicly recognizes, on an annual basis, citizens who “live” these values, and who have given selflessly of their time, energy and resources to improve the quality of life for others.
This year, we are honored to present this award posthumously to an outstanding member of our Bay Area community, Michael D. Nevin (1943-2012). Mike exemplified the mission of Notre Dame de Namur University through his distinguished history of community and civic involvement, which included serving as a law enforcement officer, a respected politician, and executive director of a non-profit organization.
A dedicated public servant for five decades, Mike was a force in regional politics and a mentor to a generation of Peninsula officials — but he was known above all for his love of family and friends and for championing the causes of those in most need. He passionately fought injustice and worked tirelessly to bring comfort and support to our community’s most vulnerable residents. At the time of his death, Mike was serving as executive director of the Service League of San Mateo County, helping nonviolent offenders turn their lives around, secure stable housing, and find employment.
An inspirational leader, Mike was elected to the Daly City Council in 1982 and served as mayor of Daly City in 1984 and 1989. Mike was a member of the Daly City Planning Commission from 1979 to 1982. From 1989 to 1992, he served on the Criminal Justice Council of San Mateo County and the Narcotics Task Force, a subcommittee of the Criminal Justice Council. He was a board member on numerous community and nonprofit boards and commissions.
Above and beyond all of his accomplishments, Mike’s greatest sources of pride were his children and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Kathleen, his sons Mike Nevin, Jr. and Tim Nevin, his daughter Michelle Nevin Levine, his father Edward J. Nevin, and five grandchildren.
Previous recipients of the Community Spirit Award include Joseph W. Cotchett, Marie Gallo ’57, Mary Lou ’79 and Joe Putnam, Peter Brusati, Pamela G. Clarke, Dennis Pettinelli and Sr. Roseanne Murphy, SND.