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Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame

2024 Inductee

Mr. Barry Wilford, Inducted on April 26, 2024

Mr. Wilford poses in front of NRHS students as he is inducted into the NRHS Hall of Fame

Mr. Wilford was an NRHS graduate of the class of 1969. Since his time at NRHS, Mr. Wilford has taken his NRHS education very far. An academic scholarship admission to Washington; Lee University in Lexington, VA, he played intercollegiate basketball and graduated in 1973. He was commissioned and served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the USAR, and honorably discharged in 1982. He attended Capital University School of Law in Columbus, OH, where he was an editor of the law review and a member of the moot court team. As a lawyer, he served as a law clerk for the Ohio Court of Appeals before joining the felony trial staff at the Franklin County Public Defender in 1980. He entered private legal practice in 1987, as trial and appellate defense counsel in felony and capital cases. In 1996, he co-founded a small defense firm specializing in representation of Ohio inmates in parole, clemency and court proceedings from which over 350 clients were released from prison, including 75 serving life sentences. He was elected President of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in 2006, and served as the statehouse lobbyist for the organization from 2000-2017, testifying frequently on criminal justice legislation pending before the Ohio legislature. He received the “Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year” award by that organization in 2012. He retired from active legal practice in 2020, and enjoys active retirement in Columbus with his wife Julie Van De Mark in their German Village home.

Past Hall of Fame Recipients

1988
Cindy Traut (Class of 1972) 

1989
Father Allan Laubenthal (Class of 1952)

1990
Jay Blackshire (Class of 1981)

1991
Michael Alfultis (Class of1978)
Betty Davis (Class of 1966)
William Gardner (Class of 1965)

1992
Ronald Bauer (Class of 1964)
James Hull (Class of 1965)

1993
Jerry Canterbury (Class of 1981)
Robert Hutchinson (Class of 1965)
Carl Noll (Class of 1963)

1994
Patricia Drapcho (Class of 1971)
Walter Hoffstetter (Class of 1964)

1995
Curt Bolin (Class of 1963)
Karen Cochran (Class of 1973)

1996
Dana Bowman (Class of 1981)
Russell DiNardo (Class of 1985)
Sandra Gast (Class of 1972)
Barbara Finegan (Class of 1930)

1997
William Comerford (Class of 1959)
Jill MacGiven (Class of 1981)

1998
June Yost (Class of 1955)
Kenneth Noll (Class of 1975)

1999
Doug Beach (Class of 1988)

2000
Robert DiFranco (Class of 1964)
LuAnn Light (Class of 1976)

2001
Bernadine Noll Butkowski (Class of 1961)
Wayne Dieterich (Class of 1950)

2002
Charles Hobaugh (Class of 1980)   
David Traut (Class of 1973)                               

2003
Robert Solomon (Class of 1961)

2004
Richard Noll (Class of 1945)
Spencer Myer (Class of 1996)

2005
Dan Stimmel (Class of 1985)





 

2006
Marcus Alexander (Class of 1993)
Dana Thomas (Class of 1974)

2007
Harold Lovell (Class of 1954)

2008
Tom Dake II (Class of 2000)

2009
Jennifer Bogner (Class of 1979)
David Siler (Class of 1992)
Scott Smith (Class of 1985)

2010
Deanna L. Hill (Class of 1962)
Amy Kirk (Class of 1988)

2011
Petrea Hansen Bianca (Class of 1976)
Sheila Hart Fowler (Class of 1980)

2012
Ray Diederich( Class of 1947)
Martin DeVries (Class of 1990)

2013
Dan Mordarski (Class of 1984)
Colonel Daniel Smith (Class of 1989)

2014
Jennifer Owens-Sonneschein (Class of 1985)
Glen Woodard (Class of 1984)

2015
Adam Hill (Class of 1996)
Michael Sheehan (Class of 1979)

2016
Calvin Cross (Class of 1990)
Amanda Jean Mangan (Class of 1999)

2017
Donald Schiffbauer (Class of 1992)
Christopher Winslow (Class of 1993)

2018   
Amy Kullik (Class of 1991)
James Gemelas (Class of 1987)

2019
David Bogner (Class of 1985)
Christopher Roseman (Class of 1990)

2020
Eugene Kleinholz (Class of 1971)
Nicole Dyer (Class of 1994)

2021
Hailey Bryson (Class of 2008)
Daniel J. Fronczak (Class of 1993)

2022
Kathy Bly (Class of 1975)
Brittany Marnio (Class of 2004)

2023
Gerald Innes (Class of 1968)
Robyn Kuffa Ringwall (Class of 1995)

Hall of Fame Nomination Criteria

The North Ridgeville High School Academic Recognition Committee is accepting nominations for the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame induction. 

Nominations are accepted on a rolling basis, but in order to be considered for induction in the Spring of 2025, the deadline is  March 1, 2025.

In order to be considered, candidates must fit the following criteria:

  1. Must have graduated at least five years before being considered for selection. 

  2. Must be a person of good character demonstrating high moral standards, and be a positive role model. 

  3. Should have attained stellar achievement, active community or national involvement, and received significant honors and awards. 

  4. A respected leader in his/her profession. Involved in career-related activities. 

  5. Must have contributed significantly through his/her professional or personal life to the betterment of society.

Nominations for the Alumni Hall of Fame should include the following information:

  • Alumnus name

  • Current address

  • Year of graduation from North Ridgeville High School 

  • Current occupation

  • Biographical information about the nominee listing distinguishing honors, community service and other accomplishments.

  • The nomination must also include the nominator's name, address, and phone number.

Nominations can be submitted via Google Form (click here), which is also located on the district website.

Additional documents, articles and artifacts should be sent to nrhsoffice@nrcs.net, or mailed to NRHS, c/o Hall of Fame, 34600 Bainbridge Rd. 44039.