Margaret Eberhardt, President of the Board of the Milton Foundation for Education (MFE) has announced that this year’s Milton High School graduate honorees are Ken Quigley, President of Curry College (MHS ‘75) and John (MHS ’55) and Maritta Cronin, lifelong Milton residents and community leaders. Maritta Cronin attended Milton Public Schools as a child and is a retired Milton school teacher. In honor of her unwavering commitment to the Town of Milton and the Milton Public Schools, Maritta Cronin will be made an honorary graduate of Milton High School by Superintendent of Schools, Mary Gormley at a ceremony to be held at a later date. Eberhardt praised the honorees, saying “We are so pleased to be honoring Milton High Alumni Curry College President Ken Quigley and John and Maritta Cronin at this year’s Celebration for Education. They each exemplify the qualities and mission of the Milton Public Schools: Respect, Achievement and Citizenship. Their dedication and generous spirits are gifts to the town and are what make Milton a special place to live and learn.”
Each year the Milton Foundation for Education recognizes exceptional Milton High School graduates at its annual Celebration for Education fundraiser. This year’s event, “Livewire,” will bring the spirit of technology and innovation to life, March 9 at the Boston Marriott, Quincy. Co-chairs Anne Gatnik and Anacristina Kenney promise a dazzling evening of entertainment, with dinner, music, and live and silent auctions for over 800 supporters of the Milton Public Schools. Funds raised at this and next year’s event will be dedicated to providing innovative, cross curriculum technology in all six Milton Public Schools.
About the Honorees – “Respect, Achievement, Citizenship”
Kenneth K. Quigley, Jr.
Kenneth K. Quigley, Jr. is the 14th president of Curry College in Milton, Massachusetts, having served in that role since 1996.
After graduating from Milton High School in 1975, he went onto graduate from the Boston College School of Management (1979), and the Villanova University School of Law (1982). He is a recipient of the Boston College Alumni Achievement Award for Excellence in Education and also holds an honorary degree from Quincy College.
During the term of Mr. Quigley’s presidency at Curry College, student enrollments have tripled and the College has completed an aggressive building campaign of residential and academic buildings, as well as achieving significant growth in its endowment. The College has also added both undergraduate and graduate degrees during that period.
In addition to his duties at Curry College, President Quigley currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the recognized accrediting body for all colleges and K-12 in New England. Additionally, he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Xaverian Brothers High School and as an Honorary Director of the Cape Code Baseball League. He has previously served as the Chairman of the Board and Executive Committee member of the Associated Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts, the South Shore Chamber of Commerce and other Not-For-Profit groups. He is committed to ensuring that Curry College is a good neighbor in Milton and has been a dedicated supporter of the Milton Foundation for Education and many other local organizations.
John and Maritta Cronin
John and Maritta Cronin are lifelong residents of Milton who have shown an unwavering commitment to enhancing life in Milton for all of its residents. They are truly a Milton power couple. After graduating from Milton High School, John went on to graduate from Tufts University. He chose to return to Milton upon graduation, where he served the Town of Milton as Town Administrator for over 34 years. In addition to his role in civic life in Milton, Mr. Cronin has devoted his time as a volunteer in numerous roles. He has spent over 43 years on the Board of Directors of the Environmental League of Massachusetts and has been a member (and past President) for over 43 years on the board of the Neponset River Watershed Association. He spent over forty years in numerous capacities in the Boy Scouts of America, Greater Boston Council from Scoutmaster to District Chair and Council Board Member. He is currently an honorary overseer at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society and has been an indefatigable volunteer for local elections and ballot initiatives; government study advisory groups and anything that will impact life in Milton. He currently serves on the Milton Fuller Housing Board and friends would say he is an unofficial Milton Historian, having a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of Milton’s history and its people.
Maritta Cronin is “Milton’s daughter.” A member of the Manning Family, Mrs. Cronin grew up on her family’s working dairy farm – Thatcher Farm. To this day she serves as Ambassador to the family business. Upon graduation from Notre Dame Academy, she married John Cronin and together they raised three boys, all of whom graduated from Milton High School. She had a wonderful career as a teacher in the Milton Public Schools from 1987-2001, all while generously giving her time to many worthwhile local organizations including serving as a Town Meeting Member for over 50 years with perfect attendance. She serves, or has served, on the boards of the Milton Performing Arts, Friends of the Blue Hills, The Village School, Brookwood Community Farm, The Milton Farmers Market, MRE, Inc. (current board member, past Chairman of the Board), Meals on Wheels, Milton Campership Fund, and Milton Hospital Board, among others. She was a devoted Boy Scout den mother for her boys and their friends, leading a number through Eagle Scout. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Milton Public Library Association. And if you ask any child in Milton, she is the lady who treats every child at the Milton Farmers Market to a cup of delicious Thatcher Farm chocolate milk.
About the Milton Foundation for Education (MFE)
Established in 1995, the MFE is an independent, non-profit organization, separate from the Milton Public Schools. The Foundation works to make possible innovative programs and opportunities that are beyond the reach of the Milton Public Schools budget. The MFE supports all children in all grades in all six Milton Public Schools.
For more information about the MFE and LiveWire, visit www.miltonfoundationforeducation.org and you can “like” us on Facebook. Invitations will arrive in the mail and tickets to Livewire will be available for purchase online the first week in February.