St. Dominic School Hall of Fame 2022

St. Dominic School Hall of Fame 2022

Four outstanding members of our community were honored during the St. Dominic School Hall of Fame ceremony Thursday, February 24, at the Sally Davis Hook Theatre. The St. Dominic School Hall of Fame, established in 2016, recognizes members of the SDS community that have made a significant impact on the growth of the school and the successes of its students.

The 2022 Inductees were alumni Jim McCullough ’77 and Fred Montesi III ’68, former SAA-SDS President Barbara H. Daush, O.P.A., and Board Chair Emerita Diane Smith. They are individually pillars of the Memphis community, woven into the fabric that makes SAA-SDS an outstanding Catholic school where all students can thrive.

2022 St. Dominic School Hall of Fame Honorees:

 Jim McCullough, ’77:

Jim McCullough graduated from St. Dominic in 1977 and went on to complete his education at Christian Brothers High School and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Currently a Senior Vice President in the Commercial Banking Division at Truist Bank, Jim has been a fixture in the banking community of Memphis for over 36 years. He is on the board of the Urban Land Institute Memphis Chapter, a group of land use professionals with a shared vision to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. He also serves on the board of Lambda Alpha International Memphis Chapter which focuses on the study of land economics. Jim has been an outstanding contributor and ambassador for the mission of St. Dominic School, serving on the Board of Directors from 2012-2021. As the parent of two sons, Walker ‘10 and Will ’12, Jim spent countless hours coaching sports on campus and volunteering--participating in fundraisers, search committees and more.  Jim and his wife Leanne currently have an 8^thgrade niece and nephew who attend SAA-SDS.

Fred Montesi III, ’68:

Upon graduating from St. Dominic School, Fred Montesi attended Christian Brothers High School and Southern Methodist University where he earned a degree in Marketing and Finance. He started his career in the family grocery business with Liberty Cash Grocers and Fred Montesi Supermarkets, and his entrepreneurial spirit eventually led him to own Southern Stores, the largest franchisee of BlockBuster Stores. Currently, Fred is Managing Partner of ANCONA Partners.  He is not only an alum, but also a parent of a St. Dominic graduate. He served on the SAA-SDS Board of Trustees from 2011-2016 and is a long-time generous supporter of SAA-SDS. Fred has been a leader in the Memphis community serving on the charitable and civic boards of SAA-SDS, CBHS, CBU, The Children's Museum, Financial Federal, City Gear, Vero Logistics LLC, and the Advisory Board of 5th 3rd Bank.  He and his wife Pamela have two children, Nikki, and Eric ’98. He is now proud grandfather to a 2-year-old grandson, who shares his name.

Barbara H. Daush, O.P.A. Former SAA-SDS President:

Barbara Daush has dedicated 42 years of her life to independent school education in Memphis and Tennessee, serving 22 of those years as President of St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School. Her visionary leadership at SAA-SDS transformed the campus through two multimillion-dollar capital and endowment campaigns. Under her direction, the school became a leader in technology integration and was named an Apple Distinguished School for 12 consecutive years. During her tenure at SAA-SDS, Barbara was elected by her peers to Chair the boards of the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools, and the Memphis Association of Independent Schools. She also served in several capacities for the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association. Barbara is currently the Practice Leader for the Catholic Schools Practice of Carney Sandoe & Associates.  Barbara is a Dominican Associate of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, a Eucharistic minister at St. Louis Church, and serves on the Boards of Madonna Learning Center and the Assisi Foundation. Barbara and her husband Mike have two sons who are SDS graduates, Bobby ’98 and John, ‘00, and they are proud grandparents to five current SAA-SDS students: Robert, Luke, Lizzie, Lottie, and Heidi.

Diane Smith, Board Chair Emerita:

With a long history of involvement on our campus Diane Smith has made a difference in the education of countless students. Her leadership on the St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School Board of Trustees and her generosity have helped guide SAA-SDS to become a true beacon in the Memphis community.  As Chair of the SAA-SDS Creating the Dream Together Capital Campaign she was instrumental in developing the campus master plan and bringing the vision to life - building upon and renovating the campus to include many of the buildings we enjoy today: Siena Hall, the R.D. “Johnny” Davis Early Childhood Center, the Veritas Research Center, and a renovated St. Dominic lower school building. A generous SAA-SDS contributor for more than 35 years, her philanthropy and community involvement extend throughout the Memphis area. The same vision she used to drive the Capital Campaign at SAA-SDS served her well as Co-Chair of the Memphis Zoo Board of Directors, where she led the transformation of the facility into the internationally recognized zoo that it is today. Diane and her husband Fred have ten children, eight of whom graduated from SAA-SDS: Wendy†, Laurie, Stacey ’88, Richard ’92, Kathleen ’97, Arthur ’96, Molly ’99, Rachel ’02, Samantha ’04, and Cannon ’02. Their granddaughter Parish is a member of the SAA Class of 2025.