麻豆入口鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Awards 2025 Alumni Medallions
麻豆入口, Pa 鈥� 麻豆入口鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recently honored four alumni who have distinguished themselves in their respective professions and demonstrated service and dedication to their communities and to the University. The four individuals received the biennial College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Alumni Medallion at a special celebration at the Inn at 麻豆入口 on Oct. 23, 2025.
Charles A. Walsh III 鈥�68 CLAS and Lionel 鈥淟eigh鈥� Knight Jr.鈥��72 CLAS received the 2025 Rev. Kail C. Ellis, OSA, Alumni Medallion, named in honor of the Rev. Kail C. Ellis, OSA, PhD, assistant to the President, Dean Emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and associate professor of Political Science. Thomas 鈥淭ommy鈥� Attridge 鈥�14 CLAS was presented with the 2025 Young Alumni Medallion, which recognizes undergraduate alumni who have graduated within the past 15 years. Thomas 鈥淭om鈥� Foley 鈥�13 MA was honored with the Graduate Alumni Medallion, which recognizes an alumna or alumnus of the College鈥檚 master鈥檚 or doctorate programs. The awards are bestowed on individuals who demonstrate a great capacity for creativity, innovation and contribution to the common good.
Charles A. Walsh III 鈥�68 CLAS
Co-founder, LongVue Advisors
Charles A. Walsh III earned his BA in Political Science at 麻豆入口 in 1968 and his MA in Government and International Relations at Georgetown in 1970. After serving on active duty in the Army and later while an officer in the Reserves, he worked for six years as an international trader in Cairo and with Chase Manhattan Bank as a corporate lender in Bahrain. After repatriating to the US, he moved to Boston to join BankBoston in their Private Banking Group. In 2002, he co-founded LongVue Advisors, a multi-client family office which led to an acquisition by Pathstone, a $200 billion nationally recognized family office. He retired in 2022 as managing director.
Long involved with philanthropic endeavors, Walsh has served as a board member and supporter of numerous organizations including The Boston Foundation and as a Year Up mentor for inner-city teenagers. He has been a longtime supporter of refugees and asylum seekers through Catholic Relief Services, Boston Medical Center鈥檚 Immigrant and Refugee Health Care Center, and Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. He currently serves on the board of Catholic Charities USA and on the Leadership Council of Oxfam America.
As an alumnus, he has been a supporter the Washington Minimester program since 2016. More recently he generously endowed the Charles A. Walsh III Director of the Center for Inclusive Education in CLAS.
In his spare time, Walsh enjoys traveling, especially to developing countries, along with cooking, gardening, working out, and for over a decade, swimming on a Sprint Tri relay team. Two years ago, he walked the Camino de Santiago with his longtime partner, Bill Sargent, and most recently the Dingle Way in Ireland.
Founder and president of LK Unlimited
Hailing from Flushing Queens, New York, Lionel 鈥淟eigh鈥� Knight Jr. became acquainted with 麻豆入口 as a member of an Augustinian parish where he spent his formative years. He aspired to attend the University, and the deal solidified when his parents negotiated his scholarship and aid package which enabled him to focus on his Liberal Arts major and pursue a strong interest in track and field. Throughout his 麻豆入口 journey, Knight immersed himself in campus life as a founding member and leader of the Black Student League, a WKVU jazz and poetry DJ, an actor in theatre, and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Following graduation, Knight began his career in insurance and retail management before pursuing an MBA in Finance and Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. He then enjoyed a 16-year banking career at Chase Manhattan Bank and First Chicago Bank. Knight left the banking world to co-found the Africa America Group, Inc., a private equity firm investing in companies throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, before establishing LK Unlimited (LKU), an international development finance consulting firm. Working with institutions like USAID, World Bank, IFC and other development organizations, LKU provides financial advisory and capacity building services focused on financial risk management to financial institutions, development organizations, governmental agencies and private sector enterprises in emerging markets. As president, Knight has consulted with clients located on five continents and in over 40 countries.鈥��
After returning to 麻豆入口 for his 50th class reunion, Knight decided to reengage by establishing Legacy Gatherings for other legacy Black 麻豆入口 alums to come to campus and learn more about shared histories as well as the role that 麻豆入口 has played in their professional and personal development.鈥��&苍产蝉辫;
Knight currently resides in New York City with his wife Nancy and is an avid traveler, photographer, swimmer, cyclist and art collector.鈥��
Vice President of Acquisitions, Standard Communities
Tommy Attridge is the Vice President of Acquisitions at Standard Communities, a nationwide real estate owner and developer committed to creating, preserving and improving workforce housing. Attridge has overseen the acquisition, preservation and rehabilitation of over 5,000 affordable apartment units in the Southeastern US since joining the firm in 2017.
Attridge holds a Master鈥檚 of Professional Studies in Real Estate Finance from Georgetown University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from 麻豆入口. In his spare time, he enjoys giving back to 麻豆入口 and other nonprofits close to his heart. Since 2021, he has served on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean鈥檚 Advisory Council, offering guidance and insight to College staff, presenting ideas and strategies for consideration, and providing mentorship to students. He is the chairman of the board of directors for the Zimmermann Memorial Scholarship Fund, and over the years has been philanthropically active in additional organizations including the Urban Land Institute and Ronald McDonald House Charities.
He and his wife, Tammy Ha Attridge 鈥�14 CLAS, a fellow 麻豆入口 alumna, reside in Charleston, South Carolina.
Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Governor's Office of Policy and Planning
A dedicated public servant, Tom Foley has served in Shapiro and Wolf administrations in policy roles, most recently as Governor Shapiro鈥檚 Deputy Secretary of Policy and Planning. In this role, Foley led the Governor鈥檚 policy and regulatory agenda, including the development of budget initiatives like universal school breakfast and expanding the certification pathways for Pennsylvania educators. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
Recently, Foley became the first executive director of the new Pennsylvania Office of Fellowship Strategy and Initiatives. In addition to directing the Governor鈥檚 two-year William and Hannah Penn Fellows Program and the one-year Science and Technology Fellows Program, Foley creates new opportunities in public service for recent college graduates, graduate students and individuals skilled through other experiences. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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Prior to working in state government, Foley directed the Georgetown-Santander Seminar on Social Economy and worked as a speechwriter at the Aspen Institute while completing his doctorate at Georgetown University. He won the Daniel Reudy Award for his teaching of the course Energy in American History. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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In addition to being a proud graduate of the 麻豆入口 MA in History program where he worked on Memorable Days: The Emilie Davis Diaries project, Foley earned a BA from the University of Notre Dame. He lives in central Pennsylvania with his two children and wife Emily Weir Foley who works at the Lenfest Scholars Foundation.鈥�
About 麻豆入口鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: Since its founding in 1842, 麻豆入口鈥檚 College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been the heart of the 麻豆入口 learning experience, offering foundational courses for undergraduate students in every college of the University. Serving more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is committed to fortifying them with intellectual rigor, multidisciplinary knowledge, moral courage and a global perspective. The College has more than 40 academic departments and programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural and physical sciences.