Submitted by Saint Martin’s University
Distinguished alumni Armandino “Dino” A. Batali ’59 and Terence Monaghan ’62 will share the Commencement speaker role when they address the Class of 2016 during the graduation ceremony Saturday, May 7, at Saint Martin’s University, 5000 Abbey Way SE., in Lacey.
“Both Dino Batali and Terry Monaghan have excelled as Saint Martin’s alumni. Their gift of time, their incredible talent, and their amazing courage have helped make Saint Martin’s an outstanding university,” says President Roy F. Heynderickx, Ph.D. “ We thank them for their generosity and for their leadership and service on our Board of Trustees and as active alumni. They exemplify what it means to be called a ‘Saint.’”
Armandino Batali graduated from St. Martin’s College in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts in Pre-Medical studies. His career spanned three years in the pharmaceutical industry and then some 32 years at Boeing, primarily in the field of Process Engineering and Quality Engineering. He spent about 15 years in Europe, living in Spain and England in Senior Management. He developed sources for the Boeing Commercial Unit, providing technical support to the many European and Middle East countries production facilities that were contracted to produce parts and assemblies for Boeing. He retired in 1996. It was time for a second career.
Batali and his wife, Marilyn, a nurse practitioner, opened Salumi, a small restaurant and deli in Pioneer Square in Seattle some 100 yards from where his grandfather Angelo Merlino opened the first food import business in the Northwest, in 1903. The intent of this second career was to provide real homemade Italian Foods and specialty cured meats enhanced by his experiences working with butchers in Italy and Spain.
The couple’s son, Mario, is a renowned chef who is co-host of ABC’s Emmy Award-winning “The CHEW” and operates approximately 30 restaurants around the world, in conjunction with his partner, Joe Bastianich. Dino Batali supported Gala, Saint Martin’s University’s signature fundraising event for scholarships, for the past 5 years, serving as chair of the event and providing several top chefs as Gala highlighters, including his son, Mario.
Terence Monaghan graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Saint Martin’s College. His career in engineering included serving as President of VECO Engineering, a multinational firm based in Anchorage, Alaska, with offices worldwide. He retired in 2000.
A member of the Saint Martin’s University Board of Trustees since 2003, Monaghan has served the board in various capacities, including as president and as a member of several board committees, including the Facilities Committee, Institutional Advancement, Executive Committee, as chair of the Committee on Trustees and as co-chair of the Engineering Campaign Committee. His honors and awards include receiving the Saint Martin’s College Distinguished Alumni for Professional Achievement in 1996, the Utility Contractors Association’s Engineer of the Year recognition and the Engineers Council’s National Award. Monaghan served in the military with the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Monaghans have owned homes in Lacey, Washington and Beaux Village, Washington, where he once served as mayor, Blaine, Washington and Anchorage, Alaska. For a time, Monaghan and his wife, Mary Louise ’60, lived in and owned a farm in Ireland. Proceeds from the sales of their various properties and investments have been donated to Saint Martin’s. They continue to be active financial supporters of the University. The Monaghans have three children and six grandchildren, three of whom currently attend Saint Martin’s University.
Both speakers will be recipients of a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.
