The Fairfield Awards Dinner, a much-anticipated annual event benefiting the University’s Alumni Multicultural Scholarship Fund and other scholarships, will celebrate five members of the University community who exemplify the Jesuit tradition of professional excellence and service to the community. The annual dinner will be held on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 6 p.m. at Cipriani 42^nd Street in New York City.

Over the years, the Fairfield Awards Dinner has raised nearly $20 million in scholarship money for deserving students. “The dinner is also an opportunity for us to recognize some of the individuals who have made significant contributions to the vitality of the University community,” said Vice President for University Advancement Wally Halas. 

The University is delighted to announce the 2022 Awards Dinner honorees.

Michael Archbold '82
Professional Achievement Award
Distinguished alumnus Michael Archbold has led a remarkable career as a leader and mentor in the business world. An accounting major at Fairfield, Archbold spent many years in the retail industry, steering the helm at Talbots, The Vitamin Shoppe, and GNC; and holding leadership positions at Saks Fifth Avenue, Auto Zone, and more. He has guest-lectured at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business alongside Professor Thomas Conine Jr, PhD, and currently serves on the Dolan School Advisory Board. He is also former CEO and current member of the Board of Directors of the Council for Inclusive Capitalism with The Vatican, a collaboration of global leaders who work to harness the power of business to make economic systems more inclusive.

Archbold is currently a trustee for the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED), a business-led, non-partisan policy center that addresses national priorities that promote sustained economic growth. Today, CED is helping shape policies in the areas of fundamental tax and healthcare reform; education, including post-secondary access and achievement; immigration; and free trade. Archbold sits on the board of Express, Inc. where he also chairs the audit committee, and he is the co-author of Smart Regulation: Turning Speedbumps into Guardrails.

Maureen Errity Bujno '90 
Alumni Service Award
Maureen Errity Bujno has remained an engaged Stag even after graduating. An accounting major and student-athlete who was on the women’s varsity tennis and club soccer teams, Errity Bujno is an extremely dedicated volunteer in the University community. She served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors from 2009 to 2015 and as Board President in 2014 and 2015. She was also on the Trustee Advisory Council and the Our Promise Campaign committee, and has been a frequent volunteer for Reunion committees and the Fairfield Awards Dinner committee, which she co-chaired in 2018 and 2019. Maureen also remains active in student recruiting efforts at Fairfield and recently joined the Dolan School Advisory Board.

Errity Bujno is currently an Audit & Assurance managing director and the governance leader for the Center for Board Effectiveness at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Maureen advises boards, committees, and executives on governance challenges, rules, and leading practices. She is an author and frequent speaker to public and private company boards and other audiences, including significant nonprofit entities, on a broad range of governance topics. For three consecutive years, she was recognized by NACD Directorship, the official magazine of the National Association of Corporate Directors, as one of the Top 100 Influential Professionals in corporate governance.

Rev. Gerry Blaszczak, S.J.
Distinguished Faculty/Administrator Award
In the 12 years since he first joined the Fairfield community as University chaplain, Fr. Gerry Blaszczak has become a beloved and integral part of the fabric of the campus. He is known for his promotion of interfaith dialogue and inclusiveness, his inspiring homilies, and his leadership abilities, as well as his engaging personality. He is currently playing a vital role in the formation of a new academic unit, helping to move Fairfield University onto the national stage and adhering to the University’s core mission of educating men and women in the Ignatian tradition.

Fr. Gerry was named vice president for Mission and Ministry in 2011, overseeing Campus Ministry, the Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality, and other dimensions of spiritual life on campus, as well as serving as a member of Fairfield’s senior leadership team. Soon after accepting this position, he was whisked away to serve as secretary for the Service of Faith at the Jesuit General Headquarters in Rome, a prestigious position that entailed travel to Jesuit communities around the world. He returned to Fairfield in 2018 to resume his previous role and was appointed alumni chaplain and special assistant to the President in 2021. He has also served on the board of trustees of several universities, and on the boards of the Nativity Mission Schools of New York, the Colavita Foundation for Children in New York, and Operation Hope in Fairfield.

John and Lori Berisford P’21,’20
Parent Leadership Award
With daughters Lane ’20 and Liza ’21 attending Fairfield University, John and Lori Berisford were soon tapped to co-chair the University’s Parents Leadership Council (PLC), making them regular fixtures at annual Alumni & Family Weekends and too many PLC events to count. John, currently president of S&P Global Ratings, has spoken to students at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business about the value of a liberal arts education in the business world. Lori has spearheaded the Parent Leadership Challenge since its inception, and has hosted welcome events in her home, the PLC Moms Brunch, and has served as a Parent Ambassador for more than five years.

Retired from a career in human resources, Lori’s service work outside the University includes roles in several non-profits near the couple’s home in Ridgefield, most notably with SPHERE, an organization for adults with developmental, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities, where she serves as president and chairman of the board.

Fairfield Awards Dinner Co-Chairs
Serving as this year’s co-chairs are Trish Comey Preston ’80 and Adrienne A. Johnson ’91. Johnson currently serves as the managing director and chief transformation officer of Equitable and is serving her second term as co-chair. Preston is senior vice president, business transformation, legal and franchise with MasterCard International. This will be Trish’s first year co-chairing the Fairfield Awards Dinner.

For additional information about the Fairfield Awards Dinner, please visit fairfield.edu/awardsdinner, or contact Jennifer Kane at jkane1@fairfield.edu or 203-254-4000, ext. 2464.