Bostonian Tony Cicerone named 2021 Isaac Chipman Award for Excellence in Alumni Service recipient


By Fred Sgambati (’83)

The Acadia Alumni Association is proud to announce that Dr. Anthony ‘Tony’ Cicerone (’68) is the 2021 recipient of the Acadia Alumni Isaac Chipman Award for Excellence in Alumni Service.

For more than 50 years, Tony Cicerone has had a significant positive impact on Acadia and its alumni in the Boston area. His effort has been consistent in the form of time, energy and resources to the services and promotion of the advancement of the University and its alumni.

Through the decades, Tony has volunteered for Acadia in multiple ways, most recently organizing Italian-style Alumni Family Dinners in Boston's North End prior to the pandemic and as a key proponent in getting Peter MacKay (’87) positioned as the keynote speaker at a joint Acadia-New England Canada Business Council Luncheon held on historic Beacon Street in March 2019.

Acadia Alumni Association President Donalda MacBeath (’75) applauded the selection, noting that “Tony Cicerone’s dedication and commitment to Acadia is a shining example of the kind of alumni engagement we encourage and support through our Association. His unwavering enthusiasm for all things Acadia within his sphere of influence and beyond has kept us connected to our alumni in the New England area and promoted the University to countless prospective and current students, business professionals, colleagues and members of our alumni family for decades. I’m delighted that he has been chosen to receive this award that acknowledges his long and excellent service to Acadia and our alumni community.”

Tony has put together countless alumni gatherings in the past, as former President and long-standing board member of the New England Canada Business Council (NECBC), and has kept Acadia connected to Canada’s Counsel General in New England and to various activities in the Boston area. The mission of NECBC is to advance the understanding of business, political and cultural issues between Canada and the United States and to promote the entrepreneurial networking of its members. Tony has arranged for Acadia alumni to be guest speakers on many occasions.

Tony served on Acadia's US Foundation for many years and was reappointed recently to the current iteration of the Foundation. As well, he has been an ardent supporter of New England-focused student recruitment initiatives in the past. Tony never misses a hockey or basketball game when Acadia athletic teams are playing an exhibition contest in the Boston area, often acting as the instigator to get other Acadia alumni out for the evening.

Retired now, Tony was Director of the Canadian Studies Program (taking the helm in 1989) and Professor of Economics at Bridgewater State University. Most recently, he worked on 'special projects' for the Office of the College President. Tony completed both his master’s and PhD in economics from Northeastern University.

Brian Heaney (’69) is a classmate, friend, Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and former Director of Athletics at Acadia from 2007-10. “One thing I remember about Tony during his years as a student and classmate at Acadia was that he was always engaged academically,” Heaney says. “He had many mentors from the faculty of business, most notably the late Ralph Winter, who became a special friend of Tony and (his wife) Kathy (’68) for years after they graduated from Acadia. The model faculty at Acadia inspired Tony to complete his PhD and devote his life and energy as an educator par excellence who almost annually returned to Acadia to renew his friendships and memories throughout his lifetime.”

Acadia’s Executive Director to the President, Ian Murray (’88), noted in a letter supporting Cicerone’s nomination that “Tony’s love of Acadia is palpable. Given his years of service, and the breadth of activities and responsibilities he has undertaken, recognizing Tony with the Chipman Award as an expression of pride and appreciation for his outstanding contributions would be a wonderful tribute.”

For more on Acadia Alumni Association awards, please visit: https://www2.acadiau.ca/alumni-friends/alumni/awards.html.

 

Pictured above, Isaac Chipman Award for Excellence in Alumni Service recipient Dr. Tony Cicerone ('68, left) with Acadia’s Executive Director to the President, Ian Murray ('88).


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