OPT Visionary - Winter/Spring 2015

Fran Franconeri Recruitment and Student Affairs By Michelle Merida, Manager of Marketing Services Staff Spotlight PAGE 7 F ran Franconeri, B.A., a student, staff, and faculty favorite, had a challenging time describing her life due to her modesty. What she labeled as un- interesting, we perceived as the foundation of what molded her to be the extraordinary, captivating, stylish, and fun-loving individual who roamed the halls at NSU with a permanent and contagious smile on her face. Most days, as you walked by her office, you would en- counter a line of students waiting to visit her. When her NSU retirement became official on January 9, Franconeri was immediately and deeply missed by all at the College of Optometry. Franconeri, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has five brothers and four sisters and is the seventh of 10 children born to her parents, Sam and Kate. While her mother was of Polish descent and her father of Mexican descent, English was the sole language spoken in the household. Franconeri grew up in the diverse community of East Liberty, where nu- merous cultures blended such as Italian, Jewish, and African American. Her childhood was filled with fun and laughter, and she believes it shaped her into the easygoing individual she is because, as she men- tioned, “with that many siblings, who has a choice?” Attending a catholic school until tenth grade helped her learn to be disciplined. Consequently, following her high school graduation, Franconeri started working in the City of Pittsburgh under a special selective group called The Mayor’s Service Center. In this role, she was one of the five initial members of this group that handled a range of city issues from trash services to difficult cases such as advising in family issues. Franconeri was introduced to her husband, Richard, by his sister, who was Franconeri’s coworker. A year after they married in January 1973, they moved to Florida. Franconeri describes her arrival in the Sun- shine State as “the first time she got sand in her shoes.” After welcoming daughters Samantha in March 1976 and Sabrina in August 1979, the Fran- coneris moved back to Pittsburgh to be closer to fam- ily. During this time, she devoted significant energy to volunteering in her community. Some significant milestones achieved during her time giving back to the community included her in- volvement in establishing a library, the development of a playground for the local school, and the imple- mentation of a monitoring system for the schools where parents would call in and notify the school of a student’s absence in order to ensure that every child was accounted for daily. She was also profoundly in- volved in the Girl Scouts and Brownies and was part of a group that was in charge of the community cheer- leaders and dancers. In fact, Franconeri helped estab- lish the first major cheerleading competition in Beaver County, which is still held annually. Franconeri graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentra- tion in human resources from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. She then began working in the univer- sity’s admissions office, where her main areas of focus were undergraduate, transfer, nontraditional, high school to college, and international studies students. Once her daughters were situated and her husband was ready to retire, however, the family moved back to South Florida. Franconeri describes education as the number one priority in her household, which ex- plains why her daughters are so advanced in their fields. Samantha has earned two master degrees and is working towards her Ed.D., while Sabrina has ob- tained two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in Commu- nication and Technology. In 2003, Franconeri began working with the College of Optometry as an admissions counselor. A short time later, her husband began working in the Health Pro- fessions Divison Finance Department as a budget an- alyst. In 2010, she was promoted to her recruitment and students affairs position, which allowed her to work closer with the student government associations and get to know the students better as well as serve as a resource for them. During her time at NSUCO, she has been honored as an NSU STUEY finalist four times—twice as Ad- ministrator of the Year and twice as Staff Person of the Year. Now that she is officially retired, she plans to spend her copious leisure time at the beach get- ting lots of sun and indulging in her hobbies, which include all things artsy such as crochet, needlepoint, and sewing. On behalf of the administration, faculty and staff members, and students of the College of Optometry, we would like to express our sincerest gratitude for Franconeri’s years of service and commitment to the betterment of our college. May you retire knowing you have made a remarkable contribution and have im- measurably touched the lives of all who have crossed your path. Drs. David Loshin and Barry Frauens celebrating the college’s 25 th anniversary with Franconeri. The Office of Student Affairs and Admissions- Clockwise from top: Dr. Bacigalupi, Juan Saavedra, Fran Franconeri, and Jeanne DeCaro.