When John Hiltz ’02 climbed into the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet for the Blue Angels and sliced through the sky at hundreds of miles an hour — just inches from his colleagues’ wingtips in over 135 airshows — he never imagined he would lead the museum where one of the planes he piloted would be on display. Hiltz, whose 23 years of service in the U.S. Navy included several combat deployments, became CEO of the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in June. Commemorating the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on the Pacific Fleet in Hawaii that prompted the United States to enter World War II, “this museum holds a vital place in our nation’s history,” Hiltz said, “and I look forward to working with the dedicated team here to preserve and share the stories of history, valor and innovation that shaped the Pacific and our world.” . . .
Mina Rizk ’13M.A. has been elected to a four-year term as chair of the executive council of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rizk is both the youngest person and the first Egyptian to hold this role since the organization’s establishment in 1945. According to Egyptian news site Sada El-Balad English, the election included five candidates representing Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. A former peace studies student at Notre Dame, Rizk will address world hunger, sustainability and climate-resilient food systems in his new role. . . . Kathryn Mapes Turner ’95 grew up in Wyoming, and much of her artwork is inspired by the state’s landscapes and wildlife. This summer, the Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, showcased Turner’s paintings alongside those of Jacob Aguiar in a show called “Anatomy of Life and Land.” Turner’s contributions feature soft, translucent edges to create a dream-like effect. “I hope to share not just what I see but what I feel — that fleeting sense of wonder, connection and vitality that nature offers when we are still enough to notice,” she wrote in her artist statement. . . . Simon Mariani ’19, ’24 MBA died July 14 after being struck by lightning during a golf tournament at Ballyowen Golf Course in northern New Jersey. Fellow golfer Brian Delia told New York’s ABC 7 that their group didn’t hear the weather alarm. A sports and outdoors enthusiast, Mariani, an associate at MTS Health Partners in New York City, had a “zest for life” that included interests in painting, photography and baking, his obituary noted. . . .
Thomas Durkin ’68, a Chicago-based criminal defense lawyer known for working with society’s most ostracized figures, died of lung cancer in July at age 78. A fierce critic of government overreach and the death penalty, he relished public corruption and national security cases; clients included mobsters, white supremacists and accused terrorists. His son James told The New York Times that Durkin’s “heart was with the outcasts no matter what their creed, color or mindset was.” . . . Chris Murphy ’68 stepped down as CEO of 1st Source Bank on October 1 as part of an executive succession plan. His son Kevin Murphy ’15MBA, a fourth-generation member of the bank’s founding Morris family, who are also major Notre Dame benefactors, took on the role of president, replacing Andrea Short, who succeeds the elder Murphy as CEO. Part of 1st Source’s executive leadership for 50 years, Chris Murphy will serve as executive chairman of the corporation and the bank, overseeing its board and long-term strategic planning. . . . Erin Hoffmann Harding ’97 joined Saint Mary’s College in August as vice president for strategy and legal affairs and chief of staff to the college’s president, Katie Conboy ’86Ph.D. From 2005 to 2021, Hoffman Harding served in various leadership roles at Notre Dame, including nine years as vice president for student affairs. “I am truly honored by the opportunity to serve Saint Mary’s and to support both its distinctive place in the Holy Cross family of institutions and its inspiring mission to educate and empower women,” she says. . . . As a Notre Dame student and varsity guard, Stan Wilcox ’81 helped the men’s basketball program to a four-year 92-26 record and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 1978 Final Four. Now, after a four-decade career in college athletics, Wilcox has retired as the NCAA’s executive vice president of regulatory affairs, a position he held since 2018. Having worked in senior roles with Notre Dame, Duke University and the Big East Conference, Wilcox became Florida State University’s athletic director in 2013 before joining the NCAA. “Stan Wilcox was one of the best administrators and one of the finest people I had the privilege to work alongside during my time as head coach at Duke,” legendary men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “His leadership and guidance will be truly missed in college athletics.” . . .
In July, Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins ’13 became the first player in WNBA All-Star Game history to record a triple-double, notching 11 points, 15 assists and 11 rebounds — the assists alone setting a new All-Star Game record. Three other former Fighting Irish players joined Diggins on the all-star rosters: Sonia Citron ’25 of the Washington Mystics, one of three rookies in the game; Kayla McBride ’14 of the Minnesota Lynx; and Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces. Young played three years at Notre Dame, including the 2018 national championship season, before becoming the league’s top overall draft pick in 2019. . . . After a year as director of media and evangelization for CatholicVote, Kelsey Reinhardt ’04 became the political advocacy group’s president and CEO in June, succeeding Brian Burch, who was named U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. “With her missionary heart and strategic mind, she is perfectly suited to lead this next chapter,” Burch said of Reinhardt, a former guard for the Fighting Irish women’s basketball team who previously served as executive director of the ACI Group, an international Catholic media network owned by EWTN.