Rivier Honors Business and Community Leaders with Alumni Achievement Awards

From left to right: Andy Chace, Phyllis Hamel, Lindsey Whelan, and Lisa Moran.

Rivier University has granted 2023 Alumni Achievement Awards to four distinguished graduates in recognition of their outstanding leadership and service. These annual awards are presented to alumni who have utilized their Rivier education to make a difference in their professions and local communities while maintaining a continued connection with their alma mater.

“Our alumni represent the University with pride and distinction through contributions to their businesses, organizations, and communities,” says Karen Cooper, Vice President for University Advancement. “It is our privilege to recognize these four remarkable individuals for their ongoing commitment to the University’s mission of transforming hearts and minds to serve the world.”

2023 Alumni Achievement Awards Recipients

The Outstanding Business Leader Award was presented to Andy Chace, a Managing Director and Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner with Sideout Capital Advisors, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services. In 2021, he was recognized as one of the Top 40 Advisors Under 40 in Financial Planning magazine. Andy graduated from Rivier with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration as a member of the Class of 2006. A leader in the community, he dedicates his time as chair of the Board of Directors for the Child Advocacy Center of Rockingham County and the Portsmouth, New Hampshire Rotary Club.

The Outstanding Educator Award was presented to Phyllis Hamel, a teacher at Swallow Union Elementary School in Dunstable, Massachusetts, where she has taught for the last 23 years. Her commitment to the classroom, in both special education and second grade, has left a lasting impression on her students and her colleagues. Phyllis earned her bachelor’s degree at Rivier in 1982 and returned to receive her Master of Education in 2000. She says Rivier gave her the tools she needs to excel as an educator and lead the next generation of learners.

The Outstanding Nursing Professional Award was presented to Lindsey Whelan, who proudly serves her country. Whelan is leading the way in patient safety as a Trauma Program Manager with Elliot Health System in Manchester, New Hampshire, while also serving as a Major in the New Hampshire Air National Guard. Lindsey earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Rivier in 2009 and a Master of Science in Nursing from Regis College. She is responsible for program development and maintaining the hospital’s accreditation as a Level II Trauma Center. Her commitment to patient care is evident through her extensive leadership training and background in Emergency Management.

The Young Alumni Award was presented to Lisa Moran, an administrator and co-founder of Wanderlust Therapeutic Services, an organization voted the best mental healthcare provider in the Greater Nashua area by The Telegraph in 2022. Under her leadership, Wanderlust has grown from two employees when it was founded in 2018 to more than 24 clinicians, social service advocates, students, and staff. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Rivier in 2014 which has assisted her work of providing consultation for parents and children who need support advocating for specialized education plans. She is involved in the community and spearheaded Wanderlust’s donations of more than $20,000 to local charities and churches.

 Rivier University, located in Nashua, New Hampshire, offers 70 on-campus and online degrees at the undergraduate, professional studies, graduate, and doctoral levels. For more information, visit rivier.edu.