Iona Community Members Honored for Dedication to Service, Advocacy and Social Justice
Two dedicated leaders from the Iona College community who share a passion for service were honored at the 11th Annual Jean-Claude Lovinsky Memorial Scholarship Fundraising Dinner on November 9.
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Two dedicated leaders from the Iona College community who share a passion for service were honored at the 11th Annual Jean-Claude Lovinsky Memorial Scholarship Fundraising Dinner on November 9.
Elena Procario-Foley, Ph.D. and Carl Procario-Foley, Ph.D. were presented with the Jean-Claude Lovinsky Memorial Award in a ceremony that included speeches; the presentation of scholarship awards; and performances by the Iona College Praise Dancers, the Iona College Gospel Choir Alumni and musicians Alexandria and Natasha Amazan.
Jean-Claude Lovinsky was an employee of Iona College for over 30 years and was active in the Holy Family Church where he served as an usher. Also very active with the Haitian community, Lovinsky’s mission was to serve and advocate for social justice.
“It was a distinct pleasure to be honored along with my husband, Dr. Carl Procario-Foley, and the esteemed and honorable Mrs. Pearle Quarles in the name of our cherished colleague of blessed memory, Jean-Claude Lovinsky,” said Elena Procario-Foley. “Jean-Claude was one of the hardest working colleagues I have ever known, and he always ‘did it all’ with a smile. The Jean-Claude Lovinsky Memorial Scholarship is a fabulous way to remember all the good work that Jean-Claude accomplished, not only at Iona College, but also in the New Rochelle community as he worked to welcome new immigrants to the city. The scholarship helps students who exhibit Jean-Claude’s ethic of service to attend Iona College.”
Elena G. Procario-Foley is the Brother John G. Driscoll professor of Jewish-Catholic Studies, professor of Religious Studies and director of the Core Curriculum at Iona. She chaired the Religious Studies Department for nearly eight years; served on several boards of directors, including serving as chair of the Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations for five years; and publishes widely. Each spring semester, Elena Procario-Foley teaches a class on the Holocaust, bringing her students to study at the memorial site of the former Auschwitz death camp.
“Jean-Claude Lovinsky was passionate about his family, his God, his beloved Haitian community and Iona College,” said Carl Procario-Foley. “To receive an award in his memory is an honor I will cherish. Receiving this award only inspires me to work harder for all Iona College students and especially those new immigrants who struggle to afford the great privilege of a college education.
Carl Procario-Foley is director of the Office of Mission & Ministry at Iona College where he has served since 1990. He has developed many community outreach initiatives on campus including Midnight Runs, which provide food and clothing for the homeless; Best Buddies, which connects Iona students with intellectually disabled adults; Project Sunshine, where Iona students spend time with hospitalized children; Iona in Mission, which offers short-term domestic and international immersion experiences to the Iona community; and many other projects.
In recognition of the award and their service, Westchester County named November 14, 2019, “Dr. Elena Procario-Foley Day” and “Dr. Carl Procario-Foley Day.”
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.