Connetquot High School hosted its inaugural Alumni of Distinction ceremony, honoring three distinguished graduates:
Alison Napolitano (Class of 1993), Marianne Loose (Class of 1985) and Thomas Croci (Class of 1990).
Marianne is the founder and director of Lauren’s First and Goal Foundation, a nonprofit started in 2004 to honor her daughter, Lauren, a pediatric brain tumor survivor.
Since its inception, the organization has raised more than $2.87 million toward its mission to provide financial support for brain tumor research and cancer services.
Thomas Croci served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia from February 2020 to January 2021.
Prior to this, he was deputy director of operations for a Joint Special Operations Task Force and represented the third Senatorial District in the New York State Senate, where he chaired key committees on homeland security, military and veteran affairs.
As a U.S. Navy Reserve officer, he deployed to Afghanistan multiple times and held key roles, including senior duty officer in the White House Situation Room and director of strategy at the Homeland Security Council.
Honorable Alison Napolitano is a New York State Supreme Court Justice. Alison began her legal career with the Suffolk County Legal Aid Society, where she spent 12 years providing criminal defense services.
She was committed to ensuring fair representation for all, regardless of circumstance, and her dedication to justice was unwavering.
She then became the principal law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Santorelli, where she worked for another 12 years, further honing her legal expertise. In November 2023, Alison was elected as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court, taking her oath of office in January 2024.