Ignatian Award

Congratulations to Gerardo Interiano '99, who is this year's Ignatian Award winner.  Gerardo has exemplified what it means to be a Man for Others for his entire lifetime.

Gerardo is a leader who actively lives many Jesuit values every day. He strives for excellence (Magis) is all aspects of his life with the intent of implementing the others (Women & Men for and with Others, Cura Personalis, Unity of Heart, Mind, & Soul, AMDG, and Forming and Educating Agents of Change) thru action.

Since he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin, Gerardo lived out Strake Jesuit's religious and social values. He was Chaplain of the Lambda Omega Alpha Catholic Fraternity and founded the Interfraternity Christian Council, bringing together the various Christian fraternities and sororities on campus under one creed. Today, Gerardo regularly attends Mass, has previously sat on the Parish and Finance Councils, and was recently invested into the Sovereign Order of Malta, as he continues to challenge himself and strengthen his own faith.

After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law, Gerardo entered politics where he served as one of the youngest Deputy Chief of Staffs in the Texas Congressional Delegation working for U.S. Congressman Lamar Smith in Washington, DC. In addition, he spent time as a senior staffer to both Governor Rick Perry and Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus in Austin, Texas. His motivation to work in government was driven by a desire to serve those less fortunate than him and a belief that government has the power and influence to address many of the societal challenges that we face today.

Gerardo has a passion for workforce development and helping to leverage government resources to support those in the workforce. In Texas, Gerardo was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Jobs and Education for Texas Advisory Board, a six-member board that recommends grants of $5M a year for public community and technical colleges, and school districts to the Texas Workforce Commission. Now in Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf appointed him to the state's Workforce Development Board, which serves as the governor's private sector advisory board on building a strong workforce development system aligned with state education and economic development goals.  

In 2017, Gerardo was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a group of professionals who together hone their leadership abilities through interactions with former U.S. presidents, key administration officials, leading academics, and business and civic leaders.