De La Salle Medal Dinner
2024 Honoree: John A. Catsimatidis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Red Apple Group
John Catsimatidis is the Chairman and CEO of the Red Apple Group. Red Apple Group is a national conglomerate with holdings in oil refining and bio fuels, retail petroleum products, convenience stores, real estate, aviation,and supermarkets, plus investments in both medical and industrial technology. Catsimatidis hosts a popular radio program, CatsRoundtable.com on 77 WABC Radio. The program airs on Sunday mornings on the east coast of the United States. Catsimatidis also hosts Cats & Cosby, a live, evening drive-time show Monday through Friday in New York City. Guests include Presidents, Senators, Governors, Opinion Leaders & Influencers, Movers & Shakers, Scientists, Doctors, Political Consultants & Newsmakers.
Although Catsimatidis started in the supermarket business, his company evolved into Energy, Real Estate, Sports, Finance and Media. United Refining is the largest refinery on the west coast of Pennsylvania which refines 100% American crude oil. Red Apple Real Estate has substantial investments in the New York, New Jersey & Florida markets. His Real Estate division has multiple residential & commercial projects in downtown Brooklyn, Coney Island and Florida. When his company Red Apple Media acquired the WABC radio station in New York City, he took it from being 28 into the top 3 stations!
Mr. Catsimatidis’ companies post annual sales of approximately $8 billion. With over 8,000 employees, John Catsimatidis is a major employer in the New York metropolitan area. His son, John Jr. is the Chief Investment Officer and daughter, Andrea Catsimatidis is Chair of Manhattan’s GOP & Vice Chair of the New York State GOP. John and Margo Catsimatidis’ charitable interests, along with their children Andrea and John Jr., are focused on young people, as well as the elderly, which includes the Kidney Foundation, Alzheimer’s Foundation, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Police Athletic League. Margo Catsimatidis has worked tirelessly as a member of each of these Boards.
John is Vice Chairman of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America serving as the highest lay person. He heads the Religious Freedom Outreach for the Ecumentical Patriarch.
In 2013, Catsimatidis sought the Republican nomination for Mayor of New York City. Starting as a relatively unknown businessman, Catsimatidis was the runner up in a crowded primary election. John is the author of the recent Best Seller, “How Far Do You Want To Go? Lessons From a Common-Sense Billionaire”.
2024 Honoree: Raymond W. Kelly '63, Chief Executive Officer, Guardian Group & Former New York City Police Commissioner
With fifty years in public service, including fourteen years as police commissioner of the City of New York, Raymond W. Kelly is one of the world's most well-known and highly esteemed leaders in law enforcement.
Kelly was appointed police commissioner in January 2002 by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, making Kelly the longest serving police commissioner in the city's history, as well as the first to hold the post for a second, separate tenure. He also served as police commissioner under Mayor David N. Dinkins.
In Commissioner Kelly’s distinguished career, he has also served as senior managing director of global corporate security at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service, undersecretary for enforcement at the U.S. Treasury Department and vice president for the Americas of Interpol. Kelly was director of the international police monitors in Haiti.
Commissioner Kelly holds a BBA from Manhattan College, a JD from St. John's University School of Law, an LLM from New York University Graduate School of Law, and an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In addition, Commissioner Kelly retired as a colonel from the Marine Corps Reserves after 30 years of service.
Kelly is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Counter Extremism Project, Applied DNA Science, Clearview AI and Bond. In 2016, His Eminence Cardinal Dolan named Commissioner Kelly to the Board of Directors of The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation.
In September 2006, Commissioner Kelly was awarded France's highest decoration, the Légion d'honneur, by then French Minister of the Interior Nicholas Sarkozy.
His book, “Vigilance: My Life Serving America and Protecting Its Empire City” was published in 2015.