Starting this winter, students coming into the school will pass by a new hall of distinction created to honor those people who attended and served the Monroe-Woodbury schools that made significant community contributions and excelled in their careers and other endeavors.
For many decades, Monroe-Woodbury High School has educated many esteemed alumni, including current sitting State Senator James Skoufis and retired United States German Ambassador Amy Gutmann. To honor the accomplishments of Monroe-Woodbury alumni and staff, an executive committee was formed this year to create the hall of distinction.
The hall of distinction initiative was announced to be revealed in the winter of the 2025-2026 school year along with its first induction ceremony.
According to the district website, the hall of distinction aims to “recognize, preserve and honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the school community, as well as distinguished alumni who have excelled in their respective endeavors.”
The hall of distinction will be displayed on two large interactive boards at the main entrance of Monroe-Woodbury High School. By having an interactive panel in an area with a lot of student foot traffic, “students may show more of an interest in the nomination process each year” said Mr. McElroy, Monroe-Woodbury High School Principal.
Nominations can be made by the selection committee, faculty, administration, staff, Booster Club members, alumni, students or the general public by filling out a nomination form by November 14, 2025.
In addition to the nomination, the nominator must submit newspaper clippings, scorebooks/statistics or magazine articles to support the accomplishments stated, a picture of the nominee, a letter of recommendation and a letter of support from another person who can give information related to the nominee to the selection committee.
The hall of distinction currently has two categories that nominees can be fit into: a Contributor and a Distinguished Alumni.
A contributor includes retired administrators, faculty, staff Board of Education Members, Coaches/Assistant Coaches or Monroe-Woodbury commun
ity members. The nominees in this category must have shown leadership, character and achievements during the duration of their work.
A distinguished alumni is a graduate of Monroe-Woodbury High School that has achieved acknowledgments or achievements in a particular area that may include athletics, humanitarianism or their specific profession. Athletes who are being inducted must have earned a varsity letter. To be considered for this category, graduates must have been out of Monroe-Woodbury for five years.
Nominations of possible inductees will be reviewed by the selection committee, a sub-committee of the executive committee. Nominations are confidential and the first honoress will be announced this winter.
The executive committee’s purpose is to create, evaluate and update the policies of the hall of distinction, as well as create and appoint members of a selection committee. The executive committee will annually choose the Chair of the Selection Committee and choose two executive members to serve on the committee.
According to the wall of distinction’s website, the executive committee for the 2025-2026 academic year consists of Anthony Cardone, Eric Hassler, Lori Hock, Staci McCleary, Carole Spendley, Christopher Vero, and Bryan Wilson.
The selection committee’s main purpose is to evaluate the nominations each year as well as approve the candidates for induction into the hall of distinction each year.
The selection committee consists of two members from the executive committee and 5 to 9 nominated and approved people by the executive committee. One of those members is appointed the Chair of the Selection Committee by a majority vote from the executive committee.
Each member of the selection committee can be re-appointed for up to two consecutive terms then have a period of one year before being appointed again, in order to have fresh eyes for the appointment of nominees.
