St. Cecilia Academy is honored to recognize alumnae who have achieved professional distinction and success, exceptional leadership and service to the community, and a personal commitment to the values of St. Cecilia Academy. The exceptional leadership demonstrated by these graduates helps St. Cecilia Academy continue to flourish and grow.
2007 Outstanding Alumna Award Winners
List of Past Outstanding Alumna Award Winners
2008 Outstanding Alumnae
Frances Anne Varallo
Class of 1963
Frances Anne Varallo is a legacy of St. Cecilia Academy.
Her mother and sister were also graduates of SCA, in 1931 and 1951. Her mother, Frances Petrucelli Varallo was also a former recipient of the St. Cecilia Academy Outstanding Alumna Award in 1998.
After graduating from St. Cecilia in 1963, Frances Anne received her bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s of the Woods in Terre Haute, Indiana. There, she majored in theater and credits Sister Mary David Harlow for inspiring her passion for theater and television.
After graduation, she moved back to Nashville and was employed by WSM from 1967-1972. Then she moved to Los Angeles and began freelancing as a production assistant, and later served as the associate producer of the NBC Follies and numerous variety shows.
She moved back to Nashville in 1980 to be associate producer for Jim Owen Entertainment until 2000. There she produced many programs including the Statler Brothers Variety Series, various awards shows and a host of others for the Nashville Network. She continues to work on the CMA awards yearly.
Frances Anne has more recently started her own business with Bella Carte, a wedding invitation business in her home studio, as well as Bella Regali – the gift shop at the car wash located in West Nashville.
She has been an active member of the Nashville Catholic community throughout her busy career and served on a variety of committees to include the To Teach the Truth Capital Campaign for St. Cecilia Academy. She has worked with the Dominican Sisters on several other projects and is a member of The Dominican Campus Legacy Society.
Previous recipients of the Outstanding Alumna Award include:
| Jean Drennan Dortch |
'51 |
2007 |
| Julie Dortch Cragon |
'78 |
2007 |
| Agnes Eckhardt Nixon |
'40 |
2006 |
| Mary Catherine Bradley Hannon |
'48 |
2005 |
| Sister Mary Justin Haltom, O.P. |
'74 |
2004 |
| Alice Byrne Burns |
'53 |
2003 |
| Sister Mary George Barrett O.P. |
'47 |
2002 |
| Joanne Collins Walker |
'52 |
2002 |
| Sister Janet Marie Geist, O.P. |
'56 |
2001 |
| Katie Haltom |
'70 |
2000 |
| Sister Andrea Vaughn D.C. |
'39 |
1999 |
| Frances Petrucelli Varallo |
'31 |
1998 |
| Sister Dominica Gobel, O.P. |
'27 |
1997 |
| Sue Ann Mannion Simpson |
'46 |
1996 |
| Sister Assumpta Long, O.P. |
'50 |
1995 |
| Rose Dalton Dortch |
'14 |
1994 |
For more information, please contact the Alumnae Relations Office at (615) 383-3230 or alumnae@stcecilia.edu.
