The Alliance for Catholic Urban Education (ACUE) launched the Fund for Urban School Excellence or (FUSE) by holding their first meeting on May 19th.  The goal for FUSE is to establish an endowment fund for the six schools that fall under the ACUE umbrella.  These schools are Holy Cross Elementary, Holy Family, Holy Trinity, Prince of Peace, St. Anthony and St. Augustine.  Many prominent members of the community have signed on to help raise funds for the schools.  These fundraising efforts will help ease the financial burden for parishes that have been supporting the schools for many years.

FUSE will be chaired by Mark Guilfoyle, an attorney with Dressman, Benzinger, and Lavelle. Other prominent leaders from the Tri-State area who will be joining Mr. Guilfoyle in this effort are:  Reverend Tom Barnes, ACUE Pastoral Administrator; Butch Callery, former Mayor of Covington; Kevin Canafax, Fidelity Investments; Timothy Carris, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management; Tom Colvin, Schiff Kreidler-Shell; Michael Desmond, Desmond Insurance; Ralph Drees, Kenton County Judge Executive; Rev. Msgr. J. Michael Due, V.F.; Kathy Dye, Thomas More College; Martin Foos, Faruki, Ireland & Cox; Ed Franchi, President, Villa Madonna Academy; Mary Hemmer, Real Estate Developer; Julia Meister, Taft Stettinius & Hollister; Dr. Michelle Murray, Patient First; Sister Rachel Nerone, Sisters of Notre Dame; Timothy Rawe, Fifth Third bank of Northern Kentucky (retired); Cassie Ruhlman, Connected Nation; Marianne Schmidt-Hurtt, PNC Bank; Sister Carleen Schumacher, CDP, Parish Kitchen; Paul Smith, Tri-Ed; and William Zeck, David J. Joseph Company, (Retired); Tony Helton, Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center.