2007 Associates of the Year named

at trustees meeting

DANVILLE, KY—Anita Britton '76 was named Associate of the Year and Leonard "Nappi" Napolitano '97 was named the first-ever Young Associate of the Year at Centre College's winter Board of Trustees meeting held in January in Louisville.

Britton, after flourishing at Centre as a psychology major, co-editor of the student newspaper, cheerleader and a sweetheart of Sigma Chi Fraternity, graduated in 1982 from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Currently a partner in the firm Stoll Keenon Ogden and an expert in family law, Britton is one of Kentucky's most accomplished and respected attorneys. She has chaired the family law practice section of the Kentucky Bar Association and has served as chair of the Kentucky Bar Convention.

Beyond her practice and professional activities, Britton has a passion for civic and charitable affiliations. She has been a board member and president of the Humane Society, president of the Kiwanis Club, inaugural chair of the Bluegrass Women United, and president of the Lexington affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She also has served as president of the National Association of Women Business Owners, whose Winners Circle Award she received in 2005.

Britton has been an exceptional volunteer at Centre, serving several terms on the National Alumni Association Board of Directors and, most recently, as the Association's president. Britton also has endowed a scholarship at Centre in memory of her parents, The Doc and Juanita Britton Scholarship.

Napolitano, who was chosen as the inaugural recipient of the Young Associate of the Year award, is a native New Yorker who came to Centre after serving in the U.S. Army. At Centre, he excelled as a history major, football player, a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Army's Reserve Office Training Corps.

After graduation, Napolitano joined Blackboard, Inc., as a regional sales manager as it was starting up in 1997. He helped to build the company into one of the world's leading software providers to higher education. He recently joined another education software provider, Regent Education, as vice president of sales.

Still a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, Napolitano has been called to active duty in connection with the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to being a Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteer. He spent several months on the Gulf Coast assisting with the Red Cross' response to Hurricane Katrina.

Established in 1990, Centre Associates is a gift recognition society honoring the individuals, foundations and corporations that have demonstrated a commitment to Centre's mission of offering superior liberal arts education.

Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/