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2023 Award Winner
Frances Flannery Gunshol '88 M'94
Fran Gunshol’s connection to Notre Dame began long before she was born. Her mother and her four sisters attended Notre Dame Prep on Charles Street, and her father was enormously proud of his sister, Joan, who graduated from the college. Fran grew up hearing tales of their love for all things Notre Dame.
Returning to college in her thirties as a mother of two, she circuitously landed at Notre Dame and graduated in 1988. Her career path led Fran to her alma mater, where she proudly served as Assistant to the President to Sister Kathleen Feeley, Director of Special Events and Conferences Services for Notre Dame’s Centennial, and Director of Alumnae and Community Relations. During those years, she watched her daughter, Colleen Bergin, become an alum, class of 1994 - in fact, they graduated together on the stage, with Fran completing her MA that same year.
After ten years at Notre Dame, Fran’s passion for philanthropy led her to serve as Executive Director for the CCBC Catonsville Foundation, Executive Director of the BCCC Foundation, and Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at Stevenson University.
Upon her retirement from Stevenson, Fran was brought home to Notre Dame once again, serving as a consultant for eleven years until 2022.