Fitchburg State University will hold its 117th commencement exercises, winter ceremony, Friday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the campus Athletics and Recreation Center. More than 600 undergraduate and graduate degrees will be awarded during the evening, which will also include presentation of the President’s Medal to restaurateur and philanthropist David Celuzza. President Robert V. Antonucci will deliver the commencement address.
Celuzza (pictured) the owner of Slattery’s Restaurant in Fitchburg, has been an engaged citizen and entrepreneur for decades, devoting his talent and energy to countless organizations and community projects.
Celuzza managed Slattery’s for 12 years before taking ownership in 1984 and transforming the local pub into a full-service restaurant. The establishment, which employs 70 people, has been named one of the top 500 independent restaurants in the United States by “Restaurant & Institutions” magazine.
After graduating from Fitchburg High School, Celuzza earned a bachelor of science degree from Fitchburg State. He was a member of the staff of the student newspaper The Cycle, whose editors took the administration to federal court in a civil rights/freedom of speech battle that garnered national attention.
A former member of the U.S. Army Reserve, Celuzza currently serves on the board of directors of IC Federal Credit Union, where he chairs its supervisory committee, as well as the board of directors for Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Foundation. In addition, he is past chairman of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce, and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, where he also chaired the educational foundation.
Celuzza is a longtime champion of education. He founded Slattery’s Turkey Trot, one of the largest and most successful road running events in the state. The race, which celebrated its 32nd running in 2012, awards thousands of dollars in scholarships each year to six local high schools, with nearly $180,000 donated over its history. Celuzza has also served on the board of directors of the Fitchburg State University Foundation and chaired its development committee.
In 2009, he was named Citizen of the Year by the Multi-Service Center and made an honorary lifetime member of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Board of Directors. In 2010, he was presented with the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Nashua Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
Celuzza and his wife, Donna, and their son, Liam, live in Lunenburg.
More information can be found on the commencement website.
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