President & CEO
Catherine Fiorelli has been elected to serve as President and CEO of the Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation – only the third person to hold that title, and the first woman. She succeeds immediate past President and CEO Dennis A. Schoville, who was elected to fill the vacant position of Chairman of the Board.
Fiorelli, who has participated in Foundation activities almost since its inception in 2006, previously served as Secretary of the Board. She is general manager of Greenwood Memorial Park & Mortuary in San Diego.
Fiorelli noted that the Foundation’s most recent project was the funding, construction and dedication of a Veterans Tribute Tower & Carillon at Miramar National Cemetery, and that it earlier had dedicated the Avenue of Flags.
“During my term, I believe the Foundation can continue to provide enhancements for the Cemetery, and to continue funding maintenance of the improvements we’ve already made,” she said. “In fact, the Board is considering at least one other major project for the near future, which we’ll announce at a later date.
“The Foundation is just completing a very successful fundraiser and, thanks to the generous contributions we received from individuals, organizations and corporations, the future of our efforts looks very bright,” she added.
Chairman of the Board
Schoville, a prominent attorney in San Diego, completed two terms as Foundation President and CEO, and will continue to serve as Chairman. During his tenure, the Board upgraded maintenance of the Avenue of Flags, and obtained major funding for the $400,000 Veterans Tribute Tower & Carillon project. The Tower was erected on a knoll at Miramar National Cemetery in early November 2016, and was dedicated on Veterans’ Day.
“I am very thankful for the support of the National Cemetery Administration and the San Diego County community over the past several years, and for the dedication of our committed, diverse board of directors,” said Schoville. “With Cathy Fiorelli’s leadership, and a dedicated team effort, we will continue to enhance and beautify the hallowed grounds of Miramar National Cemetery in honor of our Veteran community.”
Other Foundation Officers
Elected to serve as Foundation officers were Richard T. Sells, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer; Carlos “Charlie” Inot, Vice President; and C. Sallay Kim, Secretary. Also serving on the board are Charles Bailey, Jeff Simonides, Vicki Nenner, and Bill Heard.
The daughter of an Air Force/Air National Guard pilot and an Army nurse, Fiorelli is a native of Tucson, Ariz. She attended the University of Arizona, and is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree of Science with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology, graduating Magna Cum Laude.
She worked as a Court Clerk at the Flagstaff Municipal Court, before moving to San Diego in July 2000 to pursue a Masters Degree in Forensic Science. She holds a Funeral Directors license, a Cemetery Manager’s license, and a Cemetery Broker’s license. She has been with Greenwood Memorial Park & Mortuary for 16 years.
A native of Richland Center, Wis., Schoville joined the U.S. Army after graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and trained as a helicopter pilot. While serving in Vietnam, he was awarded two Silver Stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts, along with several other Air Medals and service awards.
Following his medical retirement from active duty at the rank of captain, Schoville earned a law degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1973, and a master’s degree in law at Northwestern University in 1974. For the next 23 years, Schoville was an associate and then partner at San Diego’s biggest law firm, Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye, and later with Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich.
He established the firm of Schoville & Arnell, LLP, in 1997, which obtained record-setting verdicts. His primary areas of practice currently focus on personal injury, product liability, and insurance law.
Schoville is a Life Member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot’s Association, and is past national general counsel, secretary and board member of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society.
By Bill Heard
Public Information Officer
