Rivier honors local business and community leaders with distinguished service awards
Celebrating their service to the University and community, two alumnae receive the Sister Madeleine of Jesus Award.
Rivier University has presented its highest alumni honor, the Sister Madeleine of Jesus Award, to two dedicated graduates. Catherine Eames, Class of 1981, and Linda Trafton Fraser, Class of 1972/1988G, were recognized for their leadership and distinguished service to the University and local communities and residents.
The awards were presented at a celebratory luncheon held on the Rivier campus during Alumni Reunion Weekend on September 24. Sister Paula Marie Buley, IHM, Rivier’s President, commended Eames and Fraser for their dedicated service to the University and to Greater Nashua. “Your contributions and success stories are a source of strength and inspiration to the Rivier community and to the many people you serve.”
Catherine Eames utilized her Rivier business education to build a successful career in commercial banking and property management. She held key positions at State Street Bank, Eastern Bank and BayBank Merrimack Valley, later striking out to help build a family business, Conway Management Company in Nashua, where she is president. A distinguished business and community leader, she serves on the Rivier President’s Circle Council and has served on several association boards advocating for best practices and expanding community relations. Catherine’s vision, vitality, and philanthropy have advanced the Rivier University mission, as well as those of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua, NH Food Bank, Harbor Homes, and St. Robert Bellarmine Parish. Committed to community development, her impactful initiatives continue to build a brighter future for Greater Nashua.
Linda Trafton Fraser received her bachelor’s degree in education and a Master of Business Administration degree from Rivier. She taught in New Hampshire schools for several years and after earning her MBA, she entered the high-tech industry. She led teams at SAP, Hewlett Packard, Wang Laboratories, and Kollsman before establishing her own business specializing in global supply chain optimization. Today, Linda serves as an interfaith minister, hospice chaplain, and end-of-life doula. She is a member of Rivier’s Alumni Council and is the Class of 1972 Representative. For more than 30 years, she served and held key positions on the Board of Directors for the Amherst Junior Women’s Club and Amherst Garden Club.
“Catherine and Linda’s common beliefs in the value of higher education, in the unique advantages of the Rivier University experience, and in the importance of our mission of transforming hearts and minds to serve the world continue to elevate our community,” shares Karen Cooper, Vice President for University Advancement.
The Sister Madeleine of Jesus Award was established by the Alumni Association in 1974 to honor Rivier’s Foundress. The award is presented to Rivier alumni who have distinguish themselves through exceptional dedication and contribution to Rivier University; outstanding service to their community and profession; and/or significant civic, professional, or humanitarian efforts.
Rivier University, located in Nashua, New Hampshire, offers on-campus and online degrees at the undergraduate, professional studies, graduate, and doctoral levels. For more information, visit rivier.edu.