History will be made when Joanne M. Spahn MS, RD, FADA is presented with the Mother Xavier Award, during the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), 2 Convent Road, Morristown, NJ, annual “Founders Day” celebration on December 1, 2006. In receiving this prestigious award, Mrs. Spahn will celebrate the honor with her mother, Viola Higgins Masterson, as the first mother/daughter pair to have received the Mother Xavier Award since its inception more than 50 years ago. Mrs. Masterson received the Mother Xavier Award in 2000.

The Mother Xavier Award is presented to a distinguished alumnae/i who best exemplifies the vision, courage, and faith of Mother Mary Xavier Mehegan, the founder of CSE and the Sisters of Charity. Mrs. Spahn, like her mother before her, will be recognized for her professional and personal accomplishments that fulfill the legacy of Mother Xavier during a special Founders Day Celebration featuring a Christmas Concert and Evening Prayer in Holy Family Chapel on the campus of CSE.

Mrs. Spahn says, “It was my mother who taught me the most important things in life through her word and example. She demonstrated how to live a Christ-centered life and helped me to build the confidence I needed to be different and forge my own path in life.”

The path Mrs. Spahn selected took her around the world to help thousands of people live heathly and spiritually fit lives. Her journey began while attending the College of Saint Elizabeth where she literally drove a van and helped clients at the College’s Center for Independent Living Aged and Handicapped, a community service program. Before graduating from CSE in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Foods and Nutrition, Mrs. Spahn was president of the Student Council, president of O’Connor Residence Hall, co-captain of the Swim Team, a member of the varsity Volleyball and Tennis Teams as well as the Student Life Committee.

Mrs. Spahn enrolled in the United States Air Force (USAF) beginning her military career in 1982 with an internship at Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Her successful careeer as a registered dietitian has had a direct impact on the nutritional health of thousands of military personnel worldwide. She developed and authored The Sensible Weigh, the core program used by the Air Force for standardized weight management intervention. In addition, she was the developer of Shape Your Future…You Weigh! TM, a community-based initiative targeting prevention of overweight among Air Force personnel. She was a leader in the Air Force population health initiative, creating automated support for timely delivery of clinical preventive and disease management services to service members and their families worldwide. During her career, Mrs. Spahn proudly served as Commander of an elite group of 275 medics who supported the troops. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the Air Force, she received several key military decorations and numerous military awards.

Service in the military meant many moves for her family, including her husband John and their four children. She admits, “It was the loving support of my husband and my children that allowed me the opportunity to serve my country and raise a family at the same time.”

Mrs. Spahn also made it a priority to help others renew their faith. Whether participating in her local parish, in faith-sharing groups or planning religious retreats, Mrs. Spahn helped others become more spiritually connected. As a result of both her personal and professional accomplishments, CSE proudly presents the Mother Xavier Award 2006 to Mrs. Spahn.