Santa Clara Magis Medal Winners

Brendan Donckers (Santa Clara University ’02)

Brendan Donckers litigates civil cases and appeals in state and federal courts. He represents individuals, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses in a range of matters, including civil rights, consumer protection, employment, real and personal property disputes, contract disputes, tort cases, and class actions. Brendan volunteers regularly with the Northwest Justice Project and the KCBA’s Housing Justice Project and is active in the community.  He is President of the Board of Directors for the Historic South Downtown Community Preservation and Development Authority and was appointed and confirmed by the Seattle City Council in 2013 to serve on the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program’s Advisory Committee on Tolling and Traffic Management.  In 2014, the Mayor of Seattle appointed Brendan to the Ethics and Elections Commission. Brendan has also served on the boards of the King County Chapter of Washington Conservation Voters, the Washington State Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Renton/Skyway Boys and Girls Club of King County. Brendan received his J.D. with honors from Seattle University School of Law and was the Valedictorian at Santa Clara University.

 

Jenny Girard Malley (Santa Clara University ’90)

Since 2012, Jenny Girard Malley, MA has been the Executive Director of Companions in Ignatian Service and Spirituality, a Bay Area organization that enriches the experience of committed volunteers, 50 or older, involved in community service, through a program of prayer and Ignatian spiritual reflection (think JVC but for older adults). To this work, Jenny brings over 25 years of experience working with and for others through nonprofit, parish, school and Jesuit programs. Proud of her Ignatian heritage, Jenny points to her Masters in Theology from the University of San Francisco and a decade at St Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco as Director of Christian Service for solidifying her connection to Jesuit ministries. Jenny credits her experience in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps for being her first inspiration - two years that catalyzed her passion to embrace contemplation and action in all that she does.  A certified Spiritual Director, Master Catechist, Birth Doula and Parish Pastoral Associate, Jenny integrates ministry and social justice through the Companions Program leading workshops and retreats across Northern California. 

 

Rebecca Reuter (Santa Clara University ’03)

Rebecca Reuter is the Assistant Director of Educational Outreach at The Juilliard School where she oversees the Music Advancement Program, an instrumental instruction program for children from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the American performing arts. She also serves as co-advisor for Juilliard’s annual ARTreach New Orleans Service Project, guiding college students as they teach arts workshops, give free performances, and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity during their spring break. She attributes her passion for education outside the classroom to her experiences studying abroad in El Salvador through the Casa de la Solidaridad program and to her participation in Santa Clara University’s Arrupe Partnerships for Community-based Learning. Also a professional dancer, Ms. Reuter co-directs Omega Dance Company, an organization of dancers and educators who seek to reveal and celebrate the sacred through movement. The non-profit, interfaith organization, which celebrated its 40th anniversary season last year, provides dance in worship settings, presents concerts with spiritual themes, and offers workshops throughout the NYC metropolitan area. It is St. Ignatius of Loyola’s encouragement to “find God in all things”, Ms. Reuter says, that continually inspires her to explore how creativity can connect us to one another and to the divine. Ms. Reuter has also served on the Ignatian Young Adults committee at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola and is a founding member of Charis NYC, a peer-led Jesuit retreat ministry for young adults in their 20’s and 30’s.

 

Michael Vincent (Santa Clara University ’05)

Michael Vincent has a passion for developing market-based solutions for sustainable community development and for building the conscious consumerism movement.  He currently serves as Director of Impact & Standards on the Senior Management Team at Fair Trade USA.  In this role, he is responsible for the innovation of the organization’s approach to defining, measuring and communicating the impact of its work. Michael began his career in Accenture’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practice and spent a year and a half in Accenture Development Partnerships, the firm’s corporate social enterprise. He then moved to Latin America to teach mathematics and reading to children outside the school system, and to start a social enterprise that would serve as a parent organization to street children centers globally. Outside of work, he has volunteered extensively with youth and education programs and has served on the boards of directors of Leadership High School and Friends of the Children in San Francisco.  Michael received his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Santa Clara University and his Master in Business Administration from the University of California Berkeley.