Benedict Leadership Institute Award Recipient Robert Luddy
The Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College is pleased to recognize Robert Luddy as the recipient of the 2024 Benedict Leadership Award. This award highlights the achievements of individuals whose lives reflect the heroic leadership of St. Benedict.
Belmont Abbey College founded the Benedict Leadership Institute in 2016 to develop Catholic leaders and inspire them to transform society in light of their faith. Mr. Luddy is the seventh recipient of the Benedict Leadership Award, being recognized in part for his advocacy of education. He has established multiple schools with an emphasis on classical curriculum and character formation.
Robert Luddy has a unique business history beginning with his career as a graduate of LaSalle University and a U.S. Army veteran. His entrepreneurial eye recognized a demand in the marketplace and, with a $1300 personal investment, he purchased a sheet metal shop in 1981, transforming it into CaptiveAire Systems, which is now the leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation systems in North America. From its humble beginnings, the business has grown steadily. Today, with over 45 years in business, CaptiveAire employs over 1600 individuals in over 100 sales offices, occupying six manufacturing facilities nationwide, with over 40 display centers, more than 55 service regions, a Research and Development Lab and sales over $600 million in 2021.
Mr. Luddy has maintained a single-minded focus on goal setting, constant improvement, and ongoing innovation, which made hiring the right team of people an essential component to the company’s success. As Luddy has stated, “If you hire skilled people and you give them tough problems, they’re going to solve them.”
The same philosophies evident in Mr. Luddy’s business practices earn him many accolades. CaptiveAire has been voted best in class overall in the ventilation systems category based on votes by industry kitchen equipment dealers, broadliners, consultants, and operators. CaptiveAire was also featured in Foodservice Equipment & Supplies Magazine and won best in class for Dealers, Operators, and Consultant Class in 2014. Innovation and entrepreneurial spirit have been the keys to success at CaptiveAire.
Mr. Luddy has received numerous awards beginning in 2006 with the Benemerenti Medal from Pope Benedict XVI for exemplary service to the Church and Community. In 2007 he received the Ludwig von Mises Entrepreneurship Award for “entrepreneurial success and devotion to the free-market ideal.” In 2015 he earned the Civitas Audentia Award from the Civitas Institute in recognition of his business leadership as founder and president of CaptiveAire, and his civic leadership in establishing and supporting top-quality private and charter schools.
Mr. Luddy’s intellectual, moral, and financial support have helped propel growth of entrepreneurship education. While running his growing and successful company, in 1998, Mr. Luddy established Franklin Academy, a Wake Forest public school that is now one of the largest and most successful charter schools in North Carolina. In 2001 he founded St. Thomas More Academy, a classical college preparatory middle and high school in Raleigh N.C. In 2007 Thales Academy was created as a network of private schools offering high-quality Pre-K – 12 education at an affordable tuition. The Luddy Schools are quickly growing, with over 8000 students enrolled and nearly 600 faculty and staff employed throughout North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In 2022 the network expanded yet again to include Thales College, a classical college offering an affordable and accelerated undergraduate degree program.
Mr. Luddy is an avid supporter of entrepreneurs and the free-market system, evident in his 2018 published book Entrepreneurial Life: The Path from Startup to Market Leader, which details the story of CaptiveAire highlighting his principles for entrepreneurial success. In 2023 he published a second book, The Thales Way, which chronicles the story and mission behind his schools. Prior to that he had been published numerous times in U.S. News and World Report as author of “How to Bring Back American Prosperity”, “Government Regulation is Killing Economic Growth”, “Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship are Learned Young” and “Let Oil and Gas Drive the Economy”. Both the News & Observer and Business Leaders have published articles about Mr. Luddy’s businesses and schools highlighting his leadership and impact in the triad region.
Mr. Luddy is a widely sought after public speaker, offered multiple addresses, conference keynotes, and commencement speeches.
He has two grown children and five grandchildren.
Benedict Leadership Institute Award Recipient Nina Shea
Belmont, N.C. (February 28, 2023) – The Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College is thrilled to award Mrs. Nina Shea as the recipient of the 2023 Benedict Leadership Award, to be presented in a public ceremony at Belmont Abbey College on March 30, 2023. This award highlights the incredible achievements of men and women whose lives reflect the heroic leadership of St. Benedict. Mrs. Shea works extensively for the advancement of individual religious freedom and other human rights in US foreign policy as religious freedom confronts an ascendant Islamic extremism, and other authoritarian regimes. She advocates in defense of those persecuted for their religious beliefs and identities and advocates on behalf of diplomatic measures in order to end religious repression and violence abroad, whether from state actors or extremist groups. Mrs. Shea was appointed by the US House of Representatives to serve as a commissioner on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom seven times from 1999 to 2012.
During the Soviet era, Ms. Shea’s first client before the United Nation‘s was Soviet Nobel Peace Laureate Andrei Sakharov. Since then, she has been appointed as a US delegate to the United Nations main human rights body by both Republican and Democratic administrations. She also served as a member of the Clinton administration’s Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad. In 2009, she was appointed to serve as a member of the US National Commission to UNESCO. Mrs. Shea lead the effort of building grassroot support for the adoption of the International Religious Freedom Act (1998). For seven years ending in 2005, she helped organize and lead a coalition of churches and religious groups that worked to end a religious war against non-Muslims and dissident Muslims in southern Sudan. In 2014, she initiated and helped lead a coalition of hundreds of prominent American religious leaders to issue The Pledge of Solidarity for Persecuted Iraqi, Syrian and Egyptian Christians and Other Minorities, which was released by a bipartisan congressional panel on May 7, 2014. In summer 2014, she met with Pope Francis to discuss the persecution of Christians in the Middle East. At Hudson, she has organized conferences for Nigerian schoolgirls and others who survived Boko Haram attacks, Christian converts formerly imprisoned in Iran, Coptic bishops from Egypt, Catholic bishops from China and the Gulf, Muslim scholars, and many others.
Mrs. Shea advocates on behalf of a broad range of persecuted religious minorities around the world. For such work, she was honored by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA with the Community’s inaugural “Ahmadiyya Muslim Humanitarian Award.” She has authored or edited four widely acclaimed reports on Saudi state educational materials that promote extremist views and in 2011 had an opportunity to travel to Saudi Arabia and speak directly about her findings with the ministers of Education, Justice and Islamic Affairs. Her reports include: Ten Years On: Saudi Arabia’s Textbooks Still Promote Religious Violence (2011), Update: Saudi Arabia’s Curriculum of Intolerance (2008), Saudi Arabia’s Curriculum of Intolerance (2006), and Saudi Publications on Hate Ideology Invade American Mosques (2005), all of which translated and analyzed Saudi governmental publications that teach hatred and violence against the religious “other.” She is the co-author of Silenced: How Apostasy & Blasphemy Codes are Choking Freedom Worldwide, with a foreword by Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid, the former President of Indonesia and head of Nahdlatul Ulama, the world’s largest Muslim organization (Oxford University Press, 2011).
Her most recent book, which she also co-authored, is Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2013). She regularly presents testimony before Congress, delivers public lectures, organizes briefings and conferences, and writes frequently on religious freedom issues in leading publications. For the ten years prior to joining Hudson, Mrs. Shea worked at Freedom House, where she directed the Center for Religious Freedom, an entity which she had helped found in 1986 as the Puebla Institute. Mrs. Shea is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia. She is a graduate of Smith College, and American University’s Washington College of Law. Prior recipients include Archbishop Charles Chaput, Mr. Michael P. Warsaw, Mr. Leonard Leo and Mr. Carl Anderson. Recipients deliver a public address in their area of leadership and are presented with a $10,000 cash award. Belmont Abbey College founded the Benedict Leadership Institute in 2016 to develop Catholic leaders and inspire them to transform society in light of their faith.
Nina Shea is the sixth recipient of the Benedict Leadership Award and has been a human rights lawyer for over 30 years. She works extensively for the advancement of individual religious freedom and other human rights in US foreign policy.
Benedict Leadership Institute Award Recipient Justice Clarence Thomas
On July 1, 1991, Justice Thomas was nominated by President George Bush to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. He is currently the longest serving Justice on the Supreme Court. He also released a book in 2007 entitled My Grandfather’s Son; A Memoir, which became an immediate bestseller.
Conor Gallagher, Executive Director of the Benedict Leadership Institute, made the following comment to Justice Thomas: “While your life displays numerous reasons for being worthy of the Benedict Leadership Award, the Committee wishes to honor and highlight your leadership in defense of our nation’s Constitution and your personal witness as a man of faith.”
Recipients of this award deliver a public address in their area of leadership, and are presented with a $10,000 cash award.
The Benedict Leadership Institute was founded in 2016 by Belmont Abbey College to develop and inspire Catholic leaders to transform society in light of their faith. The Benedict Leadership Award, conferred annually, is a key activity of the Institute, and aims to recognize outstanding men and women whose achievements reflect the heroic leadership of St. Benedict.
Prior recipients include Mr. Michael P. Warsaw, Mr. Leonard Leo and Mr. Carl Anderson.
Belmont Abbey College, home of the Benedict Leadership Institute, is a private Catholic liberal arts college located near Charlotte, NC. Founded in 1876 by Benedictine monks, it is recognized by the Cardinal Newman Society as one of America’s top Catholic colleges.
Benedict Leadership Institute Award Recipient Archbishop Charles J. Chaput
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput is a native of Concordia, Kansas, the son of Joseph and Marian DeMarais Chaput. He joined the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, St. Augustine Province, in 1965, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1970. In his early career, His Excellency served as Vicar Provincial of Capuchin Province of Mid-America and pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Colorado. He was elevated to Provincial Minister and Chief Executive prior to being ordained Bishop of Rapid City, SD in 1988. As Bishop, he founded the Office of Native Ministry and served on the USCCB Subcommittee on Native American Catholics. Pope John Paul II appointed him Archbishop of Denver in 1997. A descendent of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe on his maternal side, he is the second Native American to be ordained a bishop in the United States, and the first Native American archbishop. As Archbishop of Denver, he served as Chancellor of Redemptorist Mater Seminary, and founded the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. His Excellency co-founded the lay-organizations: FOCUS, CALL,the Committee for Divine Worship, Migration, Pro-Life Activities, and Healthcare. He received Apostolic Commissions to visit seminaries in the United States, Australia and Canada. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Archbishop of Philadelphia in 2011 where His Excellency began the arduous task of restructuring the Archdiocese. He was appointed to the Pontifical Council for the Laity, hosted the World Meeting of Families and the papal visit to the United States, and was elected to the permanent council of the Synod of Bishops. He founded IRRP, a reconciliation program for victims of sexual abuse. After nine years of faithful leadership, Pope Francis accepted his resignation and he became Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia in 2020.
Benedict Leadership Institute Award Recipient Michael P. Warsaw
Belmont — Michael P. Warsaw, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EWTN, has been named the third recipient of the Benedict Leadership Award. The award, given by the Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College, was presented in a public ceremony at Belmont Abbey College on March 29. The Institute selected Warsaw above all for his leadership as Chairman and CEO of EWTN, the largest religious media network in the world, and for his commitment to bringing the truth of the faith across the mainstream media and into millions of homes throughout the world. “While your life displays numerous reasons for being worthy of the Benedict Leadership Award, the Committee wishes to honor and highlight your leadership as Chairman and CEO of EWTN, as Publisher of The National Catholic Register, and your personal witness as a man of faith,” wrote Executive Director Conor Gallagher in his selection letter to Warsaw. The Committee also wishes to highlight Warsaw’s vision for EWTN global outreach and its impact on Catholics in the heart of Africa. The Benedict Leadership Institute was founded in 2016 to develop and inspire Catholic leaders to transform society in light of their faith. The Benedict Leadership Award is a key activity of the Institute. The Institute confers the Award annually, recognizing outstanding men and women whose achievements reflect the heroic leadership of St. Benedict. Last year’s recipient was Mr. Leonard Leo, preceded by Mr. Carl Anderson. Recipients deliver a public address in their area of leadership, and are presented with a $10,000 cash award. Warsaw graciously turned down the cash award, but asked that the money be donated to the work of EWTN. Belmont Abbey College, home of the Benedict Leadership Institute, is a Catholic college located near Charlotte, NC. Founded in 1876 by Benedictine monks, it is recognized by the Cardinal Newman Society as one of America’s top Catholic colleges.
Benedict Leadership Institute Award Recipient Leonard A. Leo
Leonard A. Leo is a native of Long Island, New York. He attended Cornell University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1986, and completed a law degree at Cornell Law School in 1989. While studying law at Cornell, Leo founded a student chapter of the Federalist Society in 1989 and is Executive Vice president today. Leo has been influential in the appointment of three Supreme Court nominees including Justices Roberts and Alito, and most recently advising President Trump on the appointment of Justice Gorsuch.
He was served on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He has been a U.S. Delegate to the UN Council and UN Commission on Human Rights as well as the Organization of Security and Cooperation and World Health Assembly. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Leo served as National Co-Chairman of Catholic Outreach for the Republican National Committee, and as the 2004 Bush presidential campaign’s Catholic Strategist. He serves on multiple Boards of Directors including: the National Prayer Breakfast, the Catholic Information Center, and The Catholic University of America. He is a Member of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He and his wife Sally have raised seven children, two of whom were diagnosed with spina bifida in the womb.
Benedict Leadership Institute Award Recipient Carl Anderson
Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, has been named the first recipient of the Benedict Leadership Award. The Award, given by the Benedict Leadership Institute at Belmont Abbey College, will be presented in a public ceremony at Belmont Abbey College on March 24.
The Institute selected Anderson above all for his leadership in aiding and advocating for persecuted Christians in the Middle East. As Supreme Knight, Anderson has repeatedly called for the protection of Christians facing genocide in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere, and has raised more than $11 million for humanitarian relief of Christian refugees.
“While your life displays numerous reasons for being worthy of the Benedict Leadership Award, the Board wished to honor and highlight your leadership in one area in particular: Your resolute defense of persecuted Christians,” wrote Executive Director Conor Gallagher in his selection letter to Anderson.
“This is an area of great concern to the Board, and it is our hope that your Award will bring attention and relief to persecuted Christians and move the public to act more decisively in their behalf.”
The Benedict Leadership Institute was founded in 2016 to develop and inspire Catholic leaders to transform society in light of their faith. The Benedict Leadership Award is a key activity of the Institute.
The Institute will confer the Award annually beginning in 2017, recognizing outstanding men and women whose achievements reflect the heroic leadership of St. Benedict.
Recipients deliver a public address in their area of leadership, and are presented with a $10,000 cash award.
Belmont Abbey College, home of the Benedict Leadership Institute, is a Catholic college located near Charlotte, NC. Founded in 1876 by Benedictine monks, it is recognized by the Cardinal Newman Society as one of America’s top Catholic colleges.