Alan ’68 and Becky Kreczko secure naming rights for new VASJ front entrance

Who says you can’t find love in the laundromat? The Kreczkos did!

Alan, who hails from the Cleveland area and is a member of the St. Joseph Class of 1968, went to Boston College and obtained his law degree from the University of Michigan, working as a welder in Cleveland between degrees. His career was focused at the State Department in Washington, D.C., for 30 years and included working on Arab-Israeli disputes during the time of Menachem Begin, a former prime minister of Israel, and Yasser Arafat, a leader of Fatah and chair of the Palestine Liberation Army. Alan worked in the Clinton White House on the National Security Council, leaving in 1997, returning to the State Department to overhaul the overseas humanitarian and resettlement program, which is the model used today for the Afghan refugees. He remained at the State Department until 2003 and then moved to Hartford Insurance, serving as general counsel until 2015. 

During the last four years, Alan spearheaded the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford’s campaign to build a new facility. “It was really a critical service for the children,” Alan said. “About one-half of the public school kids come from single-parent families, so the Boys & Girls Club is a necessary part of a community that has no after-school facilities.”

Alan helped raise $20 million for that initiative, and the facility now reaches 1,500 new kids a year. 

Becky is an Ohio woman through and through. She and her siblings went to public school in Cincinnati, and then she attended Miami University. Becky added with a smile that “her siblings turned out pretty well, too.” While she grew up Methodist, she supports Catholic-based schools like VASJ. Her career took her to Common Cause for three years in Washington, D.C. She then had a career at EF Hutton. With a chuckle, she said, “The DOW was 790 when I was there … it is now 34,000!”

And they met at a laundromat in Washington, D.C.! To add to their story, Alan was going to New York to work for three months at the United Nations. Becky’s church group was meeting at her house that night, and she invited Alan to stop over for a piece of cheesecake. Of course, he accepted (who doesn’t love cheesecake!) While Alan was in New York, they corresponded and began dating after his return. The rest, as they say, is history. They have been married for 38 years, have two sons, Ben and Nick, and are expecting their first grandchild in November.  

Together, they made the huge decision to support VASJ’s Keeping Our Promises Campaign by donating a gift to secure the naming rights to the new school front entrance. The entrance will honor Alan’s parents, Steve and Martha Shoda Kreczko, for the sacrifices they made to send four children to a private, Catholic school. Alan speaks fondly of his parents. His father was an electrician, while his mother, who was born in West Virginia, worked as a file clerk for the Navy Finance Center before becoming a full-time mom. Martha was one of 14 children and skipped two grades in school because of her intellect. Alan stated that he has 109 cousins just from his mother’s side!


Alan Kreczko's parents, Steve and Martha Shoda Kreczko

Alan remarked that he was proud to go to St. Joseph High School, but he is equally as proud of what VASJ has become. With warm reflection, Alan shared that he had a wonderful high school experience, with good memories and great friends. But, in particular, he recalled two teachers who had a huge influence on him. 

Joe Radican was a history teacher who also served as the coach for the speech and debate team. He recruited Alan to the debate team, and Alan credits that experience for building his reading, analysis, speaking and presentation skills, all of which he has carried throughout his career. Mr. Radican took the team to debates — even a national one — and the team was successful in its competitions.

Perhaps the most amazing story was what Steve Holler did to expand his students’ worldview. Mr. Holler was the senior guidance counselor, and he took three young men, Alan, John Skardis, and Bill McNeely, in his Volkswagen Beetle — at his expense — to visit three colleges. These young men never considered college outside Cleveland, but when visiting Columbia University, Brown University and Boston College, their eyes were opened to what could be. Alan went to Boston College, Bill to Brown and John to Columbia. Mr. Holler’s gift to them was invaluable. He taught them to aim higher and think bigger — and they all did.

Alan and Becky stated they gave their gift to the Keeping Our Promises Campaign because of the values of VASJ, including academic excellence, an emphasis on character and accountability, faith formation, and educating students to be leaders — a combination they deem to be “wonderful and lifelong.” These values are also evident from the ongoing connections and attachment to VASJ that alumni have long after they graduate.


 (L to R): Greg Kreczko '72, Sandra Kreczko '75, Alan Kreczko '68 and VASJ President Thomas M. Carone

The couple has a message for donors: Help VASJ be able to provide students with a quality, Catholic education. Remember the education you received at the school, be appreciative and help provide the same opportunities to future generations. 

And the message to students: Your education at VASJ is a tremendous gift from your parents. Take advantage of that gift and of opportunities to learn and form friendships. Remember that education is more than just preparation for a future job; it is learning and living values for life. When you can, pay it forward.  

It’s clear that Alan and Becky have taken their messages to heart, embracing and living out values learned early on in their lives and now paying it forward to support many generations of VASJ students to come.