NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Schwarzman Center provided an elegant backdrop Friday evening as the Yale Athletics community gathered for one of its most prestigious traditions, the Blue Leadership Ball. The biennial event honored the 2025 recipients of the George H.W. Bush '48 Lifetime of Leadership Award, celebrating extraordinary alumni who embody Yale's commitment to leadership and service.

This year's distinguished honorees included Keith Flaherty '93 B.S. (Men's Lacrosse), Wendell Mottley '64 B.A. (Men's Track & Field), Lorraine Pratte Lewis '78 B.A. (Field Hockey and Women's Lacrosse), Margot Putukian '84 B.S. (Women's Lacrosse and Women's Soccer), Victor Staffieri '77 B.A. (Football), and J. Lloyd Suttle '69 B.S., '73 M.Phil., '75 Ph.D., recognized for their exceptional accomplishments and enduring commitment to leadership, service, and integrity.

Named for the 41^st President of the United States and former Yale baseball captain, George H.W. Bush '48, the award represents the highest honor bestowed by Yale Athletics. It celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions in governance, commerce, science and technology, education, public service, and the arts and media, carrying Yale's values into their professional lives and communities.

"These honorees demonstrate the powerful connection between athletic experience and lifelong leadership," said Victoria M. "Vicky" Chun, Thomas A. Beckett Director of Athletics. "Their impact reaches far beyond their time on campus and continues to inspire generations of Bulldogs to serve with integrity and purpose."

The evening featured an insightful panel discussion moderated by Jack Ford '72, himself a 2009 George H.W. Bush Lifetime of Leadership Award recipient, former Yale football player, and Emmy Award-winning journalist. The conversation highlighted how each honoree's Yale athletic experience shaped their subsequent professional achievements and leadership philosophy.

Hear from this year's honorees:

Keith Flaherty '93 B.S. | Men's Lacrosse 
"Those moments in practice were the ones I will always remember. Our practices, we were all working towards making each other better and being a better team. There are just a million moments."

Wendell Mottley '64 B.A. | Men's Track & Field 
"The camaraderie, and the discipline we found as a team. It was led by a super coach, Bob Giegengack, and what was just a superhuman being. The love that came around me and the discipline was the Yale experience that did me very well in life."

Lorraine Pratte Lewis '78 B.A. | Field Hockey, Women's Lacrosse  
"My dad taught at the Ohio State University, and you would have thought I may have just stayed a Buckeye, but I carried it in my heart that I wanted to come east, essentially back home. I grew up in Massachusetts and Connecticut, I had family here, and I also knew that Yale would bring that combination of both sports and academics, and it just felt like the perfect match for me."

Margot Putukian '84 B.S. | Women's Lacrosse, Women's Soccer
"When I think back on my time at Yale, it's the time with my teammates and my classmates, not only on the soccer field, but also in my residential college and the people that I met."

Victor Staffieri '77 B.A. | Football 
"When I first came up to visit, it was just the feeling of this place. The academics spoke for themselves, facilities spoke for themselves. Coach Cozza was very impressive. In my time here, I've had some wonderful teammates, some wonderful friends. I think it's the people who are here that drove my decision to go to Yale."

J. Lloyd Suttle '69 B.S., '73 M.Phil., '75 Ph.D.
"My first game at the Yale Bowl was Carm Cozza's first game as coach. I was there for many, many of his games and his last game at Yale Bowl. Those experiences at the Yale Bowl were at the top of my memories list. The extraordinary excitement and success Yale athletes have had, there have been many memories."