Page 9 - 2019 Padua Hall of Fame Program

Franciscan Medal Award
John Warcaba ’81
One of the most deeply held goals at Padua Franciscan High School is the development of the unique talents of each student, while providing them a strong foundation to succeed throughout their lives. While at Padua and since graduating in 1981, John has personified these goals and set an example of leadership, generosity, and ultimately success, in every facet of his life.
Chosen Mr. Bruin his senior year, John was an All-Ohio baseball player, MVP of the East-West All-Star football game in 1980, and earned a baseball scholarship to Kent State University, where he logged a 12-1 record as a middle reliever, eventually graduating with a double major in finance and management.
John began his career at General Electric, in their power systems group. He soon left GE, though, to pursue entrepreneurial goals in the burgeoning field of technology.
In 1991, John started a tech company, growing it to over 300 employees throughout North America, before selling it to a private equity firm in Boston in 2012. Today, that company employs over 1,200 people worldwide.
Having developed, grown, and sold numerous other businesses and ventures for the past 20 years – in fields as diverse as cloud computing, medical technology, and commercial real estate – John now invests in start-up companies, serving as a consultant and trusted advisor to young entrepreneurs in the field of technology, where he began himself 30 years ago.
John’s philanthropic leadership has been constant and profoundly effective. He was a leader in the Padua Plus+ Capital Campaign and set an example for his alumni peers, by creating and funding the Kohuth Challenge, to renovate the Northeast Entrance to our building, while honoring a lifelong servant of Franciscan education, Coach Tom Kohuth. John continues to focus on ensuring the future of Padua, investing in scholarship and endowment efforts at his alma mater, and motivating classmates and teammates to do the same.