The 2024 Crestwood School District Distinguished Alumni were approved by the Crestwood School Board at a recent meeting. Selected for the honor were Matt LaVigna, Crestwood Class of 1983, and Diane Madl, Crestwood Class of 1985.
A Secret Service Agent and Cyber Security Chief, LaVigna’s career spans over three decades with significant contributions in the field of law enforcement and cyber-security. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in Legal Studies, he joined the United States Secret Service, where he took on roles ranging from a Special Agent investigating financial crimes to a Counter Assault Team Leader protecting past and current Presidents of the Unites States, including former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, as well as then current Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
He was one of the initial agents on the Department of Homeland Security in 2003 and was assigned to DHS Secretary on Tom Ridge’s staff.
After serving more than three decades with the Secret Service, LaVigna became the CEO of the National Cyber-Forensics and Training Alliance (NCFTA), significantly impacting cybercrime prevention and contributing to national and global cyber-security initiatives.
LaVigna was a three-sport standout athlete in high school. He was a nationally recruited football player who went on to play for the University of Pittsburgh for four years. He lives in the Pittsburgh area with his wife, Gail (Roche) LaVigna, Crestwood Class of ’82. They have three (3) daughters. His father, Bill, and in-laws, Bill and Norma Roche, still reside in Mountain Top.
Madl distinguished herself in field hockey, basketball and softball at Crestwood before playing field hockey at the University of Connecticut from 1985 to 1988. At the University of Connecticut, she was instrumental in the Huskies winning the NCAA Division I National Championship in 1985 and earned All-America honors in 1987 and 1988, along with the Honda Broderick Award given to the top field hockey player in the country.
Madl also played varsity basketball for the University of Connecticut for two years under legendary coach Geno Auriemma She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1989.
Madl’s athletic prowess extended to the U.S. National Team, participating in the Olympic Games in 1996, among other international competitions. She has also significantly contributed to U.S. Field Hockey through coaching at various levels and earned her U.S. Field Hockey Level III Coaching Accreditation in 2009.
Beyond her remarkable personal achievements, Diane Madl is recognized as a pioneering force behind Northeastern Pennsylvania’s emergence as a national epicenter of field hockey excellence. Her groundbreaking success illuminated the region’s potential, paving the way for it to become a fertile ground for field hockey talent heights. She currently is head field hockey coach at Providence College, a position she has held since 2002.
Madl resides in Providence, RI. She is the daughter of Ruth Ann and David Madl, who still reside in Mountain Top. She has two brothers, David and Dan, and a sister, Donna Kehl.
Established in 2021, the Distinguished Alumni award is given annually to select and deserving individuals who have made outstanding contributions to society.
“Once again, this year’s award recipients are shining examples of the quality of graduates coming out of the Crestwood School District,” said Committee Chair, Tom Benz. “The pool of nominees from which the selection committee deliberated was extremely deep. Clearly, the educational foundation that Crestwood provides its graduates positions them to accomplish amazing things. I want to thank the district for its support in implementing this prestigious award, as well as the sponsors who make the dinner ceremony possible. I also thank the selection committee for their hard work and for the time they donated to research and review so many worthy nominees. The high quality and depth of the nomination pool makes the selection process very challenging. I look forward to this year’s ceremony, as well as ceremonies in future years,” Benz added.
An award ceremony will be held this fall, which will consist of an in-school assembly in the auditorium at Crestwood High School. Both award recipients will be recognized and given an opportunity to address the current student body. There will also be a dinner held in honor of the award recipients at a local restaurant the night before the in-school assembly. An engraved plaque detailing the accomplishments of each award winner will be permanently displayed in the Crestwood High School main lobby.
