PCS Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 2026
Michael Bunce
Michael E. Bunce (Mike) grew up in Pavilion, New York and attended Pavilion Central School (PCS) enrolling in Kindergarten in 1952. Many of his teachers at PCS were instrumental in preparing him for his future. He graduated with a Regent's diploma in 1964.
He enjoyed living in Pavilion in his early years. Once he was old enough, he worked on local farms during the summer vacation months. In high school, he played football, volleyball and ran track for PCS. In his spare time, he worked at Phelps Brothers Mobil gas station in Pavilion. He loved the small town culture.
Thanks to the supportive efforts of Mr. Bill Thayer, Guidance Counselor at PCS, Mike was accepted to study at Alfred State College (ASC) in the fall of 1964. His education at PCS enabled his success at ASC. He graduated in 1966 with an AAS in Engine Technology. During his two years at Alfred, he interacted with several fellow students who were graduates of PCS. Earning this two year degree turned out to have a major positive affect in his life.
Mike was able to get an Application Engineering job at Worthington Corporation in Buffalo, New York following his graduation from ASC. Worthington Company designed and manufactured large reciprocating compressors for the oil and gas industry. Mike had worked at Worthington Corporation for only six months when he got his draft notice in December of 1966.
Mike completed basic training and radio operator school in Fort Dix, New Jersey. In the spring of 1967, he was transferred to Fort Gordon, Georgia to train for radio teletype school. Upon completing this training, he was retained in Fort Gordon and served as an instructor at the radio teletype school. The US Army used radio teletype to send and receive targeting information in support of heavy artillery. In December, 1967, Mike got orders to serve in Vietnam. He took a 30 day leave and returned to Pavilion to marry his high school sweetheart, Donna Fitzsimmons, PCS Class of 1965. He served in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam with a heavy artillery battery until his enlistment ended in late December 1968. He was promoted to Radio Team Chief, SGT E-5, while serving in Vietnam.
Upon returning to Pavilion after his honorable discharge, his wife, Donna, introduced him to his infant son, Christopher Bunce. Needing to support his new family, he found a job tuning cars at a gas station in Batavia, NY. While there he increased the volume of engine tune ups and repairs significantly. In the meantime, he looked for an engineering job that better suited his qualifications and education.
In May of 1969, he was hired as a Test Technician by Dresser-Clark company located in Olean, NY. Dresser-Clark designed and built centrifugal and reciprocating compressors for the oil and gas industry. Mike moved his family to Olean and began his career. After enjoying his work in the Test Department for seven years, he was promoted to Application Engineer. Normally, a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering was a prerequisite for this position. Mike's AAS degree from Alfred State and his experience in the Test Department qualified him for this job. During his 37 year career at Dresser, he earned several promotions leading into Management. Mike introduced a proactive, client focused approach to Dresser's aftermarket business in his role as Market Manager, Parts and Service. He was then promoted to Director, Turbo Parts, which was a $300 million high-profit market segment for Dresser. Mike also spent several years as a Project Manager, which required him to travel worldwide to manage his oil and gas client orders. He has visited more countries than he hasn't. Towards the end of his career at Dresser, he was promoted to Director, Turbo Pricing. Mike was in charge of maintaining competitive pricing worldwide for aftermarket parts and services and ensuring a viable return on investment for the company.
Mike and Donna chose to retire in 2006. After Mike's retirement, Dresser hired him on a consultant basis as Director of Recruiting to ensure that the company was able to hire the many engineers required to support this business. In this position, Mike established business alliances with Rochester Institute of Technology and Alfred State College. These win-win alliances were beneficial to both parties.
For most of Mike's career at Dresser, he and his family lived in the small community of Hinsdale, NY. Mike, with Donna's support, spent 17 years actively supporting the Hinsdale community. He joined the Hinsdale, Maplehurst and Pleasant Valley volunteer fire department, serving as Treasurer for many years. Mike managed the fire department expenses so that the department could purchase new trucks and equipment without taxpayer support. When he left the department, he was honored with a life membership.
Concurrently, he was elected to the Hinsdale Central School (HCS) Board of Education. HCS is a school system much like PCS in size. His son Chris and daughter Julie both graduated from HCS. Mike was re-elected to the board every five years and served as President, Board of Education for most of that time. One of Mike's signature accomplishments serving as a school board member was managing the school budget such that local school taxes were not increased for five years.
Once their children, Chris and Julie were grown and gone, Donna and Mike moved from Hinsdale, NY to Port Orange, Florida in 2013. Mike has enjoyed his retirement very much, especially spoiling he and Donna's four grandchildren. He reads about three books a week and enjoys shooting sporting clays. Donna plays pickle ball and sews for charity. He and Donna manage to visit Pavilion at least once a year. He finds it gratifying to drive by Pavilion Central School and remember the good times.
Jane Lindquist Lesniewski
Jane looks back on her years at Pavilion Central School with deep appreciation for the opportunities that shaped her path. An active and engaged student, she participated in Cheerleading, Track & Field, Tower, AFS, National Honor Society, SADD, RPE, and Close-Up. Serving as an editor of Tower for the Class of 1993 and traveling on the 1992 Close-Up trip remain among her fondest PCS memories.
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After graduating from Pavilion, Jane attended the College of Wooster, earning her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Religious Studies in 1997. She was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society that spring and went on to earn her M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Boston College in 1999.
Jane’s career has been guided by a commitment to service and student success. She began as Youth Coordinator at Samaritans of Boston, where she trained hundreds of volunteers and worked extensively in suicide prevention education across schools and communities. In 2006, she transitioned to higher education and has since spent two decades in leadership and advising roles at institutions including Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Quinsigamond Community College, and Boston University. Her work focuses on proactive advising, STEM student support, first-year experience programs, career and academic planning, and data-informed student retention.
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While proud of her professional journey, Jane considers her most important roles to be those of wife, mother, daughter, and sister. She has been married to her husband, Matt, for over 20 years and is the proud mother of two daughters. She is the daughter of Reverend Ray Lindquist and the late Phyllis Lindquist, and the sister of fellow PCS alumni Kristin (Lindquist) Redford and Mary Lindquist.
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Community involvement remains central to Jane’s life. She has served on school committees and local arts councils and is especially dedicated to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, where she has held leadership roles in Christian Education and worship and currently serves on Vestry.
Jane credits Pavilion—the school, the community, and the Covington church—with planting the seeds for a lifelong commitment to service and leadership.
Colonel John C. Powers, USMCR (Retired)
Known as "Jack" by his high school friends, John Powers' career spanned wartime service in the military, pioneering healthcare technology, and a lifetime of giving back.
A 1963 graduate of Pavilion Central School (PCS), John went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Canisius College. Upon graduating from Canisius in 1967, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps - the beginning of a period of active-duty service during the Vietnam War.
As a Marine Officer, Powers served at bases across the United States and overseas, including Okinawa, South Vietnam, and the Philippines. He qualified as a senior air director, commanding troops responsible for flight operations, air traffic control, and combat air support. He earned the Vietnam Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, among other honors.
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After his release from active duty, Powers pursued graduate studies on the GI Bill - first at George Washington University and later at New Hampshire College, where he excelled academically. While pursuing his MBA, he worked for the Veterans Administration, dedicating years to serving those who had worn the uniform, and rising to serve as Northeast Regional Finance Officer for the New England and New York regions. Throughout this period, he continued his service in the Marine Reserve.
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His final military assignment was as Commanding Officer of Marine Air Support Squadron-6, where he led his unit to a perfect score on a combat readiness evaluation - the first time any Marine Air Support Squadron, active or reserve, had ever achieved that distinction. After a total of twenty-two years of combined active and reserve service, he retired as a full Colonel - a rank that is possibly the highest ever achieved by a PCS graduate.
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Powers then transitioned to the private sector, assuming the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at New England Deaconess Hospital, where he introduced, then broke ground on new technologies including an email system, a local area network, Wi-Fi, and the institution's first Internet service.
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Following a 1992 merger, he became Chief Administration Officer and Deputy CIO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center - a multi-billion dollar Harvard Medical School teaching hospital internationally recognized for diagnostic, treatment, and research excellence. In 2012, Beth Israel Deaconess was named by Information Week Magazine as the most technologically advanced, a.k.a. "Most Wired," information system in the United States, besting such organizations as Deere, UPS, and Dow Chemical. Powers was personally selected by the Medical Center to accept the award.
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In retirement, Powers has remained as active as ever. He has volunteered with SCORE, advising small business as part of the Federal Small Business Administration's program, and was named Rookie of the Year in his chapter. He has organized charity golf tournaments benefiting veterans' organizations, funded both a PCS scholarship in honor of his mother and an essay contest honoring his uncle, PFC Jack McGee, a fellow PCS Hall of Fame inductee.
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Most recently, in 2024, Powers was one of eight principal donors in funding a $200,000 monument at Marine Corps Base Quantico honoring eighteen of their Basic School classmates who lost their lives in Vietnam. That monument, known as "Courage," has become one of the most iconic landmarks at the base.
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Powers and his late wife Barbara, also a 1963 PCS graduate, raised four accomplished children - a physicist, a chemical engineer, a mechanical engineer, and an IT professional - and are the proud grandparents of eight. Now eighty-one years old, he enjoys life with his new spouse, Susan, splitting their time among New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. Powers remains as engaged and purposeful as ever.
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His message to today's PCS students is simple: "Never underestimate your ability to make a difference. Push yourself beyond comfortable boundaries. It's never too early nor too late. Success has neither a due date nor an expiration."