Credit: Upper Dublin.
Upper Dublin celebrated its outstanding alumni with a Hall of Fame day at the High School on April 4. Honorees had opportunities to interact with students throughout the day, including an Inductee Meet & Greet continental breakfast, a mid-day lunch with administrators, and a high school building tour.
An evening dessert reception for inductees, family, friends and the public, held at the UDHS Alumni Hall of Fame Gallery, was followed by the 2025 Alumni Hall of Fame Awards Program in the UDHS Performing Arts Center.
In all, Upper Dublin High School inducted 10 distinguished graduates into its Alumni Hall of Fame. Two of those distinguished honors went to Fort Washington Fire Company current Chief Andy Rathfon and past Chief and Life Member Pat Zollo.
Robert Schultz, principal of Upper Dublin High School, and Heidi Yutzler-Overton, program chairperson and Upper Dublin Education Foundation board president, conducted the ceremony.
Inductees are selected according to six categories: Arts, Entertainment & Communications; Business & Law; Education; Government & Military; Medicine, Science & Technology; and Philanthropy, Theology & Community Service.
Andrew Rathfon
Class of 1997
Fort Washington Fire Co., volunteer for more than 20 years. He was the Chief of Upper Dublin Township, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator, and an Upper Merion Police Detective.
A member of the Class of 1997, Andrew “Andy” Rathfon attended Wittenberg University, receiving a degree in History, minoring in Education and Political Science. At Wittenberg he was inducted into Phi Alpha Theta, the National Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma, the NCAA’s Honor Society for student-athletes with high academic achievement, and was the captain of the Men’s Varsity Lacrosse tea. He later earned a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Law Enforcement, and Public Safety Management certificate from Saint Joseph’s University.
A sworn officer with the Upper Merion Police Department since 2005, Rathfon was Valedcitorian of his graduating class at the Montgomery County Police Academy. After three years as a patrolman, he was promoted to detective. He was an officer with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force for four years, and currently serves as a member of the Montco Gun Violence. Drug and Organized Retail Theft Task Forces and the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. He has been recognized twice with the Montco DA’s Office Exceptional Service Award, and received the Citizens Crime Commission’s Montgomery County Outstanding Police Performance Award
Locally, Rathfon currently serves as the appointed Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for Upper Dublin Township and for more than 20 years has been a volunteer with the Fort Washington Fire Company, donating thousands of hours each year and being member-elected Fire Chief multiple times. As chair of the company’s Grant Committee, he has secured close to $1 million in private, state and federal funds to modernize equipment. In September 2021, he acted as the incident commander for fire and rescue responses during Hurricane Ida and the tornado that ravaged the Upper Dublin community.
Patrick Zollo
Class of 1960
Upper Dublin elected official for 12 years; Fort Washington Fire Company life member; Innovator and instructor for PECO Gas, and FWFC Training Centers.
Patrick “Pat” Zollo’s life is a remarkable tapestry of service, dedication, and leadership, deeply rooted in his community. Born and raised in the Ambler/Upper Dublin area, he graduated from UDHS in 1960. Following graduation, he joined the United States Navy Reserve, serving with distinction as Helicopter Air Sea Rescue Crewman from 1962 to 1964.
Zollo’s 31-year professional career began in 1964 in the Philadelphia Electric Company’s Gas Department (PECO) Over the years, he significantly contributed to the development and delivery of safety programs and was instrumental in designing cutting-edge fire safety training for utility incidents. He co-founded the George Haggar Fire Academy located in West Conshohocken. Under his leadership, the academy became a world-renowned training institution, educating over 55,000 individuals from across the globe.
Pat’s passion for firefighting led him to devote more than six decardes to the Fort Washington Fire Company No. 1, a company he joined at the age of 18. In 60+ years, he served in various leadership positions, ultimately becoming a revered Life Member. He was the youngest person in company history to be elected Chief, a helmet he wore for nine years. He was part of the building of the Burn Brae Station and George Haggar Fire Training Facility on Twining Road.
Pat was elected to three terms on the Upper Dublin Township Board of Commissioners. His years on the board, 10 of those as president, were marked by his commitment to community development projects including Mondauk Common.
Those 12 years were ones of tremendous growth in Upper Dublin, with more than 20 housing developments impacting all municipal services. Zollo’s “can-do” spirit led decisions to expand and improve storm and sanitary sewer systems, implement recycling, preserve 95+ acres as open space, and relieve the property tax burden on senior citizens with an earned income tax.
Hall of Fame
The Upper Dublin Alumni Hall of Fame recognizes alumni who have achieved distinction, an outstanding accomplishment or have made a significant contribution within their professions, in their communities or in the world.
Co-sponsored by the Upper Dublin School District and the Upper Dublin Education Foundation, the Alumni Hall of Fame has previously inducted four classes: 21 alumni in March 2017; 16 alumni in April 2019; 18 alumni in April 2021; and 13 alumni in March 2023.
The inaugural UDHS Alumni Hall of Fame was made possible by a generous donation of two members of the Class of 1996, Ben Kirshner and Josh Lamberg, in honor of Carl Janetka, Upper Dublin teacher and coach.
The online portal to accept nominations for 2027 induction is open. The nomination deadline for the Alumni Hall of Fame 2027 Induction Class is Oct. 1, 2026.
Other Inductees
Arts, Entertainment, Communication
Phil Roy (‘77) - Multiple Grammy Award-winning songwriter and solo recording artist; works have been performed and recorded by Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and appear on Oscar-winning film soundtracks; songs are praised for capturing the human condition.
Rachel Zatcoff (‘05) - New York City-based musical theatre actress and opera performer; Broadway leading lady and multiple Off-Broadway and regional starring credits; International and National Tours; private voice/coaching instructor; Masterclass teacher for all ages of actors, dancers, musical theatre singers, and classical, rock/pop, celtic/folk singers.
Business & Law
Michael E. Bertin, Esq. (‘91): Award-winning and renowned family law attorney in PA; co-author, PA’s standard child custody textbook; leader in the Philadelphia and PA State Bar Associations; equity partner at Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel, LLP in Philadelphia.
Jordana Harris Feldman, Esq. (‘93): Nationally recognized legal expert in the design, implementation and administration of high-profile, high-stakes victim compensation programs settling outside of court including the Epstein Victims Compensation Program and September 11th Victims Compensation Fund; adjunct professor at NYU’s School of Law.
Education
Belinda Yim Chen, MD, FACP (‘83): Board-certified internal medicine physician; Assistant Professor of Medicine, specializing in community-oriented primary care, at Johns Hopkins’ Bayview Division of General Internal Medicine; author and editor, standard reference book for medical curriculum developers; mentor; multiple honors for teaching excellence and educational innovation.
Government & Military
Andrew Kim, MD, FACC (‘97): Lt. Colonel, U.S. Army (honorably discharged); U.S. Army ROTC at University of Pennsylvania, Temple University School of Medicine; 14 years active duty as a Board-certified cardiologist, surgeon, Chief of Medical Residents, Chief Medical Officer serving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in Germany and at Fort Belvoir, VA; multiple awards and honors.
Michael Pelkey (‘72) - Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired); 30 years active duty; notably Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District managing full spectrum life-cycle engineering & environmental services to the U.S. European and African Commands in support of national security initiatives and military contingencies in Western, Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Caucasus, Turkey, Israel and Africa.
Medicine, Science and Technology
Michele Koons, PhD (‘97): Anthropologist and Archeologist; Director of Anthropology, Denver Museum of Nature & Science; curator, researcher, grant writer, author, teacher, lecturer, presenter; international field experience project leader and director; National Geographic Explorer appearing as an expert on The History Channel, Science Channel and PBS; promotes girls/women in science.
