BISHOP MIEGE FOUNDATION DINNER
Celebrating Service and Legacy: 2026 Foundation Dinner Honorees
At Bishop Miege, we know that the impact of a great education extends far beyond the classroom. Our students grow into alumni, parents, and community members who carry forward the values of faith, scholarship, and service into everything they do.
This year, we honored Joann and Ron Heap, recipients of the Herb Rome Stewardship Award; the Patricia and Jerry Murphy Family, recognized as Family of the Year; Jackson Kurtz ’14, named the first recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year Award; and Andy Tylicki ’87, named Alumnus of the Year. Their leadership and commitment to service reflect the enduring impact of faith and Catholic education.
Honoring the People Who Have Shaped the Miege Legacy
At the 2026 Bishop Miege Foundation Dinner, we gathered to celebrate four honorees whose lifelong commitment to Catholic education reflect the very best of the Miege community. From a family whose legacy spans generations to alumni making an impact in their professions and communities, each honoree reminds us that the Miege story continues long after graduation.
Herb Rome Stewardship Award: Joann and Ron Heap
Generosity has a way of bringing a community together, and Joann and Ron Heap have demonstrated that spirit time and again.
At this year’s auction, the Heaps helped carry the Fund-a-Need across the finish line with a generous gift that made a meaningful difference. It was a fitting example of the support they have provided to Bishop Miege over the years.
After meeting at the University of Missouri, marrying, and settling in Kansas City, Joann and Ron built their careers and raised three children. Ron established his own equipment business, while Joann worked as a learning disabilities specialist and local coach.
When it came time to choose a high school for their children, the family selected Bishop Miege, even though they lived in Missouri within walking distance of another school. For Joann, Miege offered something special. She described the school as “like the real world,” appreciating the diversity of its students across ethnic, economic, and geographic backgrounds. The family also valued the small class sizes, inspiring teachers and counselors, and meaningful service opportunities, including mission trips.
Their children, Ryan Heap ’99, Jackie Aman ’01, and Jenny Heap ’05, benefited from an environment that provided a strong academic and spiritual foundation, preparing them to excel in college and pursue meaningful careers in computer engineering, nonprofit research, and university human resources leadership.
The Heaps continue to support Miege because they believe in the school’s lasting impact on young people. They value an education that encourages students to serve others and continue growing long after graduation.
Family of the Year: The Patricia and Jerry Murphy Family
The Bishop Miege Family of the Year Award recognizes a family whose commitment to the school’s mission is reflected in its service and multigenerational connection to the Miege community.
For the Murphy family, that connection began in 1976, when Jerry and Patricia (Patti) Murphy were looking for a Catholic high school for their six youngest children. Having raised eight children in Kansas City’s Westport neighborhood, they wanted a school that shared their Catholic values. They found that home at Bishop Miege.
Jerry owned and operated a Texaco gas and service station on Westport Road. His generosity extended well beyond his business, as he was known for working on vehicles belonging to Bishop Miege teachers, often at no charge. Nearly 50 years later, the Murphy legacy at Miege continues to grow. Twenty-eight members of the family have attended Bishop Miege, including six children, 21 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
The six Murphy children who graduated from Miege are Bill Murphy ’79, Beth Dierks ’80, Marty Murphy ’82, Pat Murphy ’84, Bob Murphy ’87, and Maureen Moya ’91. The family’s connection also includes older siblings Timothy and Mary Kathleen Hopfinger.
When Bob Murphy, a longtime member of the chain gang at Miege football games, called his friend Andy Tylicki ’87 to share the exciting news that his family would be honored. Andy had news of his own: he was being recognized as Alumnus of the Year. The two friends discovered they would be celebrating their honors together.
Although Jerry passed away in December 2021 and Patti in December 2025, their love for Bishop Miege lives on through the generations of their family who continue to carry that connection forward.
Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year: Jackson Kurtz '14
The school introduced the Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year Award this year to recognize emerging leaders age 40 and under who demonstrate exceptional professional and academic achievement, leadership, a commitment to Catholic faith, and a dedication to serving others.
Our inaugural recipient exemplifies those qualities. Not only has Jackson Kurtz built an accomplished career in broadcast journalism, but he continues to give back to Bishop Miege by sharing his time and talents whenever he is called upon.
“I am grateful to be the first recipient of Bishop Miege’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award. I’m thankful for my family, teachers, coaches, friends, and classmates who helped form the man I am today (and still becoming). I am truly blessed to be a part of the special Miege community.”
– Jackson Kurtz ’14
After graduating from Bishop Miege, Jackson began his journalism career as a multimedia journalist at WJCL-TV in Savannah, Georgia. There, he covered major national and regional stories, including severe weather, the COVID-19 pandemic, and local political races. His reporting earned recognition from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters for Best Reporter and Best News Story.
In 2021, Jackson returned to Kansas City as a weekend anchor and reporter for KMBC/KCWE. His work covering everything from the Super Bowl to breaking local news has earned an Emmy Award, multiple Emmy nominations, and two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards.
Jackson’s commitment to service extends beyond the newsroom. He serves on the KU Alumni Association’s Kansas City Network board, the journalism school’s Young Professional Advisory Board, and as vice president of broadcast for the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists. He also is a frequent speaker to Bishop Miege students at Impact Time, guiding the next generation with his advice.
Above all his professional accomplishments, Jackson considers his role as a father to his son, Harley, his greatest achievement.
Alumnus of the Year: Andy Tylicki '87
The Alumnus of the Year Award recognizes a graduate whose years of service reflect Bishop Miege’s mission of faith, scholarship, and stewardship. This year’s recipient has dedicated his career to Catholic education, helping form young people through leadership, mentorship, and a steadfast commitment to faith.
Andy Tylicki ’87 credits his years at Bishop Miege with laying the foundation for his personal and professional journey. Influential mentors, including his late father, Walt, and the school’s dedicated faculty and staff, helped shape his appreciation for the Miege community and the importance of faith-based education.
Andy shared that the educators who shaped his life demonstrated that education is about much more than the content taught in a classroom. The people placed in front of students, the lessons they share, and the example they set can have a lasting influence on the people those students become. It is a lesson he has carried throughout his career in Catholic education.
Andy began his career at St. Thomas Aquinas before spending six years at Blue Valley High School. In 2005, he helped establish St. James Academy, serving as its first director of athletics and activities. He went on to serve as president of St. James Academy for 16 years, dedicating his leadership to the school’s mission and the formation of its students.
Throughout his career, Andy has championed the role Catholic education plays in shaping character and preparing young people for lives of purpose. He believes that academic achievement is most meaningful when paired with moral integrity, a strong foundation in faith, and a commitment to serving others. His career reflects a lasting investment in Catholic education and in the generations of students who will carry its values forward.
Each of this year’s honorees represents a different expression of what makes Bishop Miege special: generosity that strengthens our school, family traditions that connect generations, young alumni who lead and serve, and lifelong dedication to Catholic education. Their stories remind us that the Miege community is built not only by those who walk our halls today, but also by the many people who continue to give their time and talents long after their own high school years have passed. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Joann and Ron Heap, the Patricia and Jerry Murphy Family, Jackson Kurtz, and Andy Tylicki for the lasting impact they have made on Bishop Miege and the broader community.