2006 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year

U.S. Navy Captain (Ret.) Fanacy Anzalone

 

Fanacy AnzaloneDr. Anzalone, a former Independence resident, is a 1977 graduate of Southeastern. While at Southeastern, he was a member of the Lions football team and a member of both the 13 Club and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southeastern and then furthered his education at LSU where he received his doctorate of medicine. After graduation, he received a commission from the United States Navy as a lieutenant in the Medical Corps. This would be the first step in the beginning of his very distinguished career.

Fanancy Anzalone began his naval career at the Naval Aerospace and Regional Medical Center in Pensacola, Florida, where he completed an internship in family practice. Following designation as a Navy flight surgeon in 1983, his first operational tour was at the Naval Hospital, Roosevelt Roads, and Puerto Rico, where he participated in the Grenada Operation and supported drug interdictions.

He was then selected for the Navy's Aerospace Medicine Residency during which he received a Master of Public Health in Environmental Science from Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He was recognized as the outstanding student in the Environmental Science Department.

Upon completion of his residency from the Naval Aerospace Medicine Institute in June 1989, he reported to the aircraft carrier "USS Carl Vinson" as senior medical officer. Under his supervision, his department received the coveted Blue "M" award for the best medical department in the pacific fleet.

His next tour of duty was as senior flight surgeon at the naval station Mayport in Florida. He then reported as executive officer and interim commanding officer of the Naval Medical Clinic in Key West, Florida.

He served as Director of Academics at the Naval Operational Medical Institute and the first officer in charge of the re-established Naval Aerospace Medical Institute from 1998-2000.

Captain Anzalone served as executive assistant to the Surgeon General of the Navy in 2003 and from 2000-2003 was the commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Hospital in Naples, Italy.

He then became Director of Medical Resources, Plans, and Policies. He was chief of all naval medical operations worldwide. As the surgeon general of the Navy's representative to the Pentagon, he oversaw a 6.4 billion dollar budget. It was under his leadership that the naval hospital ships were sent to assist gulf coast residents following Katrina.

Captain Anzalone retired from the navy in 2006. His personal decorations include two Legion of Merit Medals, four Meritorious Service Medals and the Navy Commendation Medal. He is board certified by the American College of Preventative Medicine in aerospace medicine and is a fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association.

Currently, he is the Miami area medical administrator for American Airlines. His responsibilities include overseeing more than 9,000 airline employees in the eastern United States as well as the Caribbean and the Central and South Americas.

His mother Ms. Kathryn Ann, his sister Kathy Sue , and his brother Michael are all Southeastern graduates. His dad, although we can't call him an alumnus, has always been a strong supporter of Southeastern. Fanancy's admiration of his father led him into the medical field.

Fanancy, himself, is a loving father and dedicated husband and at age 29 turned down an opportunity to be the medical officer of the Blue Angels because it would mean too much time away from his family.

He is married to the former Debra A. Mericantante, who has a doctorate in nursing, and they have two daughters, Tiffany and Tracy.