On Oct. 8th at 11:30 a.m. at the Venus de Milo restaurant, seven new members will join the Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School Hall of Fame. This unique non-sports recognition was established in 1998 to honor Diman graduates, retired staff and community supporters of the school. This year’s class of inductees reflects all three of these categories.

Among the new inductees, who were voted in by current Hall of Fame members, include: Diman graduates Richard Mateus, Tina Bell, John Viveiros and Mark Costa; retired staff members Brian Bentley and David Viveiros; and the school supporter is the Diman Alumni Association.

Richard Mateus

In 1989 Mateus graduated from Diman’s Electrical shop. After graduating from Salve Regina with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, he embarked on a professional career that landed him at Prima CARE in 1996. He started at this newly formed multispecialty physician group as the Chief Financial Officer. After twelve years in this position, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Within four years he was awarded the title of Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership tenure, the organization has grown to 170 healthcare providers, medical centers in five locations, over $100 million in annual revenues and provides care to over 120,000 patients annually. Outside of Prima CARE, he has membership in a number of related health care organizations and serves on the City of Fall River Zoning Board of Appeals. In 2007, he was awarded Diman’s Distinguished Graduate Award.

Albertina (Senra) Bell

Bell is a 2000 graduate of the Drafting shop. By graduation she was the outstanding vocational student in her shop, National Honor Society member and officer, recipient of three trade fair first place honors and senior class valedictorian. She started a Diman Coop job in her trade area at Mount Hope Engineering in Swansea. Seventeen years after graduation, she is still employed by this company as the Lead CAD Designer. Along with her professional career, she has been involved with a number of volunteer activities including Swansea Girls Softball League, Hoyle Elementary School, Luther Elementary School, Espirito Santo Church and Diman’s Drafting shop advisory board. Her volunteer work earned Bell the 2017 John Brayton Community Service Award from the Bristol County Chamber of Commerce.

John Viveiros

Graduating from Diman in 1981, John Viveiros has been working in the plumbing trade for the Simon Supply Company in Fall River. In addition to his professional career and family, he finds time to volunteer with a number of organizations. For the Diman Alumni Association, he has organized the annual golf tournament that serves over 140 golfers every year and achieves a high level of sponsorships. For the last four years he has been the President of this Diman organization. Other volunteer activities over the years have included Little League, PAL Hockey, Columbus Park Board of Directors, CYO Baseball, Adult softball and membership in Freemason.

Mark Costa

A member of the Diman class of 1991, Costa was an outstanding varsity athlete in baseball and soccer. After graduation, he joined the Army National Guard. Following basic military training, he enrolled in Bridgewater State University. Earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology allowed him to secure a Probation Officer position at Fall River District Court. In addition to this employment, he has been an elected member of the Fall River School Committee for over ten years. With a growing family, professional employment and elected duties, he still finds time to support the Wish Come True Committee, Katie Brown Education Board and BOLD Coalition.

David Viveros

Retired Diman teacher David Viveros taught Culinary Arts for 28 years at the school. He also taught the evening gourmet cooking class for many years and has been a substitute shop teacher since his retirement in 2006. While being a Skills USA Advisor with his culinary students, they earned 30 state medals during vocational competitions, along with 9 national medals. His efforts with the state Skills USA organization, earned him the Advisor of the Year award. In addition to his Diman Culinary Arts experience, he was a chef for 15 years at various restaurants, owner of a catering business, instructor with Mass Migrant Program and job coach at Southcoast Collaborative. Volunteer activities have supported Special Olympics, Sacred Heart soup kitchen, Holy Name Church and Veterans in Hospitals.

Brian Bentley

After graduating from Providence College with a BA Degree in English and later with an MA in Education, Bentley embarked on a career path that placed him in an English classroom at Diman in 1976. His connection to Diman would carry on for 38 years. In 1998 he was promoted to the Dean of Students which lasted 12 years. He was selected in 1998 to the position of Academic/Post-Secondary Coordinator, which he served until he was hired to be the Assistant-Superintendent-Director/Principal in 2001. In addition to his regular duties at Diman, he coached Freshmen Basketball, coached JV Girls Softball, School Improvement Council member, Senior Prom Advisor, Junior Prom Advisor, Yearbook Advisor. Teachers Association President, District Policy Manual Revision team, etc. He was a Skills USA Advisor for the Diman students that competed in the Opening and Closing Ceremony Team competition. His state teams won 19 gold medals (state champs), 2 silver medals and two bronze medals. In retirement he has stayed active in education with the Skills USA state board, teaching college level courses and mentoring newly appointed local school administrators.

The Diman Alumni Association

The Diman Alumni Association has been in existence in some form for over 50 years. A recent focus has made this non-profit an organizer of fund raising events that have created an endowment fund that supports scholarships for college bound Diman seniors and trade scholarships for students entering the workforce. For many years the efforts of this organization has been supported by the volunteer efforts of graduates from Diman Vocational High School and Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School. The growth of this organization was recently recognized with the Outstanding School Partner Award from the Mass Association of School Committees.

Tickets for the Oct. 8th event can be purchased by contacting Diman Hall of Fame committee members Edward Hill (508-965-8571), John Mullaly (508-672-2635) and Dennis Abdow (508-674-4552). In addition tickets can be purchased at Diman starting in September by contacting Jeanne Hill at 508-678-2891, ext. 1130.