Class Notes

63

KENNETH R. GAMBLE, Ph.D. was the featured tenor saxophonist at the eighth annual Kate Buczek Memorial Concert hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie. The concert paid tribute to Erie’s first lady of jazz, Mary Alice Brown, with whom Gamble has been musically associated for more than six decades. Among the musicians joining Gamble were bassist David Blaetz ’84, ’10M and vocalist Katie Chriest ’08M. Gamble spent nearly 50 years teaching at Gannon University and serving as chairman of the Department of Psychology and Counseling.

69

ROBERT McGEE has earned 273 gold metals, 130 silver medals and 88 bronze medals throughout his career in martial arts. During this year’s ATA World Championship, McGee won six gold medals and one silver medal in the Tournament of Champions. McGee began his training in Taekwondo at age 65. Now 72, McGee is a Third-Degree Black Belt who trains under the outstanding leadership of Senior Masters Michael and Kimberly Brown in Fayetteville, N.C. McGee has trained in karate, kung fu, tai chi, and Taekwondo. He’s also been inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the Who’s Who in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. McGee is a CPA and attorney who has earned 23 academic degrees, including 13 doctoral degrees from universities in the United States and Europe. Additionally, he is an Amazon best-selling writer who has published 59 books.

79

DAVID M. CULLEN ’79M launched Evident Financial, a registered investment firm providing asset management and financial planning services for individuals nearing or in retirement. Cullen has spent more than 40 years in the wealth and investment management industry. Cullen previously founded the Erie-based Heritage Trust Co., as well as ParentBroadcast, one of the country’s first school emergency notification companies.

83

CHRISTOPHER C. KNOLL was promoted to director of Global Research & Development with Eriez. Knoll joined the company in 2011 and most recently served as product engineering manager.

TIMOTHY G. NECASTRO, CPA participated on the speaker panel during the Athena Speaks: On Board Balance luncheon at the Jefferson Educational Society. NeCastro discussed becoming a board member and provided tips on board service. NeCastro is the president and CEO of Erie Insurance and a board member for American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Insurance Information Institute, UPMC Hamot, Gannon University Board of Trustees, and the Erie Downtown Development Corp.

84

DAVID T. BLAETZ, JR. ’10M was the bassist at the eighth annual Kate Buczek Memorial Concert hosted by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie. Blaetz played alongside featured tenor saxophonist Kenneth Gamble ’63. The event paid tribute to Erie’s first lady of jazz, Mary Alice Brown. Blaetz and Gamble were joined by vocalist Katie Chriest ’08M. Blaetz currently teaches in the Gannon University School of Communication and the Arts.

JEFFREY J. KAVENEY was named director of sales and product management for Eriez. Kaveney has been with Eriez for 24 years, previously serving as manager of product marketing and administration. His current responsibilities include providing leadership for the company’s separation, vibratory, metal detection and recycling product lines; developing key sales strategies for light industry markets; and overseeing order administration.

85

JOSEPH G. CACCHIONE, M.D. transitioned from his role as CEO of Ascension Michigan to serve as the executive vice president of clinical and network services for St. Louis-based Ascension Health. Cacchione will unite clinical and care excellence functions and subsidiaries. Cacchione started at Ascension in 2017 to lead Ascension Medical Group.

TINA (CICCHETTI) DONIKOWSKI was a panelist on the Erie Community Foundation’s Erie Women’s Fund educational presentation, which addressed the underrepresentation of women on boards and in the highest decision-making offices within companies and governmental offices. Donikowski is the retired executive vice president of Global Locomotive Operations at GE Transportation. Donikowski currently serves on Gannon University’s Board of Trustees.

GREGORY F. NOWAK ’85M was promoted to senior technical director for Eriez. Nowak most recently served as the technical director of research and development. He joined the company in 1989.

GREGORY F. REED, Ph.D. was the distinguished guest speaker for the Lehigh University’s Institute for Cyber Physical Infrastructure and Energy. Reed currently works at the University of Pittsburgh as the founder and inaugural director of the Energy GRID Institute and the Electric Power Systems Laboratory in the Swanson School of Engineering. He is also the professor of Electric Power Engineering in the Swanson School’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Since September of 2019, Reed has served on assignments with the National Science Foundation as program director for the NSF’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program in the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships. Reed has more than 33 years of combined industry and academic experience in the electrical power and energy sector. He worked in positions in engineering, research and development, and executive management and leadership during his career with the Consolidated Edison Co. of New York., ABB Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., and DNV-KEMA.

87

KORIN (DEMICHELE) GILES, MS, CESCO, CWMP ’11M was promoted to vice president for Urban Engineers. Giles leads the firm’s environmental practice in Erie, Pa. Giles supervises a number of environmental projects and provides industrial employee training and compliance consulting services. Giles has been certified by the Registrar Accreditation Board as an environmental auditor and assists clients in developing, implementing and auditing environmental management systems. Giles has more than 30 years of experience in the field.

SHERRI (FURLONG) McCLEARY, VMC delivered the commencement address for Penn State New Kensington’s 62nd Commencement Ceremony held Saturday, May 4, 2019. McCleary is the director of business development, additive manufacturing at Kennametal Inc. McCleary is responsible for driving growth opportunities that leverage 3D printing technologies in the company’s markets and applications for high-performance wear materials and components. Prior to joining Kennametal, she spent more than 30 years with Alcoa and Arconic in various positions within technology development and leadership. McCleary holds several U.S. and foreign patents and received R&D Magazine’s R&D 100 Award for developing one of the 100 most technologically-significant new products in 2014.

KEVIN P. SULLIVAN received two 2019 Daytime Emmy Awards for his work on the Nickelodeon animated series “The Loud House.” The show won Best Animation Writing and Best Children’s Animated Series.

88

STEVEN J. BENKE was hired as the women’s bowling coach at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. Benke previously worked as the McDowell High School women’s bowling coach, guiding the team to five Metro League championships over seven seasons. Benke was voted the McDowell 2017-18 coach of the year. Benke also works as a residential assistant for L’Arche in Erie. His bowling resume includes first place in the 2001 Times-News Open.

MARTIN J. BROWN played the trumpet for 43 years and is an integral part of Roar on the Shore’s annual Fallen Riders Memorial Run. Brown performed “God Bless the U.S.A.” just before more than 200 bikers departed Penn State Behrend for the fifth annual 18-mile Fallen Riders event. Brown performed the National Anthem at the 2017 Fallen Riders gathering and “Amazing Grace” at the 2018 Fallen Riders pre-ride festivities. Originally from Erie, Brown now lives and works as an ATM specialist with Citibank in Florence, Ky. Brown returns to Erie every July to visit family and friends while participating in Roar on the Shore activities.

DANIEL C. ZIMMERMAN was promoted to operations director at Eriez where he provides strategic leadership to the Eriez operations teams. Zimmerman has been with Eriez since 2004, serving most recently as director of business development.

90

JIM FIORENZO ’90M joined the Erie-based human resources and consulting firm of J.L. Nick and Associates Inc. as a partner and executive consultant. Fiorenzo will serve primarily as an executive coach and work with businesses in health care and related fields. As president of UPMC Hamot, Fiorenzo managed a $30 million construction project and helped bring Erie’s Safe Harbor Behavioral Health and WCA Hospital of Jamestown, N.Y. into the UPMC system. He earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his MBA from Gannon University.

CRAIG C. SIDDON joined the Oliver D. Appleton Golf Course at St. Lawrence University as the new golf course manager for the 2019-20 season. Siddon manages all aspects of golf course operations.

91

ENA E. HENNEGAN, D.O. founded the multiracial hair care line, Many Ethnicities, for her daughters and others who have multitextured and curly hair. Hennegan is a board-certified and practicing physician in the Chicago area who created the hair care products to fill a void in the market.

MARK E. MUENZER was appointed new community development and transportation director in Redwood City, Calif. Muenzer previously served as community development director in Menlo Park, overseeing the city’s planning, building, housing and economic development divisions.

93

DR. JOHN “JACK” W. FULKMAN is now the preferred chiropractor for the NFL’s Houston Texans. Fulkman is also the owner of Gateway Chiropractic - South Shore, PLLC in League City, Texas.

94

RONALD J. McCONNELL ’94M joined the Department of Health Policy and Administration faculty at the Pennsylvania State University as an assistant teaching professor in the Master of Health Administration Program. McConnell is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He has more than 20 years of healthcare administration experience in providing students with a modern-day practitioner’s view of management in today’s complex health environment. McConnell has held positions as chief operating officer of UPMC Altoona, senior vice president of Altoona Regional Health System, and dean of Mount Aloysius College.

KAREN A. SURKALA was named president of Westfield Memorial Hospital. She has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare field, including many years of service to Allegheny Health Network Saint Vincent and Westfield Memorial Hospital. She previously served as vice president and administrator for WMH from 2007-2011.

95

DANIEL R. SCHIESSER ’98M was recognized as the National Hockey League’s Teacher of the Year. The NHL selected five teachers throughout the United States and Canada who take advantage of a web-based course sponsored by the NHL. The course uses sports to teach STEM subjects. Schiesser is a STEM teacher at Cleveland Hills Middle School in Cheektowaga, N.Y. where he introduced the new web-based course to students. In January, he took 90 eighth-graders to a STEM day event hosted by the Buffalo Sabres at the KeyBank Center.

96

VIKTORIJA P. TELBIS was honored with the Corporate Promotion of Education Award at the 2019 Black Engineer of the Year Award Gala. Telbis is the director of clinical education for Boston Scientific and has been successful in mitigating the opioid crisis by teaching clinicians how to engage patients with more effective treatment options. She also supports Boston Scientific’s Bridge to the Future, a STEM outreach program that provides mentoring and internships for high-school aged African American students bound for college.

97

RICHARD A. GALBRAITH has been a registered nurse for more than 22 years. Galbraith started his nursing career as a flex nurse in a local community hospital for seven years. He gained valuable knowledge about all aspects of patient care for newborns to the elderly. He worked with acutely ill patients in the Erie Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Galbraith then moved into a community health nursing position within the Erie VA system.

Galbraith feels great camaraderie with his patients as he himself is a veteran.

DIANE L. MacWILLIAMS ’07M is the National Association of Biology Teachers’ 2019 Pennsylvania Outstanding Biology Teacher. The association honors one teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and overseas territories annually. MacWilliams was honored for her creativity, curiosity regarding the natural world, educational leadership, and commitment to her school and community. MacWilliams has been a science teacher at McDowell Intermediate High School since 2004. She has also been an adjunct biology professor at Gannon University since 2011.

98

LARISSA (SMITH) ANDERSON was given the opportunity of a lifetime last year, and she made the most of it. Anderson was named head softball coach at the University of Missouri. Under her leadership, the Tigers program had a successful turnaround and a berth in the NCAA Regionals. Anderson coached at LIU-Post, part of the Long Island University system, for two years before spending the next 17 seasons at Hofstra University in New York.

JULIE (MARSHALL) LANG expanded her fitness studio in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of St. Marys in St. Marys, Pa. The studio offers spin classes and personal training for local residents. In April 2018, Lang and her partner, Hannah McClain, officially opened the doors to Temple Studio, located in Ridgway, Pa.

99

ALLEN L. BONACE, R.N. ’99M was promoted to president and CEO at Saint Mary’s Home of Erie. Bonace served as vice president for Special Projects since 2016 and as the director of nursing for the 12 years prior.

00

BRIAN C. McCALLA, PE, CEM, CEP, CDSM, CPE ’00M joined the H.F. Lenz Co. Conneaut, Ohio office as a project engineer. McCalla led a team in the development of approximately $2 billion worth of annual performance contacting and DBOM pay-from-savings projects for more than 10 years. In addition to previously running his own firm, BCM Engineering, McCalla also served as an adjunct professor for the University of Pittsburgh.

01

JOSHUA S. CARLSON has been named CEO of Wells Media Group, Inc., which is based in San Diego. Carlson served as chief technology officer and chief innovation officer of Wells Media Group since 2015. He also serves as a member of the board of directors. Prior to this dual position, Carlson held numerous positions with the company since 2001, including as vice president of technology. Carlson has been instrumental in leading Wells Media Group’s digital growth for nearly two decades.

MICHAEL J. DEERING ’02M was appointed chief investment officer for HUTTON. Deering joins HUTTON with nearly 20 years of business experience and more than 13 years of commercial real estate and fund management experience. HUTTON is a commercial real estate development and investment company focused on developing, acquiring, managing and constructing high-quality real estate in single tenant, multi-tenant and shopping center formats, as well as multi-family and self-storage properties across the United States.

02

ANDREW J. CHALOT was named the head coach of Mansfield University’s Mountaineer baseball program. Chalot served as the interim head coach since May and as an assistant coach with Mountaineer baseball for the past eight seasons. Chalot manages the pitching staff and coordinates team recruitment. Chalot came to Mansfield from West Virginia Tech University where he served as an assistant coach. While at Tech, Chalot coordinated recruitment for the Golden Bears and assisted in the development of the strength and conditioning program.

03

STEPHANIE A. KEEBLER ’03M was approved as the Titusville Area School District’s new superintendent. Keebler most recently served as the director of federal programs for the district. Prior to joining the district, she taught Spanish and French at Venango Catholic High School in Oil City. She also taught Spanish in kindergarten through grade six in the Clarion Area School District.

GAURAV PURI ’03M was promoted to assistant vice president of analytics strategy for Selective Insurance Group. Puri joined Selective Insurance in February 2019. Prior to that, he served as assistant vice president of Business Insurance Product and Platform at Travelers Insurance.

JOEL M. ZUPICH has been promoted to assistant vice president of Credit Administration for CNB Bank. In this role, Zupich is responsible for the oversight of the Credit Administration and Secured Lending departments at the main office in downtown Clearfield, Pa.

04

NATHAN J. DeSIMONE ’04M was named athletic director for Union City Area School District. DeSimone is a sixth-grade teacher at Union City Area Middle-High School where he also coached track and field, baseball and wrestling for the Bears. He was the assistant golf coach for 15 years and was named head coach of the girls’ varsity golf team in 2018.

KATRINA (VINCENT) SMITH ’04M has joined Marquette Savings Bank as a business banking representative. Smith brings 16 years of leadership experience in project management, economic development and commercial real estate. Most recently, she served as vice president of real estate and chief operating officer for the City of Corry and Erie County Redevelopment authorities. She had previously served as CEO of DevelopErie and the Economic Development Corp. of Erie County.

05

ERIN R. HOUSTON, Ph.D. was the speaker for the 45th annual awards luncheon of the Mercer County Frontiers Club. Houston is president and CEO of the Shenango Valley Urban League, Inc. She served for eight years as education director of the Urban League before being selected to her present position. Her duties involved overseeing the youth programs, employment, human relations and community outreach initiatives.

09

PATRICK C. WASHINGTON has joined the staff at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., as assistant admissions director. He previously served as the senior enrollment advisor and diversity recruitment coordinator for Gannon University.

10

DANIEL C. BARDO has joined the law firm of Pyfer Reese Straub Gray & Farhat as an associate attorney. Bardo was previously an associate attorney at Gearty Law Offices. His focus of practice is on criminal, personal injury, family and support cases. Before that he was an assistant district attorney for Montgomery County.

DANIEL R. ROSS was asked to assist the Cleveland Indians equipment manager within the clubhouse during the 2019 Major League Baseball Futures Game and the MLB All-Star Game. Ross started his career with the Erie SeaWolves and is currently the visiting clubhouse assistant for the Detroit Tigers. He spent the 2012 spring training season as an attendant in the Detroit Tigers clubhouse for the Tigers’ minor league team in Lakeland, Fla. He was the Erie SeaWolves’ clubhouse manager in 2011 and returned to that position for the SeaWolves’ 2012 season.

11

REV. ERIC J. DINGA was elevated to the role of pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish and St. Rose Parish, both in the Greensburg Diocese in Latrobe, Pa. Dinga was ordained to the priesthood on June 20, 2015.

AFRIM LATIFI ’14M is returning to the PSAC soccer world as Clarion University’s women’s soccer team coach. He will take over the Golden Eagles after one season in charge of the women’s program at Bethany College in West Virginia.

MELINDA A. MEYER ’11M spoke at the annual public meeting of the North East Historical Society. Meyer’s presentation, “Saving Places That Matter,” provided an overview of efforts underway throughout the county to save places that matter. She is the chair of Preservation Erie and a frequent speaker on Erie County history.

12

DREW D. DEIMEL was the co-leader with a two-under-par 70 after the first round of the 2019 Erie District Golf Association’s Marquette Savings Bank Amateur Championship held at Downing Golf Course. Deimel won the tournament in 2010. He also had the chance to sweep this year’s EDGA majors thanks to his victory in June’s Match Play Tournament held at North East’s Lake View Country Club. This was the second consecutive year he won the tournament.

13

REV. AARON F. KULCZYK was ordained as one of the Diocese of Buffalo’s newest priests. Kulczyk’s first assignment began on June 17 at St. Gabriel Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Elma, N.Y.

STEPHEN PIOTROWICZ was named head coach of Cathedral Preparatory School’s basketball team. He also oversees the Annual Fund at the school.

14

EMILIE A. SWAN has joined the law firm of MacDonald, Illig, Jones & Britton LLP as an associate in the firm’s Trusts & Estates, Tax, Real Estate, and Business Transactions Practice Groups. Prior to joining the firm, Swan participated in the Duquesne University Law School’s study abroad program in Ireland and worked as a legal intern at an international law firm in Cologne, Germany.

15

KATELYN A. McCARTHY now works on UPMC Hamot’s 6 South where she cares for renal transplant patients postoperatively.

NATHAN D. ROSS was named business banker at Northwest Savings Bank and now serves small business clients throughout the Erie area with any lending and deposit needs and provides guidance to small business clients. He has been with Northwest since 2015 and has held several positions, including management trainee, assistant office manager and office manager. He is currently in his second year at the Pennsylvania Advanced School of Banking and serves as vice chairman of the board of directors for Americans for the Competitive Free Enterprise System. He is also a board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Erie County.

RAPHELL M. THOMAS-EDWARDS signed a one-year deal with the British Basketball League, Bristol Flyers. Last season, he played for the Leicester Warriors in the National Basketball League’s Division One League in England.

16

KRISTAL K. AMBROSE launched the non-profit organization Bahamas Plastic Movement in November 2013. Ambrose has participated in research conferences around the world and was recognized for her fight in ending plastic pollution. Her advocacy and work through her non profit has been featured in international publications showcasing the work of environmental innovators.

GABRIELLE E. KENNELLEY was the youngest Erie county runner to compete in the 123rd Boston Marathon, held in April.

JENNIFER L. THIES was awarded an NIH Diversity Research Supplement, a highly competitive national grant. The grant offers a two-year pre-doctoral fellowship that covers stipend, tuition and health care. The program supports ongoing dissertation research training for individuals from under-represented groups.

KIMBERLY C. THOMAS ’16M joined the staff at the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership as the director of strategic initiatives. Thomas oversees the creation of a regional workforce development plan. She was previously the northwest regional director for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. She was recently named director of strategic initiatives at the ERCGP where she previously served as the Northwest regional director.

MORGAN E. WALTERS was hired as assistant volleyball coach at Montana State University Billings. Walters served as graduate assistant coach for one season at Walsh University, a private NCAA Division II institution in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Prior to that, she spent one year at Minnesota State University Moorhead as operations manager. She played four years of volleyball as a setter and defensive specialist for the Gannon Golden Knights.

18

TAVON M. BAILEY signed with the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League for his first season of arena football.

HAYLEY A. NEJMAN was named the first head coach of the Acrobatics & Tumbling program at Chowan University in Murgreesboro, N.C. Nejman joined Chowan following a season at Urbana University as assistant acrobatics and tumbling coach in the program’s inaugural season. She helped Urbana to a third-place finish at the Mountain East Conference Championship. While in the Urbana area, she was an assistant gymnastics coach at Beavercreek High in Dayton, Ohio. As a student, Nejman was a member of the Acrobatics & Tumbling program from 2014 to 2018. She helped take Gannon to its first National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association’s All-American competition in 2017.

MALLORY L. RONGIER recently completed two months of training with Delta Air Lines to become a flight attendant. Following graduation, Rongier spent a year in France teaching English to French high school students. She returned from France in April and started training. Rongier chose her father to pin on her wings at the graduation ceremony, as he served as a flight attendant for Air France for many years. Rongier is now following in his footsteps.

19

BRAD J. KOVALESKI ’19Ph.D. recently earned his Ph.D. in organizational learning from Gannon University after successfully defending his dissertation, “Exploring University Employee Perceptions of Engagement.” Kovaleski is the student services and engagement director at Penn State Scranton.

NICOLE G. LaCAVA was named Gannon’s 2018-19 NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. The Woman of the Year award is given to an outstanding graduating female student-athlete who demonstrates excellence in competition, the classroom and community. A standout basketball player for the Lady Knights, LaCava joins five other nominees from PSAC schools. She picked up All-PSAC second-team honors this past season and was named Gannon Athletics’ Female Student-Athlete of the Year.

MACKENZIE S. WENRICK is pursuing her graduate degree in the Marietta College Physician Assistant program.