Longtime benefactor increases support of Penn College

Jeffrey L. Erdly, originator of two Pennsylvania College of Technology scholarships and recipient of the college's Distinguished Alumnus Award, recently boosted his institutional support with a gift of $500,000 toward an upcoming project on campus.

Half of the donation from Erdly, a 1972 engineering drafting graduate of the Penn College predecessor Williamsport Area Community College, is designated for the School of Engineering Technologies for an endowment that can be used for program materials, scholarships and more; the remaining $250,000 is earmarked for the creation of a materials library at the Carl Building Technologies Center.

A $2 million U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration grant is helping to fund renovations at the Carl Building Technologies Center and construction of a Clean Energy House on main campus. Carrying the Jeff Erdly namesake, the materials library will become a shared home base for numerous product samples used during the design and construction of buildings.

Erdly co-founded and was CEO of MPS (Masonry Preservation Services Inc.), a building-facade-repair contractor headquartered in Bloomsburg, retiring in 2022 after 38 years. In retirement, he is a senior technical specialist with SKA Consulting Engineers.

A Selinsgrove native, Erdly created the Carl and Bonnie Erdly Memorial Scholarship at Penn College, which honors his late father and mother and is available to residents of Columbia, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties, as well as the Jeff Erdly Scholarship, which is awarded to graduates of Selinsgrove Area High School attending the college.

“Jeff Erdly has been an enthusiastic, longtime benefactor of Penn College, and this latest gesture of support will assist students pursuing degrees in essential, high-demand occupations,” said Michael J. Reed, president. “We are most grateful to Jeff for this endowment and for the ongoing commitment he has shown to the type of instruction that proved foundational to his career as a construction industry entrepreneur.”

“The value I received from my Williamsport Area Community College/Pennsylvania College of Technology education provided the basis for a deep respect for lifelong learning,” Erdly said. “Ultimately, this experience became the bedrock upon which I founded and built an enduring, successful business.”

Erdly received the college’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004. The award is presented to those who have made significant contributions in their chosen fields, demonstrated the importance of their education at Penn College or its predecessors, participated in leadership roles within the community, and demonstrated a commitment to their alma mater.

He has more than 50 years’ experience in the construction industry, including precast/prestressed manufacturing and building restoration, specializing in masonry. He is active with ASTM International (formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials) and the SWR (Sealant, Waterproofing and Restoration) Institute. He has co-authored several books related to preservation/restoration.

For more about giving opportunities at Penn College, email College Relations or call 570-320-8200.

For more about the college, a national leader in applied technology, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222.