College Honors Distinguished Staff, Part-Time Faculty

Pennsylvania College of Technology presented Distinguished Staff and Part-Time Teaching Excellence Awards on Thursday, while also recognizing new members of the college's Quarter-Century Club and recent retirees.

The Distinguished Staff Awards honor the contributions and commitment of Penn College's employees, who are nominated by their co-workers. The awards are presented to one employee from each of the college's three staff classifications − APT (Administrative, Professional and Technical), Classified, and Service.



Distinguished Staff Awards were presented to Linda M. Morris, director of human resources: employment/EEO, APT; Marion C. Mowery, residence life assistant, Classified; and Louis E. Myers, shipping/receiving lead worker, Service.

Morris has served the college in the Human Resources Office for more than 30 years. One nominator noted that, "She is deeply committed to helping Penn College with employee matters but is equally committed to protecting the rights of all involved including applicants from outside the institution."

Another co-worker noted: "Most of all I admire Linda's work ethic and commitment to doing every task as close to perfect as possible. She is extremely dedicated to Penn College."

Mowery joined the college in 2006 as a temporary full-time residence life assistant and has worked ever since in that office. Her principal nominator wrote, "Marion often, on her own initiative, goes out of her way to make sure she can help an individual student and does a great job representing the college."

Another comment from the nominating form: "Marion's positive personality and commitment to excellence have a great asset to the Residence Life program and to the college as a whole." In addition, she has been recognized by the personnel of the Milton Hershey School for her outstanding service to this group of students.

Myers is a two-time recipient of a Distinguished Staff Award; he was the first recipient of the award in the Service category in 1996. In endorsing Myers' nomination, one of his colleagues wrote, "He is a co-worker who truly dedicates himself to providing effort and service of the highest order." Another nominator noted Myers has been "one of the most conscientious employees with whom I have ever had the opportunity to work."

Receiving the Part-Time Teaching Excellence Award was Jo-Ann H. Pacenta, part-time instructor of accounting in the School of Business and Computer Technologies. She has been employed with Penn College since 2002. She is also an adjunct professor of accounting at Susquehanna University and an accounting manager/consultant for local nonprofit corporations involved in the operation of federal and state grant programs.

Previously, she was an adjunct professor of accounting at Westchester Community College, Valhalla, N.Y.; accounting manager at Camp Kiwi and the Kiwi School, Mahopac, N.Y.; and manager of corporate accounting for The Penn Central Corp., Greenwich, Conn.

Pacenta received a Master of Business Administration from Pace University, New York, and a bachelor's degree in accounting from York College of Pennsylvania.

Comments from her nominators include: "Jo-Ann's commitment to students and their success is most obvious relative to office hours. She holds many more than the required one hour per class. When she is in her office, the door is open and students are there at her side, working with her. Rarely do I walk by her office and not see a student working with her."

Also: "In addition to the normal assignments, she uses projects and cases so that her students have a chance to develop their higher-level learning skills and, because of this approach, there is a great deal of interaction within the classroom environment between the students and Jo-Ann."

Quarter-Century Club
The following employees were honored for providing 25 years of service to the college:

APT
LaDonna J. Caldwell, benefits specialist/job analyst; Steve P. Campbell, custodial supervisor; Charles A. Duda, manager of accounting operations; Harry Rall, maintenance supervisor; and LuCinda L. Stephens, recruitment/compliance specialist.

Service
Max Charles, custodian; and Louis E. Myers, shipping/receiving lead worker.

Faculty
Marilyn G. Bodnar, librarian; Alan W. Buck, librarian; Suzann L. Major, assistant professor of hospitality management/culinary arts; Judy P. Shimp, associate professor of hospitality management/culinary arts; James E. Temple, assistant professor of electrical technology/occupations; and Thomas A. Zimmerman, associate professor of psychology.

Retirees
College employees retiring in 2008-09 are: Marcia H. Campbell, financial aid specialist for veterans affairs/federal work study; Leslie G. Caputo, custodial lead person; Rita A. Cillo, regular part-time food service worker; Barbara A. Danko, director of alumni relations; David C. Dietrick, associate professor of welding; Dennis L. Fisher, assistant professor of construction carpentry; James W. Fox, assistant professor of welding; Kathy K. Gudgel, assistant professor of nursing; Robert B. Gudgel, assistant professor of business administration/human resources management; Sharon M. Hoffmann, IMC senior project manager, quality and process improvement; Connie L. Hull, data control assistant; Kathryn P. Jerald, group leader, Children's Learning Center; H. David Kepner, manager, network services; Janice A. Kuzio, associate director of financial aid; Richard L. Manny, general maintenance technician; Linda E. Metzger, secretary to the assistant dean of integrated studies-programs and natural sciences; Joseph Mignano, head cook, Susquehanna Room; Jack D. Murphy, associate professor of mathematics; Donald Nibert, assistant professor of forestry; Thomas Rider, senior accountant; Chester D. Schuman, director of admissions; Pamela L. Starcher, temporary special assistant to the director of nursing; Bonnie R. Taylor, associate professor of business administration/management; M. Keith Wynn, assistant professor of electrical technology/occupations; and James S. Young, instructor of building construction technology.

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