Penn College News

Penn College Presents on Centennial at Communicators Conference

Friday, November 21, 2014

Planning and implementing a milestone event – specifically, Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Centennial celebration – was the subject of a recent staff presentation at a Fall 2014 Conference for CUPRAP-The Association of Communicators in Education, held at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr.

Judith A. Fink, website content manager and supervisor of alumni/advancement marketing, and Joseph S. Yoder, associate vice president for public relations and marketing, presented “Staging a Milestone Anniversary: Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Centennial.”

The Centennial honors the 100-year history of the institution, from the inception of vocational and adult education classes at Williamsport High School through its evolution into Williamsport Technical Institute, Williamsport Area Community College and Penn College. It also celebrates the present-day institution, a special mission affiliate of Penn State, with a variety of events built around the college’s vision, values and strategic goals.



Joseph S. YoderYoder addressed the institution’s history and the five years of planning leading up to the Centennial year. Fink discussed the events and activities that have been celebrated in 2014 and those that remain, noting that all constituents – students, employees and retirees, alumni, donors and the general public – were considered in the comprehensive process.

The presentation included a photo-lapse video of Centennial-related events created by Carlos Ramos, Web designer/interactive media strategist, and Cindy Davis Meixel, writer/photo editor, as well as a trailer for the Centennial documentary, “Working Class: 100 Years of Hands-On Education,” which is being co-produced by WVIA public media.

The documentary will debut on Dec. 2 for the college community and in January on WVIA TV.

Judith FinkFink, who has been employed by Penn College for nearly 33 years, also serves on special-interest teams at the college focused on copyright, accessibility in information technology and Centennial events. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Bloomsburg University and an associate degree in legal assisting from Penn College. She is chairperson of her local zoning hearing board.

Yoder has 15 years of experience in higher education administration, all at Penn College. Before coming to the college, he worked as a newspaper reporter and editor, most recently at the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English and a concentration in journalism from Millersville University. He is a graduate of Leadership Lycoming.

Established in 1980, CUPRAP has approximately 350 members from 100 institutions, including nearly all institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania and many others in surrounding states. Its members include public relations directors, publication editors, graphic designers, web designers, writers, marketing specialists, sports information directors, media relations managers and special events coordinators.

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