Penn College News

Board approves leadership changes, hears from Diesel Performance Club

Thursday, February 6, 2025

The Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors on Thursday approved the hiring of a vice president for finance/CFO and the promotion of another member of President’s Cabinet. The board also heard a presentation from the Penn College Diesel Performance Club.

The board authorized the appointment of Jon A. Nichols as the successor to Suzanne T. Stopper, senior vice president for finance/CFO, who is retiring in May after nearly two decades at the college.

The effective date for the hiring of Nichols – who has served as executive director of finance/controller since April 2023 – will be closer to the date of Stopper’s retirement. That will allow for a transition period – and for a search to commence for someone to handle the responsibilities of Nichols’ current position, President Michael J. Reed said.

Reed also told the board that, with Anthony J. Pace having taken on additional supervisory responsibilities related to counseling services and comprehensive retention efforts, he will be promoted from associate vice president to vice president for enrollment & academic operations. That promotion in rank takes effect immediately.

Since joining Penn College, Pace has also served as dean of enrollment & academic operations, dean of academic operations, assistant dean of academic operations, director of student engagement, director of student activities, and assistant director of student activities for student organizations and orientation.

Speaking on behalf of the Penn College Diesel Performance Club were advisor Mark E. Sones of the diesel equipment technology faculty, and club President Gio A. Barbarossa, of Bridgeville, who earned an associate degree in electric power generation technology: diesel emphasis in 2024 and is currently enrolled in the building automation engineering technology bachelor’s degree program.

The club's 1959 B-61 Mack drag truck, known as “Accelerated Learning,” won top honors in the “Big Rig Auto” bracket at the October Truck Fest at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, New Jersey. That victory qualified the truck for the “King of the Island” bracket race, where it finished in second place. The previous month, at the Keystone Truckin’ Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Berks County, the club claimed first place in the Diesel Big Rig Bracket 1 division and finished second in the “King of the Hill” grand finale.

Sones, who said the truck is “a very unique marketing tool” for the diesel program and the college, praised the students for their commitment and dedication to constantly improving its performance, noting they work most weekends and late into the evening in the lab at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center.

“I’m so proud of what these students have done,” he said.

Barbarossa will drive the truck in this year’s competitions. Diesel technology student TJ Buck, of Warminster, drove the truck to its wins this past year, achieving a fastest time of 13.30 seconds in the quarter-mile, reaching 106 mph.

Barbarossa said the club’s 45 members are equally dedicated to community service, promoting Penn College and developing camaraderie.

“We don’t just like to go fast,” he told the board.

The truck’s next full-scale competition will be in May at Island Dragway.

In his comments to the board, Reed thanked Stopper for her many years of service.

“I can’t thank you enough for your leadership and support,” he said.

He said applications are up 10% for Fall 2025 and deposits are up 27%.

Board Chair Sen. Gene Yaw said he would have preferred to see something larger than the 5% appropriation increase allotted to Penn College in Gov. Shapiro’s proposed 2025-26 budget, given that the college has so many programs producing highly skilled graduates for high-demand occupations in the workforce.

“Our challenge here is to show people why we are different,” Yaw said.

The next regularly scheduled Penn College Board of Directors meeting is April 17.