Class Notes

LUTHER R. MANUS, JR. ’71M has been honored with Edinboro University’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award in recognition of his selfless contributions to the Erie region, distinguished military career and steadfast commitment to education and social equality. Manus received the award during the university’s 24th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Luncheon on Feb. 27. At age 92, Manus continues to model the character and teachings of Dr. King through his community service efforts.

BAXTER D. WELLMON has been inducted into the Union City Wall of Achievement. Wellmon began working for the New York Central Station in 1967 and traveled on the Hudson Line of the railroad to work in Manhattan until late 1968. He then moved to West Chester, Pa. to work for the Penn Central Transportation Corp. in Philadelphia. Wellmon worked in Washington, D.C. for the federal government to revitalize the railroad industry from 1974 to 1975. During that time, he was a member of the United States Railroad Association that oversaw the creation of Conrail. Since 1996, he has been one of the principal owners of QEM Inc. and its affiliated companies including Big Spring Rail System, Transport Handling Specialists, Transport Rail Sector and Chester & Cumberland Investments, among others. He has also held senior management positions at Consolidated Rail Corp. in Conrail. Wellmon is currently chairman and CEO of Transport & Handling Services Ltd. and QEM Inc., co-founder and board member of Jacinto Rail Corp. and Big Spring Rail System Inc., and managing partner of Transport Handling Services Inc. and Chester and Cumberland Investment LLC.

DIANE M. DUDZINSKI, PH.D., VMC has received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award after being recognized by the Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in the field of biology. Dudzinski worked as a biology professor at Mercyhurst University for five years before teaching at the Washington State Community College from 1991 to 2012. In addition, she has excelled as an environmental consultant for the EnvironmentalMedical Laboratories and Controls for Environmental Pollution between 1979 and 1981. Dudzinski was recognized for her accomplishments as the first female participant of the US-USSR Joint Oceanographic Expedition to the Bering Sea. In 1986, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award in Career Achievement from Villa Maria College.

JOSEPH V. SCHEMBER, JR., Erie’s mayor, was among the community leaders who joined the current Erie County Poet Laureate, Chuck Joy, to read a favorite passage from the endearing Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology. The event is a part of Joy’s term project and explored the meaning and relevance of Spoon River Anthology to contemporary times in Erie County.

JOHN F. CHERRY, a judge for the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas, was unanimously elected by the 10-member county court to serve as its 27th president judge. His five-year term began on Jan. 1, 2020. Cherry, now age 68, was first elected to the bench in 1999 and retained in November of 2009 and 2019, marking his third 10-year term on the Court of Common Pleas. He currently handles civil and dependency matters.

LISA (WIEN) HILL, M.D. has joined the staff of Wheeling Hospital as a family medicine physician. She is also a physician at the Wheeling Clinic. Hill earned a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from Gannon University and her medical degree from Saba University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Wheeling Hospital, where she became chief resident in her third year.

SISTER JEAN M. SQUIRIC VMC ’94M is the new campus minister for St. Thomas Aquinas High School and Middle School located in Louisville, Ohio. Squiric began her career at St. Francis Cabrini as an elementary school teacher. She worked for more than 20 years with St. Francis Cabrini in various roles including high school youth minister, religious educator, director of Pastoral Ministries, and leader of prayer and bereavement ministries. Most recently, Squiric was the director of religion at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Massillon, Ohio and served as caretaker for the Emmaus House.

BRUCE L. BOWER, M.D. has been named the new clinical director and mammography lead interpreting physician for Sharp Coronado Hospital in California. Bower joined San Diego Imaging in 1990 and became a member of the Sharp Coronado Hospital Medical Staff in 1996. He is board certified by both the American Board of Radiology and the American Board of Internal Medicine. He also is certified in angiography and interventional radiology.

WILLIAM J. DOAN, PH.D. has created the Anxiety Project to better explain his episodic depression to family and friends. Doan has made about 500 drawings in addition to creating graphic narratives and giving performances that display what it is like to live with anxiety and depression. “I hoped others would find [the work] helpful because I knew that for it to have meaning beyond my own therapeutic needs, it would have to mean something to others,” Doan said.

JAMES J. RUTKOWSKI, JR. has again partnered with students from Gannon University’s College of Engineering and Business to participate in the CEB Ornament Challenge. This is the second year of this collaborative project in which students design a holiday ornament using computeraided design programs. Last year’s first- and second-place winning Christmas ornaments were laser cut with industrial, scientific and medical equipment. Through this alumnistudent-professor partnership, the CEB Ornament Challenge gives students the opportunity to hone their skills in a workplace environment. Rutkowski is a 1983 mechanical engineering graduate, university trustee and general manager of Industrial Sales Manufacturing Inc.

ANTHONY J. (A.J.) MICELI ’86M has been honored as Gannon University’s sailing coach with the Erie Yacht Club’s Thompson Memorial Trophy for his “outstanding service and achievement in the world of yachts and yachtsmen.” Miceli was recognized specifically for his work in developing the Gannon University Sailing Team, or G.U.S.T., which he began in 2014 to share his love of sailing. The program currently boasts nearly 20 student-sailors. In the past year, G.U.S.T. has competed in regattas at Cornell University, Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, the Pennsylvania State University (State College), and Syracuse University. Miceli joined Gannon in 1975 in the School of Communication and the Arts where he later became director. Miceli continues to work at Gannon as an adjunct professor and as adviser and coach of the sailing team.

BRIAN W. BOLASH, JR., ESQ. has been appointed senior vice president and general counsel for Erie Indemnity Co. and its affiliated companies of the Erie Insurance Group. Bolash previously served as vice president, corporate secretary and senior counsel. In his current position, Bolash will serve as the company’s chief legal officer, overseeing the company’s Law Division, Internal Audit and Corporate Legal Department. Bolash will also continue to serve as ERIE’s corporate secretary and has joined the company’s executive council. As corporate secretary, Bolash serves as a key liaison to the Board of Directors and manages board operations.

ROBERT “BOB” A. LOWRY has been named head of Retail Banking at Rocky Mountain Bank. Lowry joins the team from Wells Fargo, where he most recently served as senior vice president, business acquisition manager. Lowry has spent 20 years in banking. His background includes experience in retail, small business and commercial banking, wealth management, credit and risk analysis and operations. DANIEL A. ZARECKY has been appointed the newest CEO of Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital. Zarecky was previously the CEO of Strategic Behavioral Health, an organization that oversees two psychiatric hospitals in Colorado.

BRAD K. GLEASON has been named the inaugural director of entrepreneurial operations at Gannon University’s Center for Business Ingenuity. In this newly created position, Gleason will oversee and coordinate Gannon’s business development initiatives. In addition, he will lead operations and guide companies to resources in the Beehive Network, including mentoring and incubation opportunities in the Erie Technology Incubator. Gleason will also help to grow academic-industry collaborations for new business and product development in The Hatchery, which will be located in the university’s Institute for Health and Cyber Knowledge, or I-HACK.

SEAN D. DUGAN has been promoted to senior vice president of Human Resources for the Erie Insurance Group. Dugan will oversee teams for Talent Acquisition, Community Outreach, Diversity and Inclusion, Human Resources, Business Partners and Employee Relations, and Talent Management and Strategic Workforce Planning. In addition, he will oversee the company’s Learning and Development team and Workforce of the Future. Dugan most recently worked as corporate human resources officer for Erie Insurance. His prior leadership roles include vice president of Talent Acquisition and Community Outreach, vice president of Recruiting, and vice president of Corporate Training and Development.

LAURA (STROZEWSKI) RUST GLOSS has been hired as director of Procurement for the Syracuse Research Corp. Inc., a research and development company focused on defense, environment and intelligence and is based in Syracuse, N.Y. In this role, she will be responsible for leading SRC’s procurement process and supply chain management. Gloss has more than 26 years of procurement and supply chain management experience across various industries. She joins SRC from Moog, Inc., where she worked as the supply chain manager of Space and Defense Group.

TRACEY MCCANTS LEWIS, ESQ. is working to make Pittsburgh a more livable city. McCants Lewis has made it her goal to help make AfricanAmericans aware of the opportunities available to them through education and training opportunities after a report from Pittsburgh’s Equity Commission revealed the city as being least livable for African-American women. McCants Lewis has been a longtime resident of Pittsburgh. She currently works as deputy counsel and director of Human Resources for the Pittsburgh Penguins. She previously spent 10 years at Duquesne University as a tenured law professor, where she also managed the university’s law clinic.

DAVID M. FINK has been appointed president and executive director of The Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. Fink most recently worked as senior vice president of WL Plastics, a PPI member company. He served as chairman of the PPI board of directors from 2017-2019, and currently chairs the PPI statistics committee. He also cochairs the newly established PPI safety committee.

KAREN A. (FAILS) SURKALA addressed the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville to highlight the year in review for the Westfield Memorial Hospital. The Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club helped found the hospital in 1942 and has been a longtime supporter. Surkala is president of WMH and has more than 30 years of health care field experience. She served as vice president and administrator at WMH from 2007 to 2011, helping to lead the hospital through a multi-year restructuring process. Most recently, she served as CEO of Select Specialty Hospital, a long-term acute care facility in Erie. Three years prior, she was the senior director of Strategic Agenda Management at the Cleveland Clinic. From 2012 to 2015, Surkala was a senior vice president at Saint Vincent Hospital and was an integral member of the C-suite team. In this role, she was responsible for various aspects of the hospital’s strategic, operational and business development performance.

DAISY DENIZARD, ESQ. has joined the law firm of Hawkins Parnell & Young in the Chicago office. Denizard advises and represents clients in complex litigation, insurance issues and risk management. She primarily defends corporations in litigation involving mass torts and toxic exposures to asbestos, talcum powder and a range of chemicals. Throughout her career, Denizard has handled a wide range of high-exposure and highprofile matters, including commercial disputes, business torts, environmental, product liability, cost recovery and insurance coverage. Denizard received her law degree from John Marshall Law School in 2002. She is licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin.

ELIZABETH R. WILSON ’96M is the director of marketing for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA. She is responsible for all marketing and communication activities, including public and community relations. She also directs the center’s public relations events and entrepreneurial initiatives. In addition, she reviews all submitted company proposals for funding.

MELISSA (TENPAS) RANNEY made history as the first councilwoman in Clymer, N.Y., and the first woman to run for a position on the town board. Hamels is a physician assistant with GLPP Gastroenterology in Jamestown, N.Y. She has worked as a physician assistant for nearly 23 years.

SUSAN (YOUNG) MALONEY, R.N.C. ’97M has been inducted to the Union City Wall of Achievement. Maloney holds 31 years of nursing and health care experience. She worked at Saint Vincent Health Center until she completed her master’s in nursing to begin work as a family nurse practitioner. She ultimately secured a full-time, tenured position at Edinboro University and has taught mental health nursing since 2004. In 2018, Maloney completed a second postmaster’s certification as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and passed her national board certification in 2019. Her educational outreach garnered the attention of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office for opioid education efforts. She was recognized with a public declaration and award as well as an appointment to the Pennsylvania Trauma-Informed Care Network. Maloney was recently sworn into the Erie Veteran’s Medical Center’s Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic, where she works as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, caring for veterans’ mental health needs.

DAVID S. RUSSO ’97M has been promoted to senior vice president of Customer Service for Erie Insurance Group. Russo most recently served as senior vice president of Services Operations & Support. In his new role, Russo will oversee service functions, including ERIE’s Center of Excellence and Claims Quality teams, Customer Care Operations, First Notice of Loss, Zone Operations, Policy Processing, and Mail and Document Services.

THOMAS L. LENOX ’98 has been honored as an Erie police sergeant with the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association’s Officer of the Year Medal. The medal is given to an officer who epitomizes a lifelong desire and preparation for the police profession.

CHANEL M. COOK has been appointed as the director of Programs and Community Relations of Erie Arts & Culture. Cook brings to Erie Arts & Culture 17 years of experience working for federal and local levels of government. From 2005 through 2011, Cook worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as a district and constituent representative. From 2001 to 2019, Cook held several roles with Erie County government including refugee health manager, public information officer, and the manager of outreach services at the Erie County Public Library. In November 2019, Cook was also appointed to the Pennsylvania Humanities Council Board of Directors.

ANDREW J. CHALOT has been named the head coach of the Mansfield University’s Mountaineer baseball program in Mansfield, Pa. He previously worked as the interim head coach since May and as an assistant coach with Mountaineer baseball for the past eight seasons. In this role, Chalot was primarily responsible for the pitching staff and team recruiting efforts. Chalot came to Mansfield from West Virginia Tech University, where he worked as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Golden Bears and assisted in the development of the strength and conditioning program.

MARIO A. COMMERET-MEDINA, ESQ. has been named first assistant with the Crawford County Office of Public Defender. Commeret-Medina has been a practicing attorney since 2010. He initially worked in Georgia and returned to Erie County in 2017. He has been serving as an assistant public defender in Crawford County since April 2019.

DEAN R. BORONYAK ’03M was named the Elementary Health and Physical Education Teacher of the Year at the annual Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Convention in Lancaster, Pa. in December 2019. Boronyak is a teacher at Ingomar Elementary School in the North Allegheny School District. He began his career in North Allegheny in 2008.

MARISA A. MOKS UNGER ’06M has been appointed to The International Women’s Writing Guild’s Board of Directors. Moks Unger founded the Internet start-up, We Write It Right, which offers personal and professional growth to companies and individuals through writing. Her 30 years of experience includes work with Department of Defense contractors, financial software companies and commercial and trade publications.

CHRISTOPHER C. FRYE, JR. has made history as the first African-American mayor of New Castle, Pa. and one of the youngest to be elected. Frye took the oath of office on January 6, 2020 after receiving 58 percent of the votes. Frye has his sights on four pillars of change-making as the new mayor. These include bringing fiscal responsibility to the city, restoring the city’s deteriorated infrastructure, eradicating the blight, and building bridges within the social community. Frye is an active member on New Castle’s YMCA board of directors. He is a current participant on the Lawrence County Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Lawrence County program. He and his wife are additionally working to resurrect his family’s 40-year-old nonprofit organization that aims to empower women and families affected by domestic violence. CODY L. HUFFMAN is the new director of Business Development in Clinical Technology Management at Sodexo USA.

DESTIN S. DEMARION has earned elite status in the sport of competitive fishing after finishing in the top five professional fishermen at the 2019 Bassmaster Eastern Open at Oneida Lake near Syracuse, N.Y. He competed against hundreds of professionals for a chance to get the “Major League” call-up to the top level of the sport, the Bassmaster Elite Series, which will be featured on ESPN. DeMarion will be the lone Pennsylvanian in the 2020 Elite Series field, earning a spot in the competition involving anglers from Florida, Tennessee, Virginia and New York. LAUREN “LO” M. MYRICK ’11 kicked off Gannon University’s spring #MakeChange: Stand up. Speak out. event series. Myrick’s talk, “Why Your Mindset Matters More than Your Major,” discussed the importance of a positive mindset and how positivity can lead to success.

CHELSEA T. BARRETT is a secondyear doctoral student and the president of the newly created Biomedical Graduate Student Organization at the University of Kentucky. She currently works in the department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry with Rebecca Dutch, Ph.D., and studies paramyxoviruses and pneumoviruses. The organization serves graduate students in the biomedical sciences in the College of Medicine by fostering collaboration and developing programming to help expand student skills and knowledge.

LANDIS E. ERWIN has become a living liver donor for a young Pennsylvania child. Erwin is director of development for Crossroads Foundation in Pittsburgh. She majored in journalism and communications at Gannon University and earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership and project management at Geneva College in 2018. A member of Pittsburgh Young Professionals and Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Western Pennsylvania Chapter, Landis was also named to Mercer County’s 2019 Class of “40 Under 40.”

DONALD E. TRAPP has joined the coaching staff of the State College Spikes, a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, as the strength and conditioning coach. Trapp previously worked with Eastern Michigan University athletic teams through an NSCA Assistantship Award. He also volunteered as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Shippensburg University.

JOHN T. HONHART, MD graduated from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia with his Doctor of Medicine on May 22, 2019. He was the recipient of the Hubert Spencer Sear, M.D. Memorial Award as the outstanding fourth-year student in radiology. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Honhart will complete his internship at the University of West Virginia followed by a five-year Integrated Interventional Radiology residency at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Mass.

JOSHUA HOSLER has joined the Colorado Springs office as the district director for Congressman Doug Lamborn. Hosler served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007-2011. He moved to Colorado to serve as the regional director for the Beauprez for Governor Campaign in 2014 after graduating from Gannon University. He then served as the El Paso County Republican Party Chairman from 2017- 2019.

ALEXANDRA J. WEST has joined FARM Buffalo, a marketing and communications agency, as a project manager on the retail marketing team.

DANIEL J. SMITH ’15M has returned for his third season with the Staten Island Yankees, the New York-Penn League affiliate of the New York Yankees, as their strength and conditioning coach. Smith served the same role with the Pulaski Yankees, the Rookie Advanced Affiliate, in 2017. Before joining the Yankees, Smith was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of South Florida in 2015 and 2016 and for Western Kentucky University in 2016 and 2017.

DEBORAH D. LORENZO is a nurse from Ludlow, Pa., who has always enjoyed writing but never envisioned the day when she would become the published author of two children’s books, “Night Night, My Love” and “The Barnyard Ball.” Lorenzo is currently a registered nurse in the maternal children’s health unit at Warren General Hospital.

KENZIE P. RYBACK has joined the team at Knox Law firm in State College, Pa., as an associate attorney and will focus her practice on estate planning, trust planning, estate administration and business and tax matters. Her legal experience includes summer associate positions at the Knox firm during law school at The Pennsylvania State University. She also served as a certified legal intern at the Rural Economic Development Clinic in State College, creating LLCs, drafting and revising documents and contracts, and conducting legal research. KIMBERLY C. THOMAS ’16M was among the presenters at the Economic Summit hosted by Gannon University and the Small Business Development Center. Thomas is director of the northwest regional office of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.

COLIN J. FEIKLES ’17M is the strength and conditioning coach in his first season with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, a minor league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. Feikles previously worked as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Lowell Spinners, the Class A Short Season Minor League Baseball affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. Feikles was named the 2019 New York-Penn League strength and conditioning coach of the year.

SHELBY L. GRAML has been appointed as the new events and outreach coordinator for the Erie County Historical Society. Graml began her new role on Nov. 18, 2019.

TYLER P. PALKA was named to the DC Defenders’ roster in the XFL prior to their opener on Feb. 8. The Defenders selected Palka during the league’s supplemental draft in November. He survived minicamp and training camp cuts made by Pep Hamilton, the franchise’s coach and general manager. He was an all-PSAC player as a senior in 2017 for the Gannon Golden Knights. He compiled 1,121 all-purpose yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Palka previously competed at the professional level at the National Football League’s Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie camp, Canadian Football League’s Ottawa RedBlacks, and the Arena Football League’s Columbus Destroyers.

KELLY H. VINCENT ’18M has joined the coaching staff at the State University of New York at Fredonia as the assistant track and field and cross-country coach.

KAITLYN M. COONEY PT, DPT ’19M is one of the newest members of the physical therapy staff at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville, N.Y. She has a special interest in outpatient rehabilitation but also has a strong background in acute care and inpatient rehab.