IN MEMORIAM
LOCAL LEADERS REMEMBERED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS, SERVICE The Manufacturer & Business Association (MBA) will recognize the contributions of three business leaders who passed away in the last year, during its 112th Annual Event on October 11 at the Bayfront Convention Center in Erie. The recognition will honor the memories of Mark Kulyk, Chris Rodgers and Jim LeCorchick. “Each one of these men were remarkable people who led by action and example,” said MBA President and Chief Executive Officer John Krahe. “We are grateful for their contributions to their organizations and the communities in which they lived.” Kulyk, 60, who passed away November 25 after a courageous battle with cancer, was a past president of Rogers Brothers Corporation in Albion, Pennsylvania, and served the Association as chairman and Board member. He was born April 9, 1956, and graduated from Northwestern High School and attended the University of Notre Dame, where he met his wife, Joyce. Kulyk had strong ties to Notre Dame where he was a trumpet player in the college’s marching band and, since 1995, was a leader of the Band Alumni of Notre Dame and the Marching Band Alumni Reunion weekends. After graduating in 1978 from Notre Dame’s Program of Liberal Studies, Kulyk attained his master’s degree in Adult Development and Aging from the University of Chicago. He eventually returned to Notre Dame and completed a second master’s in psychological counseling. Kulyk was employed by Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington before joining the family business, Rogers Brothers. In his 30 years at the company, he held various positions in human resources and marketing, as plant production manager, as well as sales manager. He served as president of Rogers from 2004 until his retirement in 2013. During his time as president, Kulyk served on the board of directors of the Truck Trailer Manufacturing Association and as chairman of the Board in 2010. In 2007, he was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Western Pennsylvania District Export Council. He also served proudly on the MBA’s Board of Governors and was chairman in 2010 when he introduced former President George W. Bush at the Association’s Annual Event. “He served the Association with great distinction as one of the ‘best’ chairman in our organization’s history,” said former Association President and CEO Ralph Pontillo. “He was a good and loyal friend to all who knew him… the business community lost one of its greatest examples of the true American entrepreneur.” In addition to his work at Burton Funeral Home following his retirement, Kulyk was actively involved in the community, serving on groups including the Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Erie; Villa Maria Academy; and as a charter board member of The Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Erie. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, his sons, Anthony and Nathaniel, daughter-in-law Melissa and grandsons Ricky and Timothy. Erie Airport chief, Chris Rodgers, age 49, of Erie, passed away on November 2, 2016, after a four-year battle with cancer. He was born in Rutland, Vermont, on February 22, 1967. He graduated from Proctor High School in 1985 and attended Champlain College. Rodgers began his aviation career shortly after graduating high school, starting out as a baggage handler with People Express Airlines in Burlington, Vermont. After being hired by USAirways in 1987, he rose through the ranks, relocating to Rhode Island, Long Island, Pittsburgh and, finally, as station manager in 1999 in Erie. He was then hired at the Erie International Airport at Tom Ridge Field in February 2002 and became the airport director in 2008. Rodgers was a strong advocate in the construction of the airport’s multimillion-dollar runway extension in 2012. According to a memorial displayed at the airport in his honor, “With diligence and dedication, he managed completion of the 1,920 foot Runway Improvement and positioned the airport as a fiscally sound community asset. His goal was to establish the airport as a ‘World Class Facility.’ Chris was a man of strength and integrity…”
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OCTOBER 2017 • mbabizmag.com