The Board of Directors of the PA Commission for Community Colleges elected new offers to its Executive Committee at the Commission’s Annual Meeting on April 13 in Harrisburg.
Named as officers to the Executive Committee of PACCC’s Board of Directors are: Chair Thomas P. Leary, President of Luzerne County Community College; Vice Chair Dr. Stephanie Shanblatt, President of Bucks County Community College; Secretary Kimberly D. Geyer, Trustee of Butler County Community College; and Treasurer Robert Fehnel, Trustee of Northampton Community College.
“This Board of Directors includes of leaders who are committed to expanding student success, access and affordability across the state, and I look forward to working with them over the next two years,” said Elizabeth Bolden, President and CEO of PACCC.
The Board of Directors is the governing body of PACCC. Executive Committee members serve two-year terms, beginning on July 1, 2015.
“I am pleased to hand over leadership of the Commission Board to Tom Leary,” said Dr. Nicholas C. Neupauer, outgoing PACCC Board Chair and President of Butler County Community College. “He has a clear understanding of the issues faced by Pennsylvania’s community colleges, as evidenced by his long tenure at Luzerne County Community College, and is passionate about meeting the needs of LCCC students and the community.”
Leary, whose term as Vice Chair of the PACCC board concludes on June 30, began his career at Luzerne County Community College more than thirty years ago as Assistant Director of Admissions. During his career, he has served in several senior leadership positions.
In February, 2008, Leary was inaugurated as the sixth President of the College. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of History and Political Science.
"I look forward to working with my fellow presidents in our continued efforts to ensure that a community college education remains the most accessible and affordable option for receiving a quality post-secondary education,” said Leary. “With the support of the Commission, we will carry on our work of identifying and implementing measures to support the success of our students across the state."
Dr. Stephanie Shanblatt begins her first term as a member of PACCC’s Board of Directors as Vice Chair. Shanblatt is the fourth president of Bucks County Community College, having joined the college in October 2012 following a unanimous vote by the colleges’ board of trustees.
Prior to coming to Bucks, Shanblatt served for 13 years in leadership roles at Lansing Community College in Michigan, the last three years as Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs. Shanblatt was also a member of the National Advisory Committee on Improving Outcomes for Men of Color in Community Colleges.
This is Secretary Kimberly D. Geyer’s first appointment to the PACCC Board of Directors. She has been a member of the Butler County Community College Board of Trustees since July 2011, and has served on the Trustee Finance Committee and the Trustee Quality Assessment Committee. Geyer is also a member of the BC3 Education Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors.
She has been involved in public education for many years, serving on the Mars Area School Board for 12 years, and on the Midwestern Intermediate Unite 4 Board of Directors. In 2010, Geyer was recognized by the Pennsylvania Senate for contributions to education policy throughout the Commonwealth.
Geyer is a graduate of Butler County Community College where she earned an associate degree in liberal arts. She currently serves as Vice-President at Geyer Construction and as a Policy Analyst and Consultant at Mars Research & Retrieval Services.
The 2015-17 term marks Treasurer Robert Fehnel’s second election as Treasurer of the PACCC Board of Directors. He was elected chairman of the Northampton Community College Board of Trustees in August of 2014, after serving as vice chairman for ten years. Fehnel has served on the NCC Board for nearly thirty years, including 25 as chair of the Board's Finance and College Facilities Committee.
Fehnel's commitment to community service and public education can also be seen in his 28 years of service on local school boards, including 20 years as president of the Wilson Area School Board and his recent election to the Easton Area School Board.
He is a graduate of Northampton Community College, where he earned an associate degree in applied science. He is employed as the director of print and mail operations for Berkheimer One Source in Bethlehem, PA.
For more information, visit the PA Commission for Community Colleges website.
