Named as officers to the Executive Committee of PACCC’s Board of Directors are: Chair Dr. Stephanie Shanblatt, President of Bucks County Community College; Vice Chair Dr. John J. “Ski” Sygielski, President of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College; Secretary Kimberly D. Geyer, Trustee of Butler County Community College; and Treasurer Donald Heller, Trustee of Delaware County Community College.
“These Board members are dedicated to the vision of Pennsylvania’s community colleges – to increase the workforce readiness skills and educational attainment level of Pennsylvanians to create a productive workforce and vibrant economy,” said Elizabeth Bolden, President and CEO of PACCC. “I look forward to working with them to advance the Commission and Colleges’ goals.”
The Board of Directors is the governing body of PACCC. Executive Committee members serve two-year terms, beginning on July 1, 2017.
“The Commission Board is in capable hands with Dr. Shanblatt at the helm,” said Thomas L. Leary, outgoing PACCC Board Chair and President of Luzerne County Community College. “Stephanie has a clear understanding of the strengths and challenges faced by Pennsylvania’s community colleges, and will be a strong leader.”
Shanblatt’s term as Vice Chair of the PACCC board concludes on June 30. She is the fourth president of Bucks County Community College, having joined the college in October 2012 following a unanimous vote by the college’s 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. She serves on the Bucks County Workforce Development Board and the Board of Directors of the Bucks County Health Improvement Partnership.
Shanblatt earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine and her B.S. in Chemistry from the same university.
"Pennsylvania’s community colleges are the largest public provider of higher education and workforce training in the state, and I am looking forward to working collaboratively with my fellow college presidents to ensure our future success,” said Shanblatt. “Together with the Commission, we can ensure our colleges – and students – are successful for years to come."
Dr. John J. “Ski” Sygielski begins his first term as a member of the PACCC’s Board of Directors as Vice Chair. He became the seventh president of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, in July 2011.
His previous appointments include president of Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, and president of Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, Virginia. He began his community college administration and college teaching career at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
Ski is the past chairman of the board for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and AACC's 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges. He is currently a member of Harrisburg Rotary and serves on the boards of the Harrisburg Boys and Girls Club, Harrisburg Chamber of Commerce and Pennsylvania's Workforce Investment Board.
He earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy, two master's degrees in business and a doctorate in education. In addition, he has an honorary associate degree.
This is Secretary Kimberly D. Geyer’s second appointment to the PACCC Board of Directors. She became a member of the Butler County Community College Board of Trustees in July 2011, and moved to ex officio status on the Board when she was elected Butler County Commissioner in November 2015.
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 Unit 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.
The 2017-19 term marks Donald Heller's first term as Treasurer of the PACCC Board of Directors. Heller has been a member of the Delaware County Community College Board of Trustees since 2014, and currently serves as vice chair.
As Senior Vice Dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, he manages all operating and financial functions of the college and oversees TUTV, the Temple University cable television channel.
With more than 30 years business management and finance experience, especially in the entertainment and cable business, Heller also serves as a business development, financing, and operations management consultant.
Previously, Heller was Assistant Dean of Temple University's College of Engineering. Prior to joining the university, he spent 20 years in cable television as Vice President and General Manager of the PRISM network and as Vice President at the parent company of Suburban Cable Lenfest Communications developing international expansion.
A native of Springfield Township in Delaware County, Heller holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State University and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with a strong commitment to the community.
He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Philadelphia Police Athletic League (PAL) Board and Chair of the PAL Scholarship Committee and Foundation. He was an elected local school board member for 12 years, serving as Board President and Treasurer prior to joining the Delaware County Community College Board of Trustees. He also served four years in the United States Air Force.
The PA Commission for Community Colleges is a voluntary membership association for Pennsylvania’s community colleges. Its members include the college presidents, members of the colleges’ boards of trustees, and key college administrators. The Commission represents the interests of and advocates for the collective needs of the community colleges to federal and state policymakers.
