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Rev. Msgr. Henry R. Kriegel retired on Nov. 1, 2022, after serving the Diocese of Erie for 52 years. Kriegel served as the pastor of St. Patrick Parish since 2009, prior to that he served several parishes in the 13-county diocese. He spent 12 years at St. Jude the Apostle in Millcreek Township. He then spent less than a year at McKean’s St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church before moving to California where he served in parishes attended by movie stars. Kriegel also took part in a 2016 public memorial service for Muhammad Ali.
William J. Steger and his wife, Ruthanne Beighley, celebrated their one year anniversary on Feb. 12, 2023. They found love while serving on the board of directors of the Catholic Foundation of Northwest PA.
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Joseph M. Koper released his first book titled “The Isaiah Fountain Case.”
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Diane M. Dudzinski, Ph.D. ’68VMC was selected for a cover feature in the Ninth Edition of Marquis Millennium Magazine, which features the narrative biographies of the world’s most esteemed and accomplished professionals. Dudzinski is a retired professor of biology from Washington State Community College.
Robert A. Pacsi ’77M is an assistant coach at Nordonia High School in Northfield, Ohio where he led the boys basketball team to a winning season.
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David R. Jakubaszek and his wife, Jean, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 28, 2022.
Robert Mazza and his late brother, Frank Mazza ’72, opened a winery in 1972 while they attended Gannon. Today, Robert Mazza Inc., or Mazza, is a wine, spirits and craft beer producer with operations in northwestern Pennsylvania and western New York. Starting with a single vineyard, Mazza now operates three primary locations in the Lake Erie AVA: Mazza Vineyards and South Shore Wine Company both in North East, Pa.; and Mazza Chautauqua Cellars in Westfield, NY, which is also home to Five & 20 Spirits & Brewing– New York State’s first combination winery, distillery and brewery. Mazza was recently lauded as one of Wine Industry Network’s most inspiring people for 2023.
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Deacon Dennis M. Kudlak celebrated his 20th anniversary to the permanent diaconate for the Diocese of Erie. He has served as a chaplain at Elmwood Gardens for 18 years. He continues to serve as a deacon assistant when needed at other local nursing homes in the area.
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Josephine “Josie” K. (Subotnik) Lubiejewski ’97M retired on Jan. 31, 2023 as the vice president of Division Title Operations at First American Title Guaranty Company. Company, where she achieved 41 years of service.
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Mark W. Deitrick, Ph.D., NCC, LPC was promoted to Professor Emeritus at the Community College of Beaver County in recognition of his distinguished service to students and colleagues along with his significant contributions in program development and research. His promotion was preceded by his retirement as professor of education, psychology and social work. He provided 30 years of service at the college in roles including counseling, teaching, administration and supervision. He maintains his practice as a psychotherapist in Beaver, Pa.
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Sonya (Gillespie) Harris ’80VMC is this year’s recipient of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Spirit Award in Atlantic County, NJ. Harris also got engaged in December 2022 to Leon Baptist after he proposed in front of more than 160 people at her retirement party at Greate Bay Country Club in Somers Point. Harris also retired from the Atlantic County Board of Commissioners as a longtime clerk.
Valerie A. Kokor, MBA recently traveled to Antarctica for a trip of a lifetime, bringing along Victor E. Knight. They began their trip in Ushuaia, Argentina. Kokor is a 2008 Distinguished Alumnus.
John C. Stehr announced his plans to run for mayor of Zionsville, Ind. on the Republican ticket in October 2022. He retired from WTHR Channel 13 in 2019.
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Mary Anne Albaugh, MD, DLFAPA was a guest speaker at the 2022 Community Health Net Annual Meeting in October at the Sheraton Erie Bayfront Hotel. Health care and business professionals gathered to discuss the impact of mental health on the community under the theme of “Healthy Minds, Healthy Communities.” Albaugh is a psychiatrist with Deerfield Behavioral Health in Warren, an affiliate of Journey Health System.
Professor Michael J. Stafford provided a lecture in October at the Martz-Kohl Observatory explaining the various motions the earth undergoes as it travels through space, including its interactions with the sun, moon and other planets. He also explained the principals of physics needed to understand the motion of the solar system through the galaxy in a non-mathematical way. Stafford is an adjunct physics professor at Gannon and has taught physics for 37 years.
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David A. Dore, Ph.D. was hired as the new Chancellor for Northern Virginia Community College, beginning his tenure on April 1, 2023. His goal is to visit all 23 of the state’s community colleges.
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Almitra M. (Clemente) Clerkin ’17M accepted the role of executive director of the Sisters of St. Joseph Foundation, following several years of service as director of stewardship at Gannon.
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Rev. Shawn J. Clerkin, AOJN retired from Gannon a year ago to become a full-time vicar of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Franklin, Pa.
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Jeffrey J. Szumigale ’89M was elected President of the Board of the Boys & Girls Club of Erie.
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Parris J. Baker, Ph.D. spoke about Dr. Martin Luther King and America’s Self-Evident Truth at the Jefferson Education Society in Erie on Feb. 20.
Troy E. Bingham MBA announced the Erie Sports Center will partner with Special Olympics Pennsylvania to establish its regional headquarters there. They will also partner with the Cleveland Cavaliers to create a community-wide Junior Cavs program to engage kids in basketball and educate coaches and parents. They are joining forces with Bookwell Travel, an online travel agency committed to ending veteran homelessness, and Veterans Miracle Center to build a residential home community for area veterans. The Center will be the site of residential units with greenhouses and solar fields for veterans. The on-site greenhouses will span two acres and provide jobs growing produce for local grocery stores.
Michael J. Cymbor, OD was voted best eye doctor through online surveys of Best of State College 2022. Cymbor is an optometrist with the Nittany Eye Associates in State College, Pa.
Sean D. Dugan was promoted by Erie Insurance to executive vice president of human resources and corporate services, effective in January 2023. In addition to HR leadership, Dugan’s career at ERIE spans roles in personal lines underwriting, reinsurance underwriting, technical training, development and instructional design. Dugan was named vice president of corporate training and development,in 2010; vice president of recruiting in 2012; and vice president of talent acquisition and community outreach in 2014. In 2018, Dugan was named ERIE’s corporate HR officer.
Laura A. (Strozewski) Gloss was named assistant vice president of procurement at SRC, effective in January. The organization is a not-for-profit research and development company which combines information, science, technology and ingenuity to solve “impossible” problems in the areas of defense, environment and intelligence.
Jomo W. Mutegi, Ph.D. (Bradford F. Lewis) was recently elected president of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching. NARST is a worldwide organization for improving science teaching and learning through research. It was founded in 1928 and is the world’s most prominent international association of science education researchers.
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Gary N. Lee ’93M was formally named chief administrative officer of the newly-formed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission in Erie County by a unanimous vote of the commission in December 2022. He will be responsible for the everyday operations of the body as well as oversight of all grants and contracts. The commission, which was established under the Dahlkemper administration via American Rescue Plan Act funding, aims to invest and lobby for underserved minority populations. Composed of a nine-member board of commissioners, the group identifies viable programs for grant funding, particularly in areas like housing, education, entrepreneurship and workforce development.
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Eric G. LaPrice, MS ’97C, ’99M graduated from the Forest Service’s Senior Leader Program in December. It is a highly competitive elite program to get accepted into. He did his final presentations and graduated in Washington, D.C., where Associate Deputy Chief Angela Coleman presided over the ceremony.
Karen R. Rzepecki ’92 won a contract this year to sell her products in Walmart stores. She is the founder of Erie-based ReCap Mason Jars.
Paul A. Lukach, MSW, LSW, TF-CBT was appointed by Governor Tom Wolfe to serve on Pennsylvania’s Victim Services Advisory Committee. Lukach was sworn into office on Nov. 30, 2022. The VSAC advises the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) regarding policies, priorities and performance standards for victims’ services and compensation. The VSAC’s mission and vision are to promote a standard of excellence in crime victim services that ensures survivor-focused services are available and accessible for all crime victims and communities.
Karen A. (Fails) Surkala was named chief operating officer of Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie. Surkala is president of Westfield Memorial Hospital and will jointly lead Westfield with Chris Clark, D.O., president of Saint Vincent Hospital. In her new position, Surkala will oversee day-to-day operations at the hospital and its affiliated facilities and programs in the community.
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John C. White graduated from Duke University with a Master of Divinity degree after returning from serving the church in South Africa over the summer. He is currently serving in ministry under a United Methodist Church.
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Brandy Cortes-Armstrong ’98M was appointed to the newly formed Latino-Hispanic-American Advisory Council by Mayor Joe Schember. Cortes-Armstrong is a counselor with New Directions Healthcare and is a member of the Erie Latino Leadership Association.
John M. Styborski ’98M and his wife, Tracy (Nale) StyborskI ’96, ’98M have been mastering physical therapy for twenty years. Owners of Masters of Physical Therapy in Corry, Pa. They significantly grew their customer base within its first few years that they both became full-time owners. They agreed that it was the overwhelming support from the community that allowed them to continue doing what they loved.
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Shelley Bortz was a guest speaker for the Uniontown College Club meeting in October 2022. She was a fixture on television newscasts in several states before returning to Pittsburgh, joining KDKA in 2021. She previously worked as a reporter for WPXI.
Mohammad Saud Al-Osaimi was named a top CEO of the Middle East by Forbes. He became CEO of Boursa Kuwait in 2019. The company reported revenues of $101 million, assets worth $360 million and net profits of $65 million in 2021. They had 167 listed companies and a market cap of $135.2 billion in 2021.
Stacy M. Juchno is the new board vice chair of the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. She serves as executive vice president and general auditor for the PNC Financial Services Group. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Gannon University.
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Kevin T. Johnson ’98M applied for a historical marker for Ford Station, which was the first Underground Railroad station in Erie. The historical marker was approved by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission.
Lt. Thomas L. Lenox continues to make a big impact on the lives of hundreds of local children through the Erie Police Athletic League, an organization he revived in 2016. Starting with just a handful of kids, the program now serves more than 800 children.
Joseph B. Steeves was elected to the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) Board of Directors as the southwest region vice president.
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Bradley J. Collins, MD, SFHM, FACP presented the most recent Orlando Lecture on “Medical Ethics: A Brief History and Practical Applications for The Real World” on Feb.15 in Ruskin, Fla.
Patrick J. Fabian announced he will seek re-election for Armstrong County commissioner. He has served as commissioner since 2016, serving four of those years as chairman of the Armstrong County Board of Commissioners.
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Sarah L. Andrews was named the director of knowledge management at the law firm Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young. Andrews is responsible for creating and evangelizing the firm’s knowledge management program. She will support and help innovate the performance of legal teams by transforming how they capture, curate and share collective knowledge. She has spent more than 15 years in Big Law, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy with which teams tackle legal and operational projects.
Jeffrey D. Kiddie is the recipient of the 2023 PGA Golf Professional of the Year Award. This is the highest annual honor given to a PGA of America Professional, awarded for leadership, strong moral character and a substantial record of service to the Association and the game of golf. Kiddie is the Head Golf Professional at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pa.
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Justin J. Lehmiller, Ph.D. is a research fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He is an award winning educator, having been honored three times with the Certification of Teaching Excellence from Harvard University, where he taught for several years. Lehmiller is a prolific researcher and scholar having published more than 40 pieces of academic writing to date.
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Mario A. Commeret-Medina was appointed to the newly formed Latino-Hispanic-American Advisory Council by Mayor Joe Schember. Commeret-Medina is an attorney with the law firm of Melaragno, Placidi, & Parini in Erie.
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Nicole L. (Oleski) Lavery, OTD ’04M and her husband, Jason, were honored as the best Local Entrepreneurs of 2022 by the ErieReader. Nicole and Jason are the co-owners of Lavery Brewing Company in Erie.
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Nicole M. (Samone) Dull ’04M, ’07C, ’20C was appointed as superintendent-elect in July 2021 for the Conemaugh Township Area School District, with her four-year term beginning on Jan. 1, 2023. Dull served as the district’s elementary school principal for the last 15 years. She is the first female superintendent of the District.
Kevin M. Ola shared stories of his military experience with Washington Junior/Senior High School students in Washington, Pa. on Nov. 11, 2022, Veterans Day. Ola is a U.S. Army veteran and inspector for the Transportation Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security.
Jason A. Turka ’04M is one of 12 finalists for the 2023 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year award. Turka represented the Bethel Park School District. He has been a math instructor at Independence Middle School since 2000.
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Albert G. Donadi, Jr. was inducted into the Marian Catholic High School Hall of Fame. Donadi was a star athlete in three sports – football, baseball and track – gaining eight letters as a varsity starter in which he won individual championships and played important roles in several Colt team championships. Donadi helped the Colts baseball team win the 1999 Schuylkill League Division championship and the 2001 Schuylkill League Division and District 11 championships, won the 2001 District 11 gold medal in the 100-meter dash, and currently ranks eighth on Marian’s all-time leading rushers with 2,252 yards.
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Joseph D. Cavalier spoke to students at Gannon in February. He discussed climbing the ladder at Wabtec to become a major leader within the corporation. Cavalier is the the Executive Plant Manager at Wabtec in Erie.
Mary Theresa (Horvat) Vermillion was inducted to the Marian Catholic High School Hall of Fame on Oct. 23, 2022. She was a four-year starter for the Fillies volleyball team, helping them to win championships in both the Schuylkill League and District 11. She was also a four-time District 11 champion in track and field. As a junior, she won the district gold medal in the shot put, discus and javelin, and was named a first-team selection in the shot put and discus by the Pottsville Republican. In her senior year, she won the district shot put gold medal, set the school record in javelin and has a season’s best discus toss. She extended her volleyball expertise as an assistant coach at Eastern High School in Voorhees, NJ in 2006, became head coach at Jim Thorpe in 2008, and then led the Our Lady of the Angels Academy program in 2011.
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Gregory S. Coleman ’09M was named the 2022 Erie Times-News Sportsman of the Year. He is the President of the Erie Seawolves, and his recognition as Sportsman of the Year follows a tremendous baseball season leading to the league championship game in 2022. Coleman was also named Minor League Executive of the Year as the Erie SeaWolves won three MiLB awards.
Emily L. (Scheinberg-Powell) Levine, Ed.D. ’09M, ’10C received the Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania’s Teacher of the Year Award on Dec. 8, 2022. A third-grade teacher at Gateway’s Dr. Cleveland Steward Jr. Elementary School, Levine was selected from more than 400 nominations throughout western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia in Junior Achievement’s first contest for the area’s top teacher.
Edisa Berberkic ’12M was promoted to associate director of development and contracts for a national nonprofit advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. She assists in the management of all revenue received by the organization including gifts, sponsorships and grants. She also oversees the contract process, making sure agreements are executed accurately, and aids in administering all public and private grant awards. Previously, she worked primarily in the government sector for more than 10 years both at the county level and as a federal contractor, managing public and private grants. She has future plans to further her education by earning her doctorate degree.
Attorney Brandi A. (KELLY) Suter is the founder of Extraordinary Law, LLC, her own practice she established after earning her Gannon degree, pursued her master’s from the University of Pittsburgh, and earned her law degree from Duquesne University.
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Alison M. Bartley is a certified sign language interpreter who provides access to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community for PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series performances, including Disney’s Frozen.
Brandon K. Wiley ’13M received the Community Spirit Award from the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, which was given for his involvement and efforts in the community. He is the founder of OpenedEyes, a nonprofit dedicated to education in the areas of self-development, diversity and inclusion.
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Anjali Sahay, Ph.D. ’11M spoke about “Brain Drain in the 21st Century: Current Trends in Developing and Developed Countries” on Feb. 13, 2023 at the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie. Sahay is an educator, leader, author, researcher and a performing artist working as associate professor and program director of political science in Gannon’s School of Public Service and Global Affairs. She has successfully run Model UN Programs at various universities for more than two decades.
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Colleen M. Harriger, MD joined the Washington Health System Orthopedics and Sports Medicine group. Harriger completed her fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital and her residency at UPMC Hamot in Erie, where she earned the American Orthopedic Association Resident Leadership Representative award.
Alicia M. Wurm ’13M joined the medical staff at Penn Highlands Healthcare in DuBois, Pa. She works with patients who have cataracts, glaucoma, eye muscle problems, blocked tear ducts, and corneal or eye injuries.
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Attorney Daniel B. De Vito announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Elk County District Attorney. He is currently practicing law in Elk County, Pa. and previously served as law clerk to the President Judge of the 59th Judicial District of Pennsylvania.
Andrew J. Hellmann ’14M is the owner of Snap Fitness in Harborcreek, Pa., which recently relocated to 2424 E. 38th St. Hellmann is delighted with the visibility that his company will now have at the new location.
Selena N. King is one of six new members appointed to the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Foundation’s board. She previously served as chair of the Erie Democratic Black Caucus, and was appointed by a nonpartisan group of state House representatives and senators of color, including people of African, Latino or Asian American descent.
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Casey R. Martin ’14M was promoted to service merchandising area manager with Wegmans Food Markets in Morrisville, N.C.
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Daniel “Danny” J. Smith ’15M was named the 2022 South Atlantic League Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year by the Professional Baseball Strength & Conditioning Coaches Society. He is the strength coach for the Hudson Valley Renegades, completing his second season in the position in 2022 and his sixth overall with the Yankees organization. He was also named the South Atlantic League Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Year by the PBSCCS in 2021 with the Renegades.
Aaron J. Stearns, Ph.D. earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and a graduate minor in acoustics from Pennsylvania State University in December 2022. He will be employed by the Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Laboratory as an assistant research professor in structural acoustics.
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Rachael J. Kolesar & Nathan F. Uzarski became engaged on Oct. 27, 2022, and recently had their engagement pictures taken on the Gannon University campus.
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Andrew R. Peirson is an offensive lineman with the B.C. Lions in Ontario, Canada, and recently signed a two-year contract extension. The former Gannon athlete was eligible for free agency in February. He will play his fifth season with the Lions in 2023. Vancouver signed Peirson as a non-drafted free agent before training camp in 2018.
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Santiago Mendez was promoted to head coach for Olivet College baseball program in September 2022. Mendez served as the assistant coach for the previous three seasons, during which he worked with the pitching staff and team defense and served as the third base coach. Prior to joining the Olivet staff in January 2020, Mendez was a volunteer assistant baseball coach at Gannon for two years.
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Greta Kuzilla, Ph.D. ’19C was hired by the Pine-Richland School District as the new director of student services and special education.
Lisa Goddard McGuirk ’19M was named the 2022 Erie Times-News Sportswoman of the Year. She is the athletic director at Gannon. The accomplishments by the Golden Knights stacked up over the past eight years and reached a pinnacle this past year when they were awarded the Dixon Trophy for the first time in program history.
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Kate A. DuCarme, MPAS, PA-C ’21M joined the Washington Health System Family Medicine - California. She completed more than half of her clinical rotations at WHS facilities.
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Jacqueline (Jacquie) Eshleman ’21M was hired as the Iona University’s inaugural women’s acrobatics & tumbling head coach.
Devin Smith ’21M is in his first season with the Lakeland Magic of the NBA G League where he serves as a basketball operations associate.
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Trevaughn E. McNeill was signed by the Green Bay Blizzard, a professional indoor football league. McNeill is from Philadelphia and played collegiate football at Gannon, where he majored in Sports Management and Marketing.