Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal - 20 Under 40 2016

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DECEMBER 2016

top 20 under 40

Ariane M. Conaboy, d.o.

As a doctor of internal medicine at Physicians Health Alliance, Dr. Ariane M. Conaboy, 34, realizes the importance of human life and how fragile it can be at times.

Conaboy graduated from Scranton Prep and the University of Scranton with a double major in biochemistry and philosophy. She graduated from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and a residency at Scranton Temple Residency program (The Wright Center for Graduate Education). “I love procedures and critical care and wanted to be an emergency physician or a critical care intensivist, but met my husband when I was in medical school and we knew we wanted to have children. I was not sure if I could be multi-tasking enough to be away from them most nights or weekends, so I opted to do internal medicine,” she said. “I love it. I am so passionate about it. I feel very lucky because I have the opportunity to often take care of entire families.”

Conaboy’s role model for more than 20 years is Dr. Mary Sewatsky, chief medical officer at Moses Taylor Hospital. “She has shown unwavering care and concern, medical care and ethics. She is loved by her family and is a strong supporter of life-long medical learning and has helped me so much,” Conaboy said.

Her success is largely due to hard work and the support given to her by her parents, Millie and Mike Palmasani, “They urged me to brush off failures and get right back to trying again,” she adds.

Her husband, Kevin, has been a great factor in her success, offering unwavering love and support.

“He is the best dad I know, has incredible wit, and encourages me to pursue things that interest me.”

Conaboy lives by Ghandi’s words of hope,”Be the change you want to see in the world.”

The couple has two children, Clare, 5, and Kevin, 4. “They are my purpose in life and I truly did not know wonderment until we were blessed with them,” she said. Family time is the doctor’s favorite time of the day.

Her four friends — Shalissa, Janet, Gretchen and Kate, have also been a source of great support.

In 2015 Conaboy was the youngest president of the Lackawanna Medical Society; is the physician lead for the finance and contracting committee of the region’s first clinically integrated network, NEPA Quality Health Alliance; was named to the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s Top 40 under 40 in 2016; serves on the Medical Executive committee at Moses Taylor Hospital; and is president-elect of the hospital’s Medical Executive Committee.

Justin Sandy

Starting at a young age in Hazleton, Justin C. Sandy, 33, found a passion for running. He became a member then a coach for Misericordia University’s cross country and track and field programs.

“It was at Misericordia that I also garnered the profound satisfaction that was achieved from serving others. The charisms of mercy, service, justice and hospitality make the core of that University and have stuck with me today,” Sandy, 33, explained.

Upon graduating with a bachelor degrees in management and business administration and a minor in marketing, followed by a master’s degree in organizational management, Sandy journeyed into the business world as director of the Scranton Running Co. “It was here that I have found a home and an opportunity to work with not-for-profit companies to create viable fundraisers to support their missions, while also providing the community with chances to better their lifestyles,” he said.

His responsibilities include coordinating races in the NEPA region, predominantly performed by charities. “I strive to put on the best possible race for their entrants by managing race registration, providing direction with race course development,

awards, participant swag and providing general operating direction,” he explained, “I am constantly looking for new ways to better our services through testing the latest technologies and web programs.”

Outside of race management Sandy can be found in the Olive Street store helping customers with their running shoe selections.

Sandy said every coach, teacher, boss, friend or stranger he has encountered has offered some type of life lesson or advice which has helped shaped him into who he is today. “I have been very fortunate to have good ones over my time and probably none better than my parents who above all taught me what it means to be a good person and how to make the choices to try and be known as just that,” said Sandy.

His favorite part of the day begins in the early morning with a long walk with his dog and then easing into the early hours at the store spending more individualized time with customers.

In addition to this award, Sandy is also proud of the Scranton Half Marathon being named by Competitor Magazine as the country’s Best Half Marathon.

“I want to make a difference in our community.

It’s what I strive for,” he said.

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robyn Jones

Robyn Jones, 38, president of ReferLocal LLC, has learned just as many lessons from her business successes as she’s had from her failures — and she believes it’s important to share that knowledge with her employees.

After graduating from American University, Jones decided to stay in Washington, D.C. and find a career in her field — communications. The position she was hired for at Washington Hospital Center was exactly what she was looking for, and she loved every minute of it. Then, in 2004, her sister passed away. “Being faced with not only the completely devastating loss but also an enormous void, it did not take long to realize that moving back to the Wilkes-Barre area to be closer to my family was what I needed,” she said Her current job responsibilities include working hand in hand with Mohegan Sun Pocono marketing and executive teams, creative oversight of IT and design, recognizing eCommerce trends and establishing close community relationships to foster the company’s newest venture, RL VIP — The Black Card Program.

Her mentor is Dr. Douglas Ayers. “He is an absolutely brilliant man with an unparalleled love for animals, compassion for the earth and a business intuition that will leave the organizations he influences light years ahead of their time,” she said.

In addition, her husband Kris Jones, a successful entrepreneur, has taught her a great deal about business. “I am amazed at how flawlessly he runs multiple companies while always putting his family first.” she said. “My husband’s dedication inspires me to grow.”

Her parents have also been a great source of support and she admits she would not be where she is without them. “They support, encourage and

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love me unconditionally.” she said.

She joked that her favorite part of her day is at 10 p.m. when her house quiets and she can finally control the TV. Jones has three children — Kris Jr, Lauren and Jackson who along with her husband, mean the world to her. Three bulldogs and a cat are also part of their family, and they act like and are treated more like children than pets.

Jones was a member of the Pa. Women for Hillary Leadership Council; a recipient of the 2014 Volunteers of America Philanthropist of the Year award; and past member of the board of directors for the Red Cross of Luzerne County, the Volunteers of America board of directors and board chairperson; and is currently a Millennium Circle member of the Luzerne Foundation.

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DECEMBER 2016

nisha Arora

Nisha Arora, 36, tries to be the best version of herself every day. As general counsel for ERA One Source Realty Inc., she realized she cannot control other’s behavior so “I try to focus on myself and how I can be better,” she explained.

Arora’s responsibilities at her family-owned and -operated company runs the gamut from negotiating deals, planning training for the company’s agents or running to court to take care of some legal issues. “The best part of this type of work is that every day is different, and since we have seven offices throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, I am often in a different place every day, too.” she said.

Arora completed her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University with a dual major in government and photography and minor in English.

She spent three years on the Main Line, outside Philadelphia, getting her law degree at Villanova University. She returned home to Clarks Summit after finishing her master’s degree in law in international business and arbitration, in London.

“It was supposed to be a temporary stop on the way to New York City or Philadelphia, but I ended up getting a job as a law clerk and that led to practicing family law, which led to coming back

to where it all began — at ERA One Source Realty.

Imagine that I used to work here during high school” she said.

Her former employers, Judge Michael Barrasse and Attorney Brian Cali, have been great mentors.

“They both taught me to be tough, to ask questions and to think before I react,” she said. Her mother and employer, Sunita Arora, broker/owner at ERA One Source Realty, has taught her that women in business still face adversity and challenges and how important it is to work diligently to overcome those issues.

Arora feels she is a work in process, said she works hard and has many things she hopes to accomplish.“This is just the beginning,” she said.

Her parents have supported her tremendously in her endeavors and have modeled how to do better. Her two younger brothers have also always been “super supportive” as well.

She prepares for the day with her morning workout which pumps her full of energy to begin the day.

She is a member of the Lackawanna Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and a board member for the Voluntary Action Center.

TOP 20 UNDER 40

Jennifer Dessoye, OTD Dr. Jennifer Dessoye is assistant professor of occupational therapy at Misericordia University and owner of Bright Beginnings Early Learning Academy (BBELA).

Discontent with the early education curriculum and understanding of human development and neurology, Dessoye founded, designed and is co-owner of BBELA, a private elementary school in the Hazleton Area. With the help of two teachers — her sister, Kristin Beurmann and Casey Herseim, who, Dessoye said, understood scope and sequence of curriculum and how to engage young learners — they instituted the Kindergarten Readiness Program (KRP), which turned a profit its first year.

“Our multi-sensory, center-based curriculum engages young learners and invites them to participate in an environment that is uniquely tailored to both nurture and challenge each individual student. BBELA is founded on the belief that educators must nourish the development of the whole child,” she explained.

At Misericordia, Dessoye teaches fulltime — courses like occupations, pediatric intervention and management — to sophomores through graduate level college students. She is also a mentor for the OT doctorate program. She works with current graduate students on her research passions for

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preschool and elementary school children.

She has also developed and implemented a health sciences camp for middle school students in the summer to expose them to the more than 300 careers available in health science.

Dessoye was diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school and overcame many teacher’s desires to “write her off.” With her parents’ encouragement, she persevered and soared. After being accepted into the OT program at Misericordia University, she received her master’s degree and later her doctorate as she worked and raised two children.

Her mentors are her father, a successful businessman; her mother, who provided understanding of relationships as a strong, successful woman; and her aunt Susan, a strong leader in nursing. She values her colleagues at Misericordia for their wisdom, thoughtful reflection and insight.

Her husband, Dr. Bill Dessoye, a physical therapist, has been a great supporter and shows great pride in her accomplishments and loves her unconditionally. Her daughters, Brianna, 10, and Julia, 8, inspire her daily. “I love that I get to teach them about being a strong, educated, driven, and compassionate woman. They are what drive me,” she said.

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top 20 under 40

Christopher Hetro

Chris Hetro, 33, works hard and plays hard. “A strong work ethic is important, but finding balance outside of work is important because life is too short and you need to enjoy it,” he explained.

As an electrical engineer and project manager at Borton-Lawson, Hetro is responsible for the company’s oil, gas and industrial infrastructure business units. In addition to his responsibilities as project manager, he supports the business development activities for the respective groups.

Upon graduating from Penn State with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, he began his career in the electrical engineering group at FLSmidth, supporting the cement and minerals industries, domestically and internationally. “Our

projects often took me to various parts of the world so I had the opportunity to work with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures,” he explained.

When he was not traveling, Hetro pursued his MBA at Lehigh University. “It helped me gain a better understanding for the business, project management and operations sides of the engineering industry,” he said. After about five years in the Lehigh Valley with this work, he was at a crossroads in his career and realized it was time to make a change. An opportunity at Borton-Lawson, gave him the chance to move back home and work with an engineering company that serves a wide variety of clients.

Hetro has several mentors he can confide in at Borton-Lawson and they consistently offer him constructive feedback. “Often times they pose questions for me to think about and that encourages me to find my own route to solutions,” he explained.

Having received great support throughout his life from his father, he said he was taught the value of hard work and the notion that no matter what the task is, if you’re going to do something, do it right.

“I would not be the person I am today if it was not for him,” he said.

Hetro enjoys his workout time at the gym and recently became a father. He enjoys coming home to spend time with his wife and child.

He is a registered professional engineer; a member of the Keystone Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers; Leadership Wilkes-Barre Alumni Council (Leadership Wilkes-Barre Graduate 2013); Pennsylvania State University College of Electrical of Engineering Mentorship Program; and Cement Industry Committee Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

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Chris Hetro, P.E. Electrical Engineer Top 20 under 40!

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DECEMBER 2016

Amy Hlavaty Belcher

Amy Hlavaty Belcher, 39, owner and artistic director of Abrabesque Academy of Dancing, believes that for those who have been given much, much is expected. “I just try hard to do my best,” she said.

I have been blessed with many opportunities and many gifts to pursue them. Belcher has been teaching for more than 19 years. Her extensive dance training began locally and eventually expanded to include studies with notable teachers such as Frank Hachett, Jeffery Ferguson, Karen Gayle, Jimmy Kitchler, Sue Samuels, Finis Jung and Billie Angel.

She was privately coached in New York City by Catherine Kingsley, director of the Anglo-American Ballet and former performer with the Royal Ballet.

She regularly attends teaching seminars conducted

by Rhee Gold, and is a member of Sam Beckford’s Studio Mastermind program.

In addition to her dancing credits, Belcher had a chance to work with Paul Sorvino on the set of “The Trouble With Cali” as a stand-in for Mira Sorvino.

Belcher is a graduate of Marywood University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Upon graduation, she took a job working in business. She continued to dance and teach locally, then in 2005, she opened the academy.

Over the past few years, she has taught dance

classes at United Neighborhood Centers for preschool students and has volunteered with the Spotlight Theater Group run by this organization. She also produced choreography for the original theater production of “This Is It” and “The Little Mermaid”.

While under her direction, the students of Arabesque Academy of Dancing have participated in several regional parades, and the studio is a fourtime winner of the Grand Marshall’s Award for their appearance in the Greater Scranton Jaycees Santa Parade. The school’s dancers have performed at many venues as gifts to the community.

Her parents Nancy and Paul Hlavaty have been mentors and play a great role in care for their grandson, Jacob, so Belcher can work evenings.

“My dad always worked really hard and he instilled that in me. My mom went back to school when we started school. At the time, that was kind of unheard of, and it made me realize that there isn’t exactly a timeline on when you can do things in life” she said.

Her boyfriend, Bob Melnick, has been supportive of both her and Jacob, and he works through the business end to make sometimes difficult decisions. She has great friends, especially Sarah and Luis Samudio.

top 20 unDer 40

Jessica Siegfried

David Johns

David Johns’ career path has been shaped by his diverse experiences. As director of structural engineering at Greenman-Pedersen Inc., Moosic, Johns, 39, ensures that his engineering and consultant teams provide clients with their best effort.

“We complete engineering designs on new projects, new additions and renovations. We currently have projects in design and construction in NEPA, Philadelphia, Baltimore, New Jersey and New York City,” Johns said.

He attributes his accomplishments to a great foundation in education at Wyoming Seminary and Widener University and a disparate background in transportation, marine and building projects.

Jessica Siegfried, 38, is senior designer with Siegfried has an “insanely” strong support Several years ago, as a resident engineer for the BlackOut Design Inc., where she is responsible for system — her parents, family and friends are her Port of Baltimore, Johns managed a pier demoliall creative design at the full-service agency, from greatest cheerleaders and especially her husband. tion project and worked with a world-renowned traditional branding and print to collateral and front “He is my partner in crime and supports my crazy structural implosion company. end web design. ideas without question,” Siegfried said.

“My main responsibility was to manage the Her favorite part of the day occurs first thing in “I’ve always had an interest in the arts and studcontractor’s operations — a daunting task which the morning when its quiet and her creativity is at ied graphic design at Marywood University,” she prepared me well for dealing with complex projects explained. She landed her first job in the advertising its peak “and her Dunkin is steaming hot.” and schedules which require constant coordinaShe is a member of the American Advertising field during her sophomore year at Marywood, tion,” he said.

Federation Northeast Pennsylvania since 2004, graduated with a bachelor of fine arts degree and His father has been his greatest mentor and serving on its board of directors from 2004-2010 hit the ground, running. modeled hard work and dedication for his children. and held two terms as president from 2010-2012.

“I like to stay on top of design trends. I am Johns was able to see, through his father’s accomconstantly looking to learn and expand my creative Over the past 16 years she has accumulated mulplishments, that dedication to a business or profestoolkit. I’m lucky to have been surrounded and sup- tiple gold and silver American advertising awards, sion led to privileges — for him and his siblings — as well as a People’ Choice award. ported by others who are willing to teach and help which included college prep school and college.

She is the founder of PittieChicks.com, an me to grow as an artist in my field,” she said.

“My parents have supported me throughout my apparel line geared towards “Chicks who love Pits.”

Her time spent with the American Advertising life and provided the best opportunities. Also, my She happily donates a portion of every sale to pit Federation has been a giant source of inspiration wife, Christine and children, Luke, 14, and Hannah, bull rescue and works to spread positive pit bull for her and provided great background in her field 11, support my professional endeavors. Without awareness whenever possible. of study.

She is a volunteer with PinUps for PitBulls Inc., their support, I would not have been as successful Siegfried lives by the philosophy, “She believed a national pit bull advocacy organization, and she is in my professional career,” he said. that she could, so she did.” She added, “There is His company’s branch manager, Lou Norella, thrilled to represent May in its 2017 calendar with no force equal to that of a determined woman.” has also been a mentor as well as a fellow one of her dogs, Lola.

structural engineer. “He treats our team, clients, and consultants with the utmost respect and professionalism and as a result we have seen large growth in several departments,” he said.

Morning is Johns’ favorite time of day, and he begins it with a discussion on what each family member expects from the day. At work, another meeting sets the schedule for the day.

Johns is currently the president of Triboro Youth Soccer providing the youth of the Moosic, Old Forge and Taylor areas an opportunity to play organized soccer. He has been a coach and volunteer, for the last eight years and works to improve the club for student atheletes.

Greenman-Pedersen, Inc. (GPI) Engineering | Design | Planning

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Ed Frable

Ed Frable, 28, believes “if I work hard and stick to my word, good things will happen. My crew will not be deterred. We will re-evaluate our game plan and not give up until the job is complete,” explained Frable, the owner/operator of Ed Frable Construction LLC and Advanced Choice Home Inspection.

At 14, Frable started working in the trades and never looked back. At Abington Heights High School, he took advantage of the trade programs hoping to one day build a business of his own.

Since opening his construction company in 2010, Frable has pursued certifications for the installation of products from select manufacturers to enhance his business and attended American Home Inspectors Training Institute to gain the necessary licenses to become a home inspector.

He oversees day-to-day operations. “While on the job, I am a mason by trade. So you will find me with tools in hand, installing material on whatever job we may be doing. When I am not on a worksite, I am most likely meeting with prospective clients and providing estimates.”

Without his crew, who “stick with him through hell or high water,” he would be lost, he said. However, Frable is not afraid to spend all day on the job. “Some contractors find any excuse not to be

on the job with their crew. I believe in the complete opposite.” he said.

His mentors include his father, Ed Frable Sr., who recently retired and works full-time for his son. “His ability to diagnose and repair virtually anything mechanical is unreal. He also taught me to never quit until finished,” Frable said.

His second mentor, Vince Piazza, a family friend and a local contractor, “has always provided me with insight that can only be learned through experience,” Frable said.

Citing his wife, Ashli, as one of his greatest supporters, he said, “She has stuck by my side through good times and bad and has always supported whatever decisions I have had to make.”

The couple also has a two-month-old daughter.

“My wife and daughter have also taught me that it is really important to take time for myself and for them. What is the point of working so hard if not to enjoy the beauty of life,” he said.

Frable’s favorite part of the day is being able to create something that begins as an idea or a drawing and then turn it into something very real and functional. He also enjoys hearing how happy a client is with his company’s work. “I believe that they can see the dedication put forth into their project,” he said.

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TOP 20 UNDER 40

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DECEMBER 2016

C. David Pedri

For attorney C. David Pedri, 37, it’s all about a combination of qualities that contribute to success.

“My philosophy is simple: be open and honest, treat people the way you would want to be treated, with respect, and work hard to attain your dreams.

The combination always wins the day.”

His role as Luzerne County manager encompasses a variety of supervisory duties. These include overseeing all aspects of Luzerne County government which includes the maintenance and repair of county roads and bridges, emergency and disaster management and response and corrections among other duties. In addition, he works daily with the other branches of government, specifically the judiciary and the Luzerne County Council. He manages more than 1,400 employees and oversees an approximate $300 million budget.

Born and raised in Hazleton, he attained his political science degree at St. Joseph’s University, and then attended Temple University School of Law where he graduated in 2004. He became employed as an assistant district attorney in Luzerne County and eventually worked his way through the ranks and was promoted to deputy district attorney, where in addition to prosecuting cases, he supervised a staff of more than 60 people.

After seven years at the District Attorney’s office and 13 homicide convictions, he was appointed the first chief county solicitor under the new Home Rule government, overseeing all legal issues in the county. Following a little more than two years in that position, he was appointed by Luzerne County Council as the second-ever county manager in 2016.

Pedri attributes much of his success to being a good communicator and to being focused on his goals.” I know who I am and what my strengths are and I surround myself with people who share the same “can do” mentality,” he said.

His favorite part of the day is coming home to his wife, Holly, and children, Evan, Andrew and Julia. “I sometimes work long hours and they have always been there to support me. This county is my home, where I choose to raise my children.

Seeing my family empowers me to work even harder to make Luzerne County a phenomenal place for our residents,” he adds.

Pedri sits on the board of the Helping Hands Society and jokes that he pretends to know what he is doing whenR he coaches his sons’ baseball and soccer teams.

TOP 20 UNDER 40

William H. Bender II

Some of your most important connections can be found close to home Honored to be putting Scranton first for more than 30 years.

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Bender Wealth Management

William H. Bender II, CFP, CIMA, CRPC, loves what he does. “I’m lucky. I come to work every day excited to help the people and institutions we work with,” explained Bender, 34, first vice president at Bender Wealth Management Group, Merrill Lynch.

The family practice has two silos of business, the first is working with families in wealth management and financial planning where he focuses on all aspects of the client’s lives including, financial plan development, retirement and education planning, insurance planning, estate planning and finding risk-appropriate investment solutions.

The second silo is acting as consultants for company retirement plans, endowments and foundations. “This is a unique practice within Merrill Lynch as there are only 85 of the approximately 17,000 advisors in the firm who are designated as Global Institutional Consultants,” said Bender, who along with his father, is a local consultant.

“We are fortunate to be able to use the knowledge and experience gained working with our institutional clients to deliver similar investment solutions and risk management to our wealth management clients,” he said.

His father — also William H. Bender — has been a financial advisor since the 1980s and is his son’s mentor. Bender II went to Fairfield University

for his finance degree and began working for Merrill Lynch in Hopewell, New Jersey where he became licensed.

In 2006, he returned home to work with his father — just in time for the 2008 financial crisis.

From 2009 on the family business has grown the team to nine employees and helped 200 families and 40 institutions.

Living by the philosophy that family comes first, he said his entire family has been his lifelong support system including his parents, siblings and cousins. For the past 10 years his wife, Christin, has also been a great supporter in his life and says his success would not be possible without her. He loves coming home to her and their three children — Emily, Liam and Callie.

He is also a member of the Scranton Prep‘s Alumni Board of Governors and St. Joseph’s Center Foundation Board and is most proud of his work with the SJC Foundation board in an initiative called “The Young Professionals Group.”

“We have organized many events to try and raise money for the center, baby pantry and Trinity Day Care. Our goal was to try and get a new generation of people educated on everything SJC does for our community and the financial needs required to continue doing all they do.

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John Culkin

John Culkin’s tenets inform: “Less haste equal more speed; the same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg, it is all about what you are made of, not the circumstances surrounding you; and don’t ask someone to walk a mile in your shoes, before you realize it, they will be more than five feet away and you’ll be barefoot. Help them fix their shoes.

As systems developer leader at Cloudreach, Culkin, 35, provides cloud platforms, tools and people, to enable clients to fully harness the power and capabilities of the Internet cloud. “The majority of my current work focuses on helping clients migrate their data centers to Amazon Web Services,” he explained.

Some examples include orchestration and automation of build and deployment processes, con-

TOP 20 UNDER 40

tinuous integration and application configuration management; exciting ventures using automation and configuration management tooling to ensure compliance and ongoing operation of large estates; and migrations of legacy workloads to transform and shape them into dynamic, resilient and scalable platforms — helping clients to make the most of the cloud.

As co-founder and chief intelligence officer at Access Aerial, he specializes in stunning aerial photography, video and analytics. The most popular services include real estate photography/video, damage assessment, infrastructure/turf inspection, search and rescue services and consulting. This is a new industry where “priorities are always rapidly shifting,” he explained. He focuses on orthomosaic maps, 3-D models, NDVI (infrared) and thermal imaging. Using drones the company is able to gather data from a new perspective and process it in a way that enables innovation and cost savings for clients.

Culkin’s mother and sister have always helped to inspire him to try new things and keep him grounded, he said.

The best part of his day is any part when a breakthrough is realized and progress is made.

“That feeling gives validation to all your hard work in the past and helps build confidence and motivation for the future,” said Culkin.

He is an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional; AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional; current president of the Scranton Notre Dame Club and IT Director for the Scranton St Patrick Parade Association. He is also a multiple winner of Electric City’s “Best DJ”; and is co-owner of Electric City Photo Booth.

In his spare time he enjoys golf and is on the

Conor O’Brien

“What could be worse than getting to the end of your life and realizing you hadn’t lived it,” mused Conor O’Brien.”

As co-founder and executive director of the Scranton Fringe Festival, O’Brien, 25, is responsible for leading the development of the overall vision of the festival to promote Scranton as a viable and creative environment. The festival is held annually across several days in multiple venues throughout downtown Scranton. Theatre, music, dance, film, comedy, puppetry and every other sort of performing-arts production are welcomed on the fringe.

In addition, O’Brien is responsible for raising both funds and awareness. “I work with an incredible team of individuals and it’s always a pleasure to help artists take their work from conception to public performance. For nearly six years, starting at 17, O’Brien served as the co-director of The Vintage and is an alumni of Leadership Lackawanna. He has grown artistically by working with the historic Living Theater and other Manhattan-based companies including The Under The Radar Festival at the Public Theater.

O’Brien received the award for Best Actor of the 2014 Pittsburgh Fringe Festival and has toured as an actor to such cities as Kansas City, Missouri (Prophecy of The Teen Sleuth, City Stages) and numerous times as an improviser/sketch performer to the Philadelphia Improv Theatre. He has performed in productions of “Pride & Prejudice” (EC Magazine Best Production of 2013), “Last Cocktail Party of Venus,” “Hamlet” and other works produced by The New Vintage Ensemble. He has performed with the Scranton Shakespeare Festival (“Romeo & Juliet”) as well as with The Actors Company Theatre (“Aresenic & Old Lace”), which was named the Wall Street Journals Company of 2012.

He said he owes so much to so many people and notes that his sister Maggie O’Brien, regional manager for the Make A Wish Foundation, is his go-to mentor, both as an artist and non-profit administrator. “It was she who first introduced me to theater.”

The young man attributes his success in part to good fortune, however, a great deal of credit must go to his very supportive family, where he was taught the importance of commitment, tolerance and compassion. His father was involved in civics for many years, his mother instilled his love of art and literature, and he received support from his brother, Casey and niece, Anna.

O’Brien is a 2011 SAGE award winner for Young Entrepreneur; 2014 Best Actor, Pittsburgh Fringe Festival; a member of the New Vintage Ensemble and president of the AFA Gallery.

Congratulations to all of NEPA’s

“TOP 20 UNDER 40” especially our alumni

John Culkin G’04

Founder, Access Aerial

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Donald F. Mammano, Jr. ’05 Owner, DFM Properties

scranton.edu

TOP 20 UNDER 40

Donald Mammano

in the newspaper. A few weeks into freshman year while socializing with his college mates off campus, he was inspecting the boiler rooms and asking to see their lease. “The next day I called my father and told him I wanted to drop out of college and start buying, renovating houses and renting them to students. He laughed at me and said get your college degree first and let us talk about it in four years.”

Mammano spent the next two years researching properties around campus and educating himself about market. By his junior year he informed his father he would graduate on time, but couldn’t wait to begin his business any longer. By the time he graduated he owned three houses and had approximately 35 tenants. “I was having so much fun doing what I loved to do while building my business, I never looked at it as working,” he noted.

Mammano finds it rewarding to transform a distressed property and turn it into a financially viable and ascetically pleasing property for the community.

Today DFM Properties provides housing to At 20, Donald Mammano began his own commore than 300 undergraduate, graduate and medipany, while attending the University of Scranton. cal students in the Scranton area. His companies Mammano, now 33, and president of DFM specializes in student housing, real estate manageProperties, recalls, as a youngster, holding a flashment, development and construction. light while his father fixed the kitchen sink. “From Notable projects are: that point on I was fascinated,” he said. One day, • a property at 317 Linden Street which is now he disassembled his dad’s ride on lawn mower, to a luxury apartment complex for graduate and medimake sense of the motor. “Unfortunately I got a cal students consisting of 56 apartments, an on site little ahead of myself and was not able to put it back fitness center, rec room and laundry facility. together before he got home from work,” he said.

• the former Watres Armory, a 110,000- squareHis college experience fueled his fire. “When foot building, was fully renovated and leased to I stepped foot on campus I saw the market for a world renowned, New York City-based artist. It college housing surrounding the University of is now a private museum for the collection and Scranton. With my family background in real artworks of artist Hunt Slonem. estate and construction in New York City, it clicked •The historic mansion, in the Woolworth estate instantly,” he said. He began searching for houses is being renovated by DFM now.

Alexandria Duffney

Alexandria Duffney, 30, is competitive by nature and loves a good challenge. These qualities have led her to her position as associate director of graduate admission at Wilkes University. Here she works with prospective students interested in enrolling in the nurse practitioner programs. She also works closely with faculty to understand the unique opportunities of these programs and how the field of nursing is evolving.

“Enrollment has different facets, but at the heart of my job, I create an environment where information is readily shared with prospective students and easily understood,” she explained.

Duffney is also an artist and owner of The Bhakti Collective where she creates unique home décor using concrete, wire, yarn and other textiles to create intricate statement pieces for the home. She travels to local shows where she sells her pieces.

By chance, the associate director found the field of admissions on her career path, but immediately after the first enrollment cycle fell in love with it.

“It felt good to help prospective students and families with a major decision that would shape the rest of their lives,” she said. She soon realized she missed the classroom so she sought her master’s degree while expecting a child and graduated in 2014, with her family, including her three children, by her side.

Her love of creating, coupled with a series of documentaries on African basket weaving she viewed, compelled her to build a loom, and her business began.

Duffney’s mentor is her boss, Joanne A.Thomas. “She has great business acumen, a sense of strategy and also a sense for art,” she said.

Duffney attributes much of her success to healthy sibling rivalry. As the oldest of three

children, they push each other to be their best.

“We always worked hard to set a new family ‘high score.’ My success is deeply associated with the support of my family, my competitive nature and a great distaste for boredom.” Her favorite part of the day is sitting and talking with her family at night, hearing their favorite parts of their day.

She often encourages herself by saying “we will be just fine,” she tries not to take anything personally, unless it actually is.

Duffney is grateful to her wonderful partner and three children for the support she receives from them and to her parents and in-laws.

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TOP 20 UNDER 40

Heather M. Davis

Heather M. Davis, 33, director of marketing and communication, is responsible for creating, overseeing and implementing a strategic marketing and comprehensive communications plan for The Commonwealth Medical College (TCMC). She is also responsible for print and digital communications and publications, brand management, advertising, website, social media, photography, video production and outreach. “I am a one-woman marketing and communications band.” she said.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in communications from Hofstra University, she focused mainly on film theory and writing. “I never found my niche in production and that played a big role in my move back home to Dunmore/Scranton,” she said.

Upon graduation, she joined Johnson Col-

lege, first as a temporary employee and then as an administrative assistant to the marketing and communications team. Along the way, she served as station manager for Electric City (ECT) public access television and earned a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Wilkes University. She began teaching courses at local colleges as an adjunct faculty member, which she continues to do. “Teaching is definitely one of my passions,” she said.

Marketing seemed to combine her main interests and talents — analysis, communication and creativity. In 2013, she moved to TCMC as manager of marketing and electronic communications.

Her mentors are among her many friends, especially the women who are extraordinary and resilient.

“They inspire me every day with their wit, intelligence and kindness. We give each other strength,” she said. One such mentor is Patrice Wilding, a reporter at The Times-Tribune.

Her greatest support comes from her family, especially her parents and brother, and her dog, The Doctor. Students are always the best part of her day and she enjoys highlighting and promoting their achievements.

Davis was recently part of a team effort with LSEO, a full-service digital-marketing agency based in Luzerne County, that won “Best Use of Search, Third Sector” at the 2016 US Search Awards for its work designing a digital marketing campaign used to introduce the new master of biomedical science degree TCMC offers in partnership with the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County in Doylestown.

Davis is a board member for First Friday Scranton and Leadership Lackawanna, and a class of 2011 alumna. She is also a “big sister” with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters.

Marcus Magyar

As an advisor at CAPTRUST Financial Advisors, Marcus N. Magyar, CFP, 30, provides comprehensive wealth management and investment portfolio services to business owners, executives, families and high-net worth individuals. His multi-disciplinary team of professionals help clients make wellinformed investment, insurance, estate planning and financial decisions every day.

Since a young age, Magyar’s father (a successful athlete) taught him many lessons through sports, especially cross country and track and field.

“It took hard work, determination, discipline and endurance every day. These lessons have directly transferred over into the business world to get me where I am today,” Magyar said.

He is grateful for the family, friends and team that surround him. “Our team at CAPTRUST is truly amazing — the energy and collaborative culture — is paramount in what we do every day and why the firm as a whole is so successful,” he said.

Marcus attended Wyoming Area High School, where he was a standout in cross country and track and field. He graduated from Wilkes University with a bachelor’s in business administration and a concentration in finance. He holds multiple financial advisory and insurance licenses. He completed financial planning studies at Boston University and recently earned the prestigious Certified Financial Planner designation (CFP). He is also a certified behavioral financial analyst (CBFA).

His greatest mentor has been Jim Edwards, a principal at the firm. “We met by chance on an airplane and thereafter he brought me into his team.”

Magyar’s philosophy explains the “trophy” never goes to the fastest guy, but to the guy who slows down the least and pushes through the hills and pain to cross the finish line first.

His wife is his “rock . . . She understands the demands and gives me strength and confidence to continue to achieve my goals, no matter the obstacle,” he explained.

Seeing his clients smiles are one of the joys of his day and then going home to his wife and two dogs, Rocky and Riley.

He is active with the United Way of the Wyoming Valley, serves on their “Poverty to Possibility” committee; the “Real Men Read” program, serves as a MENtor in the Wyoming Valley community — reading to kindergarten students to help foster early literacy; and is with CAPCommunity Foundation.

In his spare time, he enjoys a good read and writing handwritten notes in a world of text messaging and “tweets.”

The Commonwealth Medical College is proud to congratulate

Heather Davis

And all of the Business Journal’s 2016 ‘Top 20 Under 40’ Honorees

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top 20 under 40

William J. Fennie III

William J. Fennie III, 27, is always knocking on the proverbial door, because he knows one day, one will open. As an investment specialist with Integrated Capital Management (iCM) he cannot take “no” for an answer.

“I make cold calls every day to invite financial advisor prospects to enroll in the investment solution my firm offers. I am told no every day. I fail every day. But, I succeed because I keep picking up the phone,” he said.

His role enables him to use a diverse set of analytical and communication skills to serve institutional clients and partner advisors so they can have more confidence in their investment portfolio and the investment side of their practice.

After graduating from Scranton Prep, Fennie earned dual bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics from West Chester University and is a Level II candidate in the CFA program. During college, Fennie served as iCM’s first intern. Upon graduation, he was briefly employed by JP Morgan in Newark, DE, before leaving to join the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia as an analyst in the statistics department.

“I had become interested in finance and investing while growing up in the 90s and keeping track of the stocks my father and mother owned, on my AIM buddy list stock ticker. So I was eight or nine

and I would look at it every day. I would call my father at his dentist office: ‘Dad, this stock or that stock is down a few points, you should buy more.’”

In high school and college, he worked with Cathy Gavin at Stirna’s Restaurant. “To this day, I have not met a harder working person,” he said.

“She taught me it’s not about just showing up, anyone can ‘mail it in,’ it’s about being truly present.”

He believes being present is working hard, taking pride in your work, figuring things out on your own, allowing yourself to fail, trying again, and asking questions. “Being inquisitive is the only reason I am employed by iCM today. If I did not seek them out that spring and ask if they were looking for an intern I would not be here today.”

The youngest of five siblings, he has two loving parents, Michael and Kathleen. His family is very close and his fiancé, Leigh Magnotta, is supportive in his personal and professional growth. “She continuously challenges me to be a better person.

She come from a close-knit family and brings that same love and kindness to our relationship,” he said. “We are elated to bring our first child into the world in January and ecstatic to marry next August,” he said.

Fennie is a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of Lackawanna County and a brother of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, Zeta Nu chapter at West Chester.

Angelo Venditti

Angelo Venditti, 38, heard a call to the helping professions early on. Geisinger Northeast’s chief nursing officer answer was to volunteer for his local fire company. After high school, he became a paramedic, then enrolled in nursing school. Three years after nursing school, he became assistant manager for the Intensive Care Unit at Geisinger Medical Center. “I knew then that I wanted to be a healthcare leader.” he said.

As CNO he is responsible for overseeing and coordinating nursing departments and their daily operations in the northeast region of Geisinger.

I am fortunate to have had great mentors, coaches and teachers along the way,” he said.

Two stand out: The late Berwick Bulldogs football coach George Curry taught him about leadership, teamwork and instilled a drive to achieve the seemingly unachievable; Susan Robel, executive vice president, chief nursing officer and chief patient experience officer for Geisinger “taught me the value of genuinely connecting with the people around me.” he said.

He attributes the majority of his success to his parents and family. “I had a great upbringing with a balanced foundation of perseverance along with kindness, nurturing and genuine love. My wife and children are so supportive of the long hours and

unselfishly support me to reach my goals, even when it meant weekends away to study for my doctorate,” he added.

Venditti is grateful to his nursing leadership teams because without them, the great care they deliver is not possible. In addition he would like to acknowledge his colleagues at GCMC in the Northeast including Lisa Golden, Dr. Anthony Aquilina and Ed Chabalowski. “When I was new to my role as CNO, in Scranton, I couldn’t have asked for better people surrounding me,” he said.

His wife, Denise, he said, is truly his best friend.

“I couldn’t ask for more support or love than she provides,” he said. She is also a part of the Geisinger Health System family and serves as vice president, patient experience.

The best part of his day is when a new challenge comes his way. “I thrive in that type of environment, and I see every challenge as an opportunity to help someone…that is, after all, why I got into health care,” he said.

Venditti is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executive (ACHE) and certified as a Fellow; was the recipient of the Ann Denardo McGown Doctorate Nursing Practice Leadership Award; a member of the local ambulance service and serves as the president of the board of directors.

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Our most valuable resource is our people

Congratulations to Angelo Venditti, chief nursing officer for Geisinger Northeast, on being selected as one of Northeast PA Business Journal’s Top 20 Under 40.

Angelo was chosen for his significant industry achievements, community involvement and dedication, and outstanding character and leadership.

Thank you, Angelo, for your contribution to Geisinger Health System and for Angelo Venditti Chief Nursing Officer Geisinger Northeast

caring for the northeast Pennsylvania community.

Interested in a career in nursing? Contact Geisinger regional talent recruiter Brenda Brooks at 570-808-8981.

geisinger.org

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