19 minute read
Class News & Notes
NOTE: All locations are in Pennsylvania, and all years are 2023 unless otherwise noted.
BIRTHS
’00s
Dr. Daniel Pitonyak ’08 and his wife, Liana, welcomed a daughter, Lilliana Pitonyak, on Sept. 17, 2022.
’10s
Rev. Amanda Zealzny Cosnett ’11 and her husband, William, welcomed a daughter, Kasia Darexa Cosnett, on July 15, 2022. She joins big brother Bronislaw William Cosnett.
Kristin Witzel Rosenberg ’11 and her husband, Jared, welcomed a son, Conrad Lucas Rosenberg, on Dec. 11, 2022.
WEDDINGS
’00s
Amanda Lee Ann Myers Johnson ’04 and Jeremiah Johnson were married on Feb. 1, in Lebanon.
’10s
Dr. Amanda Gorman ’18, D’20 married Ryan Seagrave ’18, M’20 on June 23 in Harrisburg. Dr. Marie Szilard ’18, D’20 and Dr. Nikki Singley ’17, D’20 were in her bridal party.
’20s
Shingirai Guchu ’21 married Yeukai Gochero Guchu on Feb. 19, in a traditional Zimbabwean wedding ceremony in Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare.
CLASS NOTES
’60s
Shirley Landis Deitz ’61 retired from Christ Episcopal Church in Pottstown after serving as organist and choir director for 52 years. Shirley is married to Reverend Joseph B. Dietz ’60.
’70s
Music education majors who graduated in the 1970s gather in the Harrisburg, York, or Lancaster area every few months. In March, they enjoyed lunch at the Lancaster Brewing Company.
Debbie Strickler Freer ’71, a longtime PA Breast Cancer Coalition board member and current treasurer, worked with the coalition team for many years to help make Act 1 of 2023/Senate Bill 8 into law when Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed it on May 1. The Hon. Tom Corbett ’71, Pennsylvania’s 46th Governor, and Susan Manbeck Corbett ’72, former First Lady of Pennsylvania and honorary chair of the coalition during Governor Corbett’s tenure, worked for years to push the legislation forward.
Bob Mains ’71, P’94, P’97, P’99, Larry Sweger ’71, Allison Smith ’72, and Linda Diehl Mains P’94, P’97, P’99 formed the Valleyphonics quartet after retiring with a collective 128 years of teaching music in public schools.
Kathi Wilke Edwards ’71 received The Life Impact Award for Exemplary Commitment to Life from the Care Net Pregnancy Center of Southern Maryland.
Dr. Robert E. Harbaugh ’74, senior vice president of the Hershey Medical Center Academic Practice, was appointed to the additional role of interim Hershey Medical Center chief medical officer.
Nelson Rudiak ’76 had four photos featured in the FotoNostrum Mediterranean House of Photography exhibition in Barcelona, Spain. The striking photos of landscapes in Alaska and the Adirondacks were displayed from May 24 to June 4.
Dr. Robert S. Frey ’77 celebrated the release of his book, Successful Proposal Strategies On-The-Go, in November. His consulting agency, Successful Proposal Strategies LLC, helps small and mid-sized businesses develop proposals to increase the likelihood of receiving government contracts.
Keith Symons ’77 released his 4th album of guitar arrangements, “Acoustic Christmas,” through Catapult Reservatory. He is in his 24th year as the organist for St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in Harrisburg.
Stephen Scanniello ’78, a worldrenowned rosarian, was featured in an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for his recent volunteer work with the Shanksville Flight 93 National Memorial Rose Garden. He will teach a masterclass on rose pruning and maintenance, where participants prepare 800 rose bushes for the season, and plant 400 new ones in the 13-acre Remember Me Rose Garden.
’80s
Jim “Jimmie” Pogue ’80 congratulates all 2023 Dutchmen graduates. Although he has battled ALS since 2013, Jimmie prefers to focus on his many blessings. He has enjoyed 42 years of marriage to Loree Duym Pogue ’83, whom he met on campus in 1980. They raised three successful and beautiful daughters, and he delights in spending time with his grandson. He also enjoyed a long, interesting, and rewarding career in the insurance industry.
Dr. Kirth Steele ’81 is a physician for the Lehigh Valley Health Network, where he practices pulmonary and critical care medicine. He and his wife, Karen, live in Bethlehem. After graduating from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1985, he served in the U.S. Navy as a physician, flight surgeon, and diving medical officer until 1998.
Dr. Keith Sweger ’83 completed his 30th year as a professor of bassoon at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. He was honored twice by Ball State with teaching awards, remained active in double reed societies, and instructed students who went on to perform with major orchestras across the country.
Holly Hanawalt Gainor ’84 graduated from United Lutheran Seminary with a master of arts degree with a concentration in liturgy and music.
Karen A. Young, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, ’84, founder and president of HR Resolutions, was an alumni mentor and guest presenter during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Jeane Weidner Serrian ’88 received the Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award and First-Year Advocate Award from her colleagues for the 2022–23 academic year. Jeane is a lecturer in mathematics at Penn State University, Berks.
Maria C. Fazzolari Hamilton ’89, vice president of Hershey Medical Center Performance Excellence, was appointed to the additional role of Interim Hershey Medical Center Chief Quality Officer.
’90s
Rick Beard ’90, M’92, LVC’s athletic director since 2007, joined the College’s Advancement Office as a senior major gifts officer in July. Rick will help LVC prepare for its upcoming comprehensive fundraising campaign.
Michael Dryden, Esq., ’90, P’18, was recognized as a 2022 Super Lawyer as a workers’ compensation attorney at Willig, Williams & Davidson. He was also elected a Fellow of The College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for his outstanding career of service to working people.
Dr. Dawn Hickman Connelly ’92, M’03, P’22 earned her Ed.D. from Widener University in December 2022. She is the director of teaching and learning for the Lebanon School District.
Shawn Houser-Fedor ’94 was inducted into the 2023 Candy Hall of Fame class. Employed by the Hershey Company since 1996, she is the senior director of chocolate research and development.
Mike Rhoades ’95 was named head men’s basketball coach at Penn State University in March after leading Virginia Commonwealth University to seven consecutive NCAA Division I tournament appearances. Rhoades and teammate Jason Zitter ’96 led fundraising efforts, joined by numerous basketball alumni, to revitalize the College’s locker rooms last year.
Shawn Rauchut M’96 is the vice president of finance and accounting at JLS Automation. He will handle JLS’ financial planning, cash management, and revenue recognition process.
Cornell Wilson ’96 is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Making a Difference of Lebanon, PA, a nonprofit organization he helped found that provides services to youth, veterans, and those in need through education, service projects, and events. Cornell, co-founder and president of Making a Difference PA, received an LVC Alumni Citation during Homecoming in October.
Jim Bedorf ’97, LVC Adjunct Music Professor Mike Waskevich ’98, and Mike Evans ’00, M’10 , members of the jazzrock fusion band The Very Fine Gentlemen, celebrated the release of their first full-length album on April 29 at Metropolis Collective in Mechanicsburg with their fellow bandmates. The quintet was also nominated for Best Jazz Band/Artist at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Eric White ’99 , director of marketing and communications for Redner’s Markets, was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
’00s
Matt Ralph ’01 is the director of communications for the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association.
Derek Euston ’02 was nominated for Best Recording Studio (Green Room) at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March. Joe Trojack, Adjunct Instructor in Audio & Music Production also was nominated for Best Recording Studio (Progressive Enterprises Sound Studios).
Dr. Meredith McGinley ’02 is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Our apologies: she was wrongly listed as being at the University of Washington-Parkside in the Spring Valley.
Dan Newell ’03 of Chapel Hill was nominated for Best Cover Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Valarie Cramer Weaber ’03 is the owner and vice-president of Chrisland Engineering, a civil engineering firm that recently acquired Matthew & Hockley Associates. Chrisland Engineering provides services for residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and religious projects. With the acquisition of Matthew & Hockley Associates, they can offer clients in-house surveying services.
Christopher Brown M’04 was named the vice president of finance and chief financial officer of UGI Utilities.
Rachel Hadrick, Esq., ’06 is the chief of the division of election administration in the Bureau of Elections at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Before this appointment, she was the senior advisor to the Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Dr. Amanda Lubold ’06 was appointed chair of the department of multidisciplinary studies at Indiana State University. She is an associate professor of sociology.
Brandon Valentine ’06 of Cold Spring Union was nominated for Best New Band and Best Rock Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Joseph Vitelli ’06 is a post coordinator for the animated series King of the Hill at 20th Century Fox International.
Alex Reber ’07, M’17 was the keynote speaker for LVC’s Lavender Graduation Ceremony in May.
Jill Kidulic Whiskeyman ’07 and Steve Whiskeyman ’09 received a bronze medal for their media production company, Simpatico Studios, at the 44th Annual Telly Awards in the Craft: Use of Graphics category.
Jeff Campbell ’08 of Colebrook Road was nominated for Best Bluegrass Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Brian Levering ’08 of Jon Smith Voyages was nominated for Best Rock Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Dr. Daniel “Dan” Pitonyak ’08, LVC co-chair of Chemistry and Physics and assistant professor of Physics, was awarded a second National Science Foundation grant in June. The nearly $200,000 grant will support his ongoing student-faculty research on theoretical nuclear physics. In January, Dan was also named as part of a team of scientists awarded a U.S. Department of Energy $1.95 million grant through Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Holly Serio ’08, M’15 won the Children’s Music Award at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March. She was also nominated for Best Children’s Music Artist.
Todd Snovel ’06, chief leadership and engagement officer at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, was mistakenly noted as a 2008 graduate in the last issue.
Andy Mowatt ’09 of AMFM: Andy Mowatt’s Frequency Movement was nominated for Best Funk Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
LVC Chamber Choir Reunion
Almost 100 alumni and former members of the LVC Chamber Choir returned to campus on June 24–25 to honor Dr. Mark Mecham, professor emeritus of Music, who directed the choir from 1991 to 2015. The choir performed pieces familiar from their years as members, and the program concluded with two benedictions sung by alumni from the Edward P. Rutledge, James M. Thurmond, Pierce A. Getz, Mecham, Matthew Erpelding, and Kyle Zeuch eras.
Sopranos—Melissa Shuman Balman ’95, Samantha Heere-Beyer Blaisse ’07, Caitlin McCleary Blough ’11, Dyan Shannon Branstetter ’98, M’03, Elizabeth Heck Combs ’10, Kathleen Meo Cudworth ’08, Chloe Dondero, Jennifer Heck Druck ’12, Morgan Kratz Gabel ’16, Rachel Mingle Galloway ’09, Kaitlyn Hartman Gingrich ’10, Kristie Ritter Grier ’03, Leanne Hennion Griffo ’02, M’14, Christina Guenther ’14, Frank Heilman Jr. ’93, Talitha Meyer Horst ’99, Rebecca Myers Kurtek ’15, Abigail Nicholas ’17, Keith Richardson ’99, Jeannine Riley ’16, Brenna Landes Sowers ’14, Claire Styer ’10, Tawni Niklaus Thomas ’92, Sarah Herb Topping ’13, Stephanie Allen Via ’95, and Ashley R. “Lee” Weaver ’12
Altos—Jessica Barber ’07, Carrie Becker, Erin Brubaker Biles ’11, Laura Bremmer ’12, Kristen Webster Brought ’03, Julia Howell Brueck ’04, Kelsey Groome Byrley ’13, Reba Dieffenbach Donley ’96, Alexis Dryburgh Farrell ’05, Tara Hart ’15, Heather Smith Hollenberg ’13, Alexis Christoff Hriniak ’03, Jaclyn Klinger ’10, Erica Kozlowski ’14, Andrea Kozlowski Lynch ’12, Sara Schwanger Martin ’09, Mary Bullock Neyer ’97, P’25, Jessica Moyer Pennington ’05, Ashley Smith ’13, Molly Spangenberg ’03, Amy Reichert Topping ’14, Jennifer Brimmer Trexler ’96, Jessica Riley Trischitta ’12, Erika Maury Weber-Broody ’08, Kimberly Katcavage Wertz ’95, and Deborah Bullock Wescott ’95, P’23, P’25, P’27
Tenors—Mark E. Benson ’93, P’22, P’22, P’24, J. Andrew Brummer ’00, Tom Davidson ’07, Matthew D. Dickinson ’95, M’14, Christopher Dunlap ’15, Matthew Dwyer ’14, Stephen Englehart ’14, Andrew Ferrie ’14, Andrew George ’07, Sean Hackett ’93, P’10, Timothy Lupia ’16, Kyle Martin ’09, Andrew Martz ’18, Justin Mengel ’17, Adam Rabenold ’15, Keith Stoltzfus ’09, M’10, and Jacob Topping ’15
Basses—John Auker-Endres ’11, Todd Boden ’07, Nathan Byler ’01, Joseph Eveler ’03, Jared Fleegal ’99, James Franklin ’00, Kevin Gane ’17, Charles Grove ’13, Christopher Haak ’97, Justin Hollenberg ’15, Charles Hopta ’08, Kenneth Horst ’00, M’18, Gregory Keller ’07, Brock Kerchner ’01, Michael Lobaugh ’99, M’14, Clayton Michalec ’10, Ross Mowery ’97, Guillermo Muñoz-Küster ’10, Aram Piligian ’10, Guy Silliman, Dylan Tobias ’16, Matthew Wensel ’05, M’13, Jonathan Wescott ’93, P’23, P’25, P’27, and Travis Yeagley ’08
Editor’s Note: Several other alumni joined the choir to sing the final selection, but we could not capture their names. We apologize and thank you for participating.
’10s
Anthony “Tony” Good ’10 was appointed supervisor of the Fine Arts Department for Cranford Schools in New Jersey. Tony has served as the New York Giants Drumline director since the 2014–15 NFL season.
Kimberly Manbeck Kontra ’10, M’25 is a global strategic product line manager at Quaker-Houghton in Conshohocken.
Seth Mendelsohn, Esq., M’10 joined the law firm Saxton & Stump as senior counsel. He is part of the firm’s environmental, workplace safety, and utilities group, and business, corporate, and tax group. Seth has been on The Valley’s Board of Trustees since 2012.
Phillip Freeman ’11 of Small Town Titans was nominated for Best Male Vocalist at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March. He and his bandmates Jonny O’Neill Ross ’12 and Ben Guiles were nominated for Best Hard Rock Band.
Dan Wecker ’11 owns Wecker’s Flooring Center in York. He was featured in the online magazine Floor Focus.
Angela Kuperavage Kelly ’12 was inducted into the Nativity B.V.M. High School Athletic Hall of Fame. A star volleyball player for the Flying Dutchmen, Angela was a three-sport high school athlete, earning 12 varsity letters. She is married to Garrett Kelly ’13.
Jocelyn Novak Masotti ’12 was inducted into the Pleasant Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame for contributing to the school’s field hockey and track & field teams. She set NCAA records for most career goals and points as a Flying Dutchmen field hockey star and was a four-time All-American. After graduation, Jocelyn played in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, and Trinidad. Dutchmen Athletics retired her jersey number on Oct. 12, 2013. She is married to Scott Masotti ’13.
Claire Messimer ’12, director of marketing and communications at Clair Global, was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Alyssa Mitchel ’13, M’23 is a senior analyst at Stonehill–A Design Thinking and Strategy Consulting Firm. She received her MBA with a Project Management Specialization from LVC in August.
Towahna “Tee” Rhim M’14, CEO & founder of TD Rhim Consulting LLC, was a guest presenter during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Heather Tran Smail ’14, a manager of multiple teams at Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories Inc., was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Roberto “Tito” Valdes, Esq., ’14 was the keynote speaker at LVC’s Kente Graduation Ceremony in April.
Dr. Stephanie George ’15 earned her Ph.D. in Music (Music Theory) from Temple University in May.
Dr. Bradley Krisanits ’15 accepted a postdoctoral position in the department of surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Amy Evans ’16 is a scientist of lab planning at PPD Inc., which is contracted at a Bristol Myers Squibb site in Lawrenceville, N.J.
Liam Galiano ’16 of Soul Miners Union won Best Blues Rock Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Lucas Gienow ’16 of Nearly York was nominated for Best Pop Artist/Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Cole Godfrey ’16, M’19 is a Salesforce technical consultant at CDI LLC.
Cody Kelly ’16 presented two sessions at the Maryland Music Educators Association Conference, “Help! I’m an Instrumentalist and Now Have to Teach Choir” and “Ukelele and Modern Band.”
Brad Hartman ’17 of Nearly York was nominated for Best Pop Artist/Band at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Grace Bailey Hurst ’17, a team leader at Tower Marketing, was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Dr. Jasmine Olvany ’17 earned her Ph.D. in genetic and genome studies from Case Western University this past May. She is a Fulbright scholar who spent a year conducting research in Budapest, Hungary.
Karla Bingaman Argyropoulos ’18 is a quality measures operations manager at Loudoun Medical Group P.C. She and her team educate Medicare patients in Spanish or English about the benefits of annual wellness visits included in their coverage. Karla is the first person to implement this process in all 148 clinical practices within Loudon Medical Group.
Adam Filbert, Esq.,’18 was selected by ALM, formerly American Lawyer Media, as a Lawyer on the Fast Track as part of the 2023 Pennsylvania Legal Awards. An associate at Spector Gadon Rosen Vinci, Adam was honored for being a part of the next generation’s leading lawyers in the state.
Anthony Pieruccini ’18 won Instrumental Album of the Year (The Masque of the Red Death) at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Jordan Senkbeil ’18, manager of five departments for Clair Global’s Clair Touring Faction, was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Hannah Dalpiaz ’19 received her master of social work from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in May.
Dr. Elizabeth Drda ’19 and Dr. Victoria Yohe Malone ’19 graduated from Penn State Hershey College of Medicine in May. Elizabeth started a pediatrics residency at the University of ArizonaTucson, and Victoria started a family medicine residency at Good Samaritan WellSpan in Lebanon.
Maggie Kergick ’19, an 8th and 9th grade English Language Arts teacher in the Mahanoy Area School District, was selected as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to the Slovak Republic for the 2023–24 academic year.
Alexis Reinbold ’19, M’24, a marketing data analyst at PSECU, was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
’20s
Alex DeFalcis ’20, Kyle Eaton ’20, and Ryan Eaton ’20 founded Vivid Creative Studio in Rehoboth-Dewey Beach in February. Their new venture specializes in graphic design, social media, branding, animations, and web design. Alex is the son of Susan Hibbs DeFalcis ’93, P’20, P’25, and brother of Michael DeFalcis ’25.
Shami Beni ’21 is an assistant language teacher in Tokyo, Japan. He was selected from among numerous applications for the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program.
Autumn Gessner ’21, M’22 started working at Epic Physical Therapy and will be the head athletic trainer at Wake Prep Academy in Wake Forest, N.C.
Sarah A. Musselman ’21, D’23 is a sports physical therapist at True Sports Physical Therapy.
Khan Nguyen ’21 is a recruitment and outreach coordinator for the University of Michigan Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences.
Parker Gallagher ’22 is the social media & ecommerce manager at three Clothes Mentor locations in the greater Philadelphia area.
Marah Hoffman ’22, creative director of the Sundress Academy for the Arts in Knoxville, Tenn., was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Kayleigh Johnson ’22, a journalist and digital content producer at WPMT Fox 43 in York, was an alumni mentor during LVC’s first Advising & Career Exploration Day in March.
Hannah Alvarnaz ’23, a recent graduate in Global Studies and Political Science, received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award to study in the Republic of Kosovo. She declined the award to pursue a master’s in social justice at Arizona State University.
Matt Davis ’23 is the communications coordinator for the Republican Caucus of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Trevor Hamilton ’23, a recent graduate in Global Studies and Political Science, a minor in sociology, and a German concentration, was selected as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant to the Republic of North Macedonia for the 2023–24 academic year.
Joey Issis ’23, and his wife, Amanda, became the new owners of the One Stop Corner convenience store in Lebanon in March, while finishing his senior year.
Nina McPherson ’24, Music Business, was an invited presenter at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Lexi Seidenstricker ’24, Audio & Music Production, was an invited presenter at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Jake Nguyen ’25 of JAKE! was nominated for Song of the Year (Crash into Me) and Best Folk Band/Artist at the 4th Annual Central Pennsylvania Music Awards Ceremony in Hershey in March.
Lebanon Valley College is grateful to all the companies, many alumni-owned, who provided generous sponsorships to our students in 2022–23. Your support of The Valley enables us to make an even greater difference in our students’ lives.
Accord Restoration, Ames Industries Inc., Apex Advertising, CJ's Tires & Automotive, Clark & Associates, Colortech Creative Solutions, Conexus, Fairview Golf Course, In Gear Cycling and Fitness, Klick Lewis, Lebanon Federal Credit Union, Leitzels Jewelry, Londonderry Village, Metz Culinary Management, Next Era Energy, NRG Controls Inc., Penn State Health, Pyramid Construction, Redner's Markets, Richard L. Sensenig Co., Thrivent, Wagner Wealth Management, and Wells Fargo
