Why Congress must protect businesses from baseless COVID-19 lawsuits. Jezree Friend

PENN STATE BEHREND NAMES EXECUTIVES IN RESIDENCE

Five business leaders, including two from MBA member companies — Jeremy Chaffee of Logistics Plus and Ann Scott of Erie Insurance Group — will serve as Executives in Residence at Penn State Behrend’s Black School of Business during the 2020-21 academic year. Each will bring industry perspective and expertise to the classroom environment, and to student research and networking efforts. Executives in Residence are appointed to renewable one-year terms. In addition to speaking engagements and guest lectures, they lead workshops, sponsor class projects, judge business competitions and provide career advising and mentoring opportunities. “The Black School of Business Executive in Residence program is a major asset for our students and faculty as executives donate their time and energies to assist students in their professional development and enhance our educational offerings,” said Greg Filbeck, director of the Black School. “Their professional advice, mentoring of networking skills, and willingness to open up professional opportunities for our students is invaluable.” This year’s Executives in Residence are:

Steven D. Bugajski, chief information officer, U.S. Steel.

Jeremy Chaffee, director of North American Business and Operations, Logistics Plus. He helped establish the North American Division of Logistics Plus, one of the fastest-growing privately-owned transportation and logistics companies in the world. He has worked for the company since 2000, serving as manager of international forwarding operations and director of global TMS system integration. Daniel Levstek, president, MDL International.

Eugene Natali, CEO and founder, Troutwood. • Ann Scott, community outreach manager, Erie Insurance Group. She oversees Erie Insurance Group’s charitable giving and community outreach, including philanthropy, volunteerism and employee giving. Before assuming her current role at Erie, she had a long career in human resources, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Scott is also the keynote speaker for the MBA’s postponed Women in Leadership IMPACT Luncheon.

LECOM NAMES TAVALLALI HEAD OF MASTER’S PROGRAM

Timothy S. Novak, D.B.A., dean of the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) School of Health Services Administration, announced the appointment of Lisa M. Tavallali, Ph.D., MBA, as the director of the LECOM Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree program. Tavallali has 25 years of health-care industry experience facilitating community wellness, optimizing operational performance for patient-centered clinical care and administrative support activities in both acute and subacute care settings. Her areas of research include Medicaid expansion in a safety net county health-care system, accountable care organizations, the uninsured in America, health-care economics of urban policy-analysis of geographic regions in the United States, and information technology infrastructure in the paperless hospital. LECOM’s MPH program curriculum focuses on the complex problem solving of domestic public health issues facing the United States today, including mitigation of pandemics, access to quality health care, disease containment strategies in a global society, and nextgeneration data sharing and information systems. Course work is delivered through a robust web-based education platform by an expert team of faculty with deep public health expertise. The fully accredited 45 credit-hour master’s degree program is completed one course at a time with student access available around the clock. The 24-month degree is specifically designed for busy working professionals who wish to continue their careers full time while completing their formal education.

ROMOLO CHOCOLATES OWNER NAMED TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR RETAIL CONFECTIONERS GROUP

Romolo Chocolates Owner and President Tony Stefanelli has been named to the board of directors for Retail Confectioners International (RCI). From independently owned businesses to large, multimilliondollar corporations, RCI aims to provide a forum for confectioners to meet, network, share ideas, solve mutual problems, and develop their candy making and entrepreneurial skills. Angie Burlison, RCI executive director, says, “At this time, we are especially grateful for the strong leadership of our board of directors and their commitment to supporting this organization and the industry.” After being raised as a young child in his grandfather’s candy shop, Stefanelli apprenticed under his grandfather Romolo Stefanelli, his father Tony Sr., and his uncle Art for nearly 20 years. In 1994, Tony opened Romolo Chocolates in Erie, where today, joined by his sons and fourth-generation chocolatiers Anthony and Roman Stefanelli, Grandpa Romolo’s artisanal craft thrives and evolves to meet customers’ increasingly diverse and sophisticated tastes. In 2004, Tony was named one of only 26 master confectioners in the United States.