Dr. Patrick M. Jones is professor of music and chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill. During his tenure he has overseen the addition of degree programs in areas of great demand such as nursing, cybersecurity, and information technology, as well as upgrades to the campus’ physical plant— including new laboratories for chemistry, nursing, and radiological sciences, a learning center, technology and equipment upgrades to classrooms and student recreation facilities across campus, and an addition to the administration building that makes it fully accessible and ADA-compliant. And, of particular interest to this audience, under his leadership the campus developed and launched Penn State Schuylkill Co-op in Fall 2020.

Kate is responsible for the leadership, administration, and management of Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op. She works closely with other departments in the Career Development Center, university-wide Career Services, faculty, staff, and employers to strengthen relationships. Kate oversees the Career Services team as well as student workers. She represents the campus at many events for employers, chambers of commerce, professional employer associations, and government agencies. She is a co-leader of the Career Development Professionals Conference planning team at Penn State as well as a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. She presented at the Cooperative Education and Internship Association Annual Conference in April 2022 in Alexandria, VA.

Prior to joining the team at Penn State Schuylkill, Kate was a music teacher in the Pottsville Area School District for nearly eight years. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Penn State University, Master’s in Music Education from the University of the Arts, and a K-12 Principal Certification through Penn State Harrisburg. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education through Penn State Harrisburg.

 Cosima is a professor in the Biology Department, teaching courses in plant biology and environmental science and conducting research with students in the lab and in the field. Her research has focused on impacts of environmental pollutants on plants, and more recently she has focused on water quality studies. She is passionate about issues of the environment and engaging students in learning about those issues.

She is a graduate of Bucknell University and earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at the Pennsylvania State University. She is a proud Master Watershed Steward through Penn State Extension and enjoys participating in the educational and outreach opportunities  through that program.

Frank is a leadership and management expert with both practical and academic experience.  His general focus is on organizational improvement through the development of systems and personnel.  He has almost thirty years of applied management experience in varied disciplines and has been a faculty member at Penn State University since 2012.  He has taught in resident instruction at the Scranton Campus, asynchronously at the World Campus, and delivers training to corporate clients.  He has held leadership roles at the Penn State Scranton Campus and the Penn State World Campus.

Frank’s primary expertise includes economics, technology, project management, business strategy, risk management, marketing, and personal efficiency topics.  His research is specifically focused on the application of new concepts and systems to improve efficiency.  This includes the integration of not only technology, but also new management theory.  Additionally, he has been a leading digital faculty consultant for McGraw-Hill Education since 2017.

Katie Hestor is a startup strategist and pitch deck coach. She serves as the Graduate Assistant of Startup Ventures & O’Pake Investments as well as the Assisting Business Incubator Manager at Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute. Driven by vision, she uses it as a vehicle to help students and entrepreneurs reach their full potential.  

Over the past 2 years, she has mentored over 45 businesses across various industries and is developing a program to support pre-seed and seed ventures.   

Hestor is a Wilkes University graduate, holding a B.A. in marketing and a minor in entrepreneurship. She graduated magna cum laude, and with honors. In December 2022, she will receive her M.A. in organizational leadership.   

Joe is an Associate Professor of Engineering at Penn State Hazleton. He has served as a faculty member in the campus’s unique Alternative Energy and Power Generation Engineering program since 2012 and coordinated the program since 2017. He teaches courses related to solar energy, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and engineering design. 

Joe holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State and a Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. His research interests include solar energy modeling and engineering pedagogy.

Dr. Katie Leonard joined Johnson College in January of 2007 as the College’s Coordinator of Grants and Annual Fund.

In her time with the College, Dr. Leonard formed industry relationships, reestablished the alumni program, increased annual giving, and initiated the College’s rebranding in 2011. She executed the College’s first-ever capital campaign in 2013, which raised, comprehensively, over $5 million to build the new Health Science Technology Center on campus, the College’s largest building project to date. After a nationwide search, Dr. Leonard was selected as Johnson College’s 8th President & CEO in January of 2018.

Under Dr. Leonard’s leadership as President & CEO, Johnson College joined the rankings of premiere technical education in 2018 by being ranked #10 on Forbes Top 25 Two-Year Trade Schools. Six new programs, Building Property Technology, Civil Design Technology, Industrial Technology, Mechatronics, Heavy Equipment Technology and Welding, Fabrication and Manufacturing Technology have been developed and have started accepting students. In 2021 the College reached record enrollment numbers for the third year in a row and was granted accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).

Dr. Leonard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from York College of Pennsylvania, a Master of Arts degree in organizational leadership from Mansfield University, and a doctorate of education from Capella University. Before bringing her talents to Johnson College, Dr. Leonard held multiple positions in York, PA, working with government officials and non-profit organizations. In York, she was the Executive Director of Downtown Inc., York’s Main Street Program. Dr.  Leonard has also made significant contributions to the community outside of her roles with Johnson College. She serves on the board of directors of NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Outreach Center for Community Resources, Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and serves as a Trustee for her undergraduate alma mater, York College of Pennsylvania.   

Ms. Durkin began her career at UNC in 1998 when she was hired as a Housing Counselor.  In 2007 she was promoted to Director of Community Services where she supervised over 20 crisis intervention programs serving the needs of low income families and individuals. In 2010 she became Chief Operating Officer and developed an Education Department and Community Health Department within the agency.  She has been actively involved in community initiatives including Women in Philanthropy, Penn State Scranton advisory board and various groups and committees addressing community needs.  In 2012 she was named to the NEPA Business Journal’s top 20 under 40 and in 2013 she completed the Executive Leadership Institute through the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities at the University of Michigan.  Lisa graduated from Mansfield University and completed the Achieving Excellence in Executive Education program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.  

Liz Finley serves as the Program Director for RISE: Readiness In Skilled Employment, a unique workforce development partnership that helps individuals RISE from poverty by obtaining credentials to secure an in-demand career. From actively recruiting qualified applicants, to expanding the program’s awareness through outreach, she is passionate about helping others succeed and can’t wait to see the ripple effect that RISE has on our region. A results-driven professional, who enjoys thoughtful, strategic planning and loves working with a solid team, Liz is dedicated to making a positive impact in all that she does. 

A graduate of Penn State University with a B.A. in communications, Liz enjoys creative outlets such as painting and filmmaking and has served on the board of the local American Advertising Federation. She loves adventuring through the gorgeous outdoors here in NEPA, and has volunteered her time as committee member to the South Abington Township Parks, Recreation, and Shade Tree Committee.

 Dr. Kellyn Williams has been with Johnson College for 5 years working to enhance STEM learning, reduce student barriers, and engage women in various industries.

In addition, Dr. Speicher directs Marywood’s Entrepreneurship Program and is actively engaged in the University’s efforts to recruit students internationally. A three-time graduate of Temple University, Speicher is a continuous learner and recently attended the MIT Design Thinking Program.  He has lectured all over the world, most recently in India and Bangladesh.

Outside of the classroom, Speicher has been involved with over 30 start-ups ranging from health care to real estate. His most famous start-up is DartDrones, the nation’s largest drone education company which he started with his daughter and CEO, Abby Speicher. In addition, his family operated a 5,000 bush Blueberry Farm in Wayne County, PA.