Welcome to the Top 100 People of 2009.

Pennsylvania Business Central’s annual list is designed to capture the breadth of experience and wealth of entrepreneurial spirit found in our 16-county region.

In compiling the list, we sought to include people who stood out in 2009. Some are familiar names. Others are sole proprietors that operate small companies. Some were recognized for their business acumen, while we chose to honor others for their contributions to their communities. We sought a diversity of people across the entire spectrum of business and industry, from large corporations to one-person operations to non-profit institutions.

The process for selecting the list was as objective as it could be made. Happily, we received more nominations from the business and economic development communities than ever before.  In addition, we reviewed the year’s top news stories published in Business Central, and selected those individuals who made a real difference in 2009.

Creating the Top 100 People list is never easy, but it is always interesting and revealing. If nothing else, it demonstrates that central Pennsylvania is home to a host of world-class business leaders and scrappy entrepreneurs.

We hope you enjoy reading the brief profiles as much as we enjoyed writing them (profiles will be printed in full in the 1/29 issue). We think you’ll agree that this is an impressive group.

Wishing you all the best in business for 2010,

Harry Zimbler, Editor

Cliff White, Assistant Editor

Pennsylvania Business Central’s Top 100 People of 2009

(in alphabetical order)

Agnoni, Ralph, Winner of Greenovation Award – ShopVac Corporation, Manufacturing Engineer, Lycoming County

Akers, G. Shaun, Owner, Akers Funeral Home, Bedford County

Albensi, Larry & Fey, Joseph, Owners, Maverick Dental Laboratories, Westmoreland County

Allison Jr., Larry, President Allison Crane & Equipment, Lycoming County

Atwater, Tony, President, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana County

Beard, Rod, CBICC Chair & Owner of Beard Law Company, Centre County

Bechtel-Wherry, Lori, Chancellor, Penn State Altoona, Blair County

Becker, Scott, CEO, Conemaugh Health System, Cambria County

Binkley, Edie, Zone Manager, Lia Sophia Jewelry, Centre County

Bosserman, Dick, President, CAB, Cambria County

Bowersox, Ray, President of Milton Transportation Inc. Milton, Northumberland County

Boyle, Joanne, President, Seton Hill University, Westmoreland County

Burke, Rebecca, Lycoming County Commissioner

Capperella, Dave, CBICC, Vice-Chair & Capperella Furniture Owner, Centre County

Cardoso, Carlos, Chairman, President & CEO of Kennametal Inc., Westmoreland County

Clapper, Michele, Vice President for Economic Development & Finance, JARI, Cambria/Somerset Counties

Coleman, John, President & CEO of the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC)

Cook, John, Regional Vice President, Sample News Group, Huntingdon County

Corman, Jake, PA Senator, 34th District, Bellefonte (main office), Region

Culp, Maria, President & CEO, Central PA Chamber of Commerce, Northumberland County

Donovan, Patty; Robertson, Keith; Schambach, Lynn; Christy, Drew, RE/MAX Mifflinburg, Union County

Driscoll, Mimi, General Manager, Best Western University Park Inn & Suites, Centre County

Dunkelberger, Justin, Penn Wind & PA Solar LLC, Northumberland County

Dunlavy, Patricia Ann, President & General Manager, Lincoln Caverns, Huntingdon County

Ehredt, Lee Anne, Owner, Green Home Goods Inc., Blair County

Elliot, John & Johnson, Willie, President Cherokee Pharmaceuticals & Founder of PRWT, Northumberland County

Endres, Richard, President, E.B. Endres Inc., Huntingdon County

Eyer, Bob, Managing Partner, Wessel & Co., Cambria County

Falger, William, Retired President & CEO, CNB Bank, Clearfield County

Fish, Brent M., President Fish GMAC Real Estate, Lycoming County

Friedman, Edward & Charlene, Owners of Friedman Real Estate Group, Centre County

Frye, Randy, Dean, St. Francis University

Good, Scott, Owner, Goodco Mechanical, Centre County

Gorell, Wayne, President, CEO, Gorell Windows, Indiana County

Grady, Janet, Chairperson, UPJ Division of Nursing & Health Sciences, Cambria County

Hackman, Karen , Partner, Rudnitsky & Hackman, Union/Northumberland Counties

Hawbaker, Dan, President & CEO, Glen O. Hawbaker, Centre County

Henry, Dana, President, Indiana County Chamber of Commerce, Indiana County

Hille, John, Executive Vice President of Enrollment, Advancement, Marketing, Juniata College, Huntingdon County

Holcombe, Vell, President of Milton Steel, Northumberland County

Hoopsick, Brian, President & CEO, Professional Satellite Repair, Centre County

Hurd, Joe, President & CEO of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce, Blair County

Johnson, Richard, Howard Hanna Johnston Real Estate, Blair County

Johnson, Steven, CEO of Susquehanna Health System, Lycoming County

Keener, Stephen, President & CEO of Little League International, Lycoming County

Kelly, William & Nichols, Andrew, ParenteBeard LLC, State College & Williamsport, Region

Kimball, R. Jeffrey, President & CEO, L. Robert Kimball & Associates, Cambria County

Kraft, Mike, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Lycoming Engines, Lycoming County

Krishnan, Krish, Director, IUP MBA Program, Indiana County

Landis, Marilyn D., President, Basic Business Concepts, Inc., Cambria County

Lauber, Betsy, Executive Director, Downtown Indiana Inc., Indiana County

Leahey, Robert, President, G.M. McCrossin Inc., Centre County

Lingsch, Doug, CEO & Owner,  MDL Manufacturing, Bedford County

Magent, Chris, State College Manager of Alexander Building Construction, Centre County

Matteo, Vince, President & CEO, Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, Lycoming County

McCarl, Shawn, President & CEO, S.P. McCarl & Co., Blair County

Micks, Nancy, President & CEO of Greater DuBois Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development, Clearfield County

Miller, Dale, CEO, Playworld Systems Inc., Union County

Miller, Pat (Executive VP) & Marasco, Marty (President & CEO), Altoona Blair County Development (ABCD) Corp., Blair County

Moraitis, Nicholas, Principal, Moraitis Properties, Mifflin County

Morocco, John, President, Morocco Welding LLC, Somerset County

Moscone, Ken, President & CEO, The Drucker Company & QBC Diagnostics, Centre County

Mulvihill, Maureen , President & CEO, Piezo Resonance Innovations, Inc., Centre County

Murphy, Robert, Managing Partner, Boyer & Ritter CPAs & Consultants, Region

Murray, Jerry, President & CEO of Altoona Regional Health System, Blair County

Murtha, John, U.S. Representative, 12th District, Johnstown (main office), Region

Myers, Glenn, Owner, Myers Wood Shavings, Centre County

Myers, Joel, Founder & President, Accuweather, Inc., Centre County

Orr, Boyd, Vice President, PA Regional Manager & Loan Production, Manager, M&T Mortgage Corp., Region

Paterno, Joe, Head Coach, Penn State Football, Centre County

Poole, Robert, S& A Homes, Inc., CEO & Poole Anderson Construction, Chair & CEO, Centre County

Reschini, Roger & Joe, The Reschini Group, Indiana County

Ross, Charlie, Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, President & CEO, Snyder County

Ryan, Chris, President, Geo-Solutions Inc., Westmoreland County

Scalise, Ralph, Owner/Broker,  Scalise Real Estate, Westmoreland County

Schaffer, Dan, President, Rockland Manufacturing, Bedford County

Shadow, Michael, President of Green Building Solutions, Centre County

Shaner, Lance, Chairman & CEO, Shaner, Centre County

Sheehan, Edward, President & CEO, Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Cambria County

Showalter, Graham, Principal, Graham C. Showalter Law Firm, Union County

Shuster, Bill, U.S. Representative, 9th District, Hollidaysburg (main office), Region

Silvis, Paul, Entrepreneur, Head Coach SilcoTek, Centre County

Skiavo, John, President & CEO, Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland, Westmoreland County

Slayton, Bette, President & CEO, Bedford County Development Association, Bedford County

Sliver, Steve, President, Mutual Benefit Group, Huntingdon County

Sochacki, Tom, President of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce, Westmoreland County

Spanier, Graham, President, Penn State, Centre County

Spectar, Jem, President, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Cambria County

Spence, Don, CEO of Philips Home Healthcare Solutions, a division of Philips Respironics, Westmoreland County

Stahl, Richard, Huntingdon County Planning Director, Huntingdon County

Steele Jr., Glen, President & CEO of the Geisinger Health System, Danville, Region

Stern, David, President & CEO, Paris Companies, Clearfield County

Szanca, Mark, President & CEO, Szanca Solutions, Bedford County

Ulrich, Foster, Mayor of Huntingdon Borough, retired, Huntingdon County

Walko, Ronald, President & CEO of Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc., Region

Weber, Jeremy, Entrepreneur, Bedford County

White, C. Hank, PA College of Technology, Director of Plastics Manufacturing Centre, Lycoming County

Wilson, Glenn; McDowell, Ted, President & CEO; Regional President, Ameriserv, Cambria County

Woodle, Dave, Chairman & CEO of NanoHorizons, Inc., Centre County