2004
Pennsylvania
Business
Central

2005 Top 100 People

2005 Top 100 Biz

2004 Top 100 People

2004 Top 100 Biz

Blair
James W. Barner
President & CEO
Altoona Regional Health System
Daniel S. Duggan
Executive Vice President
Altoona Regional Health System
Former competitors as CEOs of Altoona cross-town rivals, Altoona Hospital and Bon Secours-Holy Family Hospital, these two men were instrumental in the November merger that combined the two into Altoona Regional Health System. They are now first and second in command of the Blair County health system and regional trauma center.
Now the largest employer and huge economic contributor to the county, the health system is consolidating patient care, economic resources and employees to form a regional health system with two campuses and a half-dozen offshoot medical services, including durable medical goods, acute care and home nursing services. It has all been accomplished toward the goal of “providing the ultimate in quality of care for area citizens.”
James Barner has been with Altoona Hospital and Central Pennsylvania Health Services Corp. since 1978. He is on the advisory board of Penn State Altoona, the STAT MedEvac board and the Area CEO Executive Roundtable. Professionally, he serves with the American Hospital Association, Hospital Association of Pennsylvania and Hospital Financial Manage-ment Association. He is also on the M&T Trust Directors Advisory Council , Region 4.
Daniel Duggan has more than 25 years of healthcare experience, including in the U.S. Navy and as head of nursing at two New York hospitals. He came to Bon Secours in April of 2000 as vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer. He has been CEO of Bon Secours-Holy Family Hospital since 2002.
Blair
Ann Benzel
President
Benzel’s Pretzel Bakery
Ann Benzel is a busy woman. Aside from running Benzel’s Pretzel Bakery, she sits on the boards of the Altoona-Blair County Development Corp., the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, the Blair County Arts Foundation, Citizens for the Arts of Pennsylvania, and the First Commonwealth Bank advisory board.
When not busy with extracurriculars, she oversees the manufacturing and sales of pretzel products all over the world, one of the top achievements of her company. Her husband is the guardian of the Benzels bakery.
“We took a company that basically sold pretzels regionally and now we distribute nationally and internationally,” she says with pride.
Benzel owes her business sense to long-time friend Shirley Pecther of Altoona Pipe and Steel, who Benzel worked with on several community projects. “She’s well in her 80s and I continue to learn from her as well as be inspired by her energy,” says Benzel.
Benzel’s Pretzels has been in business since 1911; Benzel continues to enjoy a 30-year career with the company that has been marked by determination.
“I believe whether it be an individual or a company, there’s no goal too lofty to achieve,” she says.
Snyder
Steve Bilger
Chairman
Snyder County Board of Commissioners
Steve Bilger serves as chairman of the Snyder County Board of Commissioners.
Snyder County is governed by a board of three county commissioners elected every four years by the voters who live in the county. The board oversees the entire operation of the county and is designed to represent the best interests of the citizens.
Bilger was appointed to serve as the commissioner member of the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corp. board. He also will serve as the commissioner member of the SEDA-Council of Governments board.
In addition, he is on SEDA-COG’s Housing Development Corp. The real estate development services provided through the HDC create opportunities for affordable and decent housing for low-income individuals and families.?Bilger also is second vice president of the Local Development Corp., an organization that approves application submissions for the SBA 504 program.?The corporation includes the members of SEDA-COG’s board of directors plus four representatives of the Local Loan Review Committee and three or more individuals representing the 11 additional counties covered by the SBA 504 program.
Centre
Keith McKinley Blake
Owner
Universal Furniture and McKinley Furniture
“First and foremost Universal Furniture is a furniture retailer with a dedication to above average quality furniture, at a price that any family can afford,” says Keith Blake of the store that he has helped operate for six years.
Most recently, McKinley Furniture opened in downtown Tyrone, which Blake considers to be his greatest achievement of 2004. In addition to operating two businesses, Blake is president of the Philipsburg Revitalization Committee and a member of the Phillipsburg Kiwanis Club, the Philipsburg Promotion Committee, the Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership and the Centre County Chamber of Business & Industry. Blake is also a director of the Fatal Decision Program.
What is the driving force behind his busy life? “Knowing at the end of the day that I did my best,” says Blake.
Centre
Barbara Bogue
College of Engineering, Penn State University
Associate Professor, Engineering Science & Mechanics & Women in Engineering
Barbara Bogue is a woman in a man’s world , engineering. Bogue has been with the engineering program at Penn State since 1995 when she took over the all-but-defunct Women in Engineering program and rebuilt it from scratch.
For a time, she administered the Women in Engineering Grant program at Penn State. It was under her tenure that the program received this year’s Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from Pres. George W. Bush.
In October, Bogue switched from the administrative end to the faculty side where she does research. “As an administrator you’re always in problem-solving mode,” she says. “This [new position] is fun for me. But it wasn’t an easy decision to make.”
Bogue belongs to several industry organizations, such as the Women in Engineering Program & Advocacy Network, and is currently conducting major research designed to assist women and minorities who wish to enter her field. This quasi-public service mentality comes naturally to the professor, a Quaker, who believes in the saying “Let your life speak.”
Her parents, who ran a small newspaper, also helped instill in Bogue the drive and work ethic to become successful in such a competitive field.
Bogue is motivated by the desire to “be intellectually challenged and stretched. It’s important to impact the world around me positively.”
Cambria
Karen D. Broach
Vice President/General Manager
Charter Communications
Karen Broach oversees numerous facets of business at Charter Communications, a broadband communications company. From strategic planning and budget development to regulatory compliance and human resources, Broach does it all.
And her activities extend well beyond the office. Broach is involved in many community and industry groups, including Johnstown Area Heritage Association, Johnstown Area Regional Industries, Pennsylvania Cable and Television Association and the United Way of Laurel Highlands, to name a few.
This year, in recognition of her professional and volunteer efforts, she was selected as one of Pennsylvania’s 50 Best Women.
Broach has been inspired in her work by her parents. “They used their personal qualities of self-discipline, responsibility, generosity and honesty in their lifelong dedication to helping people maximize their personal potential,” she says.
EDITORS NOTE: Ms. Broach now works in Charter’s West Virginia office.
Huntingdon
Cindy Ruble Brown
Marketing & PR Director
Westminster Woods Retirement Community
Cindy Brown has been with Westminster Woods, a continuing care retirement community affiliated with Presbyterian Homes, for nine years. Brown’s job entails implementing and developing the marketing plan.
However, her interests and activities go far beyond her career. Brown is very active in charity and business development in Huntingdon County. She and her husband, Rich, will be chairing the 2005 Huntingdon County United Way annual fund drive. This year, they chaired the United Way’s charity ball committee.
Brown is a member of Huntingdon Rotary. She serves on the board of the Greater Huntingdon Area Chamber of Commerce and chairs the chamber’s Business Development committee. She has been a 4-H leader for a dozen years and currently serves on the Advisory Council for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Huntingdon County.
She is proud to have been the first Athena award winner in Huntingdon County.
Brown’s former boss and supervisor at Household Finance Corp. is among her mentors. “He taught me kindly , reminded me of the details with compassion and understanding,” she says. “He was a good example of a leader as opposed to a manager.”
The reason for Brown’s community involvement is simple. “I want to see Huntingdon County fulfill its potential. It’s a wonderful place to live, work and raise children. We all need to get involved in sharing that with others.”
Centre
Pamela J. Browning
Publisher & President
Centre Daily Times
Pamela J. Browning joined the ranks of the Centre Daily Times March 15 of this year, from the Carlisle Sentinel where she also served as publisher. Since arriving in State College, Browning has tried to get as involved in the community as possible.
“Being active in the community has been something I believe strongly in,” she says, naming a long list of community and charity groups she works with; all of which she considers to be valuable parts of the community.
“I think my real motivation comes from being engaged in projects and working with people who want to make a difference,” she says. “I truly believe that we live each day to its fullest and I go at life with that enthusiasm.”
In her years in the world of journalism, Browning has had to struggle in what used to be a predominantly male-dominated field. It was a man named Larry Whitaker whom she worked with in Missouri and again in North Carolina, who she credits for getting her going.
“He always encouraged me to push myself in this industry ? he was an outstanding mentor,” she says.
Browning is involved in a number of industry and local organizations, including Rotary Club, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, Newspaper Advertising Association, United Way and the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County, to name a few.
Centre
Michele Bush
Assistant Vice President, Commercial Lending
Nittany Bank
Michele Bush likes to help people. This desire led her to Nittany Bank where she has served for two years as assistant vice president of commercial lending, in charge of small business lending and loan compliance.
She belongs to a number of financial services-related organizations, including the Western Pennsylvania Guaranteed Lenders Association, Pennsylvania Bankers Association and American Bankers Association. Bush also does volunteer work with the American Cancer Society.
In May, Bush won the title of Small Business Advocate of the Year from the Small Business Administration of Western Pennsylvania. “I was honored because a lot of people that have won that award in the past I look up to,” she says.
Bush credits former bosses A.R. Miller at Keystone Financial and Pat Nagle at Central Bank for teaching her the ropes of lending and management.
“I enjoy working with small businesses and helping them,” she says.
Indiana
Robert C. Camp
Dean
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Eberly College of Business and Information Technology
Robert Camp has served as an academic dean for 23 years and is currently dean of the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
His greatest achievement this year was the recognition Eberly College earned in September when it was included in The Princeton Review’s Best 143 Business Schools, 2005 edition. “Being ranked among the 143 best business schools in the nation is a great testament to the strength and commitment of the faculty and staff in The Eberly College of Business and Information Technology,” Camp says. “It also reflects our extraordinary investment in facilities and equipment based on commonwealth funding and private support.”
In addition to IUP, Camp is involved with the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana County Development Corp. He is also president of the International Society for Competitiveness.
Camp, who has been with IUP for over 16 years, holds a PhD in Economics and an MBA in Finance and has won awards for both distinguished teaching and outstanding research. He is motivated to do the best work possible, and to help advance his school. “In terms of technology, The Eberly College is among the most advanced business schools in the country,” says Camp.
Bedford
Travis Collins
Co-owner
B.C. Stone Inc.
Travis Collins helped start B.C. Stone in 1993 and currently oversees many of its day-to-day operations. Growing up in a small town, Collins looks to a local painter named Michael Barkman for inspiration. Barkman, who originates from the same town, went on to start his own company and become a famous watercolor artist , a feat that Collins looks at as proof that just because somebody has small town roots, does not mean he cannot do big things.
And Collins has done big things: Collins serves as vice chair of the Bedford County Development Association and B.C. Stone is one of the top companies in its field, he says. But when it comes to Collins’ personal achievements, nothing tops the list more than his family.
As for Collins’ guiding philosophy, he strives for nothing less than to do the best job possible. “To do a quality job no matter the cost,” he says, “not necessarily just for profit. That lasts a lot longer than any advertisement you can put in the paper.”
Lycoming
Frank J. Concino, Jr.
President & CEO
Williamsport/Lycoming Community Foundation
First Community Foundation of Pennsylvania
After a banking career spanning three decades, Frank Concino made a life-changing decision: It was time to start giving away money. Concino had been on the board of the Williamsport/Lycoming Community Foundation from 1995 to 2001. When his bank underwent a merger that would have resulted in moving to Harrisburg, he took the position at the foundation about a year ago.
In addition to Lycoming County charitable grants, First Community Foundation oversees a foundation in Danville and is awaiting approval to administer a Union County foundation. “We assist donors in filling their philanthropic wishes and dreams,” Concino says. “We administer more than 200 separate funds.”
Concino’s job is to oversee the main functions of the foundation, including investing, donor development, marketing and grants.
“ My mentors were my parents,” he says. “I always think of them volunteering and donating to worthwhile causes.”
His additional commitments include serving on the board of The Susquehanna Council of Boy Scouts of America, Susquehanna Health System and Lycoming United Way. Concino has also been involved in the American Lung Association and Penn College Foundation. He recently received the Humanitarian Award from the United Way and the Distinguished Citizen Award from the Boy Scouts.
What motivates him? “I do,” he says. “It’s a curse. I’m a Type A personality. I can’t sit still.”
Huntingdon
John A. Cook
Vice President, Marketing
Kish Bank
John Cook was born and raised in Huntingdon County and has served the community in the banking business since 1983. He graduated from Juniata College with a degree in Business Management and Marketing.
Cook joined Kish Bank more than eight years ago and manages the market development of all the bank’s products, including full-service banking, insurance, investments, trusts and travel services.
This year’s biggest responsibilities included the first year of the bank’s entry into the Centre County market and preparation for a new branch in Lewistown.
He is a big promoter of his home area. Cook serves on the board of the Greater Huntingdon Area Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the finance and membership committees. He has been on the Junior Achievement board since 1991 and is a classroom teacher and past chairman. As a Huntingdon County United Way volunteer since 1983, he has been a business division leader a few times and served as the chairman of the 2003-04 campaign.
Cook is also very active in youth sports , coaching youth baseball and basketball.
This year’s high point was receiving the Community Service Award from the Huntingdon chamber.
“I’m motivated by my desire to make a difference,” Cook says, “to serve my community, my employer and my family.”
Union
Michael Daniloff
President & CEO, retired
Evangelical Community Hospital
Michael Daniloff had served as president and chief executive officer of Evangelical Community Hospital before retiring this year. Daniloff’s career in the healthcare profession spans 28 years.
The hospital, which provides short-term, acute services, has a $120 million operating budget, 1,300 employees and a medical staff of 170 members.
Just before his retirement, Evangelical Community Hospital had opened a 19-bed Emergency Department, four times the size of the previous facility. Daniloff also received the Mary M. Packer Healthcare Award from Sunbury Community Hospital this past year.
He stated his motivation over the years has been developing strategies to deal with healthcare issues that have the potential to negatively impact the hospital.
Daniloff is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Union County Industrial Development Corp.
Indiana
Mike Donnelly
President and Publisher
Indiana Printing and Publishing
Indiana Printing and Publishing has been in Mike Donnelly’s family since 1890 and continuing the family business is a constant inspiration for him.
Donnelly’s first job out of college was with Johnson & Johnson and it was his boss, Darryl Henry, whom Donnelly credits for teaching him about the business world.
Donnelly joined Indiana in 1984 as an ad director, before a promotion to general manager in 1987, and then to publisher and president in 1993. This year the company acquired Healing Lifestyles and Spas magazine, which Donnelly considers one of his top achievements for 2004.
“This company has been in my family for a long time and just to continue with the family traditions of how you run a company, where your customers and employees come first [is motivation].”
Donnelly includes among his activities membership in the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce; a recently completed a stint on the board of Indiana Regional Medical Center; Indiana County Community Action Program; and he serves as chair of the Research Institute at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Westmoreland
Robert B. Eathorne
Retired Autoworker
West Mifflin General Motors Plant
Retirement to most senior citizens means Alaskan cruises and winters at the shore. But for Robert Eathorne, who retired from GM’s West Mifflin plant in 1995 after 40 years, it is a continued effort to help improve his community.
Eathorne does not rest on his laurels; he is an active member of the United Autoworkers union where he is vice chair of the Region 9 retirees. He also volunteers with the Manor Lions to raise money for the blind and needy and is a councilman of 14 years with the Manor Borough Council. Shortly after retiring, Eathorne began managing the daily business of the Central Westmoreland Council of Governments, where he is president.
Eathorne’s greatest achievement this year is being one of five Pennsylvanians to be personally awarded the Local Government Excellence Award by Gov. Ed Rendell. He was honored for his of years of service and leadership with the CWCOG and his one-year term as president of PACOG, the state level Council of Governments.
“I was surprised because I went to Harrisburg for a presentation,” he explains. “When I got there they told me that I won the award. I feel lucky to have been awarded it and to be able to do the work that that my union has trained me to do. Additionally, being elected borough councilman and president of the CWCOG is an honor.”
He is inspired by his wife, Patricia. “She has the heart, knowledge and feeling for people who are less fortunate than us,” Eathorne says.
Cambria
Albert Etheridge
President
University of Pittsburgh of Johnstown
Now in his 11th year at the helm of UPJ, Albert Etheridge continues to lead the institution with the vision and energy that bring it distinction and honor. The college is ranked as one the best public comprehensive colleges for bachelor’s degrees in the Comprehensive Colleges and Universities category, Northern Region, by U.S. News and World Report. It was the fourth consecutive year that U.S. News offered that ranking.
In 2004, Etheridge oversaw the completion of a new residence hall, the first one of its style in 14 years. He also takes pride in the success of the school’s capital campaign, which reached its $15 million goal early.
“The success of our students,” is what motivates Etheridge to achieve excellence. “We try to provide a comfortable and resourceful work environment for faculty and staff. As president of a prestigious public liberal arts college, I am committed to providing a college education and a living and working environment that meet the standards of excellence within all measures,” he says.
Etheridge is honored to have learned about higher education from Antone Jacobson, University of Texas at Austin; John Herr, University of South Carolina; and Wilburn Hobgood, University of Arkansas.
He is a member of Sigma Xi; Phi Kappa Phi; the Society for Developmental Biology; and the American Association for Higher Education, among others.
Clinton
Mike Flanagan
Director of Development
Clinton County Economic Partnership
“I work hard to create and retain jobs for the Clinton County Community,” says Mike Flanagan. “And I am motivated by the good, hardworking people of our communities. I always want to do my very best for them.”
Flanagan feels that 2004 was a great year for his organization. “I think our greatest achievement this year was purchasing the land for the Lamar Township Business Park,” he says. “It was also great to see the First Quality Tissue Company begin production. I guess you can say I was in the trenches on both of those projects.”
Recently elected to the state board of directors for the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association, Flanagan says he learned a great deal about his business from former Congressman William Clinger, whom he served for four years.
Flanagan stays very active in the community. He is a past president of the Lock Haven Kiwanis Club; past president of the Clinton County United Way; and currently serves as president of the Clinton County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
Bedford
Alan Frederick
President
Frederick Farms Inc.
Alan Frederick started working at his father’s Frederick Farms in 1965 before eventually becoming president in 1988. Frederick shares the responsibilities with his brother and sister but he oversees the day-to-day management.
In addition to his work with the farm, Frederick serves on the board of the Bedford County Development Association, where he has met many business people whom he credits for providing tremendous help to him. “I’ve appreciated and learned a lot from the BCDA board,” he says.
It is the personal aspects of his job that Frederick enjoys most though.
“My biggest motivation is I enjoy what I’m doing,” he says. “I enjoy working with our people, I enjoy the outdoors, I enjoy working with animals. I just enjoy my job.”
At a meeting Frederick recently attended, somebody left early to go back to work and another man asked him, “Do you want to go back to work?” The first man replied, “I do.”
“Not everybody feels that way about their job, but I do,” Frederick says.
Westmoreland
David S. Gallatin
CEO
Westmoreland Latrobe Health Partners
Douglas A. Clark
President
Westmoreland Latrobe Health Partners
David Gallatin is no stranger to Westmoreland County’s healthcare community. His 20-year career at Latrobe Area Hospital reached a milestone this year as he was named CEO of Westmoreland Latrobe Health Partners, the result of the merger between Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospitals.
As CEO, Gallatin is responsible for the integration of the new health system and the administration and operation of the newly merged entity and its subsidiaries. Managing the new health system is no easy task, as the staff strategizes to build on Latrobe’s five-year legacy of being named a superior healthcare delivery system by Solucient.
Gallatin is motivated by the challenges that face his healthcare system. He defines his greatest achievement this year as, “the successful creation of a new health system from the merger of Latrobe Area Hospital and Westmoreland Health System. I enjoy seeing that all of the planning and work we have done is creating a better healthcare system for the community and that we continue to develop an excellent healthcare system for the citizens of the region.”
From 1999 to 2004 he served as chairman of the board for Latrobe Hospital. In addition to his work with the hospital, Gallatin is a former president of the Greensburg Rotary Club. Westmoreland County will be seeing more of Gallatin in the upcoming year as he chairs the 2005 Westmoreland County American Heart Association Heart Walk.
What is more exciting for a healthcare delivery system than being named a Solucient Top 100 Hospital for the fifth time and being voted as one of the Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania? Douglas Clark, president of Westmoreland Latrobe Health Partners says that this recognition could only be topped off by merging with another local, quality hospital.
In June 2004, a long-awaited merger between Latrobe and Westmoreland Hospital was settled with the formation of Westmoreland Latrobe Health Partners. Those involved with negotiating the merger, like Clark, know that the newly created entity is a great achievement.
Clark explains his role with Westmoreland Latrobe Health Partners. “I have seen Latrobe Hospital personally through the merger negotiations from the beginning. In 1982 I served as CEO of Latrobe Area Hospital until the formation of Westmoreland Health System. As president of the merged facility, I am responsible for the integration of the new health system and the administration and operation of three acute care hospitals.”
Clark balances his time at the hospital between volunteering with other healthcare organizations. He is a board member with the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the Alliance for Advocacy in Non-Profit Health Care and a Fellow with the American College of Healthcare Executives.
“Life is about service,” says Clark. “I am motivated by service to others.”
Westmoreland
Adam Gardner
Vice President
Smart Parts Inc.
William Gardner
President
Smart Parts Inc.
Devising corporate strategy and having a hand in marketing and sales, Adam Gardner has been with Smart Parts, a small business that manufactures paint ball equipment, since 1990.
Gardner is very proud of the company’s newest product, an electro-pneumatic paintball marker that was introduced this year, as well as Team Philadel-phia Americans, the state’s professional paintball team, winning the world championships for the second year in a row.
He and his brother, company president William Gardner, each received the Small Business Administration’s Western Pennsylvania Small Business Person of the Year award for 2004.
Gardner credits his success to the inspiration he receives from his parents and his own desire to succeed.
Having started Smart Parts Inc. in his garage in 1989, William Gardner has done it all in the company , from hands-on building in the early years, to tackling the strategic direction of the company and managerial duties that he now performs.
Gardner’s biggest achieve-ments this year have been the purchase of the building that will soon house “the largest in-door paintball field in the country,” and opening an office in Shanghai, China.
William says his inspiration comes from his family , both grandfathers were businessmen and his parents also own their own small business.
His motivation comes from the job itself; he could not see himself doing anything else.
Bedford
James Gonsman
Commercial Loan Officer
The Progress Fund
After 13 years serving in the banking industry, James Gonsman wanted an organization that cared more about people than the bottom line. Therefore, one-and-a-half years ago, Gonsman began working at the Progress Fund as its commercial loan officer so he could “have more of an impact on people’s lives.”
His responsibilities include developing loans and providing technical assistance. This year, he received the Financial Services Advocate of the Year award from the St. Francis SBDC, which he says just encourages him more in his field. “The technical assistance we provide, banks can’t do that,” he says. “Banks are so focused on achieving their goals. We have the ongoing support with our customers: We’ll help somebody as much as they need help.”
Gonsman draws his motivation from his family, especially his five-year-old daughter. “Our kids are our future. Our legacy and achievements will have an impact on their kids and their lives. My family certainly motivates me to do the best that I can,” he says.
Among Gonsman’s “extracurricular activities” are secretary of the Bedford Sunrise Rotary Club; and board positions with the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce; Bedford County Development Association; UMPC-Bedford Memorial Hospital; and the Western Pennsylvania Guaranteed Lenders.
Blair
Kellie Goodman
Sports Director
WTAJ-TV 10
Kellie Goodman is used to being a woman in a man’s world. She was not only the first female television sports director in Pennsylvania, she may still be the only one. A Penn State graduate in Broadcast Cable Com-munications, she began her career at WJAC-TV. Her mentor and friend, Paul Alexander, convinced her to join WTAJ in February 1993. She became sports director in 1996.
She is responsible for anchoring weekday evening sportscasts, taping the morning and noon ‘casts, scheduling and special presentations, like the Friday night high school football show and pre-season specials. Goodman is also the play-by-play announcer for Lady Lions’ basketball on WPSX-TV.
This year, Goodman received the Business Award at the YWCA Tribute for Women and the Altoid Award from the Allegheny Convention & Visitors Bureau. She is active with the Pennsylvania School Football Coaches Association, which presents the annual East-West All-Stars Game. She is also host of the Children’s Miracle Network telethon and vice-chair of the Blair County Park & Recreation advisory board.
“ The inspiration in my life is my relationship with God , to do the best job I can in every aspect of my life,” she says. “My parents were also a great influence in inspiring me to always do my best.”
Indiana
Wayne C. Gorell
President & CEO
Gorell Enterprises Inc.
Gorell Enterprises, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is one of the largest custom window and door manufacturers in the country. Wayne Gorell’s roles in his company as president and CEO include general management with a focus on sales and marketing.
According to Gorell, his greatest achievements this year is “being able to continue our growth at the company by achieving 10 percent plus every year since it started in 1994.”
This year, he won the Master Entrepreneur of the Year for this region from Ernst & Young. “The company’s success is attributable to the staff working together for a common goal,” says Gorell.
It just added a full line of patio/sun rooms that are being introduced in 2005. His goals for the future include creating “more employment for the people of this area by continuing to grow the company,” Gorell says. “We also want to make the highest quality products available anywhere.”
Gorell is a member of the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association.
Blair
Donna D. Gority
Blair County Commissioner
Blair County Government
Donna Gority has been a county commissioner since 1984 and is active with the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. She is one of the group’s few female presidents. “My role, and the role of county government, is to establish the budget for all departments , the courts, prison, nursing home, elections, etc. I am also the chair of the county board of elections,” Gority says.
What motivates Gority is her passion for impacting area human services, including mental health, drug and alcohol prevention, children, youth and women’s issues. Her historic mentor is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a leader in the women’s rights movement in the mid-1800s. Her contemporary mentor is Jackie Sutton, former head of Family Services. She worked with Sutton on the Domestic Abuse project in 1983 and admires her as “a role model of thinking things through.”
To that end, she is involved with Blair County Chamber of Commerce, Home Nursing Agency, Blair County Family Services, Greater Altoona Economic Development Corp., Child Advocates of Blair County and the Allegheny Mountain Convention & Visitors Bureau. She has been with Leadership Blair County since its inception and is a state trainer for Communities that Care.
Gority’s proudest accomplishment this year was when Gov. Ed Rendell presented her with an award for Excellence in Local Government.
Clearfield
Susan M. Grady
Vice President of Human Resources
DuBois Regional Medical Center
Susan Grady is in charge of a long laundry list of responsibilities at DuBois Regional Medical Center (DRMC), an acute care not-for-profit community hospital, where she has worked since its inception in 1985. In addition to her duties as the vice president of human resources, she is responsible for occupational health, employee health, environmental services, nutritional services, pastoral care, medical continuing education, and much more. She also sits on the Senior Leadership Team of the medical center.
The most inspirational leaders in her life have been a physician, Dr. Bernard Fisher, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and a PhD Leader with the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Richard Costlow. She worked as an administrator for several breast cancer research projects at the university and was “fortunate to be guided and mentored by both of these wonderful scientists who embraced the task of finding a cure for breast cancer,” says Grady.
Grady has also had her share of accomplishments. She has seen DRMC named to the Top 100 Places to Work in Pennsylvania for the third year. One of her most rewarding, yet demanding accomplishments includes finishing the first year of a PhD program.
“Work motivates me,” says Grady. “I believe it is my personal mission to help individuals pursue their dreams, to encourage them to grow.”
Cambria
Eileen Lee Graham, PCHA
Director of Marketing & Admissions
Veterans Benefits Liaison
Amber Springs at Laurelwood Care Center
Eileen Graham can’t resist a challenge. When she began work with Crown American years ago, some said she’d never make it as a waitress! She not only proved them wrong, she went from being the hotel group’s best waitress to heading the company’s sales and marketing department. After 11 years with Crown American (while earning a bachelor’s degree in business management) she was ready for a new challenge.
Now, as director of marketing for the Johnstown assisted living facility, the young woman is continuing to excel and be promoted within Grane Healthcare, parent company of Laurelwood Care Center. In six years, she has taken the occupancy from 66 percent to 100 percent and has become involved with consulting some of Grane’s other facilities.
Her personal involvement in the community includes presidency of the Johnstown Exchange Club, a member of the Johnstown Jaycees, ambassador with the Greater Johnstown Chamber of Commerce, and on committees with the Red Cross, Cancer Society and Northern Area Personal Care Home Administrators Association.
The high point of 2004 was winning the 2004 Greater Johnstown YWCA Tribute to Women Award in the Business Category.
In addition to all this, Graham formed GEM Marketing Specialists, an independent marketing and advertising company.
Clinton
Wes Grand
President & CEO
Clinton County Economic Partnership
Wes Grand and his staff have worked hard over the years to make “the Partnership” a one-stop shop for industrial, retail and tourism growth in Clinton County. He has seen the organization through much growth and evolution since 1989.
“I am motivated by a strong vision,” he says. “We want to have meaningful employment for every resident of Clinton County. Sometimes it is a heavy burden when we lose a company. So we work hard to make sure it doesn’t happen and to bring new companies to the area.”
In 2004, under Grand’s leadership, the CCEP drove the $300 million dollar First Quality Tissue project to a wildly successful conclusion. The CCEP acquired the site of the former International Paper Co., oversaw its renovation and sold it to First Quality Tissue. The one million square-foot production facility is now on line and will soon create more than 600 jobs for Clinton County.
Grand is a member of Lock Haven Kiwanis, president of the Lock Haven Hospital board of directors and on the board of the Clinton County Community Foundation, among other organizations. He notes that Julie Brennan, former Clinton County Chamber of Commerce executive director, did much to mentor his growth as an economic development professional.
Snyder
Robert Gronlund
Chairman & CEO
Wood-Mode Inc.
Robert Gronlund serves as chairman and CEO of Wood-Mode Inc., which comprises a 1.3 million square-foot manufacturing facility with more than 1,800 employees.
The company, located in Kreamer, can boast it’s as the country’s largest manufacturer of custom-built cabinetry.
Wood-Mode’s “vision statement” includes a portion about being a responsible member of the community. To further that vision, this past year employees at Wood-Mode contributed more than $55,900 to the United Way of the Central Susquehanna Valley, exceeding last year’s total of more than $54,000. The corporation contributed a record amount of $20,000 to the United Way, bringing the total Wood-Mode gifts to $75,930.
Gronlund is a member of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board and a member of the board of directors at Susquehanna University. 
Centre
Kevin Gutshall
Director of Sales and Marketing
SpectruMedix LLC
SpectruMedix LLC develops, manufactures and sells analytic tools for mutation discovery, forensic identity and DNA sequencing. As director of sales and marketing, Kevin Gutshall is a driving force behind its success, overseeing sales, marketing and technical support.
Gutshall has worked for SpectruMedix for three years. He previously worked for another company that had a great deal of contact with SpectruMedix and he liked what he saw.
This year, Gutshall takes pride in implementing a complete sales and marketing program and surpassing all sales goals for the year. It is Gutshall’s attention to the customer which he credits for his work ethic and success.
“My philosophy is the customer comes first,” he says. “As a small company the customer is the key to our growth and success.”
Blair
Allan G. Hancock
Chief Executive Officer
The Hancock Group
The Hancock Group in Altoona evolved from a small financial services company in 1963 to The Hancock Group Inc. over four decades later , a highly successful corporate umbrella for the Allan Hancock Agency Inc., Hancock Associates Inc., Hancock Capital Manage-ment and The Argyle Group.
Allan Hancock is singularly motivated by public service. “Helping others brings significance to life,” he says. “Financial success alone is quite empty.”
He is a 31-year member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT); treasurer of The Life Foundation in Washington, DC; chair of the Central Pennsylvania Community Endowment; and board member of Home Nursing Agency, its foundation, and Make A Wish of Pittsburgh.
He is especially proud of the MDR Table Foundation, which gives away more than $1 million a year internationally, donated by its agent members. The foundation funds Seeds Of Life, which supports start-up organizations to provide services for families and children.
He has traveled to Jamaica, Trinidad and most recently, China, to do hands-on work for the MDRT charities. This January he and Craig Kilmer, president of The Hancock Agency. helped build a playground for special needs orphans and then spent a few weeks touring the big country.
When asked about what motivates him, he says, “A long time ago, someone said to me ‘If you were to die today, what would they say about you?’ That’s what motivates me , having an impact on other peoples’ lives. And if you become a member of a group that does that, you can impact thousands of lives.”
Blair
Bonnie Hand
Founder and Owner
BlairInsurance Services
Bonnie Hand has worked long and hard to earn her reputation as an advocate for women in the workplace. Her own success as the founder and owner of Blair Insurance Services speaks volumes about the value of mentors and advisers.
In 2004, the Small Business Development Center at St. Francis University paid tribute to Hand by naming her the Women in Business Advocate of the Year.
What started in 1980 as a small insurance office has grown to a full service, independent agency with offices in Altoona and Pittsburgh.
In 1997, working with Allegheny County officials, Hand helped create a program designed to help women and minority owned businesses to secure bonding necessary to bid on projects. She also worked with local banks to help women and minority contractors secure the capital needed to operate a successful business.
Hand is also a founding member , and the first president of the Women in Business Network, an after hours group that gives women a chance at meaningful networking opportunities.
Northumberland
Ed L. Hansen
President & CEO
Sunbury Community Hospital & Outpatient Center
For a little over two years, Ed Hansen, PhD, CHE, has served as president and CEO at Sunbury Community Hospital & Outpatient Center.
He has had a list of successes this past year, including having one of his senior leadership team members hired by another organization , an organization that is committed to hiring highly competent individuals; recognizing that he has been working hard the past two years to develop professional competencies and then being rewarded by the recruitment and hiring of this individual; and he was recently awarded the 2004 Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce Athena award.
His mentors and inspirational persons in his life include his first boss, Walt Connelly; and local businessman Joe Kleinbauer.
Hansen is a member of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce; co-chair of the chamber’s Rural Healthcare Task Force; board member, Sunbury Revitalization Inc.; board member, Pennsylvania/Delaware Region American Heart Association; vice president of education, Sunbury Toastmasters Club; member, American College of Healthcare Executives; Geisinger Health System Advisory Board; and board member, Selinsgrove Projects Inc.

Indiana
Thomas R. Harley
Architect
Thomas R. Harley Architects
For 20 years, Thomas Harley has been making a name for himself with Thomas R. Harley Architects, while actively participating in several community organizations. Harley is currently involved in the Indiana Neighbor-hood Coalition and the Indiana Optimists, which sponsors youth-oriented events. These are just some of the activities that led to him winning Civic Leader of the Year this year from the Indiana Business Professionals Association.
“I was greatly honored,” Harley says. “The people they had to pick from were tremendous. There’s a phenomenal amount of civic activity in this community.”
Harley credits fellow architect “Mack” Irwin for inspiring him throughout his career. Irwin’s “integrity, as an architect and as an individual” provided a solid path for Harley to follow.
In the end though, it is Harley’s curiosity that really drives him. “I have an underlying curiosity about how things work and go together. I delight in achieving these projects and seeing things happen. There is a certain complexity to them that makes it enjoyable and I try to leave it a better place,” he says.”

Northumberland
Robert B. Hickox, Jr.
President & CEO
Central Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce
Growing jobs in the Milton area is what Robert Hickox does. In addition to his position as the chief executive of the Central Pennsylvania Chamber, Hickox is also chairman of the Milton Area Industrial Development Association.
2004 was a busy year for him. He created approximately 350 jobs in the Milton Industrial Park. “I also closed several PIDA loans this year helping businesses to expand their operations in the region, moved closer to construction on $3 million dollars of road and infrastructure improvements in the Milton Industrial Park, and grew the chamber membership and chamber revenue to an all time high,” he explains.
His efforts have attracted attention. In May, Hickox was the recipient of the 2003 Small Economic Development Agency of the Year from the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association. He was also selected for inclusion in several Who’s Who programs.
Hickox says his late father served as his inspiration. “My father passed on many valuable pieces of advice and encouragement and offered free lessons in life before he died,” he reflects.
What motivates Hickox is “the ability to work with a great team of individuals and professionals here at the chamber and IDC and knowing that we have the power to affect people’s lives in a positive way by bringing jobs and businesses to our region.”
Blair
James Robert (Bob) Hollenbach
CEO & President
New Look Uniforms, Blair Digitizing Embroidery Inc.
Bob Hollenbach has been running his own business for 18 years and when you’re in business for that long, it really becomes part of your life, he says. And it is the loyal customer base and high quality of employees that make the businesses so enjoyable for him.
Hollenbach started New Look Uniforms 18 years ago. Then 12 years ago he opened Blair Digitizing Embroidery Inc. In recognition of his entrepreneurial spirit, the Small Business Administration awarded him the Small Businessman of the Year award in 1998. Then this year, he received the Small Businessperson of the Year from the Blair County Chamber of Commerce.
“I was shocked. Absolutely shocked. I had no idea I’d even get something like that,” Hollenbach says of the award. “They help me recognize that I must have been doing something right.”
Hollenbach credits a former regional manager he knew for teaching him the value of providing customer service. “A man named Lloyd Way,” Hollenbach explains. “He just was a hard worker and taught me how to do service. He taught me how to treat the customers.”
Hollenbach is also a member of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce and is a Freemason and Shriner.
Blair
Garrett W. Hoover
President & CEO
Nason Hospital
Keeping a small town hospital running is no easy feat these days. But Garrett Hoover is always up to the challenge. A town as small and somewhat isolated as Roaring Spring appreciates the hospital’s cost-effective services and quality health care. Nason Hospital was even able to strengthen its ties with area businesses recently by developing an occupational health department, with services from drug testing to injury follow-up.
His degrees in labor relations and human resource management have served him well as he fulfills his leadership over the daily operation of Nason Hospital and its services.
Hoover is a member of the American College of Health Care Executives, chair of the Council for Small Hospitals of the Hospital Association of America, and a board member of the Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania. He is also on the board of the Blair County Arts Foundation. He was a nominee for the 2004 Entrepreneur Award from PBC in the Non-Profit Category.
“I’m a very good listener,” Hoover says. “I believe in listening and relationship-building.” He also receives inspiration from “The Prayer of Serenity” and from a Steven Covey quote, “Seek first to understand and then to be understood.”
Bedford
Melissa Jacobs
Co-owner
Jacobs Family LLC, doing business as Jean Bonnet Tavern
Melissa Jacobs learned a steady work ethic from her father. That has helped her succeed in becoming one of the Top 50 Women in Business, as well as St. Francis SBDC naming her Small Businessperson of the Year.
“When you own your own business and you work hard to make your business successful, you’re not doing it to receive recognition,” she says. “But it is wonderful when people notice your hard work paying off.”
Jacobs is definitely hard at work. Besides running the accounting, marketing and human resources of Jacobs Family LLC and the Jean Bonnet Tavern, she is a member of a slew of community organizations. Jacobs serves as vice president of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce, is on the board of Old Bedford Village, the board of the Bedford County Library and is chair of the Bedford Chamber’s hospitality committee.
It is Jacobs’ competitive nature that drives her in her endeavors. “I just believe if you’re going to do any job you just do it to the best of your ability,” she says.
Somerset
F. Nicholas Jacobs
President & CEO
Windber Medical Center and Windber Research Institute
As the top executive at WMC and WRI, Nicholas Jacobs is responsible for setting the strategic vision for the Medical Center and the Institute, and provides general management and coordination for both organizations.
Not only does he run this prestigious medical institution, but Jacobs is also the co-founder of the Windber Research Institute, which was established in 2001.
2004 was a good year for Jacobs and Windber Research Institute in general, which partners with prestigious medical institutions in research.
“We put together over $20 million in funding for cancer and heart research and another $8 million to construct a 36,000 square-foot world headquarters for the Windber Research Institute,” he says, adding, “but my greatest achievement was teaching my 18-month-old grandson to play the spoon!”
Accolades for Jacobs are many. He was nominated for an Outstanding Alumni Award for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and has received the following awards: the Commander’s Award, Walter Reed Healthcare System; Outstanding Support Award, Clinical Breast Care Project, Walter Reed Army Medical Center; and the Community Rural Health Leader of the Year, Pennsylvania Rural Health Association, to name a few.
“Everyday I know that, no matter what anyone else thinks about my efforts, I am making a positive difference in this world by providing our scientists and physicians with opportunities to positively impact medicine, forever,” he says.

Lycoming
Steven P. Johnson
President & CEO
Susquehanna Health Systems
Though Steven Johnson is new as CEO of Susquehanna Health System, he has been with the Williamsport Hospital and SHS since 1984. Johnson took the helm of the multi-hospital system this year and is responsible for strategic planning, leadership development and “shepherding” his “employee and physician family.” His top issues for the near future are aging facilities and physician recruitment and retention.
As the COO, his position before this promotion, Johnson was most pleased with the system’s recent recognition (for the fifth consecutive year) in the Nation’s Top 100 “Most Wired” Health Systems. His biggest recent accomplishment in community service was this year’s chairmanship of the 2004 annual fund development campaign for Lycoming County United Way.
His extensive community involvement is varied, serving on the boards of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, M&T Bank, Susquehanna Valley Rural Health Partnership, the Lycoming College Institute for Management Studies, Our Towns 2010 and Leadership Lycoming, to name a few.
He names Donald Cramer, retired CEO of the health system, as one of his mentors. “I also look to my strong, personal faith in God. When working in such a challenging and dynamic market, my faith keeps me humble but also gives me the strength to tackle the big challenges.”
Centre
David Jordan
Business Incubation Manager
Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County
As manager of the CBICC’s business incubators, David Jordan is at the forefront of economic development in central Pennsylvania, helping to foster science and technology start-ups.
Having manned his position since 2003, Jordan handles the entire incubation lifecycle. In addition to the general duties of facilities and property management, he evaluates companies and their potential for growth, oversees admission into the program, arranges services for tenants and graduates participants from the program.
“The incubator is doing well for the region,” Jordan says. “We have some good synergies with Penn State and Ben Franklin [Technology Partners].” Between the two CBICC-run incubators, there are 20 tenants, six of which were admitted this year alone.
These numbers could not have been possible without 2004’s building project at Innovation Park. Several thousand square feet of wet lab space was added there to accommodate biotechnology tenants. To Jordan, successfully managing this expansion was his greatest achievement.
Jordan credits a number of people for inspiring him to look at things from a different perspective. “I enjoy what I do,” he says. “There are a lot of opportunities to connect with companies that need help. It’s the extent to which we can make a positive impact on the area [that motivates him].”
Blair
Craig M. Kilmer
President
The Allan Hancock Agency
A division of The Hancock Group of Altoona, the agency which Craig Kilmer heads employs 14 and handles the company’s proposals, applications and day-to-day details of individual life insurance, disability insurance and retirement plans, acting as a liaison between clients and providers.
Kilmer has been with Hancock for 24 years, the past five as president, and cites Allan Hancock, president and CEO, as his number one mentor. “He sure does stretch me,” Kilmer says.
He serves the community on the board of Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation, as board member and finance chair of Tyrone Hospital, board and past president of the Altoona Area Association for Financial Advisors and a member of the Tyrone Police Civil Service Commission.
As a member of the Grants Committee of the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation, Kilmer gets to select where charitable funds are distributed worldwide. What’s more, he and Hancock did hands-on work for Kids Around The World, a selected round table charity, and spent a few weeks in Tianjin, China, building a playground for orphans with special needs.
“ The trip to China was the highlight of 2004,” he says, “and we got to meet the orphans. It was very fulfilling.”
Why does he do such good works? “I never thought about it,” he says. “Everyone should be doing this. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Clinton
Wade A. Keiffer
Assistant Vice President and Business Banking Representative
M&T Bank
Wade Keiffer is a banker who keeps his eye on the ball when it comes to helping small businesses in Clinton County. Wade has been in banking for over 20 years and has been with M&T Bank since September of 2003.
Keiffer is a member of Kiwanis of Lock Haven and the United Way of Clinton County. He serves on the Operating Committee for the Clinton County Economic Partnership, is treasurer for Keystone Central Foundation, and is a merit badge counselor for the Susquehanna Council Boy Scouts of America.
He credits his success to his “loving and supportive family,” and to Jim Koch, who was his first supervisor after college and who inspired him to continue in banking.
Snyder/Union/Northumberland
Kurt A. Kissinger
President & CEO
Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce
Kurt Kissinger has served as president and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce for nearly five years.
The chamber is a business development and quality of life advocate in Snyder, Union, Northumberland and Montour counties , offering business, community and membership development services.
Kissinger’s primary duties include working with the board of directors to implement the chamber’s annual strategic plan. He also serves as executive director of the Susquehanna Industrial Development Corp.
This past year he helped to facilitate three economic development projects including: $1 million Dinosaw Inc., plant location to Selinsgrove; $1.2 million Runnerless Knits Inc., plant expansion in Sunbury; and advocacy for release and awarding of $1.8 million for the Sunbury Riverfront Redevelopment Project.
Kissinger won the 2004 Guy Temple Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award. He is a member of the Selinsgrove Rotary Club, board member of the Susquehanna Council , Boy Scouts of America, community advisory member for Geisinger Health System and Sunbury Community Hospital, and member of the Pennsylvania and American Chamber of Commerce Executives, and the Pennsylvania Economic Developers Association.
Lycoming
Kathy Kolb
President & Owner
Kolb Net Works Inc.
Kathy Kolb serves as president and owner of Kolb Net Works Inc., in Williamsport, a company she started eight years ago.
Her job, as she describes it, is to “manage, market and inspire” her employees in Web site development, Internet marketing and multimedia production.
She cites her husband, radio announcer Lou Kolb, and her “savior Jesus Christ” as her mentors and inspirational persons.
Kolb is especially proud of her efforts in organizing publicity for the Child In Our Hands conference held in Williamsport this past September. Kolb was also instrumental in establishing the AT-IT Committee, a technology task force of the Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.
She states that she has a hard work ethic, thanks in part to her parents; as well as a desire for justice and mercy given by her Savior.
She serves as council secretary and in-prison volunteer for the Susquehanna Yokefellow Prison Ministry, past president of Lutheran Shared Ministry and is a member of the West Branch Amateur Radio Association.

Centre
Donita R. Koval
President & COO, Omega Financial Corp. and President
& CEO, Omega Bank
Omega Financial Corp./Omega Bank
Donita Koval has a lot to celebrate this holiday season. As the highest-ranking female executive at the $2 billion plus-asset financial institution, Koval played a key role in Omega’s recent acquisition of SunBancorp, which doubled Omega’s asset size and coverage area. “We increased our trade area from seven counties and 44 branches to 16 counties and 67 branches, making Omega the 21st largest bank in Pennsylvania,” she says of the merger.
Koval was recognized nationally by U.S. Banker, a major financial services trade publication, by being ranked on its 25 Women to Watch list. “The selection was made from a review of over 5,000 women,” she explains. “I received the award on Nov. 11 at The New York Palace in New York City.” She was also the Centre County Athena Award finalist this year.
Koval is inspired in her work by her mother, who decided to go into politics. “My mother has been very influential throughout my life as she ‘lead by example’ to pursue a non-traditional career in politics but always prioritized commitment to family,” she reflects.
An upbeat attitude is the key to Koval’s motivation. “I’m motivated to always be positive and to work hard , giving my best efforts to support my team members at work and my family at home.”

Bedford
Gregory F. Krug
President
Lampire Biological Labs Inc.
Greg Krug started Lampire Labs in 1977, when he was still completing his degree in Animal Science at Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture. His company manufactures pharmacological, biological and diagnostic materials and reagents that are used in both veterinary and human medical situations.
His entrepreneurial spirit goes back to his roots. “My mother and father were true entrepreneurial spirits,” he says. “Plus I’ve been fortunate to have great people inspire me the whole way through , individuals, veterinarians, professors , I’ve had a lot of support. And most importantly, I admire my Lampire employees.”
His greatest achievement this year is last week’s ribbon cutting for the 12,000-square-foot lab facility in Bedford County. He is a member of the board of the Bedford County Economic Development agency and does his best to make sure his company supports local schools, inspires careers in biotechnology and enriches the local economy.
“Life is one of the biggest motivators?and the people you’re around,” he says. “And I get to see my products in the context of my life from pregnancy detection to cancer treatments, for human life and animals.”
Bedford
Sharon LeCrone Payne
President/Owner-operator
Founders Crossing Inc.
Sharon LeCrone Payne’s vision of a charming bistro and antique shop came to fruition with the establishment of Founders Crossing, a three-story shop that includes a quiet place for lunch. She also owns a second historic building in downtown Bedford.
This year, Payne’s business efforts were recognized by the state of Pennsylvania with her selection as one of the Top 50 Women in Business.
Her days are filled with the hard work of managing three businesses, and serving as the head of purchasing for her gift shop and agent for her office complex.
As she explained when selected for the Top 50 list, women are becoming more confident and aggressive in pursuing business goals. They are “taking on larger roles as business owners, corporate officers and industrial leaders. The only downside is they still remain as the primary caretakers of their family and have to learn to multitask, to juggle careers and families successfully.”
Payne is an active member of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce; the Bedford County Antique Dealers Association; Downtown Bedford Inc; and the Bedford United Methodist Church.
Payne believes that the greatest challenge facing women in business is the need to be self-confident. “If you wait for approval from others to accomplish things in your life, you’ll never accomplish anything.”
Centre
Dan Leri
Director, Research Commercialization Office
Penn State University
For the past 17 years, Dan Leri has helped bring Penn State research from the laboratory to the corporate boardroom and beyond. “I start companies based on Penn State intellectual property by matching experienced management talent with technology and capital,” he explains.
Leri plays a pivotal role in bringing the many great products of research at the university into the public realm. What usually happens is that many of these brilliant professors and researchers, much as they know their work inside and out, know next to nothing about corporate management. That is where Leri and the RCO step in.
He is extremely modest, like many of the Top 100, and prefers to give credit for the year’s successes to his colleagues. “One of the most important lessons my father taught me was not to talk about yourself,” he says of his dad, a great inspiration throughout his life. “However, the folks I have worked with this past year have accomplished great things.”
What keeps him going is, “The profound awareness that life is a gift and not a guarantee.”
Bedford
Doug Lingsch
President
MDL Manufacturing
Doug Lingsch founded MDL Manufacturing in southern Maryland 15 years ago. In 2004, the company was named the Southern Maryland Small Business of the Year. This year the company also announced that it would move its headquarters to Bedford County’s Business Park I, while maintaining a facility in Maryland.
“I think the entrepreneurial spirit is in my family’s genes,” Lingsch says. “My grandparents, aunts and uncles were all business owners. I really enjoy the work and being able to create top quality products. That gives me great satisfaction.”
A world-class manufacturer, MDL is involved in complex and custom manufacturing, much of it for the defense industry. Its specialties include machining and fabricating of titanium alloys, large and complex assemblies, precision machine parts, large and small production runs, laser cutting, turning, punching, welding and forming.
MDL builds prototypes using a wide variety of advanced technologies. It has built fuel tanks for military tanks and parts for Humvees.
Lingsch, who will move his family to Bedford in June of 2005, is a member of the Charles County, Md., Chamber of Commerce, the Society of Manufacturers, American Welding Association and the Charles County Technology Council, among others.
Currently, there are 10 employees at the MDL facility in Bedford. Growth is expected in 2005.
Clearfield
Anita D. McDonald
Campus Executive Officer
Penn State DuBois
As head of the DuBois campus, Anita McDonald has responsibility for all personnel, student recruitment and retention, academic programs, student activities, facilities and more, including strategic planning, fundraising, workforce development and budgeting. McDonald has held this post since February 2003.
“ A great achievement this year has been my partnership with the DuBois Educational Foundation, my advisory board, and numerous state, regional and local agencies in planning, funding and completion of the DEF Workforce Development & Technology Center,” she says. The 46,000-square-foot facility houses two-year engineering technology degree programs, continuing education, North Central Tech Prep Program and DuBois CareerLink.
McDonald is involved with the North Central Workforce Investment Board, DuBois Regional Medical Center, DuBois Rotary Club, National Technological University, and is on the Business & Industry Advisory Committee of the DuBois Area School District.
“I now have many colleagues throughout the country that I can call upon for help and guidance,” says McDonald of her mentors and inspiration. “My biggest supporters are my husband, Bob, and our children and their families. I gain strength from them and my faith and prayer.
“I guess that I am motivated by having an opportunity to make a difference in a person’s life and the possibilities of their greatness in the future.”
Westmoreland
Roland R. “Bud” Mertz
Assistant Director, Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of the Governor, Office of Homeland Security.
Looking back on 2004, Roland “Bud” Mertz realizes his greatest achievement: being elected president of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, an honor bestowed on him by his peers in local government. “This leadership role is quite an honor,” Mertz says. “Taking this position allows me to lead a team of elected officials on issues that make for a better way of life for all citizens.”
Mertz finds the responsibilities of this role motivating: “I am motivated by the possibility to get good things done. If a leader truly believes, never takes no for an answer and realizes that others do care, a leader can build a team of progress.”
Gov. Ed Rendell recognized Mertz’s ability to be a great leader. In March 2003, Rendell appointed Mertz assistant director, Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security. This year, Rendell presented him with the Local Government Excellence Award. This award honors Mertz’s hard work with the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities.
Mertz’s leadership tradition with the state began 24 years ago when he was a communications operator with the Pennsylvania State Police. In addition to his current employment, Mertz is serving his fourth four-year term as council member for the City of Greensburg. He is also a member of the Greensburg Volunteer Fire Dept., handler and trainer for the Greensburg Bloodhound Search and Rescue Team, and an instructor with the National Police Bloodhound Association.
Clearfield
Nancy Micks
Executive Director
Greater DuBois Chamber of Commerce
Before Nancy Micks became the chamber’s executive director, she spent four years on the DuBois City Council. Her general duties now include handling information requests, business and tourism inquiries, and being a liaison between business, industry, individuals and communities. Micks also instituted the Greater DuBois Leadership Institute program, which educates citizens about the area.
Her motivating factor is “helping everyone work together,” which was exhibited in her successful effort to keep the Clearfield County Commissioners and North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission working together for the good of the area.
In addition to being a board member on the planning and development commission, Micks is a lifetime member of the DuBois United Way, a member and past president of the DuBois Rotary Club and a board member of the Clearfield County Industrial Development Authority.
“My father was a great influence on me,” Micks says. “He taught me, no matter what you do, the ethics you live by and the manner in which you present yourself will make your way. That’s what you’ll be known for.”
Micks was a PBC nominee for the 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year in the Government/Economic Development category.
Snyder/Union
Barry E. Miller
President
Susquehanna Industrial Development Corp.
Barry Miller has served as president of the Susque-hanna Industrial Develop-ment Corp., or SIDCO, for the past three years. He also is president and CEO of First Susquehanna Bank & Trust.
SIDCO is an economic development corporation that works to attract and retain jobs in Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties.?Activities include business/industrial park development, and assistance with financing and job retention strategies. This past year, members of SIDCO worked closely with others through an extensive strategic planning process, which will transform the organization into a focused regional economic development agency.
He has many mentors, including Rev. Ted Schneider, Elvin Wissler, J. Barry Myers, J. Stanley Mull, and his wife, Debbie , who taught him a variety of things from the value of hard work to how to love others.
Miller is a member of the Sunbury Rotary Club, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Pennsylvania Bankers Association, SEDA-COG Local Loan Review Committee, Sunbury Revitalization Inc., Sunbury Pride and Renaissance Coalition and the United Way of the Central Susque-hanna Valley.
This year the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce honored Miller with the Karen Hackman Leadership Award as the Volunteer of the Year.
Blair
Bobbie A. Miller
Owner & CEO
Advantage Resource Group
Bobbie Miller purchased this full-service human resources company in 1985, following a career in retail and service management. Miller now operates offices in Altoona, Johnstown, State College and Greensburg , offering temporary, temp-to-hire, permanent and executive staffing. The company also does payroll processing, career coaching, human resource assistance, employee benefits, outplacement and drug screening.
Her greatest achievements this year include realizing her six-year dream of increasing the number of companies that use her full-service package, expanding at a double-digit rate and going into new territories. But her greatest joy is her first grandchild, Jayce Marie Miller.
“I have many mentors, past and present, who have influenced my life,” she says. “I have a close circle of friends and advisers who help me with both business and life decisions. Because faith is an integral part of our core values, we rely on God to direct our pathways.”
Miller is part of the Blair County Chamber’s President’s Forum and serves on the Penn State Altoona Advisory Board and the S&T Bank board of directors, among others.
“My motivation is my passion and belief in our vision and goals,” she says. “In addition, I surround myself with co-workers who share those goals. That continues to keep my motivation level high.”
Union
Dale Miller & The Employees
Playworld Systems Inc.
Playworld Systems Inc. President and CEO, Dale Miller, would not accept the nomination for this year’s Top 100 People stating that it was his employees who deserved the recognition.
Playworld Systems, a Union County-based manufacturer of high-quality commercial recreation equipment, currently employs 270 people.
According to Miller, “Our employees are our most important asset and they make Playworld one of the ‘Best Places to Work.’ Attitudes are positive and morale is high. Employees are willing to contribute in any way necessary to get the job done right for their customers. Employees like their jobs and they’re generally happy when they come to work. We believe most people would say working at Playworld Systems is ‘fun!’ As one employee put it, ‘Playworld Systems is a great place to work because its ownership is committed to staying in PA, providing for its employees, fostering the personal growth of its employees and growing its customer base’.”
Playworld Systems was recently voted one of the 100 Best Places to Work in PA 2004. This is the third time in four years Playworld Systems has received this award. Playworld also is nationally recognized for its excellence in design.
Clinton
Keith T. Miller
President
Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania
Before entering academia, Keith Miller was employed in industry , excellent perspective for the business of running a university. He came to Lock Haven last July from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh where he was the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. He replaced Craig Willis, a PBC 2004 Entrepreneur Award winner.
Miller is getting acquainted with his new challenges and his goals for the future include “building on the current relationship between the community and the university, continuing our great foundation in liberal arts and addressing some of the economic development needs of the community.”
His main responsibilities are the vision and strategic direction of the university.
Miller intends to get involved in the community, as he has in the past. “I’ve headed United Way campaigns, chaired hospital capital campaigns, worked for Scouts , you name it,” he says. “I’m in the learning process right now , finding out where I can make a difference.”
He is eager to serve his new community. “The people are terrific here , very cordial and accepting. And the pace is good,” Miller says.
A number of professors have mentored him. “I have had many mentors over time,” he reflects. “I try to learn something from everyone I run across.”
His motivation? “There’s not a better profession than helping people , become educated, improve themselves, create a better quality of life , sometimes even change their lives,” Miller says.
Centre
Hugh A. Mose
General Manager
Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA)
Hugh Mose has worked for CATA for 10 years and in the transit industry since 1977. He loves his job. “I have a broad range of responsibilities. I do anything from lobbying in Washington to answering phones and selling tokens at the front desk,” Mose says.
His community involvement includes the State College Downtown Rotary Club, SPE Federal Credit Union and Centre County United Way. Professionally, he is working on the state association’s Intelligent Transportation Systems project and is a member of the board of the American Public Transportation Association.
“CATA had a difficult year, including some arson fires but we got through it, and beyond. I think that’s my biggest accomplishment this year?and a testimonial to the staff,” he says He also cites this year’s appointment to the American Public Transportation Authority as a source of pride.
Mose is never one to sit on the sidelines. “I like to feel engaged in whatever I do and it’s really important to me to see the end results of my efforts firsthand , to see a full bus or get a good set of statistics on ridership.”
“My mentor is my wife Janyce,” he adds. “You know opposites attract? She and I complement each other. She restores balance in my life.”
Region
John P. Murtha
U.S. Representative, 12th District
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. John Murtha was a member of the Pennsylva-nia House of Representa-tives from 1969 until 1974, when he became the first Vietnam combat veteran elected to congress. As senior member of the Appropriations Committee, he is a national leader on defense, healthcare and social issues. He is also a member of the Interior Subcommittee.
Job creation and retention remain his number one priority in the economic development realm. He attracted a number of new businesses to the area in 2004, including Arizona-based Talley Defense, California-based HealthNet and startup KDH. He supports health care initiatives such as research at Windber Research Institute. The Somerset County reserach institute has created 40 jobs and attracted high-growth biotechnology businesses that have created 100 more jobs.
This year, he received the 2004 Distinguished Citizen Award from Boy Scouts of America and the Gen. O.P. Smith Award from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation for his steadfast congressional support for the U.S. Marines. He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Waynesburg College and on Dec. 17 received an honorary Doctor of Public Service from California University of Pennsylvania.
When he first went to Congress, his mentor was Tip O’Neill, the late congressman who was then Speaker of the House. His motivation is his desire to improve the lives of his constituents and his love of country.
Bedford
Robert Octavio
Manufacturing Controller
Cannondale Bicycle Corp.
Robert Octavio recently completed his two-year term as the chairman of the board for the Bedford County Development Association (BCDA). He remains a member of the board, serving on the finance committee.
As a member of the management team and executive staff at Cannondale, Octavio is tremendously proud of that group’s success in bringing the company through hard times and helping to solidify its position as one the nation’s premiere manufacturers of high performance bicycles.
Cannondale was a public corporation that went through a bankruptcy. “The team has brought the company back to success in the market,” he notes. “We are back on track, a very strong bicycle company. We were able to retain more than 300 jobs in Bedford and I feel that is our greatest achievement.”
Speaking of his service as the BCDA board chair, Octavio is proud to have been a part of the development of the Bedford Business Park I and the establishment of business tax incentives arranged with the Bedford County schools. There were many other successes, he notes.
“ I am also happy to have helped the BCDA become a separate, self-sustaining organization,” he says.
Octavio says that the current executive team at Cannondale and the company’s new owners have motivated him to “achieve as much as possible.”
Centre
Judy Olian
Dean
Smeal College of Business, Penn State University
As dean of the Smeal College of Business, Judy Olian finds her time split between what she calls the inside and outside. Inside is Penn State and academic matters regarding students; outside is her interaction with alumni, business partners and organizations like The Second Mile, United Way and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
“I believe in having a balanced portfolio of activities and interests so I try to consume and do everything to the max,” Olian says.
Olian credits a slew of influences, from her own graduate school adviser who piqued her interested in academics, to a list of bosses who taught her the meaning of excellence and how to think strategically, to her mother who instilled the values of tenacity and believing in yourself.
“I’ve been fortunate to have many people along the way who shared with me sources of strength and beliefs in success,” she says. “I really believe in the transformational power of education. I couldn’t be prouder to be affiliated with that goal. I haven’t seen anything that transforms people’s lives more than education. I try to be a part of that transformation.”
Somerset
Hank Parke
Director of Business Development
PBS Coal
Hank Parke began his career at PBS Coal Nov. 8 this year after 16 years with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce and he is using the same skills he honed there to do his part in revitalizing the coal industry in Somerset County.
“Lots of things I worked on for the general business community I’ll be working on for just one company now,” he says. “PBS is a real survivor.”
As director of business development, Parke oversees employee recruitment, a variety of special projects and public and government relations. He hopes to have a positive impact on PBS and rejuvenating coal in the commonwealth.
“Knowing that what we do here at PBS would have a positive effect on the county and the region [fuels my motivation],” he says. “When I was at the chamber, what gave me the most satisfaction was being able to do projects that created jobs and now I’m working for one of the fastest growing companies in Somerset County.”
Parke’s sense of community involvement comes from his father, whom he credits as his biggest inspiration. “He was involved in the community,” he says. “He was a visionary and an entrepreneur.”
Parke remains active in the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce. He is also first vice president of the Somerset Rotary Club and is on the board of the Salvation Army.
Region
Jay Garland Penica
District Manager & Financial Advisors
American Express Financial Advisors
As district manager for a large portion of central Pennsylvania, Jay Penica is responsible for educating, training and assisting newly hired financial advisers. He also personally assists clients with their financial goals from his office in Camp Hill.
He was instrumental in taking the Camp Hill office from No. 144 to No. 7 in national rankings for American Express Financial Advisor offices and doubling the number of advisors.
Penica is also very involved in his community as a teacher for Leadership Harrisburg and a member of Harrisburg Leave A Legacy. This year he received the Outstanding Leadership Award from American Express Financial Advisors. He was one of just three so honored out of 240 Amex Financial district managers.
“My philosophy is servitude,” he says. “I have a ‘whom do you serve?’ mentality. We’re here to serve the community as advisers and I’m here to serve my advisers to consult, coach and mentor them.” He is also inspired by his interest in the ministry and religious studies.
It was for these and many other reasons that he was nominated for the 2004 Entrepreneur Award by PBC in the Large Business Category.
Region
John Peterson
U.S Representative, 5th District
U.S. House of Representatives
Now in his eighth year in Congress, John Peterson represents citizens in 16 counties, including Centre, Clinton, Clearfield, Lycoming and Mifflin. “My number one goal is to get legislation and funding to my district to help them solve their economic problems.”
Peterson has worked tirelessly for his constituents back home in Pennsylvania. For example, he is the co-chair of the Rural Caucus where he attempts to address the issues most important to those he represents. One of his biggest achievements involves the major changes made to Medicare funding so that rural hospitals are reimbursed more for care. He also helped push programs that promote technological growth in Pennsylvania’s rural region by helping to preserve funding for high school technical programs. Now he is working on similar initiatives for the adult population. Furthermore, he has been key in preserving vital air service to rural Pennsylvania, helping to garner funding for local airports.
For his efforts, he was recognized by the National Federation of Independent Businesses with its Small Business Advocate Award and by the National Chamber of Commerce for his efforts to support businesses.
“ I love public policy,” Peterson reflects. “I have a passion for the lack of economic opportunity in rural Pennsylvania. We need to build a base to get the economy going again. My goal is to stop the ‘brain drain’ and to create opportunities for young people to live and work here.”

Mifflin
Robert Postal
President & CEO
Mifflin County Industrial Development Corp.
Robert Postal is a 20-year veteran of economic development in Mifflin County. As head of the MCIDC, Postal has helped Mifflin weather the bad times and welcome the good.
“Our region had a tough 2003 and employment was dropping,” he explains. “Currently, data from Pennsylvania Labor and Industry shows we had 900 more jobs in September than last September, and 500 more in October than last October. Despite the uncertain economy, our region is rebounding.”
These numbers certainly indicate significant progress. “Specific projects that have added to the manufacturing base are Kardex Systems, a new company in Mifflin County, and the expansion at Asher’s Chocolate,” he says. “Smaller companies continue to grow and we’re optimistic.”
And optimistic is the way to be when one’s job entails playing a direct role in the local economy.
Postal has drawn his inspiration over the years from many people, but he would rather not say who they are specifically. However, he does speak in more general terms. “I admire the business people who we may know because they live in our region, who have had problems or even lost businesses through bankruptcy; but through it all, they have shown courage and grace,” he says. “You show your character and class when you lose, not when you win.”
Centre
Matthew Price
Main Street Manager
Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation Inc.
It can be said that Matthew Price believes that success begins with solid roots. That is why as the manager of the Philipsburg Main Street program, Price is working full-time to bring growth back to his downtown through this non-profit, volunteer-based corporation.
Price is the only full-time employee at the PRC, so needless to say, there is much to keep him busy. “I coordinate volunteer efforts for fundraising, design assistance, streetscape planning, promotions, business recruitment and retention, and strategic planning,” he explains.
Chief among his achievements for this year were orchestrating “the largest annual conference in Pennsylvania Downtown Center history and ? bringing the PDC Conference to State College in June 2005,” he says. Price also assisted the community and PRC in guiding the Main Street Program “through a transition from five years of state funding to a future of sustainable private funding.” In fact, Philipsburg was recognized as a National Main Street Community by the National Main Street Center for the second time.
This commitment to the hometown area comes from Price’s parents. “My mother and father are both extremely active in their community, and have taken leadership roles in many of the organizations that their children chose to be involved with,” he says. “ Mom and dad have continued their community involvement with their own interests.”
Mifflin
Beth Reifsnyder
Executive Director
Mifflin Juniata Dental Clinic Inc.
The Mifflin Juniata Dental Clinic was opened in July 2001. It was the result a great community effort to address an identified community need to provide dental care to low income children, pregnant women and severely physically or mentally handicapped adults. Recently the clinic was awarded a grant of $20,000 to convert to digital radiography.
As executive director of the clinic, Beth Reifsnyder sums up her duties: “I supervise personnel, oversee finances, human resources, staff education and training, secure funds including grants, liaison to other community agencies and services, and sometimes sweep the cobwebs off the front porch and take out the biohazardous trash.”
Reifsnyder is also president of the Mifflin County School Board, the Lewistown Hospital Auxiliary, Mifflin County 2000, the Mifflin County Republican Committee and the Mifflin County Farm Bureau.
Reifsnyder says she learned about the satisfaction that comes from serving others from her parents. “I am motivated to use the abilities and gifts God has given me to help my community,” she says. “That makes me happy.”
Centre
Dave Richards
President
Nittany Bank
Dave Richards decided on a plan in 1997 with partner Sam Malizia for a new bank. In October 1998, they opened Nittany Bank and the company is still growing today. But don’t expect Richards to take any credit for it.
“ Everything we have done at Nittany has never been the result of one person’s efforts. I know every CEO compliments their staff, but it has truly been a privilege to work for this group of bankers,” he says. “They are the best and deserve all the credit.”
One particular influence weighed heavily on Richards , the president at his first banking job, Don Seebold. Richards credits him for many opportunities Richards believes he didn’t deserve, like sitting in on board meetings and meeting with the president of the Philadelphia Federal Reserve. Richards hopes to follow Seebold’s example with Nittany Bank.
“ He had been given similar opportunities years earlier by an old mentor and I believe, in some ways, was repaying his good fortune. I now feel the same obligation. When I see the commitment of my staff at Nittany, it makes me want the best for each of them.”
In addition to his bank work, Richards serves as treasurer of the State College Area YMCA, co-chair of the St. Paul’s United Methodist Church building committee, board member of the State College Quarterback Club and he is involved with the Association for Educated Banking at Penn State.

Somerset
Holly Rigby
President
Windber Professional Services Inc.
Holly Rigby is responsible for running the nuts and bolts business and fundraising end of one of the most well-respected medical/ research institutions in the world. WPA “provides professional services in the areas of property management, MIS/IS and specialty laboratory testing,” she explains. It is also responsible for all commercial activities for the institute.
This year has been a busy one for Rigby. Not only did she spearhead the implementation of a high-speed fiber network for the Windber area, she also started a limited liability company that recruits and places nurses in New York City.
For her efforts, Rigby received national recognition by being named one of the six “Women to Watch in Technology” by national recruiting firm Christian and Timbers and was a nominee for PBC’s 2004 Entrepreneur Awards for the small business category.
Rigby has worked with her mentor since she was a teenager , Windber president Nicholas Jocobs. “My first introduction to Mr. Jacobs was as his student in junior high and he has been my teacher ever since. I respect his vision, dedication and leadership , all characteristics I try to apply to my own work,” she says.
Rigby is motivated by thinking about how proud her deceased father would be of her. “I know he’s still watching,” she reflects. She also credits her children, especially her daughter because “I want to show her that a woman can succeed in what’s perceived by some to be a man’s world.”

Bedford/Cambria/Blair
Todd Roadman
President
Reed, Wertz & Roadman Inc.
Teeter Insurance
Brett Insurance
Todd Roadman runs his insurance companies like he races canoes , smoothly and swiftly, with the urge to be a world-class winner. A marathon canoe racer in his off-time, he is the second generation owner of Reed, Wertz & Roadman, a full-service insurance and financial planning company started more than 100 years ago.
Roadman has been in the insurance business for 24 years and president of the company for 11 years. When he took over the Bedford company in 1993, the billing was $3.5 million. Since then, he has acquired Teeter Insurance in Altoona and Brett Insurance in Johnstown. “My biggest accomplishments this year , we surpassed $40 million in sales,” Roadman says, “and we acquired the Teeter agency in January 2004.”
When asked about a mentor, he quickly named his late father, Don Roadman, who passed the business down to him. “He is my hero,” he says.
He is a board member of the county chamber, planning commission and development association. He also serves on the board of UPMC Bedford Memorial Hospital and is past president of the Bedford Sunrise Rotary.
“I’m very competitive. Just like I want to be a world-class canoe racer, I want to be the best insurance agency, with world-class service. I also have the best employees in the world. That’s what makes my business great,” Roadman adds.
Northumberland
Richard D. Robey
Chairman & CEO
North Shore Railroad Co.
Richard Robey is chairman and CEO of North Shore Railroad Co. and seven other north-central Pennsylvania railroad companies.
North Shore Railroad provides freight railroad service to industry in the cities of Williamsport, Lock Haven, Lewistown, Danville, Bloomsburg, Berwick and Shamokin. As the top executive, Robey is the overall leader and executive of the eight companies, responsible for all aspects of operation, maintenance, marketing and administration.
Robey’s first two companies were created in 1984. He says he came across the idea of operating small railroads during his employment at large railroads during the 1960s and 1970s. His greatest achievement this year is bringing traffic and revenue back to record volumes after several large plant closures in 2002 and 2003. He was also selected as a nominee for PBC’s 2004 Entrepreneur Award, Small Business Category,
The Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad was named Short Line Railroad of the Year by Railway Age magazine. This year, all eight railroads, with a total of 85 employees, won a safety award for going one full year without any employee injuries.
Robey is president of the Keystone State Railroad Association, and a member of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, and is a member of chambers of commerce in the Williamsport area, Greater Susquehanna Valley and Bellefonte.
Northumberland
Cindy Rowe-Taylor
Owner, Medical Director
Cindy Rowe Auto Glass
Cindy Rowe was a registered nurse for 13 years before venturing out on her own and starting Cindy Rowe Autoglass. “I started it on my own out of the trunk of my ’75 Vega,” she says. “People thought I was a little crazy ? [But] it worked out great.”
On top ofI being the company’s owner, she also acts as its medical director, administering flu shots to her employees, among other services.
In addition to her own work, Rowe is very active in the community. She volunteers with an outreach program at St. Claire Medical. She also traveled to the Dominican Republic in March with a group of medical professionals organized by Rotary of Harrisburg to evaluate the conditions in local hospitals.
Her entrepreneurial spirit is strong. In fact, she launched a scholarship fund for high school students who have demonstrated entrepreneurial ingenuity and skill. It is no wonder Rowe was a nominee for PBC’s Entrepreneur Awards in the Small Business Category for 2004.
Rowe’s philosophy centers around kindness. “It’s not just the power. I was an employee once, I can relate.”
Cambria
Richard Saluzzo
Former CEO & Chief Medical Officer
Conemaugh Health System
During Richard Saluzzo’s tenure at Conemaugh Health System, the system grew, diversified and prospered in a time that had been difficult for rural hospitals.
Memorial Medical Center is a Solucient 100 top cardiovascular hospital for 2004 , the fourth time overall and the third year in a row. Conemaugh Home Health received the Quality Champion Award for the Year 2004 from Pennsylvania’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, Quality Insights of Pennsylvania. The health system has also experienced a two-digit percentage jump in patient satisfaction.
In addition, the system includes a new, state-of-the-art clinical pavilion, the Regional Trauma Center, the Regional Intensive Care Nursery, and more than 350 physicians who care for patients throughout six counties.
The health care system operates Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown; Windber and Meyersdale Medical Centers; Crichton Rehabilitation Center; Conemaugh School of Nursing and Schools of Allied Health; Conemaugh Health Initiatives; Penn Highlands Health Plan; Windber Research Institute; and Conemaugh Health Foundation. The John P. Murtha Neuroscience and Pain Institute is an example of how a health system can reach out under visionary management like Saluzzo’s.
Saluzzo left his post recently to take a similar role at Wellmont Health System in Bristol, Tenn. A five-person transition team handles day-to-day operation of the health system while an 11-member team searches for his replacement. In the interim, Sam Catanese, board chairman of the health system, and Rob Gleason, board chairman of Memorial Medical Center, are sharing CEO duties.
Centre
Frederick J. Shaner
President & COO
The Shaner Hotel Group
Lance T. Shaner
Chairman & CEO
The Shaner Companies
It seems like The Shaner Group takes on something new every year. The Shaner Companies, begun 30 years ago by brothers Fred and Lance Shaner, includes Shaner Energy, active in pipelines, oil and natural gas exploration; The Shaner Hotel Group, operators of two dozen hotels; and Shaner Business Solutions, just opened last year to offer back-office financial services to outside companies.
The latest news is a partnership called State College Friends including the Shaners, which closed on State College’s well-known Toftrees Resort & Golf Club in October. “This is really a great thing for the community,” Fred Shaner says. “It’s really about bringing Toftrees to the next level.”
Fred is involved with the State College YMCA and the Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. He is responsible for corporate policy and the day-to-day operations of 24 hotels nationwide and feels his greatest accomplishment this year is “managing our hotels through 2004 recovery while retaining most of our key personnel during the dramatic downturn in the hotel industry in 2001 to the present.”
In addition to heading the entire corporate group, Lance is involved with the Centre County United Way, Centre County Chamber of Business & Industry and the Scouts.
“ The challenge is to improve a hotel’s operation through prudent capital investments, enhanced guest services and exceeding our guests’ expectations,” says Fred of what motivates him. “Also, my staff’s dedication and commitment inspire me daily.”
Blair
Stanton Sheetz
President
Sheetz Inc.
2004 was an amazing year for Sheetz Inc. One of the nation’s leading convenience store chains, Sheetz faced an incredible challenge when a salmonella problem erupted. The problem was traced to a tomato supplier. Moving the company steadily through the storm was its president, Stan Sheetz. The company took quick, decisive action to deal with the situation head on.
Later in 2004, Pennsylvania named Sheetz as one of the top places to work in the state. Much of the Sheetz success story can be traced to the Sheetz family’s commitment to innovation.
In June, Stan was named the Western Pennsylvania Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Consumer Products and Services category.
Sheetz has long been recognized as a leader on the cutting edge of the convenience store business. Thanks to Stan Sheetz, the family-owned company promises to remain at the head of its class. With some 300 locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina, Sheetz is ranked 109th on the Forbes magazine list of the largest private companies.
Centre
Melissa Sieg
Co-owner
Prudential First Choice Realty
Melissa Sieg began what would become Prudential First Choice Realty 20 years ago with her husband, Bill, who runs the day-to-day operations while she focuses on the sales aspect.
Sieg is also currently president-elect of the Pennsylvania Realtor’s Association and will take office in January. “It’s quite an honor to know your peers and the people you spend time with regularly feel I’m qualified to lead them and help inspire them,” she says.
Sieg credits her parents for instilling within her a solid work ethic, and her husband for his constant support. “My parents, due to the example that they raised me with and how they raised me and what their attitudes were towards work and business and dealing with people. My husband because he’s been a constant supporter and inspiration, allowing me to do things the way I want to do them,” she explains.
Taking the lead is important to Sieg; the hope that she can be an inspiration to others in turn inspires her. “I like to lead,” she says. “I like to help improve things. That’s where I get my motivation, thinking I can help make things better.”
Sieg is also the coach of the Bellefonte High School swim team.
Bedford
Bette Slayton
Executive Director
Bedford County Development Association (BCDA)
Described by Gov. Ed Rendell as an “economic dynamo,” Bette Slayton has garnered a reputation for excellence in the field of economic development throughout Pennsylvania and the Mid Atlantic region.
Serving as the leading member of Bedford County’s economic development community since 1990, Slayton has seen her share of good and troubling times. But through it all she has never lost an ounce of her well-known passion and energy.
Recently, Slayton has overseen the development of the Bedford Business Park I and Phase I of Business Park II, still in development. She has been instrumental in numerous projects, including the recent announcement that MDL Corp. will operate in Bedford County.
Slayton served as the president of the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association in 2001 and 2002. She was also an Athena Award recipient.
In addition to her position with BCDA, Slayton is the co-owner and co-manager of Slayton’s Beardance Farm, a nationally recognized purebred Hereford and Angus cattle breeding operation in Bedford County.
Slayton has served on the advisory boards for Allegany College and Penn State Altoona. She is also a Bedford County Junior Achievement instructor, a member of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce board of directors, the Bedford County School-to-Work Steering Committee and the Bedford County Pro-AG Advisory Board.
Huntingdon
Steven C. Sliver
CEO
Mutual Benefit Group
Steven Sliver heads a Huntingdon-based property and casualty insurance company which serves about 75,000 policy holders in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Since he became CEO, the company expanded operations into another state, began developing niche insurance products, expanded office space to accommodate 40 new employees and designed technical systems for their agents.
He chairs the Business Development Committee of Huntingdon County Business and Industry and is involved with attracting businesses to the county and coordinating efforts with Juniata College’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
In addition to business development activities, Sliver serves on the board of Huntingdon County United Way and is a classroom instructor for Junior Achievement. He is past president of the Pennsylvania Association o