March 13, 2003
Bryn Mawr businessman named to Board of Governors
Contact: Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu
Thestate Senate has confirmed the appointment of Celestino “Chuck” Pennoni of Bryn Mawr to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors.
Pennoni is chairman of the board of Pennoni Associates Inc. of Philadelphia, a consulting engineering firm he founded in 1966. He also served for a year as president of Drexel University and is chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees.
The 20-member Board of Governors has overall responsibility for planning and coordinating the development and operation of the State System, which comprises Pennsylvania’s 14 public universities. The governors establish broad fiscal, personnel and educational policies under which the System universities operate.
The Board is made up of 11 members who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, four legislators, three students, the governor or his designee and the secretary of education or his designee.
Pennoni, who was confirmed to a four-year term on the Board, has both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering and an honorary doctorate from Drexel. He has served as a guest speaker and lecturer at Drexel, Temple, Villanova and
Widener universities, as well as at Texas A&M University, Purdue University, Swarthmore College, University of Pennsylvania and University of Pavia, Italy.
He has been licensed as a professional engineer in 11 states and has received numerous awards from both professional and community organizations. Most recently, he received the March of Dimes Service to Humanity Award and was named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He also has been inducted into the National Academy of Engineering and has received honors from the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers and the Boy Scouts of America, among others.
Pennoni is past president of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. He also is chairman of the Penjerdel Council, a member of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia and serves on the board of directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.
Pennoni replaces Patricia K. Poprik on the Board.
Other members of the Board of Governors are Charles A. Gomulka of Pittsburgh, chair; R. Benjamin Wiley of Erie, vice chair; Kim E. Lyttle of Pittsburgh, vice chair; Rep. Matthew E. Baker, Wellsboro; Marie Conley Lammando, Steelton; Rep. Jeffrey W. Coy, Shippensburg; Brandon W. Danz, Millersville University of Pennsylvania; Daniel P. Elby, York; David P. Holveck, Malvern; Sen. Vincent Hughes, Philadelphia; Secretary of Education designee Vicki L. Phillips; Gov. Edward G. Rendell; Sen. James J. Rhoades, Mahanoy City; David M. Sanko, Harrisburg; B. Michael Schaul, Mechanicsburg;; Ronald L. Strickler Jr., Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania; John K. Thornburgh, Pittsburgh; Christine J. Toretti, Indiana; and Kara L. Wealand, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
With more than 101,000 students, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth. Its 14 universities offer more than 250 degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. More than 360,000 System alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.
The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. The System also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Kittanning, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg. The regional centers are part of the Educational Resources Group, which is responsible for coordinating statewide programming.