We Are!

We are a group of dedicated Penn State alumni seeking to guide and support the Great Valley campus to engage and connect its students with the broader community. Meet the board below! And please contact us, if you’d like the opportunity to join our board!

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Executive Committee

BS Finance ’01

Michael has 18 years of experience in the Financial Services Industry where he has worked as a Financial Advisor and has held numerous Business Technology Project Management roles.  He currently works for Vanguard as a Product Owner of the Brokerage Order Management System, leading the implementation of complex brokerage and emerging technology projects.

Michael is a 2001 graduate of the Smeal College of Business with a BS in Finance and a minor in the Legal Environment of Business. He has been a member of the Penn State Alumni Association since 2015 and has served as a board member of the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society since 2019, was elected the Society’s Vice President in 2022, and is the Society’s current President since 2024.

He and his wife Melissa (FIN & IB ’01) reside in Lansdale, PA, with their two children, Jake and Maddie.

MBA ’05

As Vice President of Marketing + Brand at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach, REALTORS® Melissa directs strategic marketing and integrated communications programs for the largest single-market, U.S. real estate and financial services company in the Mid-Atlantic region. Recognized for a track record of accelerating growth at Fortune 500 companies and a tenure at BHHS Fox and Roach characterized by successive leadership and development opportunities, Melissa brings extensive marketing, brand strategy, project and account management experience to the role. During her tenure, she spearheaded the transition from print media to digital automation, led an enterprise-wide rebrand and brand integration and implemented an enterprise communications strategy. Melissa also serves on the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Council, and is actively involved in extending and formalizing diverse and equitable practices across the entire organization.

Outside of work, Melissa joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2019 and has served as the Society’s Secretary since 2022. Melissa previously served on the board of the Easttown Library Foundation. She also regularly volunteers with the Morris Animal Refuge in Philadelphia.

Melissa earned her B.A at Bryn Mawr College and M.B.A at Penn State Great Valley. She also holds Project Management and Agile Business Analysis certifications from Penn State Great Valley. She lives in the Greater Philadelphia area with her husband, two children and rescue Labradoodle.

BS Computer Engineering ’00

Bill has over 20 years of experience in IT and web application software development.  A graduate of Penn State in Computer Engineering, he has approximately 15 years of Java coding experience work.

He has spent most of his professional career at Vanguard in Malvern, PA, working on several transformative programs including evolving Vanguard’s HR operating model, processes and technology to support Vanguard’s global business presences; and championing the Test Transformation for the Retail Systems’ over 100 project teams and leading Acceptance Test Driven Development adoption and maturity.

Most recently, Bill is the Senior Manager, Application Engineering Technical Lead, responsible for delivering technology platforms supporting Vanguard’s advised Wealth Management and Personal Trust clients, advisors, and product lines served by Personal Advisor Services hybrid U.S.-based advice offer.  He is also a key driver of Vanguard IT’s talent recruitment and assessment programs.

Bill joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2018, has co-chaired of the Tailgate Benefit event committee since 2019, and was elected the Society’s Technology Director in 2020. He and his wife Diane are Lifetime Members of the Penn State Alumni Association and also belong to the Nittany Lion Club as Football season ticket holders.

M.Ed. Training Design and Development ’91

Carl has been a systems analyst, programmer, corporate trainer, training manager, website developer and international creative director for Fortune 500 companies. Since 2002, his company AZtech Multimedia & Training Group handles the multimedia and audio-visual requirements for global corporate meetings and events. Carl designs and develops meeting registration websites and oversees all audio-visual requirements including onsite production, presentation development and audience response systems. As a production expert, Carl has also worked with numerous musicians and production companies, including the BBC and on singer / songwriter Billy Joel’s projects “The Last Play at Shea,” “A Matter of Trust: The Bridge to Russia” and “The Stranger: 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition.”

Carl has a BA in Psychology from Temple University, an M.Ed. from Penn State in Training Design and Development and a PhD in Multimedia Design and Development from The University of London. Carl has been an adjunct faculty member at Penn State Great Valley and Temple University Ft. Washington. He has traveled to all 50 states, over 80 countries and all 7 continents. He has been married since 1985 to his high school sweetheart and they have two grown sons, one of whom is also a Penn State alum.

Carl joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2019, was elected the Society’s Vice President in 2020, served as the Society’s President from 2022-2024, and is currently the Society’s Past President.

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Members At Large

Celeste is one of the founding members of the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society. Originally asked to join the student advisory committee when the Great Valley campus first opened, she transitioned with twelve other dedicated students and alumni to form the Alumni Society and has served on the Board ever since.

Celeste retired from her elementary guidance position and now works for A Child’s Place, an organization providing before and after school programming and kindergarten enrichment.

BS Real Estate ’91

Dave attended Penn State Altoona for 2 yrs and finished at University Park. He began his career selling real estate in his hometown of Altoona, PA. After several years he moved to Harrisburg to continue his career. While working on a home sale for a client who happened to work in retail banking, Dave made the decision to change careers and has spent the last 30+ years in banking and finance with Buffalo NY based M&T Bank, Fulton Bank and York PA based Peoples Bank. He has served as branch manager in several of those roles.

He received his MBA in Accounting from Capella University to in 2011.

Dave is currently a Sr Financial Rep for Citadel Credit Union. Dave joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society board in 2024. Becoming a board member at Penn State Great Valley is a way to give back to his “Dear Old State.”

Dave and his wife Angela reside in Downingtown near Marsh Creek State Park.

BA Journalism ’85

Bruce collaborates with scientists and librarians as a Senior Account Manager for American Chemical Association (ACS), publisher of the most trusted and cited chemistry research in the world. He has helped to provide information solutions to universities and corporations for more than 25 years.

As a sales and marketing professional, he previously worked at Elsevier, Inc., the world’s largest publisher of scientific information, and in public relations, advertising and fundraising in New York and Hershey. He received his B.A. in Journalism from Penn State University in 1985 and earned an M.B.A. from University of Arizona.

Outside of work, Bruce founded “1979 Class Act Productions” a non-profit devoted to assisting Hershey High School alumni facing health challenges, in 2019. He has a son, Jack, who attends the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University.

Bruce joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society board in 2023.

MBA ’09
BS Chem ’97

Tim has 25 years experience in the pharmaceutical and medtech industry spanning multiple functions. He’s been a Credo-based leader at Johnson & Johnson for the past 20 years and is currently Procurement Director and Global Category Leader for Capital Construction & Project Management. His career has spanned increasing roles of responsibility across R&D, Medical Affairs, and Procurement. He enjoys coaching and developing others to help them achieve their aspirations.

His Penn State education included 1.5 years at the Brandywine campus before completing his BS in Chemistry (’97) at University Park, and an MBA in Biotech & Health Industry at Great Valley (’09). He believes that success happens when we help others find a better way. He is passionate about helping the PSU community and also mentors students especially in STEM majors. He resides in Montgomery County with his wife (a fellow PSU Chem graduate) and 3 sons. The 2 oldest are enrolled at Dear Old State, so there’s no pressure on his youngest. In his spare time he enjoys golfing, jogging, fitness, and cheering on PSU and Philadelphia sports!

Tim joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society board in 2023.

MFin ’18

Ann has worked at Vanguard for the last 8 years, most recently in Retail Sales.  Prior to that, Ann worked for multiple insurance companies as a claim adjuster. Ann received her Bachelors in Economics from Albright University, her MBA from Kutztown, and her Masters in Finance from Penn State Great Valley.

Ann joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society board in 2018 and also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Wyomissing Public Library and the Board at Rock Hollow Woods.  She is active in Women2Women through the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance.

MBA ’13
Adjunct Professor, Penn State Great Valley

Mandy received her BS in Business Management from West Chester University in West Chester, PA, while working as a buyer for a national insurance company. She then became certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) from APICS. She received her MBA from Penn State Great Valley. Since then Mandy has achieved several project management certification at her current company Quest Diagnostics. She has also completed and is now an alumni of Women’s Unlimited, and National leadership development program, and also co-manages the Quest Supply Chain leadership program. Mandy has 15 years experience in Supply Chain, Procurement and Project Management.

Mandy joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2013 and served as the Society’s Secretary from 2016 through 2021.

BA Advertising ’86

Although the Nittany Lions won their first National Championship in football her freshman year, Pat’s most significant experience at Penn State was THON. Pat successfully completed the event during both her junior and senior years, dancing for 48 hours each time and placing third in fundraising for Four Diamonds as an independent her senior year. Since graduating, Pat completed a business management program at Wharton and then recently completed the Integrated Digital Marketing (formerly Content Marketing Analytics) certificate at Penn State Great Valley.

Pat has worked in the marketing communications and proposal management fields and is currently the content implementation manager at Bentley Systems in Exton, PA. She is responsible for the implementation of content strategies including content planning, creation, publishing, and analytics and also supports the proposal team, product groups and account managers through developing strategic content for proposals and sales engagements. Pat has served on boards of the Penn State Alumni Association’s Philadelphia and Delaware County chapters and participates in Penn State’s Alumni Leadership Connections group. She currently volunteers for both My Career Transitions and the Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group which help area professionals with career and job changing skills, empowering them
through their transitions.

Pat joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2020.

MLD ’10

After a 22 year career as a Senior Tax Research Analyst with Vertex Inc., Nancy changed gears and is now an entrepreneur founder and creative artisan of Heavenly Sweet Chocolates, LLC. She aspires to make your life a little sweeter with her allergy friendly chocolates that she sells at local farm markets and special events. She also enjoys designing bespoke party favors for special celebrations and unique chocolates for the holidays. Nancy is grateful to be using her creative passion to have fun and make people happy!

Outside of work, Nancy was a mentor big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters and their match was featured in a book on volunteering, “Changing The World on a Tuesday Night”, written by Tammi DeVille. Her Little sister is grown with 2 daughters, and they are still in touch. Nancy enjoys connecting with people and animals. When she is not making chocolates she finds meaning in giving back through volunteering with the American Red Cross at area blood drives. She is a creative artisan that leads with her heart, values collaboration, honors others by giving back, and believes together we can make a meaningful difference.

Nancy received a BS in Business Administration with minors in Economics and English from Arcadia University and earned an MLD from the Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies. Nancy joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2022.

MBA New Ventures ’13

Nikunj received his BS in computer science with honors from Arcadia University, where he studied abroad several times and was inducted into the Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society. He then received his MBA, concentrating in New Ventures, from Penn State Great Valley while working as a software developer at Vanguard. He is a now a technical manager at Pariveda Solutions, guiding the careers of software engineers and delivering creative solutions to clients.

Nikunj started his involvement with the community early in life, but solidified that passion at Arcadia, where he led and managed many projects and events in their community service office, including participating is service trips and fundraisers across the country and in Mexico. He continued working in the sector by serving as an ambassador to the United Way, helping nearly 40 companies run their corporate United Way campaigns and serving as a trustee on Arcadia University’s board of trustees. He is also a former trustee of The Mountain Institute and Simply Equal Education.

Nikunj joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2014, was elected the Society’s Vice President and Technology Director in 2018, and served as the Society’s President from 2020-2022.

MBA ’17

Sai is a Business and Operations Excellence professional with a demonstrated record of delivering project results as a collaborative results-oriented leader developing internal talent in health care, manufacturing, and aerospace industries with experience in Continuous Improvement methodologies, Quality Systems, and Manufacturing Support.

As an accomplished solution provider, Sai is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt providing value-added business solutions implementing Global Programs & Initiatives with Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science from Villanova University. Sai also received certification as ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt CSSBB and a Lean Champion certification by Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC). In his career, Sai provided business and operational improvement solutions in several organizations and held various roles in Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, R&D and Supply Chain.

Sai resides in the King of Prussia area with his wife and three sons. He previously served as Cubmaster for CubPack 525 in King of Prussia, PA and is currently active with his sons in Scouting and volunteers for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 551 as a Committee Member.

Sai graduated from the Penn State University Great Valley with an MBA degree with a focus on Leadership Development in 2017. Sai also completed the Project Management Certificate Program at Penn State Great Valley in August 2017. Sai joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2019.

BA General Arts and Sciences

Annamarie received her BA in General Arts and Sciences from the Pennsylvania State University and she received a Lean Six Sigma Certification in Process Improvement from the Great Valley Graduate Center in 2014. 

Annamarie has worked in the insurance claims industry for over 30 years.  She achieved the Senior Claims Law Associate designation in 2005.  Annamarie currently holds the position of Director of Technical Compliance at Sedgwick where she utilizes her leadership skills to improve claims quality and customer service.  Annamarie manages a team of auditors and is involved with process improvement, training and other global initiatives.

Annamarie has been a volunteer at My Career Transitions since 2008.  She joined the My Career Transitions’ Board in 2009 and was appointed President in 2013.  The mission of My Career Transitions is to help professionals in the Greater Philadelphia area navigate through the career transition process, so “you’re not alone.”  This all volunteer group provides monthly networking opportunities and formal speaker presentations on job search and career management.  Annamarie oversees a team of over 30 volunteers and has gained event planning and strategic planning skills from her volunteer experience at My Career Transitions.    

Annamarie joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2016 and served as the Society’s Treasurer from 2017 to 2020.

MPS Strategic Communications ’23

Damon has over seven years of expertise working to deliver impactful internal and external communications. Damon has a diverse background working in writing to support key executives for speaking engagements and presentations and build employee engagement. Over his career, Damon has worked large organizations in Finance and Higher Education, including 3 and a half years working for Penn State.

Damon earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland and a Master’s Degree from Penn State in Strategic Communications. He joined the Great Valley Alumni Society in late 2023.

Outside of work, Damon resides in Ambler, PA but spends a lot of time with his partner in the Baltimore, MD area. Damon enjoys an active lifestyle and spending summers out on the golf course.

Damon joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2023.

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Campus Liaisons

Director of Campus Development, Penn State Great Valley

Kat is the Director of Campus Development for Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate and Professional Studies. 

Alumni Relations and Stewardship Officer, Penn State Great Valley

Jade is the Alumni Relations and Stewardship Coordinator for Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Jade graduated Summa Cum Laude from West Chester University in May of 2022 where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and a minor in Media and Culture. She started her position at Great Valley in July and is very grateful to have been given the opportunity to jumpstart her career at such an esteemed university.

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Emeritus

M.Eng. Systems Engineering ’13
MS Information Science ’11

Steven’s collegiate academic career began at West Chester University where he earned a BS in Geology.  During his time at West Chester, he participated in Marching Band, Intermural Hockey Football and Volleyball, and served as Treasurer of the Sigma Pi Fraternity.  He also worked at the University Tutoring Center and provided fellow students with help in Physics, Calculus, Algebra, and Computer Science.

After graduating in 1999, Steven began his career in the software industry by taking on a Quality Assurance Analyst position with Bentley Systems in Exton, PA.  In 2006 he was promoted to Licensing Program Manager where he oversaw the internal and external propagation of Bentley’s proprietary licensing program.  In 2009 he was promoted to Senior Business Analyst where he developed Bentley’s product database, analyzed product usage and developed Bentley’s product lifecycle to include an end-of-life component.  During this time, he attended Penn State Great Valley and earned Master of Science in Information Science, Master of Engineering in Systems Engineering, and Graduate Certificates in Corporate Finance and Data Analytics.  Upon graduating from Penn State, he was promoted to Systems Engineer which he focuses on internal process improvement and analytics for Bentley Systems.

Steven joined the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society in 2012 and has served as Programs Chair, Vice President, and President.  In his spare time, Steven plays ice hockey in a local adult league, enjoys surf fishing, bicycling, and spending as much time as possible with his wife and dog in Ocean City, NJ.

MLD ’07
MBA ’03
BS Finance ’97

Gary Generose is a manager with Infosys in their Mid-Atlantic Retirement Services Center of Excellence.  He has over 20 years in the financial services/defined contribution retirement industry, having spent the majority of his career with Vanguard in various leadership role throughout their Institutional Investor and Planning and Development divisions   He is a Lean Six Sigma certified Black Belt and has completed the CFA Investment Foundations program.

Gary earned his Bachelor of Finance, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Leadership Development degrees all from Pennsylvania State University.  He has served as a member of the Penn State Great Valley campus Advisory Board since 2009, was named Chairman of the Board from 2015-2017, and currently chairs the Alumni and Student Engagement Committee.   In addition, Gary has served as a member of the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society since its inception in 2003, including a term as President from 2009-2011.  Gary is a Lifetime Member of the Penn State Alumni Association, belongs to the Nittany Lion Club and Golden Lion Society, and serves as a graduate advisor to the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.  A frequent Penn State volunteer, he was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni award from the Great Valley campus in 2019. 

Outside of work, Gary enjoys running, cycling, playing basketball, traveling, craft beer, and spending time with his wife Laura, their son Matthew, and their dog Allie.

MMgmt ’96

Kathy received her Master of Management degree from Penn State Great Valley in 1996 and a BS in Business Administration from West Chester University in 1988.  During her career, she held positions as a Healthcare Administrator and CEO, Technology V.P., Entrepreneur, and Small Business Owner prior to retiring in 2018.

Kathy currently resides in State College, PA and spends her time as a Volunteer with several organizations including: Penn State Undergraduate Admissions, Alumni Career Services, Mount Nittany Hospital and the “We not Me” initiative to grow crops for Centre County Food Banks.  She currently serves as an Appointed Member on Alumni Council, is on the Executive Board for the Graduate School Alumni Society, and is Vice President of the the Centre County Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association.

Kathy served on the Penn State Great Valley Alumni Society Board from 2003-2017, was President from 2007-2009, and held numerous other positions including Committee Chair and Treasurer during her years of service to the Board.