LSER Alumni are Penn State Proud!

Alumni From the:
50's | 60's | 70's | 80's | 90's | 00's

1950s

Martin Berkowitz, '51
“When I was accepted into the curriculum I believed it was the answer to a career. Over the years I have not lost my interest in the Labor movement or the need for democratic practical solutions to Industrial Relations. Our society, I believe, ensures that an evolutionary resolution will prevail. The curriculum and the Penn State experience allowed me to grow as a human being. My work experience was founded on what was gained at State and it was a very important element in preparing me for living. My message is, "If you don't have a career in the field that you are studying, that is not failure. The failure comes from not trying to use what you have learned.” (2/98)

Fred T. Perantoni ,'57 - LER
Retired as Director of Labor Relations from Philips Lighting. Has two daughters who are both graduates of Penn State University, one a lawyer and the other a C.P.A. Fred lives in Lock Haven, PA.

1960s

Richard Hinkel, '60
Retired from the position of V.P. for Homestake Mining Co.

Donald E. Wertz, '61
Retired as the National Workers Compensation Coordinator for Little Caesar Enterprises. He resides in Trenton, Michigan.

John C. Bigham, III, '67
Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for J.W. Aluminum Company, Mt. Holly, S.C. E-mail: jakebigham@jwaluminum.com

Rich Noth, '68
“Your newsletter was a treat. I have been out of touch with the department since I graduated in 1968! (I've also been living abroad much of the time since 1975.) The fresh direction of the department is worth a word of congratulations! This "LMR" major went into international economics and management consulting. I took a position in the US (Wash DC) recently with Stone & Webster. Though not working in labor matters, perhaps I can be useful sometime. At any rate, it's good to be in touch. I'll look forward to hearing more about our alumnus and students.” (1/99)

1970s

David S. Sobotka, '74 - LER
Self-employed Attorney who lives in Kutztown, PA.

Dave Dick, '74
“I just got my latest liberal arts magazine and noticed the APG story. Amazing to see the faces of Doug Allen and Irwin Aronson who were a year ahead of me when the major only had about 40 students! Chuck Craypo, John Schmidman, Dick Hindle and others were great folks. I worked for FMC (with Jay Kirby '59-LMR) for 13 years and am forever grateful for an incredible continuing education. I now practice labor and employment law (WVU class of '92) with Steptoe & Johnson in Morgantown, West Virginia. I fully intend to take part in some of [former LSER Department head] Mark Wardell's revitalization efforts.” Dave shared his time and expertise with us during April '98 STUC days - thanks Dave! (11/98)

Alex Lewis, '77
I graduated with a Labor Studies degree in 1977, with every intention to have a career in labor relations. Along the way I drifted to Operations Management, Materials Management, Logistics And Supply Chain Management positions at the following companies: Caterpillar, Pines Trailer Corporation, TransTechnology Electronics, Mason & Hanger, Alcoa Home Exteriors, and JW Aluminum. Although, I have never formally held a Labor Relations position, my degree and education has been an asset, as in these capacities I have had relationships with the following labor unions: United Auto Workers, Teamsters, Steelworkers, and the International Association Of Machinists. I currently reside in the St. Louis area. I am General Manager with JW Aluminum and have responsibility for a 250 employee (IAM-Organized) manufacturing plant in St. Louis and a 150 employee (non-unionized) manufacturing plant in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. (www.jwaluminum.com)

Donald A. Sabato, '77
Donald is employed by FMC Technologies as Sales and Service Manager/ Citrus Processing. E-mail donn.sabato@fmcti.com.

Joseph J. Costello, '78
“I am currently a partner in the Labor and Employment Law Section of Morgan, Lewis and Bockius LLP in Philadelphia, and my Labor Studies education has served me well. I have fond feelings for the Department and my professors. I was particularly close to Dick Hindle, and I credit Frieda Rozen for sparking my interest in labor relations in the first place with the introductory course (LS 100) that she offered back in 1976. I trust the new members of the faculty share the same commitment to excellence and have the same rapport with students that made Frieda and Dick so effective.” (8/97)

William Gentile, '78 – LER
Bill is the President of Gretnabikes.com and has hands-on daily management of the wholesale/retail Bicycle Re-seller and Manufacturing Company. He also opened the "Velo Café,” a kind of coffee/bicycle shop crating a franchise concept. Bill resides in Lebanon, PA. E-mail bill@gretnabikes.com.

David K. Levdansky, '78
“I graduated from Penn State in 1978 with a degree in Labor Studies and a degree in Political Science and spent the first five years of my professional career employed in the labor movement. My education in labor studies and political science at Penn State has really been beneficial in terms of enabling me to be an effective legislator. It has really strengthened my ability to analyze public policy issues.” (8/97). David is a Pennsylvania State Representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. His office address is P.O. Box 202020, Harrisburg, PA 17120-2020 and his e-mail is dlevdans@pahouse.net

1980s

Richard W. Brady, '80
Previously VP HR and Training, Spherion. Other HR experience with PepsiCola, RLA, Avery Dennison. MS Human Resource MGMT - Rutgers University Graduate School.

Kevin J. Owens, '80
“I was hired on the Penn State campus in 1980 by Westinghouse Electric Corp. in the Human Resources training program. I have spent the last seventeen years in progressively increasing assignments with Westinghouse in six different locations around the country. At present, my position is Director, Human Resources Operations for Westinghouse Power Generation Business Unit head quartered in Orlando, FL.” (8/97)

Elizabeth Brickman Carroll, '81
“My new position at the New Jersey State AFL-CIO is Assistant to the President. From 1998 to 2000 I was a legislative coordinator at the New Jersey State AFL-CIO. From 1989 to 1998, I was a staff agent at the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission. From 1981 through 1989, I was an international representative for AFSCME and ran organizing programs around the country. I look forward to hearing from all of my old friends and colleagues at bethof1231@aol.com. Solidarity forever!” (7/00)

Brian H. Kelly, '81 - LER
“I am a graduate of Penn State's undergraduate program who then attended Cornell for graduate school. You are certainly attracting some impressive candidates to the graduate program at Penn State. I wish you great success in your efforts.” Brian is Corporate Director, Industrial Relations at American Greetings Corp. (2/98)

Patricia McCloskey, '82
Patricia practices personal injury law with her husband, Mark, in St. Louis. The firm is McCloskey, P.C.

Paul W.J. Dalkiewicz, '83
“It is good to see that many positive things are happening within your group. Currently, I am the Personnel Director for a Fortune 500 manufacturing facility located in Carlisle, PA.” (8/97)

Walt De Treux, '83
“ I am currently working as an arbitrator and mediator, in addition to governmental work as the Chief of Staff for Philadelphia's 7th Council District. My new email is DeTreux@comcast.net ." (10/03)

Joshua Tucker, '83 - LER
President & CEO "Owner" of Jaftees Wicker & Rattan. E-mail CASTONATTUCKERYARN.COM.

Mark Robinson, '85
Mark is Human Resources Manager with Alcoa Wheel & Forged Products in Cleveland, OH where he lives with his wife Diane and their children, Mackenzie, Luke & Christian. (5/03)

Pete Tully, '85 - LER
Pete is Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations for Motor Coach Industries. He and his wife, Pam , have three children, Ryan, and twins Sean and Lauren. The family resides in Wheaton, Illinois. He sends his regards to Ron Filippelli and Arlene Smith. E-mail Brookstully@aol.com, (work) Pete.tully@mot.coach.net

Judy Snyder-Thomas, '86
“Well, my official title is "Quality Assurance Lead Analyst". The company name is KnowledgeSoft, Inc., and they are located in Mechanicsburg, PA. They are the leading developers of an Enterprise-wide, web-based employee training management system. My role in the development cycle is to ensure that, from inception to installation, the product adheres to quality assurance standards. […] It's a pretty impressive product. Please feel free to send me an e-mail judyt@epix.net.” (3/99)

Frances C. Cortez Funk, '87
Frances worked for District 1199C and1199P Hospital and Health Care Union for a few years. In 1990 she pursued a career working in adolescent treatment centers in the Lehigh Valley Area. In 2000, she moved to the Berks County Area and has been an advocate and active in prevention education. In October 2006, she became the Health Promotion Coordinator for Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and is a dues-paying member of SCUPA. Frances's fondest memories at Penn State are the sessions in the Liberal Arts Tower and spending endless hours with her fellow classmates, John M., Beth D. and Dave B. to name a few. (3/07)

Beth Drew-Hinsdale, '87 - LER
“Just for background, I graduated from Penn State in 1987 and went on to Villanova Law School, where I graduated in 1990. Since law school graduation, I have been employed at the firm of Grotta, Glassman & Hoffman, which is a 51 attorney firm in Northern New Jersey. The firm's practice is limited to labor and employment law. […] I feel that my education at Penn State helped me a great deal in achieving my goals and in preparing me for my current position. It was definitely an advantage to begin working at a labor firm with a basic working knowledge of the practice area.” (8/97)

Brian Murphy, '87
“I am now living in Greenville, South Carolina. I am a solo practitioner employment attorney representing primarily individuals (i.e. plaintiff side). I still do some management-side labor work. I previously worked for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart on the defense side. Before going to law school, I was an employee relations representative for Masland Industries (now part of Lear Corp.) in Carlisle, Pa. and Toronto, Ontario. If there are any students who might like some input based on my experiences, I would be happy to correspond.” brian.murphy@mindspring.com (9/00)

Christopher L. Luman, '89
Chip and his wife Karen (Yadeski) Luman live in Utah with their three children, Victoria, Jake, and Caroline. Chip is currently SVP Shared Services, Compensation & Benefits with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. He works out of his home office and commutes regularly to Schwab headquarters in San Francisco. Chip serves on the boards of HireVue, Inc. (www.hirevue.com) and IQNavigator,Inc. (www.iqnavigator.com). Chip has been in contact with fellow LER alums Rick Brady ’80 and Gina Bellone (Graziano). (3/07)

Liza Beautz Turner, '89
In 2004, I received my Master's Degree in Elementary Education and we relocated from Las Vegas, NV to my hometown of Binghamton, NY. Leaving the labor movement was a huge step for me but the right one for my family as my children get older. I am now teaching 4th grade at Johnson City Intermediate School in Johnson City, NY--I chose the one profession that is actually harder than union organizing! My husband also works at the school. My son Isiah is almost 11 and my daughter Caroline is 6. We have been to several PSU football games since we've been back and love living on the East coast again.

1990s

Valerie J. D'Antonia, '90 – B.S. LER
Valerie is a Legal Assistant/Grant Writer for DCI, Inc. She received her M.A. in Recreation from the University of MN in 2000 and now resides in Minneapolis, MN. E-mail valeriedantonia@hotmail.com

Melissa S. Edelman-Reifer, '90
“I presently am the owner of a very successful personnel agency. I strongly feel that because of the diverse and practical education I received from the Labor Studies Department, I am where I am today.” (8/97)

Troy Ott, '90
“I have recently accepted a position as Staff Relations Manager for AB&C Group, a national fulfillment and response company located in Charles Town, WV. My primary duties will be recruiting management level employees, safety/worker's comp and special projects. My last job was a Human Resource Manager for Healthcare and Retirement Corp. in Martinsburg, WV and Pittsburgh, PA.” (12/97)

Nicolas J. Enoch, '91
Nicolas Enoch, partner with the Phoenix-based law firm of Lubin & Enoch, P.C., is pleased to announce the expansion of his law firm to Denver, Colorado and the relocation of his Texas office to El Paso. Mr. Enoch has achieved an "AV" rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory and he engages in all phases of complex labor and employment law representation with an emphasis on representing labor unions. (11/07)

Bill Hillman, '91
“I was hired by PAS in Washington, DC as a political consultant on labor issues and worked around the country representing groups from RJR to Right to Work. After several years (and a bad case of Washington burn out) I returned to Philadelphia and started a construction company that has doubled in growth every year for the last four years; much to the thanks of the labor knowledge I acquired from the LER department.” (11/97)

Mark A. Oberdick, '91 – B.S. LER
Specializing in Employee Relations, Mark is employed by Glatfelter and is Employee Services Manager overseeing and managing all HR functions. He resides with his wife, Renea ('92 BS HRIM) and a son, Bryce, in York, PA. E-mail magicmro@suscom.net.

Wayne Packer, '91
Wayne is the Area Human Resource Manager of Lowe's for Central New Jersey. He is married to Andrea Danner, a PSU grad, and they have two sons, Jameson and Landon. E-mail: wtPacker2120@aol.com.

Jen Braim, ‘92
“Since graduation, I relocated to the Philadelphia area, where I currently work as a Benefits Analyst/HRIS Administrator for an Aerospace company called Smiths Industries.” (8/97)

Stacy Hart, '92 – B.S. LER
Stacy is Executive Sales Representative of GlaxoSmithkline. She resides with her husband Drew and their son, Griffin James, in Bridgeville, PA. E-mail Stacy.L. Hart@gsk.com.

Carolyn Koutsaftis, '92 – B.S. LER
Carolyn moved from Chicago to NY and welcomed her son, Philip Alexander, in 2004. She re-joined Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Agency as HR Manager in January 2006.

John Kreidman '92
“I am not working directly in the LER field, but find the content of my major most useful to my current job. I am currently working in Los Angeles in Film Production Management. I work freelance on large feature films produced by the major studios. Part of my job requires me to review union contracts and advise if our policies and procedures are allowable under current union contracts. In the film industry, there are about 35 different unions each with different contracts. On a daily basis I see union members live and die from their union contract.” (11/97)

Deborah Anderson, '93
After graduation, Deborah completed a master’s degree in labor economics at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and went on to pursue a Ph.D. Deborah says her biggest academic achievement so far has been to publish an article with David Shapiro (her PSU honors thesis advisor in economics) in the January 1996 issue of the Industrial and Labor Relations Review. If you are thinking about Cornell's ILR or Economics programs, feel free to contact Deborah by e-mail: dja5@cornell.edu. (8/97)

Benjamin C. Burns, '93
Sales Representative for Penn Lyon Homes. He and his wife Gina and daughter Alaina live in Selinsgrove, PA.

Stephanie Hoover, '93
I was recently named as the VP of Human Resources for Sheetz.

Megan (Forney) Hamilton '94
Megan is Sr. Manager, Corporate Support for KC Resources in Columbia, MD. She plans to retire from her position to devote her time to daughter, Katie Rose (although consulting remains a possibility). She can be reached at meganhamilton@home.com.

Thomas McPhillips, '94 - LER
County of Berks Assistant Director, H.R./ Labor Relations, contract negotiations, and training. He lives in Pottsville, PA with his wife Janet and their two children.

Lisa Mooney Stefanko, 94
“I joined Rubbermaid as a Human Resources Generalist, then went to the Newell Company as a Human Resources Supervisor. I joined Frito-Lay in February of 1999 as the HR Manager for a 250-person plant in Lubbock, TX, and was recently (August 2000) promoted to a Human Resources Manager position near Indianapolis, in a plant with about 900 employees (enough to keep me busy!). Personally, I got married about 3 1/2 years ago, and have a 5 month old little boy! My husband is a stay-at-home Dad, which makes the career that I chose possible.” Lisa.K.Stefanko@fritolay.com.

Shad Bean, '95
“I work at BoffemmyerMotor Company in Milan, Michigan as a Manufacturing Supervisor. I use principles that I used in college every day at Boffemmyer. It has helped me a lot. I work at the automotive component plant of BoffemmyerMotor with 1300 United Auto Workers. I have forgotten the everyday topics that I was taught in college, but I have taken with me the principles, theory, and discipline that goes behind all of the education. When I was in college, I always asked myself how would I use this in the real world. Now I know and am doing alright. My email address is shadbean@worldnet.com” (3/98). Shad also graduated from Eastern Michigan University with an M.S. in Organizational Development.

Patricia Berger, '95
“After spending 6 + years as a union representative, I am completing my Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Penn. I loved helping people so much, I now work with children and families as a therapist.”

Angel Gonzalez, '95
“Hola desde Puerto Rico! I am truly proud of my alma mater. My times at Penn State are some of the happiest days of my life. Since graduation in 1995, I was hired by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union in Washington, DC. After two years in the UFCW Education Office I was transferred to Puerto Rico as an organizer. There I lobbied for the passage of a collective bargaining law for 175,000 public sector employees. In February of 1998 it was signed into law by the Governor and since then I have been put in charge of the union's organizing program in Puerto Rico. Things couldn't have gone better! I would love to hear from you: organize@coqui.net. Can't wait for football season, GO STATE!!!!” (7/98)

Josh Kroell, '95 - LER
Josh is a former Penn State football player who is now manager of Lezzer Lumber Office in State College. He is married to Angie (Ryen) and the father of two sons. You can reach Josh and Angie at home by phone: 814-383-2919.

Barry Rowland, '95
“After graduating from State, I joined the Army, and became a Personnel Sergeant. This job has taken me on many diverse adventures. […] I'm really interested in becoming a Union Representative, and ask any of you all out there for advice on how I would go about pursuing this. […] My email is Mustang_108@Hotmail.com, and I would love to hear from you all!” (2/00)

Marla Stambaugh, '95
“I used to work in the Marketing Department of SYSCO Food Services of Philadelphia but now I am currently the HR Generalist. I was the Marketing Coordinator for about 2 1/2 years until the position as HR Generalist opened up. It shows you that persistence and patience pays off in the long run. It is nice to finally be doing something with all of the knowledge that I learned while getting my degree in LSIR from PSU.” MarlaPSU@aol.com (11/99)

Heather Conroy, '96
After living in Portland, Oregon for two years, Heather got involved in an initiative campaign to raise the Oregon minimum wage. She collected signatures to qualify the initiative for the ballot and is proud to say the initiative passed. After that she worked for a coalition of public sector unions to keep a right to work initiative off the ballot. She then went on to work as an external organizer for UFCW Local 555 for a little over a year. Now she is working as an organizer at SEIU Local 503 (Oregon Public Employees Union). The local organizes public sector and private non-profit workers. She is also on the executive committee of Portland Jobs with Justice; the President of Oregon's CLUW Chapter, and a delegate to the Central Labor Council. Her latest adventure is in Labor Education where she is an adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon. (4/99)

Lisette Garcia, '96
Lisette went on to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Richmond. Email Lisette at lgarcia@richmond.edu. (1/99)

Seth W. Hall, '96
“I have been working with Anderson Consulting for two years, in charge of the Change Management Competency Group. We are in the business of helping clients ‘change’ to be more successful. I am currently living in Philadelphia, and in my free time training for my first triathlon.” (2/98)

Michelle Kaddar (D'Aoust), '96 – B.A. LER
Michelle married Mohamed Kaddar November 11, 2000. She is currently employed by Connelly & Connelly, PC in North Babylon, New York. Michelle is an attorney practicing in the area of personal injury and negligence. E-mail address is: Michelle2874@aol.com.

Jennifer M. Scully, '96
“I'm grateful to Penn State - it seems graduates from here are well appreciated by my employer. Since I'm getting great experience my next step is to be a hearing officer for representation issues. What fun!” (7/98)

Ken Smart III, '96
“One of the main reasons that I decided to major in LER was not only to improve my written and communication skills, but also to give me the option to work in many different fields. After interviewing with various companies I took an Assistant position with Alex Brown & Sons. Alex Brown is a highly respected Investment Banking firm. This is a very prestigious, yet exciting firm to work for and I really love it. I guess I am living proof that LER majors have a lot of opportunity in a number of different career fields. Networking has certainly been the key for me, as well as preparation for each interview.” (8/97)

Sarah M. Andzulis, '97
Sarah completed a M.S. in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. “I currently serve as Human Resources Representative for Nationwide Insurance and am based out of Fort Washington, PA. I currently service employees throughout the greater Philadelphia Metro area. As I progress in my career, I truly have gained a great appreciation for the LER program at Penn State. It provides an excellent foundation for a successful career in Human Resources.” ANDZULS@Nationwide.com

Matthew Plocki , '97 - LER
Matthew is owner and president of Pittsburgh Coffee Break. He has three children Abigail, Olivia, and Nolan. He resides in Freeport, PA. E-mail PCB@Zoominternet.net.

Courtney Raymore, '97 - LER
Courtney is a Human Resources Associate for the American Red Cross HQ in Washington, D C. E-mail: courtneyraymore@hotmail.com.

Christine Dantonio, '98 - B.A. LER
Christine is employed by Harvey, Pennington, Cabot, Griffith & Renneisen, Ltd. As an attorney in the Labor and Employment Law Department. She married her high school sweetheart on June 13, 2003 in Montego Bay Jamaica. Christine is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She was appointed to serve as an arbitrator in Philadelphia County. E-mail: cdantonio@harvpenn.com.

Deb Farber, '98
“I can't even tell you how much I miss Penn State. The real world is scary! I have accepted a position with Macy's East as an HR Coordinator. It is part of the Federated Department Stores. I really like it a lot as there are plenty of recruiting and employee relations issues. As always Go State!” (7/98)

Sharon Kuropatwa, '98
“I began working with Andersen Consulting in their Recruiting Department. I'm currently a campus recruiter working in between the NYC and NJ offices. My job includes going out to colleges, recruiting seniors and MBAs, interviewing, and bringing candidates in for the office visit. I feel very lucky to have such a fun job and wish everyone the same. Please feel free to contact me for any reason at sharon.kuropatwa@ac.com.” (1/99)

Erich Lobecher, '98
“I wanted to give you an update on my career. I found a new job. I am a technical recruiter for a company called New Boston Systems. We are the 3rd largest recruiting company in the world. Basically, what I do is find computer people and place them into contracts in different companies. I am working a lot, but I love it.” (3/00)

Karen Mergenthaler, '98
Karen attended Villanova Law School. (8/98)

Todd Wanner, '98
“I am very excited to announce that I have accepted a position with Xerox Connect, the IT subsidiary of Xerox. I have taken a step toward a career in Human Resources by becoming a recruiter for Xerox Connect. I am also excited to enter the Information Technology field at the same time. I'm a bit nervous, but the possibilities are endless. I will keep an eye open for all PSU alums out there that are looking to enhance their careers in the IT field.” Todd.Wanner@connect.xerox.com. (10/99)

Katie Wegmann, '98
“After I graduated in August I moved to New York City to begin a job with an Executive Financial Recruiting Firm based in England, Michael Page International, Inc. It is owned by Interim Services. I did an internship for Interim Personnel that resulted in offers for several jobs. I am responsible for all of the marketing to introduce Michael Page to the US market. In the future we will be conducting career seminars and I am in the beginning stages of developing Fast Trak, which is a MBA and college-recruiting program. I just wanted to let you know what I am up to and to tell you that my internship really paid off.” (11/98)

Tara Yoest, '98
“I am currently working for PPG Industries, Inc. at their Lake Charles, LA chemical facility. I am a Human Resource Associate/Trainee. Things have been going very well for me and I love working in Human Resources. I can't thank you enough for the assistance and support you gave me while I was at Penn State. I truly believe that choosing LER for my major was the best decision I made while in college. I can't say enough about the quality of the faculty and about the personal attention they pay to each one of their students. I also have a message for the students. Please tell them to study, study, and study! No matter how much they don't want to believe it, they WILL need the information they are learning. I can't tell you how many times I have used my old textbooks and notes to help me in my current job. Who you know may get you an interview, but once you get to the interview it's all about WHAT you know. Even if you are able to just ‘get by’ in college, once you get into the real world just ‘getting by’ will eventually lead to starvation.” (8/99)

Nick Fotis, '99
“After a few months of bouncing around--Union Summer, OI, job search--I'm settling in with an executive search firm in Chicago. I began with DHR International, a nationwide retained search firm.” nfotis@dhrintl.com

Chris Muchi, '99
Chris accepted a position with Amgen (a west coast biotech firm). She is looking forward to PSU becoming a regular participant in the Rose Bowl in the years ahead. (6/03)

Jason Smukler, '99
“I am working as a technical recruiter with CDI Technical services. Life is much harder after college but certainly challenging. Students or alumni interested in getting into recruiting, feel free to call me at 610-962-0663 or email me at jason.smukler@cdicorp.com.” (1/01)

Lisa A.Woods, '99
“I am currently employed at Salomon Smith Barney in New York as a Training Specialist for End-User Technology in the Corporate Training and Development department. I began work on July 12th as a participant in the 1999 Business Training Program. The program included 94 other hand-picked employees from across all divisions of SSB, both domestic and international. […] I would like to make myself available to any undergrads that have questions or want advice from an alumnus.” lisa.woods@ssmb.com (8/99)

2000s

Darren Butz, '00
Darren is a Human Resources Recruiter. “I work for American Business Financial Services (ABFS) in Bala Cynwyd, PA. ABFS is a financial services company that has emerged as an industry leader which provides diverse investment products and credit services to businesses and consumers nationwide. I work in the Human Resources Department, which is composed of about 15 people, as an HR Recruiter. I am one of three HR Recruiters in the department. Of course I am the most junior so most of my recruiting efforts are focused towards entry-level and non-exempt positions. However, I am exposed to a lot of different HR issues such as employee relations, retention, turnover, and of course recruitment. I am responsible for full life-cycle recruitment which includes placing ads, screening and sourcing resumes, conducting interviews, hiring, reference checks, etc. for various positions within the company. I am also responsible for coordinating and maintaining the recruiting effort within the department. Feel free to email me at: dbutz@abfsonline.com. Check out our website at: www.abfsonline.com. (7/01)

Chris Jelepis, '00
Chris is employed by the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) at the International Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Chris graduated from Villanova Law School in 2003 and would be very willing to speak to students who are interested in labor and/or employment law and could most probably arrange for students to meet the General President of his union. He is very interested in getting an internship program started at his union and "overrun the organization with Penn Staters". Contact Chris: CJelepis@IUOE.ORG

Clare Long, '00
“I am working with a management consulting firm doing HR consulting. I am doing some recruiting, writing some big proposals, and many other interesting things. This position came about because of my internship last summer!!! I'd like to strongly encourage students to pursue internships - they've been known to lead to great places!” (6/00)

Teresa Rodriguez, '00
While attending Temple Law School, Teresa worked as an intern for Friends of Farmworkers, an organization in Philadelphia that offers legal representation for agricultural/seasonal workers (mostly undocumented, Spanish-speaking) throughout Pennsylvania. (7/02)

Martin Milz, '01
Graduated from Temple Law School and recently accepted a position practicing union-side labor and employment law with the firm of Spear, Wilderman, Borish, Endy, Spear & Runckel in Philadelphia.

Eric Walker, '01
Eric currently works for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He is a legislative research analyst for the House Minority Whip's office (Rep. Mike Veon). His email address is emwpsu@hotmail.com.

Kimberly M. Hicks, '02
Kimberly is now working as an HR Manager for Lowes Home Improvement Corporation. She says," any Penn Staters out there, give me a call... could use the company!" kimhicks81@yahoo.com.

Matthew G. Holbert, '02
Employed by Holbert Motor Cars as a dispatcher, Matthew bought a new home in March of 2003. E-mail MGH136@hotmail.com.

Patrick W. Kelley, '02
Patrick pursued a J.D. with a concentration in Labor and Employment Law at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He currently works in the school's Employment Law Clinic litigating on behalf of clients with unique employment-related claims. Feel free to email him at pkelley@law.csuohio.edu.

Shannon Marie Williams, '02 - LER
Shannon is employed as an Account Representative for Parente HR Services. She is responsible for flexible spending accounts for 35 clients.

Joseph P. Ciccarella Jr., '03
Joe currently works for Penn Color Inc. as a Production Scheduling Coordinator in Hatfield, PA. Penn Color, Inc. is an industry leader in the field of thermoplastics for pigment dispersions and color concentrates. Joe handles a variety of tasks such as managing and scheduling the production of products while assuring the sales department that their customers can expect timely deliveries. In addition, he works closely with the plant manager, quality control, and the research and development team to find new ways to improve product formulas and costing. Joe lives in Worcester PA, and his fiancée is also a Penn State graduate. His email address is jciccarella@penncolor.com.

Corissa Leong '03
Corissa works at Summit Security as the HR Generalist and is involved with all facets of HR (policy development, compliance, employee relations, benefits and insurance, recruitment, staffing, training and development, etc.) Her email address is cleong@summitsecurity.com.

Jennifer Fazioli, ‘04
Jennifer is an Assistant Track and Cross-Country Coach at SUNY-Albany. She resides in Ballston Lake, New York.

Jessie L. Whiteman, '04 – LER
Jessie is employed by Aqua America (formerly known as Philadelphia Suburban Water Company) as a Human Resources Assistant. E-mail: whitemanj@suburbanwater.com.

Adam Taliaferro, '05 - LER
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/19206379.html