Board of Trustees
James G. Breckenridge, Ph.D.Â
Retired, Provost and Chief Academic Officer,
U.S. Army War College
Term Trustee Dr. James G. Breckenridge, now retired, was the Provost and Chief Academic Officer for the U.S. Army War College. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2022. Dr. Breckenridge currently serves on the Academic Affairs, Advancement, and Enrollment & Revenue Committees.Â
Dario Cipriani
Retired, Partner,
Historic Square Insurance Agency
Term Trustee Dario Cipriani is a 1974 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate. Now retired, he was a longtime partner at the Historic Square Insurance Agency. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2020. Trustee Cipriani currently serves on the Advancement, Audit, and Student Life & Athletics Committees.Â
Sister Joanne Courneen, RSM
Sister of Mercy
Term Trustee Sister JoAnne Courneen is a 1964 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2016. She has served on the Board as a representative of the Sisters of Mercy since 1989. Sister Courneen served as Vice Chair of the Board until 2023 and currently serves on the Budget & Finance, Executive, and Governance Committees and is the Chair of the Mission Committee.
Bassam Deeb, Ph.D.
President, Trocaire College
Term Trustee Dr. Bassam Deeb is the President of Trocaire College. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2023. Dr. Deeb currently serves on the Academic Affairs, Audit, and Governance Committees.
Rosemary Durkin, J.D.
Shareholder, Stark & Stark Law Firm
Term Trustee Rosemary Durkin is a 1977 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and a shareholder at Stark & Stark, Attorneys at Law. She served as the Secretary of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees for seven years and has been a member of the Board since 1997. Trustee Durkin currently serves on the Audit, Governance, and Student Life & Athletics Committees.
Phil English
Former U.S. Congressman
Term Trustee Philip English is a former U.S. Congressman. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2024. Trustee English currently serves on the Academic Affairs, Governance, and Mission Committees.
Stephen Fiedler
Retired, Senior Vice President, Time Warner
Term Trustee Stephen Fiedler is a 1985 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and a retired Senior Vice President for Time Warner. He served as Board Treasurer for seven years and became a Vice Chair of the Board in 2023. Trustee Fiedler currently serves on the Academic Affairs, Enrollment & Revenue, Executive, Governance, and Audit Committees and is Chair of the Budget & Finance Committee.
Andrea Jeffress, M.D.
Physician, OBGYN Associates of Erie
Term Trustee Dr. Andrea Jeffress is a physician at OBGYN Associates of Erie. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2013. Dr. Jeffress currently serves on the Academic Affairs and Compensation Committees.
B. Scott Kern, J.D.
Vice President and General Counsel,
C.A. Curtze Co.
Term Trustee Scott Kern is the Vice President and General Counsel of C.A. Curtze Co., Inc. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2016 and has been a Vice Chair of the Board since 2023. Trustee Kern currently serves on the Budget & Finance, Executive, and Governance Committees and is Chair of the Compensation and Enrollment & Revenue Committees.
Lev Kubiak
Vice President and Chief Security Officer, Pfizer, Inc.
Term Trustee Lev Kubiak is a 1988 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate, retired Senior Executive from the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security (2016), and currently Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Pfizer, Inc. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2013 and is a previous member of the President’s Associates. Trustee Kubiak currently serves on the Academic Affairs, Audit, Enrollment & Revenue, and Executive Committees and is Chair of the Student Life & Athletics Committee.
John Langer
President, H. Jack's Plumbing & Heating
Term Trustee John Langer is a 1994 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and President of H. Jack's Plumbing & Heating in Wickliffe, Ohio. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2014. Trustee Langer currently serves on the Advancement and Budget & Finance Committees.
Yvonne Maher
Executive Director,
Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation
Term Trustee Yvonne Maher is a 1993 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and the Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2015 and served as Vice Chair of the Board until 2023. Trustee Maher currently serves on the Advancement, Executive, and Governance Committees.
Jamie Martin-Stewart
Vice President, Executive Support,
Erie Insurance
Term Trustee Jamie Martin-Stewart is a 2011 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and Vice President, Executive Support at Erie Insurance. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2023. Trustee Martin-Stewart currently serves on the Advancement, Compensation, and Student Life & Athletics Committees.
Marc McAndrew
Executive Vice President,
Small Business Banker, PNC
Term Trustee Marc McAndrew is a 1988 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and the Executive Vice President for Small Business Banking for PNC. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2020. Trustee McAndrew currently serves on the Budget & Finance, Enrollment & Revenue, and Executive Committees and is the Chair of the Advancement Committee.
Joseph NeCastro
Retired, Chief Financial Officer,
Scripps Network
Term Trustee Joseph NeCastro is a 1978 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and the retired Chief Financial Officer of Scripps Networks. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2011 and Chair of the Board since 2018. Chairperson NeCastro currently serves on the Academic Affairs, Advancement, Audit, Budget & Finance, Compensation, Enrollment & Revenue, Governance, Mission, and Student Life & Athletic Committees and is the Chair of the Executive Committee.
Margaret Pietraszek
Retired Educator
Term Trustee Margaret Pietraszek is a 1968 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and a retired educator. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2015. Pietraszek currently serves on the Advancement, Mission, and Student Life & Athletics Committees.
Victoria Reider, Esq.
Partner, Dilworth Paxon LLP
Term Trustee Victoria Reider is a 1978 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and a partner at Dilworth Paxon, LLP. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2024. Reider currently serves on the Audit, Governance, and Mission Committees.
John Saxon
Former President/CEO, dlhBOWLES
Term Trustee John Saxon is a 1989 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and the former President and CEO of dlhBOWLES. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2016. Trustee Saxon currently serves on the Budget & Finance and Executive Committees and is the Chair of the Audit Committee.
Nadia Shabanza-Pero
Owner, Blue Lily Homes Staging and Design
Term Trustee Nadia Shabanza-Pero is a 2001 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and owner of Blue Lily Home Staging and Design. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2024 and currently serves on the Mission and Student Life & Athletics Committees.
Christine Spadafor, J.D.
CEO, Spadaforclay Group
Term Trustee Christine Spadafor is the CEO of SpadaforClay Group. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2022 and was named Treasurer of the Board in 2023. Trustee Spadafor currently serves on the Budget & Finance and Executive Committees and is Chair of the Governance Committee.
Daniel Spizarny
Chief of Police, Erie Police Department
Term Trustee Daniel Spizarny is a 1987 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and is the Chief of Police, Erie. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2024 and currently serves on the Academic Affairs, Enrollment & Revenue, and Mission Committees.
Dr. Julia A. Upton, RSM, MPH
Term Trustee Dr. Julia Upton has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2024. Dr. Upton currently serves on the Academic Affairs and Mission Committees.
Barbara Wenig, C.F.A.
Global Head of Operations and Services, Principal Asset Management
Term Trustee Barbara Wenig is a 1995 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and the Global Head of Operations and Services for Principal Asset Management. She has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2022 and Secretary of the Board since 2023. Trustee Wenig currently serves on the Audit, Budget & Finance, Enrollment & Revenue, and Executive Committees.
Patrick Weschler, J.D.
Partner,
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, Inc.
Term Trustee Patrick Weschler is a 1978 ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ graduate and Partner at Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, Inc. He has been a member of the ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Board of Trustees since 2010. Trustee Weschler currently serves on the Compensation, Executive, and Governance Committees and is Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee.Â
Ann M. Nelson
Executive Assistant, Office of the President
Liaison to the Board of Trustees