WPSU Board of Representatives

Kate Bennett Truitt

Kate spent the past 40 years as a producer, developer, and director in the world of media development – from projects on 1” videotape to online educational programming delivered on custom platforms with complex functionality. Her love of storytelling, focus on the end user, and gifts as a servant leader have afforded her a stimulating and rewarding career. Kate is a Penn State graduate and returned to the State College area in 2017 after 40 years in Austin, Texas.

Dr. Steve Carpenter

Steve was born in Washington, DC, grew up in Maryland, and earned his undergraduate degree in visual art at Slippery Rock University. He earned his graduate degrees at Penn State. Before returning to Penn State in 2011, Steve was a faculty member at Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Texas A&M University. Steve is currently dean of the College of Arts and Architecture at Penn State. Early in his career, Steve worked as a public school art teacher. He is a visual artist and author of articles, book chapters, and books on art education, curriculum theory, racism in the arts, and the global water crisis. Steve lives in State College with his wife and their daughter, and their family dog.

Sherry DelGrosso

Sherry DelGrosso, DNP, RN, graduated from Penn State (Nurs ’92). She began her career as an ICU nurse at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and has experience in the following specialties: legal nurse consulting, hospital management, healthcare consulting, clinical nursing, academia, research, and speaking engagements. As a healthcare consultant, she helped organizations improve operational inefficiencies. She focused on leadership, finance, and workforce development at the Advisory Board Company. Ties to academia include faculty work at Lansing Community College; teaching assistant at The University of Michigan; adjunct faculty at John’s Hopkins School of Nursing; Penn State University World Campus, and now Saint Francis University. She owns DelGrosso Legal Nurse Consulting, LLC, and serves on the Editorial Committee for the Journal of Legal Nurse Consulting. She is a public speaker and advocates for those impacted by breast cancer. In 2021, Sherry and her husband, Michael, received The Penn State Outreach and Online Education Fischer Award of Distinction. Sherry resides in Tipton, PA, with her husband and daughter, Sofia.

Sydney Forde

Sydney Forde is a Ph.D. student in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications studying the political economy of media industries with a focus on journalism from a normative democratic approach. Specifically, she is interested in media policy and regulation as it pertains to journalism, media literacy initiatives, and advocating for greater public media support as an alternative to the United States’ largely commercial news industry. As a Canadian, Forde often compares American media structures to Canadian equivalents, and in doing so aims to find solutions to global problems in the digital age through cross-national analysis.

Amy Frank

Amy Stacy Frank is the founder of The Makery, located at 209 W. Calder Way in downtown State College. The Makery is an inspired art and craft studio specializing in creative classes, parties and events.

The Makery has received several local and regional awards including Best Community Space and Best Place for After School Activities from State College Magazine and Community Impact Business of the Year from the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County. You can learn more at themakerypa.com.

Amy is also an accomplished mixed media collage artist. Last year, she won WPSU’s Art for the Airwaves contest for her landscape, The Road Home. Her collections are shown in local and regional galleries. Her portraits and landscapes are often created using materials from the people and places she paints. Amy’s work can be seen at mindfullymadestudios.com.
Amy lives in Central PA with a patient husband, 4 crazy kids and 2 goldendoodles.

Paula Fritz Eddy

Paula Fritz Eddy has worked in nonprofit management for over 40 years starting her career with Penn Lakes Girls Scout Council in Erie. She went on to be Executive Director in McKean Potter and Cameron Counties and Income Development Director for the Northwest Area of the Pennsylvania Division for the American Cancer Society before coming to the Community Foundation world. She is recently retired after 19 years as the Executive Director of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies and its affiliates the Elk County Community Foundation and McKean County Community Foundation.

Paula returned to her home town of St. Marys after being gone for 20 years and loved working for the Community Foundation as it is truly a place where she had helped people who care about their community provide support to the agencies and programs that are near and dear to their hearts. In that role she was honored to be involved in numerous community events including the 2013 WPSU production of Our Town St. Marys.

Earning a degree in Human Ecology with a teaching certificate in Home Economics from Mercyhurst College, Paula taught at Elk County Christian High School for a short while. Paula is a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, sits on the steering committee of the Women Who Care organization, a project of the Elk County Community Foundation, which she is a founding member. She also is the current Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Citizens Against Physical, Sexual and Emotional Abuse (CAPSEA) Elk and Cameron Counties and the Peace Foundation, it supporting organization. Paula is the Judge of Elections for St. Marys Ward 4 and a volunteer at the Benedictine Gift Shop. In the past she has volunteered for Keystone Tall Trees Girl Scouts, St. Marys Catholic Church, Junior Achievement and numerous school and church fundraising and event committees.

As a long standing member of the Family Resource Network – Community that Cares board and through the work with the Community Foundations Paula brings a vast amount of knowledge about the nonprofit organization in the communities that she has served.

Kellie Goodman Shaffer

Kellie Goodman Shaffer, is a new member to the WPSU Board of Representatives. She is President/CEO of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and serves as the Executive Director of the 501-(c)(3) Bedford County Chamber (Education) Foundation.

Kellie was named to the chief executive post of the Chamber in February of 2010. Prior to that, she served as the Marketing Director of the Allegheny Mountains Convention & Visitors Bureau/Game Director of the PSFCA East West All-Star Game and Manager of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association (PSFCA.)

Kellie also spent more than 20 years as a broadcast journalist in the Johnstown-Altoona-State College television market, most notably leading the award-winning sports department for WTAJ-TV (CBS) from 1998-2008 and host/writer of the Emmy-Award Winning Penn State Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Shows for WPSU. She was the first woman to hold the post of Sports Director at a Pennsylvania television station. A multi-media professional, she also wrote a sports column for the Altoona Mirror for more than ten years, and has served as play-by-play announcer for women’s college (Big Ten) and high school basketball games on both television and radio, including the PIAA state championships.

Kellie is a graduate of Penn State University, where she captained the Lady Lion Varsity Softball Team. She resides in Osterburg with her husband, Jeff, two chocolate labs and two cats.

Kelly Hastings

Kelly Hastings is a graduate of Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, and Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA. Four generations of her family were educators, and she is a recent retiree of Keystone Central where she served as a teacher, principal, director and superintendent. Kelly has volunteered at WPSU radio for the past seven years. She is married to William Hastings and they have two children, Daniel and Anna.

Marie Hardin, Dean
Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications

Marie Hardin began her tenure as dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications in July 2014 but has been a part of Penn State since 2003, when she joined the College of Communications as a tenure-track faculty member. Since arriving at Penn State, she has had leadership roles with the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism and the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication. She is also heavily engaged at the intersection of higher education and the journalism and mass communications professions through her work with the Hearst Foundations and the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She lives in State College with her husband, Jerry, a retired journalist and author.

Matilda Illuzzi

Matilda Illuzzi was born, raised, and educated in New York City.  She has lived in DuBois for 24 years with her husband. Both of our children attended Penn State.  Their daughter graduated in 2012 from the College of Communications.  Prior to DuBois they lived in rural Virginia where Matilda discovered public broadcasting.  The Illuzzis have been contributors to many various fundraising events for WPSU, and were the original donors for the DuBois Endowment.  Presently, Matilda is a personal fashion consultant for a ladies boutique.  She is involved with many charitable and church organizations.

Kate Kennedy

In my position as the executive director of the Kane Area Development Center, I support and connect the Kane Chamber of Commerce, Kane Area Revitalization Enterprise and Kane Area Industrial Development Corporation.

I am passionate about telling the stories of the people and places I love, as demonstrated through the 100 Days of Kane, PA project where every day for 100 consecutive days I interviewed someone from my hometown on social media to share about why they love where they live.

My previous work experience as a public relations specialist at homeless shelter in Pittsburgh, an elementary school counselor at a title one school in the Washington DC area, and a former member of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps program on the West Coast has helped prepare me for where I am today!

Joanne Kohlhepp Bish

Joanne Kohlhepp Bish returned to her hometown, DuBois, PA, after an exciting New York City-based culinary career. Using the skill set developed throughout her career in hospitality and entrepreneurship, Joanne stepped into the role of an effective marketing director for DuBois Granite & Quartz and is now the owner of the stone fabrication company. She enjoys being part of Pennsylvania’s robust manufacturing industry and raising her family in the place where she grew up.

Joanne has an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University in hotel, restaurant & institutional management, a culinary arts degree from the Institute of Culinary Education, and a master of science degree in holistic nutrition through the American College of Healthcare Sciences.

Connie Kough Pittenger

Connie Kough Pittenger is currently enjoying retirement after serving as County Commissioner in Huntingdon County, serving one term in office from January 2008 through December 2011. Connie chose to not run for reelection. As County Commissioner Connie served on numerous boards including: Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission, Chair of SAP&DC Tourism Council, Tri-County MH/MR, Tri-County Area on Aging, Home Nursing Agency, The Huntingdon County Library Board, Huntingdon County Business and Industry, Center for Community Action.

Her prior professional experience included over 20 years in public broadcasting. Kough Pittenger’s career began at WITF TV/Radio in Harrisburg, PA where she worked in the Development Department raising local corporate support. She then spent a number of years in the Baltimore area where she was part of the corporate underwriting team for Maryland Public Television. The last ten years of her career in public broadcasting were with NPR, National Public Radio Washington D.C. During her tenure at NPR she served as Director of National Corporate Support.

Kough Pittenger returned to her hometown in Huntingdon County in 2000 and continued to work for NPR. In 2003 she left NPR to purchase and open a Curves fitness center for women which she owned and operated before selling the business in 2013.

Connie continues to serve on nonprofit boards. Connie is married to Robert Pittenger of Atascadero, California. She is the proud mother of two daughters and three grandchildren.

John Lacny

John Lacny is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Area Transportation Authority (ATA) headquartered in Johnsonburg, PA. John grew up and lives in DuBois, PA. John is a huge fan of public broadcasting in the northern tier of the WPSU coverage area. He has public administration experience (as a Clearfield County official) and non-profit experience.

Clarence Lang

Clarence Lang began his tenure as Susan Welch Dean of the College of the College of the Liberal Arts and Professor of African American Studies in July 2019. He joined Penn State from the University of Kansas, where he served as Chair of the Department of African and African-American Studies, Interim Director of the Hall Center for the Humanities, and Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. A scholar in African American urban and working-class history and social movements in the Midwest and Border South, his research has been published in venues such as Journal of Social History, Journal of African American History, Journal of Human and Civil Rights, The Black Scholar, and Critical Sociology. He is the author of two books and two edited volumes. Dean Lang received his bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in Black Studies from the University of Missouri, and his Ph.D. in History from the University of Illinois.

Peggy Morgan

Peggy Morgan of Warren, PA is a “semi-retired” educator, formerly an instructor at SUNY-Jamestown, and full time AP History teacher at the Warren Area High School here in Warren. I still serve in part time capacities for the AP program, both in Warren (10 weeks in the classroom for AP US History), as well as a substitute teacher for the School District and as a Faculty Consultant for College Board spending 10 days each year working for ETS in Kansas City for the AP European History program. In my volunteer life I serve as the Chair of a Scholarship program for Warren Woman’s Club and another Scholarship for the Warren Foundation Mary Conarro Nursing scholarship. I continue interest in the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown, NY and am delighted to be returning to the WPSU Board after years of service there, culminating with several years as Chairman of the Board. I remain on the APTS Leadership Committee. Otherwise I can be found at the bridge table, involved in sharing my Husband Bill’s pursuits and those of my 4 children or 9 grandchildren near and far.

Jennifer Neely

Jennifer Neely has dedicated her career to education, serving as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and curriculum consultant. She graduated from Penn State University’s College of Education in 2006 (B.S.) after studying secondary education with a focus on English and communications and again in 2011 (M.Ed.) after completing graduate studies in curriculum and instruction with a focus on language and literacy instruction. Jennifer was also selected as an Leadership in Enrollment Management Scholar by the Enrolment Management Association and earned a graduate certificate (2016) from University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education’s Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice. Ms. Neely resides in Blair County with her family and enjoys serving on the board of directors at her daughters’ school.

Anthony Olorunnisola

Anthony Olorunnisola is a tenured professor and associate dean of graduate programs and research. He routinely teaches undergraduate and graduate courses. A William J. Fulbright alumnus, Dr. Olorunnisola is keenly interested in the nature, development [functional and/or dysfunctional], and transformation of social systems. He studies influences of nations’ politics, economics, and cultures on media systems. Lately, Dr. Olorunnisola’s focus has embraced studies of segments of societies’ systems that lead democratized systems toward dysfunctionality. His ongoing work includes a developmental project in West Africa that seeks to reduce mass illiteracy and innumeracy among youth populations and impacts thereof on democratic citizenship.

Greg Petersen

Greg Petersen had a 45-year career in broadcasting and media concluding with a 28-year stint at WPSU TV-FM, retiring as Director of Broadcasting. He created and built the “Our Town” project for WPSX/WPSU in 1996 that has been emulated at numerous public stations nationwide. A graduate of New Mexico State University in journalism and mass communications, he has served on numerous national committees for public broadcasting in the areas of communication, promotion and programming.  His work has earned numerous awards and nominations including four regional Emmy nominations for productions and public service. He has also been honored by PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for his work in public media.

Connie Kough Pittenger

Connie Kough Pittenger is currently enjoying retirement after serving as County Commissioner in Huntingdon County, serving one term in office from January 2008 through December 2011. Connie chose to not run for reelection. As County Commissioner Connie served on numerous boards including: Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission, Chair of SAP&DC Tourism Council, Tri-County MH/MR, Tri-County Area on Aging, Home Nursing Agency, The Huntingdon County Library Board, Huntingdon County Business and Industry, Center for Community Action.

Her prior professional experience included over 20 years in public broadcasting. Kough Pittenger’s career began at WITF TV/Radio in Harrisburg, PA where she worked in the Development Department raising local corporate support. She then spent a number of years in the Baltimore area where she was part of the corporate underwriting team for Maryland Public Television. The last ten years of her career in public broadcasting were with NPR, National Public Radio Washington D.C. During her tenure at NPR she served as Director of National Corporate Support.

Kough Pittenger returned to her hometown in Huntingdon County in 2000 and continued to work for NPR. In 2003 she left NPR to purchase and open a Curves fitness center for women which she owned and operated before selling the business in 2013.

Connie continues to serve on nonprofit boards. Connie is married to Robert Pittenger of Atascadero, California. She is the proud mother of two daughters and three grandchildren.

John Pozza

John Pozza, of Brookville, is an early childhood education advocate and veteran broadcast journalist. John is a graduate of West Virginia University in Morgantown, and did post-graduate study at Drexel University in Philadelphia. He retired from the Region 1 Early Learning Resource Center based at the Northwest Institute of Research (NWIR) in Erie in 2020, but keeps active as a rotating host of the WPSU Jazz Show. John is also a contributor to Watershed Books and Literary Arts Center in Brookville, which publishes the Watershed Journal literary magazine and helped publish his book, “Conversations on The Neighborhood” on the legacy of Fred Rogers, and his memoir, “Was Anybody Really Listening?” His Ask the Expert Quality Early Learning Talk Show podcast can also be heard on You Tube and SoundCloud.com.

Sara Songer

Sara was born and raised in Bedford, PA and still has family there. She is a nurse who received her degrees from Penn State, BS ’72 and MS ’78 and post-grad Advanced Nurse Practice, Forensic Nursing, from Duquesne University in 2004. She has resided and worked in State College for 50+ years. As a nurse, Sara has taught locally, statewide, and nationally in her areas of expertise of healthcare delivery and management and as a forensic nurse examiner. Retired from Mount Nittany Medical Center, Sara is trying to be retired from the family business, Torron Group. Her husband, both sons, and their wives are all Penn State graduates. Her five (5) grandchildren, are still too young to be Penn State grads, but that is only a matter of time.

Donna Stoicovy

Donnan Stoicovy is a retired educator with 45 years of experience in both public and independent schools. as a teacher, a principal and a Head of School. She has lived in Halfmoon Township for 33 years. Her passions are environmental education, sustainability and climate action, natural history, history, music and democracy. She recently completed the requirements to become a certified Pennsylvania Master Naturalist. In addition to being on the WPSU Board of Representatives, she is on the Clearwater Conservancy Board, chair of Millbrook Marsh’s Advisory Committee as ClearWater’s representative and on ClearWater’s Centred Outdoors Committee. She is the chair of the Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Environmental Education where she was appointed to represent ClearWater Conservancy and Millbrook Marsh. She represents Halfmoon Township on the Climate Action and Sustainability Committee. She continues to work with the Kettering Foundation on K-12 Civic Engagement and serves as the chair of the Project Learning Tree’s PA Steering Committee. She is a Colerain Center Board member working to increase its presence in the area as the Colerain Center for Education, Preservation and the Arts. Donnan has been a lifelong public radio and television advocate, sustaining member and donor.

Melinda M. Stearns

Melinda Stearns is a long time State College resident who retired from Penn State Outreach and Online Education in the area of strategic partnership development several years ago. She held leadership roles at Penn State for 25 years, held prior corporate marketing positions and was a small business owner in New England.

Melinda has volunteered with Penn State in the Performing Arts and has held leadership positions on several community boards. She especially enjoys coaching early-stage entrepreneurs at Happy Valley Launch Box, an innovative program of the Invent Penn State initiative.

Melody Tisinger

Melody Tisinger has always been a lover of the arts. From creating short stories as a child to singing in various community and church choirs, it was only natural that her passion for creativity and history would lead her to work in the arts & culture/ heritage tourism sector for the past 13 years. Melody began her non-profit career as the marketing and development intern for the Johnstown Area Heritage Association (JAHA) in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. As an intern, she helped to coordinate special events, education programs, and tour school groups throughout the various museum sites. In 2015, Melody became a part of JAHA’s professional staff, and before leaving in August 2017, she operated as the Development and Membership Officer. In September of 2017, Melody joined the Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center (Bottle Works) team as the Program Manager. As program manager, she focused on creating art classes, workshops, and special events. After two years with the Bottle Works, Melody was promoted to Co-director. She is directly responsible for operations and community and public relations. Melody earned her a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a concentration in public relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2008.

Roger L. Williams

Until his retirement in 2015, Roger L. Williams served the University as executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association, Associate Vice President, and Affiliate Associate Professor of Higher Education. He has authored more than 30 publications and three books: The Origins of Federal Support for Higher Education: George W. Atherton and the Land-Grant College Movement (1991), Evan Pugh’s Penn State: America’s Model Agricultural College (2018), and Frederick Watts and the Founding of Penn State (2021), all on Penn State University Press. Currently, he is president of the Centre County Historical Society and serves as a member of the Dean’s Development Council in Penn State’s College of Education and the Penn State All-Sports Museum Advisory Board. He holds a B.A. in history, an M.A. in journalism, and a D.Ed in higher education, all from Penn State. He also worked as chief communications officer at Georgetown University and the University of Arkansas and as a consultant for Dick Jones Communications, a national higher education media relations company. He and his wife Karen Magnuson live in State College, and they have four adult children.