Leadership Wilkes-Barre Executive Director Lori Nocito, right, greets 2020 Leadership Wilkes-Barre graduate Jen Yurek of Keller Williams Real Estate during Thursday night’s gradution ceremony.

Leadership Wilkes-Barre Executive Director Lori Nocito, right, greets 2020 Leadership Wilkes-Barre graduate Jen Yurek of Keller Williams Real Estate during Thursday night’s gradution ceremony.

TL staffer Bill O’Boyle honored as distinguished alumni

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<p>Times Leader columnist and staff writer Bill O’Boyle accepts the Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award during Leadership Wilkes-Barre’s graduation ceremony Thursday night in Pittston.</p>

Times Leader columnist and staff writer Bill O’Boyle accepts the Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award during Leadership Wilkes-Barre’s graduation ceremony Thursday night in Pittston.

PITTSTON – There was a jubilant tone inside The Banks Waterfront on Thursday as hundreds gathered for the first time in over a year to celebrate two graduating classes, welcome the start of a third and honor a longtime public servant during the Leadership Wilkes-Barre graduation celebration.

Leadership Wilkes-Barre is a local nonprofit whose mission is to develop informed and committed leaders through all segments of the community who can serve, strengthen and improve Northeast Pennsylvania. The group offers six core programs along with various community impact projects, among other outlets.

Longtime Times Leader reporter and columnist Bill O’Boyle was the event’s honoree and keynote speaker, earning the Distinguished Leadership Alumni Award. O’Boyle first began his relationship with Leadership Wilkes-Barre in 1988, admitting that he was in fact a skeptic of the program at first.

“I didn’t think it was an organization that I wanted to be involved with, and I was totally wrong,” O’Boyle explained.

His views quickly changed after meeting his teammates. They formed a bond while coming up with project ideas to better the community. Over 30 years later his project, known as Junior Leadership Wilkes-Barre, is still thriving throughout local high schools.

O’Boyle went on to serve as the Junior Leadership board president for several years, and even participated and served on the board for the organization’s national branch, Leadership U.S.A. To this day he meets with the classes to offer advice on how to make the most out of their time with their projects and the organization.

“Leadership to me is an organization that is perfect for this community to build a better community,” he continued.

More than 50 participants made up the class of 2020, which were broken into six groups. Since the coronavirus pandemic pushed back deadlines and put a damper on large gatherings, the group was able to come and celebrate their graduation Thursday with the class of 2021, which ran four teams with about 30 participants.

Rosenn, Jenkins and Greenwald LLP Attorney Nicholas Marinelli participated in the 2020 class as part of team “Dream Builders,” whose community project was to renovate a backyard playground at Brandon’s Forever Home in Hazleton.

Marinelli became involved with Leadership Wilkes-Barre through his firm. He and his team members assisted the foster home center by planting new grass, upgrading fencing and installing a new play-set for children to enjoy.

When asked how the pandemic affected the project, Marinelli said the team finished the project about four months behind schedule due to shipping delays and supply shortages amongst other issues. Regardless, he said it was fulfilling to be a part of the class and help make a portion of the community better.

“Having been involved and seeing what Leadership has to offer throughout the entire program you get to learn about what the valley has,” Marinelli said, noting he was raised outside of the area. “It’s a very fulfilling and very enlightening kind of process and one I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

Leadership Wilkes-Barre Executive Director Lori Nocito said both classes and the organization itself had to face challenges over the past year, but all successfully made it to the finish line.

“It’s a combined celebration and we couldn’t be happier with the timing to be at this beautiful venue,” she said. “We truly could not survive without the generosity of this entire community.”

Standing at the front of the room attendees were able to clearly see O’Boyle’s standout attire – a pair of orange suede loafers that carried a very special message.

The story of the shoes began in 1999 when he met Seth Zimonlzak, a local high school senior who was diagnosed with cancer. The two met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Zimonlzak explained the tale of a trip to New York with his parents where he discovered the orange shoes, which the senior purchased with the intention to wear at graduation.

Unfortunately, O’Boyle declared, the school’s dress code forbid such attire from being worn to the event. So Zimonlzak’s friends snuck the shoes inside for him.

That September during a telethon and in deteriorating health Zimonlzak gave O’Boyle an envelope with more than $1,600, asking him to present it and “give it to the kids.”

Zimonlzak passed away that September, and his parents, Lon and Susan, presented O’Boyle with the orange shoes and asked him to wear them at special charity events, which the reporter has done ever since.

“That is servant leadership, and Seth set an example we all should follow,” O’Boyle told the group.