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Fifteen Luzerne County residents are now on the eligibility list for three unpaid seats on the 15-member Luzerne County Community College Board of Trustees.
Council is expected to fill those seats and numerous others at its Feb. 11 meeting.
More names may be added to the community college eligibility list before council votes because another public interview session has been scheduled for prospective county board and authority applicants at 6 p.m. Thursday in the county courthouse on River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Nine of the 15 applicants were added to the list following public interviews by a council committee on Jan. 21: Donna Cerza, Paul DeFabo, Dr. Nicole Ferentino, Brian Gill, Daniel Rodgers, Nanci Romanyshyn, Anthony Seiwell, Margaret Steele and Scott Verdine. Gill and Steele are seeking reappointment.
The applicants already on the list following past interviews: Vincent Blandina, Gene Camoni, Cecilia Chmiola, Nicole Kruczek, August Piazza and Barry Williams.
Some background on the nine new applicants presented at the recent public interview:
• Cerza, of Dallas, is admissions director at Misericordia University and has 30 years of experience working in higher education.
Noting she and several siblings had attended the community college, Cerza said she wants to “support the mission and values” of the institution.
• DeFabo, of Wilkes-Barre, has worked as a Realtor for 18 years and said he previously was in business and had some franchises. He has served on the county transportation authority and election board in the past and said he has been politically active for about 35 years.
DeFabo said his business experience would help the community college.
• Ferentino, of Pittston, is a chiropractor, has owned and operated Advanced Chiropractic Clinic in Pittston for 18 years and also teaches anatomy and physiology at the University of Scranton.
Ferentino said she had attended the community college and believes the institution is a “gem,” adding that she enjoys working with students and pursuing opportunities to keep them here.
• Gill, of Wilkes-Barre, is retired after holding administrative positions with nonprofit organizations. He has served on the community college board for five years and was board chairman from 2017 to 2019.
The board has worked to make the college a “great asset to the community,” he said.
• Rodgers, of Sugarloaf Township, is assistant to the superintendent in the Hazleton Area School District, overseeing the majority of human resources and capital planning. He was previously business administrator at the Pennsbury School District in Fallsington,
Rodgers said he applied for the seat because he has relevant experience and believes public service is important.
• Romanyshyn, of Rice Township, is a teacher of the visually impaired for Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18. While interested in the community college and other boards, she said her preference would be the transportation authority because she regularly rides authority buses with her students and wants to focus on safety and accessibility issues.
• Seiwell, of Nanticoke, is business manager for the Laborers’ District Council of Eastern Pennsylvania and previously worked as the LIUNA Local 1310 business manager and a county prison correctional officer.
In his 20 years as a labor representative, Seiwell said his experience working with apprenticeship programs and adapting to changing labor market needs would be an asset on the community college board.
• Steele, of Mountain Top, is the chief development officer at Wilkes University and has served on the community college board for six years.
She said she has more than 25 years of market development and leadership experience and wants to continue helping the community college, which she described as “irreplaceable” in serving community needs.
• Verdine, of Duryea, is president and CEO of ABC Kiddie Kampus, which operates early education centers in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
In his business, Verdine said he has experience in deploying resources and expansion that he believes could help the community college to pursue growth opportunities.
Applicants remain on the eligibility list for two years after their public interviews. Some past qualifications submitted by the other college board applicants:
• Blandina, of Wyoming, owns Blandina Apartments and was previously a Luzerne Intermediate Unit teacher, supervisor and special education director
• Camoni, of Swoyersville, is retired after 40 years in various public school and higher education positions, including Old Forge School District superintendent. He has served on the county’s 2016 citizen manager search committee and the county Children and Youth Advisory Board.
• Chmiola, of Mountain Top, is a Crestwood School District teacher.
• Kruczek, of Nanticoke, is a pharmacy operations manager at CVS Caremark.
• Piazza, of Pittston, is retired and last worked as Wyoming Valley West School District superintendent. He served on the community college board in the past.
• Williams, of Dennison Township, is dean of the William G. McGowan School of Business at King’s College and a past community college board member.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.