Newsroom

Gary Boast joins College as Associate Dean of Institutional Research

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to welcome Gary Boast as Associate Dean of Institutional Research. He will focus on data analysis and reporting in support of the College’s culture of information-based decision making. Prior to joining Pennsylvania Highlands, he was an IT leader with FreightCar America, Inc. Mr. Boast holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Mount Aloysius College and is a veteran of the United States Air Force.

Kish Bank makes Donation

Bill Yaudes, Vice President and Huntingdon County Regional Marketing Manager for Kish Bank, presents a check to Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, as Ellis Griffith, Penn Highlands Foundation Board member, looks on.

Kish Bank has donated $4,000 in Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Funds to Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation to help fund the Accelerated College Education Program (ACE). The ACE Program gives high school students an opportunity to earn college credits while taking classes at their local high school.

20th Anniversary Celebration begins with Picnic; College plans Acts of Kindness throughout the Year

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College began the celebration of its twentieth year with a picnic at its Richland Campus. The picnic, held on Friday, September 5, 2014, marks 20 years to the day that the first classes were held at what w

as formerly known as Cambria County Area Community College. Those in attendance included Cambria County Commissioners Mark Wissinger and Tom Chernisky, Congressman Keith Rothfus, Senator John Wozniak, and Representative Bryan Barbin.

“Realistically, a twenty year old College is still in its infancy,” said Pennsylvania Highlands President Dr. Walter Asonevich. “We are well aware of the tremendous strides we have taken to get to where we are right now, but we are also cognizant of the potential that exists for this College as we head into our next twenty years and beyond. There is obviously much reason to celebrate.”

The former Cambria County Area Community College started offering classes on September 5, 1994, utilizing space at a number of locations throughout Cambria County, including Hiram G. Andrews, Central Park Complex, Bishop Carrol High School, Concurrent Technology Corporation and Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center. “We taught classes all over the county,” said current Professor of Business Management, Sandy Schrum. “Our cars were our offices and we would get office furniture and supplies donated from other businesses. It definitely felt like we were trying to overcome overwhelming odds at the time, but seeing how far we have come is so rewarding.”

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College now boasts a 125,000 square foot main campus in Richland and has other locations in Ebensburg, Huntingdon, Somerset and Blair Counties. Serving approximately 2,000 students per year, the College has educated over 27,000 students since its inception and has 105 full-time and over 100 part-time employees.

“It’s awesome to see our growth.” said current employee and former student, Scott Beamer. “I used to have to visit two or three different locations to take classes. There was a time when every department in the College, from the President’s Office to the Marketing Department shared two rooms at the Hiram G. Andrews Center. Look at us now.”

Commissioner Wissinger, who was a commissioner when the College started in 1994, reflected on the growth of the College and its impact on the community, “We took a leap of faith in starting the College, but I remember Ron Budash saying if you build it they will come. What the College has been able to accomplish in twenty years is phenomenal. I look forward to the next twenty years.”

The growth of the College is a testament to the support the Cambria County community has provided. “This College is a perfect example of what can happen when people within a community put their faith behind something and work to see it through.” said College President, Dr. Walter Asonevich.

To commemorate the anniversary, Penn Highlands’ students, faculty, staff and Board members will join together to participate in twenty acts of kindness throughout the community. These will include volunteering at local nonprofits, collecting items for the elderly, veterans, food banks and animal shelters, participating in United Way Day of Caring and hosting groups at the College.

Trustee named Recipient of Northeast Regional Trustee Leadership Award

Retired Cambria County businessman and Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Trustee, Mr. Joseph Mangarella, has been named the recipient of the 2014 Northeast Regional Trustee Leadership Award. This award, given by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), recognizes the tremendous contributions made by trustees, equity programs, chief executive officers, faculty members, and professional board staff. As the Regional Award Recipient, Mr. Mangarella will be the sole nominee from the Northeast region for the prestigious M. Dale Ensign Trustee Leadership Award.

“Joe Mangarella epitomizes what a College trustee should be,” said Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Pennsylvania Highlands. “He is intently committed to our efforts and works diligently to understand his role as a Trustee and act in the best interest of our students and community.”

Mr. Mangarella has been a Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Trustee since its inception in 1994 and has served as a member of its Foundation Board during that time. He and his wife Joan are the only members of the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Foundation’s Founders Level for donors and have endowed a scholarship for students attending the institution.

“I think the best part of being a Trustee over these past 20 years is seeing how the College truly impacts lives,” said Mangarella. “Without this College, many students would not have had the opportunity to continue their education. I feel blessed to be a part of that and will continue to serve the College as long as I can.”

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,200 community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond.

“Community colleges have taken on new roles and increased responsibilities in recent years,” said ACCT Chair and Westchester County Community College (N.Y.) Trustee LeRoy W. Mitchell. “The individuals who have been selected to receive this important recognition are truly vital to their communities and regions.”

Mr. Mangarella will receive his award during the 45th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress, which will take place in Chicago, Illinois, and noted that he will accept his award on behalf of his fellow Pennsylvania Highlands Trustees and Trustees across the country. “I am proud to be associated with a group of people who are extremely committed to community colleges,” he said. “There may be many others that are equally as deserving, I will accept the award for all those folks also.”

Endowed Scholarship coming to Huntingdon

Huntingdon businessman Dale W. Miller has created the first endowed scholarship for the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Huntingdon Center. The endowment will provide an annual scholarship for a student attending the Penn Highlands Huntingdon Center.

Mr. Miller has worked closely with the College since the Huntingdon Center’s inception in 2008, providing and renovating space for its operation and working with other community leaders to ensure that the College had everything necessary to be successful.

“I am not sure how we can ever thank Dale enough for all that he has done for the College,” said Penn Highlands President, Dr. Walter Asonevich. “He sees education as a vital component of any community’s growth and success, and through this endowment has once again made a personal commitment to Huntingdon County.”

For the past 63 years, Mr. Miller has owned and operated D. W. Miller, Inc., a highway construction company. Under Dale’s strong leadership, this company has grown into a very successful business, providing jobs for as many as 300 employees throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Dale takes great pride in knowing that his businesses have provided job opportunities for so many people and this was always a driving factor in his willingness to continue seeking to offer new and innovative products and services.

Since the company’s inception, D. W. Miller, Inc. has been responsible for building and repairing bridges, as well as constructing culverts and inlets. Currently, the business specializes in the installation of raised pavement markers.

As a U.S. Army veteran, Dale has also used his knowledge and expertise to help his community by serving on the boards of the Huntingdon School Board, First National Bank of Mapleton Bank, and the Central Mellon Bank. Dale’s philanthropic endeavors have also included the donation of land to the Huntingdon School District, McConnellstown Fire Co., and Walker Township.

Ellis Griffith, a retired local educator and Pennsylvania Highlands Huntingdon County Advisory Council member, shared his thoughts regarding Dale’s commitment to Penn Highlands and the community, “Dale has been a genuine leader for the Community College in terms of providing excellent facilities from the outset and continues to support all of the essential components to ascertain success for the school currently and into the future. Dale has always been a champion for the cause of providing affordable post-secondary education within the local area.”

Pennsylvania Highlands will serve over 100 full and part-time students in the Fall 2014 semester, as well as providing concurrent enrollment programming in all four Huntingdon County school districts through the College’s Accelerated College Education (ACE) program.