BSI Corporate Benefits
Folk, BSI Corporate Benefits (SUBMITTED)
The company announced the promotion of Michelle Folk to director of client engagement and business development, a newly expanded leadership role that reflects the firm’s continued commitment to strengthening client relationships while supporting strategic growth.
With more than 30 years of experience in employee benefits consulting, Folk has built a reputation as a trusted adviser to employers navigating an increasingly complex healthcare landscape.
In her new role, Folk will focus on two critical priorities that directly support the company’s long-term vision. She will serve as a senior adviser to the firm’s most strategic client relationships, ensuring executive alignment, enhancing the client experience and helping organizations maximize the value of their partnership with BSI. She will also lead business development efforts by cultivating new relationships through strategic networking, community involvement and the trusted reputation she has established throughout her career.
Folk previously held leadership roles at organizations including Geisinger, where she developed extensive expertise in benefit plan design, funding strategies, vendor management and healthcare cost containment.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Penn State University.
Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
Pettinato, Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce (SUBMITTED)
The Chamber announced the promotion of Emily Pettinato to workforce development manager. She previously served as the workforce development specialist.
In her new role, Pettinato leads workforce and talent development initiatives through Skills in Scranton, the chamber’s workforce development division. She develops and manages programs that connect employers, educational institutions and community partners to strengthen regional talent pipelines. In addition, she oversees signature workforce initiatives, secures grant funding and sponsorships, and creates career pathway educational resources. Pettinato also manages the chamber’s Young Professionals program by designing workshops, networking events and community engagement initiatives for emerging professionals.
In 2026, Pettinato completed the ACCE Foundation Fellowship for Talent Development, a national professional development program designed to advance workforce and talent development leaders within the chamber of commerce industry. She is a graduate of the Leadership Lackawanna Core Program class of 2024 and serves on the board of directors for Scranton/Lackawanna County Continuum of Care.
Pettinato is a graduate of Moravian University, where she earned both a Bachelor of Arts in English with a writing arts certificate and a Master of Business Administration.
Misericordia University
Magistro, Misericordia University (SUBMITTED)
Pedri, Misericordia University (SUBMITTED)
The university has appointed Carmen Magistro and David Pedri to its board of trustees, adding two accomplished leaders with extensive experience in banking, philanthropy, public service and community engagement.
The board of trustees provides governance and strategic leadership in support of Misericordia’s mission, helping guide the institution’s long-term vision while ensuring continued excellence in teaching, learning, scholarship and service.
Magistro serves as regional president for Northern Pennsylvania at M&T Bank, where he provides strategic leadership across commercial banking operations and community engagement initiatives. With more than 22 years of experience in the financial services industry, including more than 16 years with M&T Bank, he has held leadership positions in commercial, business and government banking. Since joining M&T in 2009, he has played an integral role in advancing regional growth, strengthening client relationships, and supporting local businesses and communities.
Magistro earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Misericordia in 2006 before completing a Master of Business Administration from Shippensburg University. A lifelong resident of Northeast Pennsylvania, he has remained actively involved in numerous civic and nonprofit organizations, including the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, Luzerne County Community College, Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania, United Way of Wyoming Valley, UNICO National Wilkes-Barre Chapter, Allied Services Greater Autism Classic and the Fine Arts Fiesta.
Pedri serves as president and CEO of the Luzerne Foundation, where he leads efforts to enhance the lives of Luzerne County residents through strategic grantmaking, scholarship opportunities and donor partnerships. Under his leadership, the foundation has awarded more than $20 million in grants and doubled its charitable endowment to more than $100 million, expanding its impact throughout the region.
An attorney by profession, Pedri previously served as Luzerne County manager, where he led the county’s executive branch and helped eliminate more than $250 million in county debt while overseeing major capital improvement projects, including renovations to the historic Luzerne County Courthouse. Earlier in his career, he served as a prosecutor in the Luzerne County district attorney’s office before entering private practice and later serving as in-house counsel for the county. He remains active in the community through service on numerous charitable boards and as a volunteer youth baseball and soccer coach.
Munley Law
Marion Munley, Munley Law (SUBMITTED)
Marion Munley, partner at the law firm, was sworn in as president-elect of the American Association for Justice on July 27. Munley was elected as a national officer for the AAJ in 2022 after more than a decade of dedicated service to the association. She is the first woman to become chair of the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group in 2018 and is also a past chair of the AAJ Women Trial Lawyers Caucus.
Her leadership in the AAJ has been recognized with many service awards, including the Above and Beyond Award in 2018, 2019 and 2021; the Distinguished Service Award in 2020 and 2021; and the Marie Lambert Award in 2020. In 2020, she was one of the first recipients of the Robert W. Munley Pursuit of Justice Award by the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group.
The American Association for Justice is a 20,000-member organization of plaintiff attorneys whose mission is to protect the right to trial by jury.
In addition to AAJ, she is a member of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, the International Society of Barristers, the American Board of Trial Advocates and Summit Council.
North Branch Land Trust
Butkiewicz, North Branch Land Trust (SUBMITTED)
The nonprofit conservation organization announced the appointment of Joe Butkiewicz as interim executive director. This leadership transition follows the retirement of Ellen Ferretti, executive director, and reflects the organization’s commitment to continuity, stability and mission-driven progress.
Butkiewicz has been a valued staff member of the organization, bringing years of experience in community engagement. A Kingston native, he graduated from the former Bishop O’Reilly High School, Luzerne County Community College and New York University. Over a 40-year career in journalism, Butkiewicz held various roles, including executive editor at the Times Leader, and spent a decade as managing editor of The Times-Tribune in Scranton.
An active community member, he has served on numerous local boards, currently including the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts and the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. Additionally, he serves on the Land Committee for the North Branch Land Trust.
During this interim period, Butkiewicz will oversee daily operations, support staff and volunteers, and collaborate closely with the board of directors as the organization begins the process of identifying permanent leadership.
Peoples Security Bank & Trust
Meck, Peoples Security Bank (SUBMITTED)
McLaughlin, Peoples Security Bank (SUBMITTED)
The bank announced two additions to its retail banking leadership team with the appointment of Leslie Meck as vice president, regional branch sales and administration manager for the Southern Region, and Jared J. McLaughlin as assistant vice president, area manager for the Lehigh Valley.
In her new role, Meck is responsible for leading branch offices throughout the Southern Region, with a focus on driving sales performance, operational excellence, regulatory compliance and an exceptional client experience. She will also provide leadership and coaching to branch teams while supporting relationship growth and employee development.
Meck joined the bank in May 2025 as senior cash management sales officer. She brings more than 30 years of community banking experience, having held executive leadership positions overseeing retail banking, marketing, cash management, business development, mortgage operations and customer experience. Prior to joining the bank, she served as chief retail and chief experience officer at Centric Bank.
Throughout her career, Meck has been committed to developing banking professionals and promoting financial literacy for both youth and adults. She previously served on the Pennsylvania Bankers School of Banking Advisory Committee and as a director of the Pennsylvania Bankers School of Banking. She currently serves on the board of directors and finance committee for the Salvation Army of the Capital Region and previously served in leadership roles with United Way of the Capital Region.
A resident of Harrisburg, Meck attended Westmoreland County Community College.
McLaughlin, in his new role with the bank, will oversee the bank’s three Lehigh Valley branch locations and is responsible for growing retail deposits while fostering a strong sales culture and maintaining the high level of customer service clients expect.
McLaughlin brings 26 years of banking experience in the Lehigh Valley. Prior to joining the bank, he served as financial center manager for Mid Penn Bank in Allentown. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Banking and resides in Bethlehem.
The Wright Center
Pavlowski, Wright Center (SUBMITTED)
Poliak, Wright Center (SUBMITTED)
A dentist who completed an internship at the Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley is returning to the community health center to care for patients.
A graduate of the Dunmore School District, Emily Pavlowski was awarded a National Health Service Corps Scholarship while pursuing her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. While there, she served as a dental ambassador and mentored students through the school’s Women in Dentistry and Healthcare Leadership programs. At graduation, she received the American Academy of Implant Dentistry Award.
In August 2018, she completed a summer internship at the Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley’s dental clinic. She is returning to serve the region where she grew up and says she looks forward to giving back to the community that shaped her and fulfilling her National Health Service Corps service commitment by serving in a Health Professional Shortage Area.
Pavlowski will offer a wide variety of dental services for children and adults, including routine exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, extractions, restorations, dentures and other procedures. The community health center accepts most dental insurances, including Delta Dental, Guardian, United Concordia and Medical Assistance (Medicaid).
An experienced pediatrician with ties to the region has returned to the Wright Center for Community Health to serve as a pediatrician and physician faculty member.
Dr. Nina Poliak is accepting appointments at the Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre, for pediatric well visits, same-day sick appointments, routine vaccinations, newborn care, back-to-school/daycare physicals, sports and camp physicals, asthma management, mental health screenings and more.
After earning her medical degree from Charité medical school, Europe’s largest university hospital, Poliak trained at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, as a postdoctoral research fellow, where she also earned her Master of Public Health in epidemiology and international health. She completed her internship and residency at Baylor College of Medicine’s Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and trained at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. From 2014-16, Poliak worked as a pediatric faculty member and attending physician at the Wright Center.
For more than 20 years, Poliak has specialized in pediatric care at clinics across Northeast and Southeast Pennsylvania, most recently at Holy Redeemer Hospital’s pediatric urgent care in Meadowbrook.
At the Wright Center, Poliak will serve as a pediatric physician faculty member, working closely with medical residents and medical students in the clinic, developing curriculum and mentoring trainees.
United States Navy
Bell, United States Navy (SUBMITTED)
Petty Officer First Class Sherry Bell, a native of Moscow, serves in the Navy assigned to Commander, Submarine Group (COMSUBGRU) 9 at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington, homeport of West Coast ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines.
Bell graduated from West Scranton High School in 1996 and earned an associate degree in surgical technology from the McCann School of Business in 2010.
Bell joined the Navy 13 years ago. Today, she serves as a yeoman (submarine).
University of Scranton
Cocieru, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Kate Cummings, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Ann Cummings, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Fetherman, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Galen, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Larsen, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Venezia, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Wardach, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
The university presented nine Provost’s Faculty Enhancement Awards at the end of the 2025-26 academic year, honoring the efforts of faculty who strive for and achieve distinction and excellence in their work.
Ovidiu Cocieru, Ph.D., associate professor of management, received the Award for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Cocieru’s Classroom-as-Organization (CAO) approach is a research-based model in which students live organizational life rather than simulating it. For instance, his students in MGT 430 plan and execute Scranton SoccerFest every spring. Cocieru’s instruction strengthens student engagement and awards real authority to students. He has authored six peer-reviewed publications on CAO pedagogy, establishing him as a national authority on the subject.
Kate Cummings, assistant professor and research and instruction librarian for the university’s Weinberg Memorial Library, received the Beloved Community Faculty Enhancement Award. Cummings’ leadership in promoting intellectual freedom and equitable access to knowledge has earned widespread recognition. In 2025, she was elected as the Pennsylvania Library Association’s vice president and president-elect, a three-year commitment that will culminate in her leading the state’s library association.
Ann “Nancy” Cummings, management and marketing faculty specialist, received the Faculty Senate Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award. The award recognizes a faculty member’s dedication to teaching graduate students in an encouraging and intellectually stimulating environment that promotes critical thinking and learning. Last year’s award winner, Wesam Alramadeen, assistant professor of operations and analytics, presented the award to Cummings.
Debra Fetherman, Ph.D., professor and chair of health and human performance, received the Magis Award. Fetherman’s leadership as Community-Based Learning’s (CBL) faculty coordinator has exemplified Ignatian values and prepared students to lead lives of purpose and service. She has led faculty workshops, supported colleagues in integrating CBL into their courses and secured grant funding. She also plays a central role in the Leahy College of Health Sciences’ Tapestry program, which introduces first-year students to Jesuit values to guide seniors to discern how those values will shape their professional lives.
Spencer Galen, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Marc Shapiro, Ph.D., professor and chair of theology and religious studies, received the Award for Research and Scholarly Practice. Galen’s prolific research record includes 14 articles and a book chapter in an open-source textbook. He has also generated significant external funding and his work has been cited hundreds of times. Shapiro’s decades of leadership in Judaic Studies at Scranton has elevated the university’s international reputation and connections within worldwide Jewish communities. He is the author of nine books — with Nos. 10 and 11 in progress — and his most recent book about Rav Kook was a finalist for the prestigious Rabbi Sacks Book Prize.
Rich Larsen, professor of English and theater, received the Laudato Si’ Award. Larsen has demonstrated decades of sustainable theater practices, including innovative material reuse and eco-conscious design, long before sustainability became an institutional priority. His scenic design for a recent musical production used an estimated just $400 in new materials, with the rest assembled entirely from stock and donated and reclaimed items, demonstrating how the arts can model creative stewardship of the natural world.
Andrew Venezia, Ph.D., associate professor of health and human performance, earned the Award for Academic Leadership and Institutional Stewardship. Venezia’s extensive service across more than 10 committees, including key chair roles, fosters collaboration, transparency and institutional strength while advancing faculty engagement and academic excellence throughout the university. As Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee chair alone, he convenes weekly meetings and works daily with various dean’s offices, the registrar, the provost and faculty from all three colleges.
The Department of Counseling and Human Services received the Award for Assessment and Educational Effectiveness. Across their five degree programs, CHS faculty members commit themselves to helping their graduates become competent practitioners who are genuinely prepared to care for those they serve. The department assesses its students through transparent and rigorous practices and while using a continuous feedback model that drives student and programmatic success, building a culture of assessment that benefits the entire university and its people.
The Department of Crime, Justice and Security received the Award for Mission-Driven Innovation and Partnerships. The department’s Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Crime engages students with community partners to address real-world challenges while advancing justice, public safety and transformative student learning. Partner organizations include the Scranton Police Department, the Lackawanna County district attorney’s office and the Office of Youth and Family Services, among others. The department also runs an annual cyber camp in the summer, providing training to high school students.
The National Association of Scientific Materials Managers (NAOSMM) recently awarded one of its highest honors to Deborah Wardach, laboratory supervisor in the university’s Department of Biology.
Wardach received the 2026 Lamar Houston Service Award at the 53rd annual NAOSMM Conference and Trade Show in Wichita, Kansas.
The award, named for the organization’s founder, recognizes exceptional dedication, leadership, volunteerism and long-term commitment that contributes to the NAOSMM’s success and growth.
Wardach has been an NAOSMM member since 2008. She contributed extensively on the awards, finance, hospitality and technology committees and spent six years on the organization’s board. She served as treasurer beginning in 2019 before continuing in the organization’s newly established past treasurer role.
Throughout her varied service, Wardach has strengthened the NAOSMM’s financial operations while also playing a key role in documenting institutional knowledge and creating a framework for continuity at the leadership level.
Wardach was hired at the University of Scranton in 2022. In her role, she supports teaching and research activities in the Biology Department while advancing the scientific materials management profession.
Wayne Memorial Community Health Centers
Barney, Wayne Memorial Community Health Center (SUBMITTED)
Kurilla, Wayne Memorial (SUBMITTED)
Allert, Wayne Memorial (SUBMITTED)
Hale, Wayne Memorial (SUBMITTED)
The health centers announced that Patrick Barney, PA-C, has joined the staff at its Lake Region Walk-in Care center as an advanced care practitioner.
As a certified physician assistant, Barney provides treatment for a wide range of nonemergency illnesses and injuries, including colds, flu, sore throats, minor injuries, rashes and infections, for patients age 1 to adult. Walk-in care services are available without an appointment, offering patients a convenient option when they need prompt medical attention and their primary care provider’s office is either closed or fully booked.
Barney earned his Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies from Marywood University in Scranton, as well as a Master of Science in dietetics, kinesiology and sport nutrition. Before joining WMCHC, Barney was employed by the Geisinger Health System for 2½ years as an advanced practitioner at Geisinger CMC Critical Care and later at Geisinger Urgent Care in Scranton. He also served as an adjunct professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, organic chemistry and nutrition for Marywood University.
The health center welcomes Nurse Practitioner Susan Kurilla, DNP, to its staff at the Lake Ariel Family Health Center. Kurilla joins Internist Mark Murnin, DO, in offering primary care services.
Kurilla treats patients as young as 16 years old, and has an extensive background working with the geriatric patient population as a nurse practitioner and prior to that as a registered nurse. In the role of primary care provider, Kurilla emphasizes preventive care, health maintenance and early management of comorbidities to decrease the likelihood for emergent and critical care.
Kurilla holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Pennsylvania State University and earned a Master of Science as a nurse practitioner adult primary care–gerontology from Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Bloomsburg University as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Pennsylvania State University.
Among her work experience, Kurilla served as a certified registered nurse practitioner in post-acute care settings, including Greenwood Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Tamaqua and St. Luke’s Village in Hazleton. She was a registered nurse in the surgical trauma ICU at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Prior to her nursing career, she spent seven years as a medical laboratory scientist specializing in blood bank, also at Geisinger.
The health centers announced that Certified Nurse Midwife Autumn Allert has joined its staff. As a midwife practicing with the Women’s Health Center, Allert facilitates births at Wayne Memorial Hospital’s New Beginnings Birthing Suites.
Allert earned a Master of Science degree in midwifery from Frontier Nursing University and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Marywood University, Scranton. She is also a graduate of the Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County’s licensed practical nurse program.
Prior to becoming a certified nurse midwife, Allert was a labor and delivery nurse for nine years employed by both Geisinger Health System and Moses Taylor Hospital. It was during that time she decided to further her education and become a provider to support women during their birthing experience. She is passionate about patient autonomy, advocacy and access to care.
The health centers announced that Rachel Hale, CNM, has joined the Women’s Health Center and has been providing care to patients in the community for the past five months.
As a certified nurse midwife, Hale offers comprehensive care for women throughout various stages of life, including prenatal care, labor and delivery, postpartum care, gynecological care and preventive health services. In addition to seeing patients at the Honesdale Women’s Health Center, Hale facilitates births at Wayne Memorial Hospital’s New Beginnings Birthing Suites. The addition of Hale to the team helps strengthen access to women’s health services in a rural area where access to specialized maternity care can be limited.
Hale earned a Master of Science degree in nursing midwifery from Frontier Nursing University and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from North Park University. She has over a decade of nursing experience, 10 years as a labor and delivery nurse in California, North Carolina and New York, as well as two years as a certified nurse midwife in New York state with privileges at Garnet Health Medical Center Catskills.