University adds three local leaders; names new board leadership
Alvernia announces updates to the university’s board of trustees and leadership for the 2022-23 academic year. Former GTS-Welco Partner Michael J. Caron, former Caron Treatment Center President & CEO Doug Tieman and First Energy Corp. Regional Manager for External Affairs David H. Turner earn appointments to the board. In addition, Custom Processing Services President and Owner Gregory J. Shemanski was named chairperson, and Penske Vice President for Community Engagement Michael A. Duff as vice chairperson.
"The diversity of professional experience and backgrounds combined with the passion for the transformation of the communities in which we operate and serve will greatly benefit Alvernia for years to come," said Alvernia University President John R. Loyack. "We are deeply appreciative of their willingness to join in our transformational mission and strategy."
The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters also announced the appointments of Sister John Ann Proach and Sister Sandra Lyons to the board of trustees.
The board of trustees also acknowledges the valued service of departing board members Charles Barbera M.D. M’01, Anna Borza, Elsayed Elmarzouky, Guido M. Pichini and C. Thomas Work.Longtime Alvernia board of trustees chairperson and Fromm Electric Supply Corp. President and CEO Michael Fromm will remain on the board.
“Greg and Mike have been essential to the progress of the university over the last few years, and we are excited to have them elevated to these new roles, said Loyack. “We are also very grateful for the leadership provided by Mike Fromm during his term as board chairperson and are ecstatic that he has agreed to continue his service for our institution as we head into the next phase of expansion.”
About Caron
After selling his controlling interest in GTS-Welco in 2014, Caron has dedicated much of his time to mentoring and investing in startups by helping with their overall direction, pitch decks, funding avenues and providing business advice. Since 2015, he has been a member of the Lehigh Valley Angel Investors Network (LVAI) and helped establish a Reading Chapter for LVAI that continues to grow, including the mentorship of startup companies in the O’Pake Institute’s Spark Business incubator. Caron serves on Alvernia’s President’s Advisory Council and O’Pake’s Innovation Advisory Board and has been a board member o the South Mountain YMCA for over 30 years. Caron holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Ohio State University.
About Tieman
Before retirement in 2021, Tieman served as the president and CEO of Caron Treatment Centers since 1995. Under his guidance, Caron took leadership roles in sponsoring research in addiction treatments and outcomes, advocating for ethics and standards, and participating in national conferences on addiction and recovery, as well as growing its revenue tenfold, making it one of the largest nonprofit residential addiction treatment centers in the nation. Following undergraduate degrees from both Concordia and Northwood Universities, Tieman completed the Minnesota Management Institute at the University of Minnesota and received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Concordia University. Tieman previously served on Alvernia’s Trustee Community Engagement and Philanthropy Committee.
About Turner
Turner is an experienced External Affairs/ Governmental Affairs executive in the energy and utility sector and has been employed at First Energy for the past 16 years, spending the majority of that time working in external affairs. He is currently responsible for leading a team of External Affairs Consultants in the MetEd and Potomac Edison service territory encompassing Pennsylvania and Maryland. He has previously served the university on the President’s Advisory Council. Turner has served on various boards in Ohio and PA, including but not limited to the United Way of Berks County, the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, The Roger and Gloria Jones Children Center for Science and Technology, Esperanza, The Rotary Club of Youngstown, and the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Phoenix.
About Shemanski
Shemanski founded Custom Processing Services (CPS) in 1998 and uses his over 30 years of experience in contract/toll manufacturing to elevate the team’s efficiency and optimization. Shemanski is a key member of the Strategy Team, overseeing critical decisions that focus on CPS growth opportunities. Shemanski is a graduate of Lehigh University.
About Duff
Duff joined Penske’s legal department in 1991 and previously served as the company’s General Counsel, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Chief Compliance Officer. Duff is a member of the bars of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Duff serves on many nonprofit boards including The Reading Symphony Orchestra, The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, Penn State Health St. Joseph and the United Way of Berks County. He is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Baltimore School of Law.
