New Board Members & Officers of 2025–26 Academic Year

Johnson College is pleased to announce the appointment of six new members to its Board of Directors for the 2025–2026 academic year. In addition, two current board members will assume new leadership roles, with Frank Kilyanek ‘85 named Chairperson of the Board and Candy Frye ‘94 appointed Vice Chairperson of the Board. These changes reflect the College’s continued commitment to strong governance and strategic growth as it advances its mission of providing hands-on education in a supportive environment.

The newly appointed board members are:

Jose de los Rios
Papermaking Integrated Work Systems and Manufacturing Capability Leader, Procter & Gamble
De los Rios joins the Johnson College Board of Directors for the 2025-26 academic year. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering and Political Science from Rutgers University. In addition to his involvement with Johnson College, De los Rios serves as a member of the WVIA board and executive committee as well as the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. He resides in Glenburn, PA.

Dr. Erin Keating
Superintendent, Scranton School District
Keating joins the Johnson College Board of Directors for the 2025-26 academic year. She has previously worked with the College through enrollment and STEM activities. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from West Chester University, a master’s degree in Curriculum Strategies and Development and Educational Leadership from Wilkes University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wilkes University.

In addition to her involvement with Johnson College, Keating currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer for Urban Superintendents Association of America, a member of the United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike Counties board, an executive board committee member of the Skills in Scranton (Scranton Chamber of Commerce) Board of Directors, a member of the Office of Youth and Family Service Advisory Board, and she was formerly the Chair of the Labor and Relations Sub Committee of the Luzerne County Community College Board of Trustees. She resides in Edwardsville, PA.

Jake Latcham
Chief Operating Officer, Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services
Latcham joins the Johnson College Board of Directors for the 2025-26 academic year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. In addition to his involvement with Johnson College, Latcham serves as a member of StartUp NEPA Angel Investment Fund. He resides in Dallas, PA.

Terrence McDonald, Esq.
Attorney/Owner, Terrence J. McDonald, Esquire, P.C.
McDonald joins the Johnson College Board of Directors for the 2025-26 academic year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Scranton and a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

In addition to his involvement with Johnson College, McDonald serves as a member of the Lackawanna County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association and volunteers with various community organizations. He formerly served as a member of the Scranton/Lackawanna Health and Welfare Authority and the Hearing Committee Member for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and he was a solicitor for the Borough of Dunmore. He resides in Dunmore, PA.

Walter Rosiecki
Senior Vice President, Peoples Security Bank & Trust Company
Rosiecki joins the Johnson College Board of Directors for the 2025-26 academic year. He has previously worked with the College as a member of one of its Program Advisory Committees. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a Finance emphasis from Susquehanna University and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Massachusetts. Rosiecki resides in South Abington Township, PA.

Heather Kubic Skapyak
Director of Business Development, Greenman-Pedersen, Inc.
Kubic Skapyak joins the Johnson College Board of Directors for the 2025-26 academic year. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design and a minor in Black and White Photography from Arcadia University. She also holds a National Council for Interior Design Qualification Certification.

Kubic Skapyak serves as an executive committee member and Secretary of the Board for the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO) – an affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, she serves as a member and Secretary of the Board for SLIBCO Utilities, Inc. – another affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. She resides in Archbald, PA.

The Johnson College Board of Directors plays a critical role in supporting the College’s strategic direction, fiscal health, and community partnerships. Johnson College extends its sincere gratitude to all board members for their ongoing service and commitment to student success.

Johnson College Scranton to Host Free Community Resource Fair­­

Johnson College will host a free Community Resource Fair for all local college-bound students on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, inside the Moffat Student Center Gymnasium at its Scranton campus. The event is open to the public and is designed to connect current and prospective college students with local resources and support services.

The fair will feature a variety of community organizations offering guidance and assistance on topics such as education, employment, health, and wellness.

“The Community Resource Fair is an opportunity for all students attending any of our region’s colleges and universities to learn about local services available to them,” said Dr. Kellyn Williams, Associate Vice President of Special Programs at Johnson College. “We’re proud to bring together organizations that are making a positive impact in our region.”

Participating organizations include:

  • ACE of NEPA
  • Educational Opportunity Centers of PA
  • Friends of the Poor/Catherine McAuley Center
  • Geisinger Marworth
  • Greater Scranton YMCA
  • Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania
  • Susquehanna County Interfaith
  • The Wright Center for Patient & Community Engagement

For more information, please contact Sam Lehman at slehman@johnson.edu or 570-702-8341.

Johnson College Scranton to Host Fall Open House on November 2, 2024

Johnson College will hold its Fall Open House on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on its Scranton campus. To register to attend the Open House, visit Johnson.edu/openhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

The Open House will include discussions about the admissions process, information about financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Plus, same-day acceptance will be available for many programs if students bring their high school or college transcripts. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and program directors and instructors will be available to review the specifics of their programs.

Johnson College Hosts Debut Event for Ideal Saldi Hall

Johnson College celebrated the opening of its new gateway building, Ideal Saldi Hall, during a debut event at its Scranton campus on April 3, 2024.

Members of the Johnson College community and the Saldi family gathered for a glimpse at the newly constructed building that will serve as the official gateway to the College’s main campus. A program led by Johnson College’s President and CEO, Dr. Katie Pittelli, marked the significance of the largest building project to date for Johnson College. She was proceeded during the program by Dave Boniello ’84, President of Simplex Industries; Matthew Michalek ’85, Vice President of Operations at L.R. Costanzo Co., Inc.; and Senator Marty Flynn, Pennsylvania 22nd Senatorial District.

Ideal Saldi Hall is one of four components of the College’s comprehensive, five-year capital campaign, “Innovation at Work.” The building honors the legacy of Ideal T. Saldi, a Johnson College alum from the class of 1949. He and his wife, Frances, contributed $1 million to the College’s capital campaign, which is the largest gift from a Johnson College alum to date and will have a lasting impact on the school and its students.

“At 19,000 sq. feet, this building provides a home to four labs, two general education classrooms, the most innovative and high-tech conference room in all of NEPA, and office space for staff that directly serve our students,” said Dr. Katie Pittelli. Ideal Saldi Hall now houses student-facing departments including Enrollment, Financial Aid, and the Registrar, as well as programs including Architectural Drafting & Design Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology, Electronic Engineering Technology, and Mechatronics Technology.

Construction of Ideal Saldi Hall began in 2022, following the public announcement of the capital campaign and the official reveal of the building, designed by WKL Architecture. Under the construction management of L.R. Costanzo Co., Inc., the building took shape quickly and was forged with the help of many of Johnson College’s industry partners and alumni.

The building now sits on the former site of Richmond Hall, a piece of the original Willian H Richmond estate given to the College’s founder, Orlando S. Johnson, to fulfil his dream of creating a trade school for women and men.

Mr. Boniello, who serves as the chairperson of the “Innovation at Work” capital campaign said, “Ideal Saldi Hall will provide the gateway into future decades of Johnson College students and will help to shape the future industry leaders, innovators, and workers that will not only make a difference in the area we live in but also the world.”

The event concluded with an official ribbon cutting for the building.

Scranton Campus to Host Spring Open House on March 23, 2024

Johnson College will hold a Spring Open House on Saturday, March 23, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on its Scranton campus. To register to attend the Open House, visit Johnson.edu/openhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

The Open House will include discussions about the admissions process, information about financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Plus, same-day acceptance will be available for many programs if students bring their high school or college transcripts. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and program directors and instructors will be available to review the specifics of their programs.

Transfer Day is December 14

Johnson College is holding a Transfer Day on Thursday, December 14, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on its campus in Scranton, PA. The College is encouraging current college students who are interested in changing the direction of their education and ultimately their career path to visit its campus.

Students will meet with Enrollment, Financial Aid, Career Services, and Counseling and Disability Services representatives. In addition, staff members from the Registrar’s Office will be on hand for transfer credit analyses and to review potential schedules for the upcoming semester. Students will learn why Johnson College is the leader in hands-on education, how it exposes students to industry from day one, and how its two-year degree programs, focusing on careers in in-demand industries, have the highest return on investment in the short term. 

To attend Transfer Day at Johnson College, students must register online at Johnson.edu/transfer or contact the College’s enrollment team at enroll@johnson.edu or (570) 702-8856.

College Reveals Expansion with Construction of Bracey Hall

Johnson College announced today that construction will soon begin on a new advanced technology facility to house its growing Building Trades programs, specifically Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technology and Electrical Construction Technology. The new facility will double the size of the existing HVAC laboratory and provide additional training facilities for Electrical Construction Technology on the College’s Scranton campus.

During a community event on the Scranton campus, Dr. Katie Pittelli, Johnson College President & CEO, unveiled artist renderings and plans for the new facility as she announced that the building expansion will be named Bracey Hall, in recognition of the Bracey family’s service to Johnson College. The Braceys recently pledged a major gift to the College’s capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” to support its building trades programs. This gift will allow the College to continue meeting the needs of its students, industry partners, and the community with advanced real-world, hands-on, industry-driven education.

In addition to the transformational gift from the Bracey family, the College was awarded a $1 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the City of Scranton. This grant will help the College to expand its workforce development programming for high-tech and in-demand fields, including HVAC and Electrical Construction. The HVAC and Electrical Construction Technology programs also benefitted from a $280,000 Appalachian Regional Commission grant for campus technology upgrades.

Dr. Pittelli stated Bracey Hall will feature ample space to provide dedicated, permanent areas for all significant training equipment. The facility will feature a more advanced interdisciplinary programming laboratory that will teach students the importance of learning to work in teams with each other and those from differing programs.

The building trades programs at the College have seen continuous growth throughout the past few years. The College’s HVAC program director and chair of the Building Trades division, Walter Wood ’11, shared that the significant demand in industry has led to an increase in enrollment and the need to expand. Additional classrooms and lab space will provide more students the opportunity to enroll in the College’s hands-on Building Trades programs to meet industry needs throughout the region and beyond.

For more information about Johnson College’s comprehensive, five-year capital campaign, “Innovation at Work,” visit johnson.edu/innovationatwork.

Scranton Campus to Host Open House on July 12

Johnson College will hold an on-campus Open House on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. on its Scranton campus. To register to attend the Open House, visit Johnson.edu/openhouse or contact Johnson College’s Enrollment Department at 570-702-8856 or enroll@johnson.edu.

Open House will include discussions about the admissions process, information about financial aid for those who qualify, and student services such as student life, student support, and career services. Plus, same-day acceptance will be available for many programs if students bring their high school or college transcripts. Tours of each technical area will be conducted and program directors and instructors will be available to review the specifics of their programs.

Celebration of Industry to Honor Alum, David Boniello ‘84

Johnson College will host its first-ever Celebration of Industry event on September 7, 2023, on the College’s Scranton campus. The event will honor David Boniello ’84, President of Simplex Industries, as the recipient of the President’s Spirit of Giving Award for his leadership and contributions to Johnson College and the region.

Johnson College’s Celebration of Industry is a signature fundraising event that celebrates the unique relationship between the College and its industry partners. Each year, an industry partner will be honored for work as an industry champion and for playing a vital role in supporting the College’s students and the community. Proceeds from the event will benefit the College’s Innovation at Work Capital Campaign to improve programs and facilities for student success.

The President’s Spirit of Giving Award is an artistic representation of the community, students, and the College made of steel and welded together in a flowing 3D design. The award was designed and created by members of the College’s Welding Department including Tony DeLucca, Welding Technology Program Director, Ben Lipperini, Welding Instructor, and Josh Perniciaro, Welding Instructor.

Mr. Boniello is a native of Dunmore, Pa., and graduated from Johnson College with an Associate Degree in Building Construction Technology in 1984. He became an active member of the College community by participating in its Program Advisory Committees, as a member of the Board of Directors in 2008, and became the first alum to be named Chair of the Board of Directors in 2016.

Mr. Boniello worked on the College’s first capital campaign from 2009 to 2014, helping to raise over $5.1 million, and currently chairs the College’s $5 million five-year capital campaign, Innovation at Work, launched in 2021. He played an instrumental role in the College’s nationwide search for the current President and CEO, Dr. Katie Pittelli.

Mr. Boniello has been part of the Simplex team for over 30 years. Throughout his professional career, he rose through positions in sales and management before being appointed to Vice President of Simplex, where he focused on developing and maintaining relationships with large-scale customers. He oversaw the company’s largest apartment and townhome projects across the Mid-Atlantic region. He was promoted to President in 2022. Furthermore, in 2005, he was an instrumental part of the company’s efforts to launch its own retail division for home sales called Cornerstone Building Solutions Inc. of which he currently serves in the capacity of President.

In addition to his commitment to Johnson College, Boniello is a former board member of the Lackawanna Home Builders Association and Home Builders Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania, along with the Women’s Resource Center Golf Tournament Committee.

Simplex Industries has been an industry partner of Johnson College for over 25 years. The partnership benefits both organizations and most importantly, the local community. Through collaborative efforts with NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lackawanna County Area on Aging, the College and Simplex are involved with the Elder Cottage Housing Opportunity (ECHO). The project allows older adults to remain close to family or caretakers as they age by placing cottages on their properties. These structures are designed and built by Johnson College students and members of the Simplex team.

To learn about available sponsorship opportunities for the Celebration of Industry, please contact Karen Baker, Senior Director of College Advancement, at kbaker@johnson.edu or (570) 702-8908.