The Penn State Schuylkill Co-Op National Advisory Council convenes business, government, and non-profit leaders to advise on trends in the economy and the workplace of the future, open doors to opportunities such as internships in new sectors and organizations, and provide advice on program offerings and philanthropy.
Co-Op National Advisory Council Members
John W. Hart
Chair
B.S. Medical Technology, '72
M.Ed. Biology
M.S. Administration
John Hart retired in 2018 as senior vice president of medical operations at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) after a 33-year career with the company.
Hart remains active as president and board chair of the Emmaus Community Foundation and is a former council member for the Borough of Emmaus, where he chaired the public safety and finance committees.
He also sits as the vice chair of the board of health for Emmaus, and most recently stepped down from the executive committee of the board for Communities in Schools of Eastern Pa. Hart is also a past member and chair of the Penn State Lehigh Valley Advisory Board.
Prior to his career at LVHN, Hart was chief of the clinical laboratory and director of patient services at Muhlenberg Hospital Center. He subsequently became partner and Vice President of operations at Universal Technology Marketing Services.
Hart received his bachelor's in medical technology from Penn State University, a master of education from Kutztown University and a master's of science in administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Both John and his wife Kathleen are Saint Clair natives residing in Emmaus, Pa., in close proximity to their daughters and their families, and they enjoy spending time with their four grandchildren when not volunteering in the community.
Joseph S. Gera
Vice Chair
B.S. Electrical Engineering, '81
M.S. Electrical Engineering, '83
Joe Gera received both his bachelor's and master's in electrical engineering from Penn State University before joining the IBM Corporation in 1982.
While at Penn State, Gera was elected to four national academic honor societies, including: Phi Kappa Phi, Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Golden Key.
During his 33-year career with IBM, he held many different leadership roles in engineering, management, corporate headquarters, marketing and sales.
Prior to retiring, Gera held a position as program director of all market planning and strategy for the System-Z high end mainframe server division. For the past 28 years, he has also been instrumental as a Penn State academic recruitment volunteer, and serves as Penn State University Park's coordinator contact for high school student recruitment for several counties in New York. Gera is also a member of the Worldwide Penn State Alumni Association and in 1999, he co-founded the Mid-Hudson Valley Penn State Chapter which is now in its 24th year.
Most recently, Gera was named the vice chair of the newly formed Penn State Schuylkill National Co-Op Advisory Council. He is also a member of both the Penn State College of Engineering alumni board and the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science alumni board. Gera was also given the Outstanding Alumni Award in 2023 by Penn State Schuylkill and is a member of the Penn State Nittany Lion Club and achieved the honorary coach level. He recently established the Joseph S. Gera Engineering Scholarship at Penn State Schuylkill in 2020.
Joe and his wife Cheryl are residents of New Paltz, Ny. which is located in the Mid-Hudson Valley region of upstate New York.
James B. Burke
B.S. Economics
M.B.A.
James Burke had a 40-year career in healthcare and served as the chief operating officer of Pipeline Health, a private company owning and operating hospitals in California, Illinois, and Texas, before retiring in 2021.
Previously, he served as CEO of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and as COO of Hahnemann University Hospital, both in Philadelphia, Pa.
Earlier in his career, Burke held senior administrative positions at Lehigh Valley Health Network and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Burke received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.B.A. from Drexel University. Among his professional affiliations, Burke is a life fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and in 2018 completed nine years of service on the board of the Pennsylvania Trauma Foundation.
A Philadelphia native, Burke resides in Montgomery County, Pa. with his wife. They enjoy spending time with their three children.
Barry P. Long
B.S. Quantitative Business Analysis, '77
Barry Long is the corporate vice president of program cost control at Cubic Corporation HQ in San Diego, California. Long has been with the company 27 years. Prior to this, he served 16 years at General Dynamics and transitioned through a merger with Lockheed Martin Astronautics as a director of pricing and finance.
Long has a demonstrated history of working in the information technology, aerospace, transportation, and services industries. He's skilled in commercial as well as U.S. Department of Defense procurement.
Long participated in the 2+2 program, and attended Penn State Schuylkill for two years before moving on to receive his undergraduate degree in quantitative business analysis from Penn State University Park in 1977. He's an active member of the Society of Cost Estimating and Analysis.
Long is an Orwigsburg native, and currently resides in State College, Pa., with his wife Michelle.
Daniel J. Pedriani, Jr.
B.S. Accounting, '71
Daniel J. Pedriani, Jr. retired in July 2010 as president and chief executive officer of AmeriHealth Administrators, a widely recognized and respected third-party administrator (TPA) serving over 400,000 plan members and managing more than $1 billion in annual medical and pharmaceutical benefits spending.
Pedriani was also president and chief executive officer of Inter-County Hospitalization Plan, Inc. and Inter-County Health Plan, Inc. (Inter-County), a long-tenured Pennsylvania insurer.
Before joining AmeriHealth Administrators, Pedriani served as president of AmeriHealth New Jersey. He also served as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Applied Immune Sciences, Inc., the biotech cell and gene therapy subsidiary of Rhone Poulenc Rorer (RPR), a pharmaceutical company. Prior to that, he was senior vice president and worldwide controller at RPR.
Prior to his longstanding career in the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, Pedriani was senior vice president and chief financial officer for John Wanamaker's retail department stores. He and the chief executive officer led the management team in a buyout effort for the chain of stores.
Pedriani worked for Coopers & Lybrand (PWC) for five years and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). A graduate of Penn State University, he served as chair of the advisory board for Penn State's Great Valley campus, and in 2005 was honored by Penn State and received their Alumni Fellow award for career accomplishments and volunteer services to the University.
Scott C. Price
Ret. Lt. Col.
B.S. Chemistry, '85
Scott Price graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor's in chemistry in 1985. He then worked in the polymer industry as a development chemist. He entered the Pennsylvania State Police in 1988, and after academy graduation, was assigned to Troop M, Bethlehem Patrol Unit.
At the rank of Trooper, assignments included criminal investigations; forensic services; firearms and tactical instruction; and Special Emergency Response Team (the State Police analogue to SWAT).
Progressing through the ranks, Price served in supervisory capacities in patrol, criminal investigations and station command.
After receiving Commissioned Officer status, Price was assigned to the Internal Affairs Division Section Command; and Bureau of Records and Identification where he was instrumental in developing a firearms purchase system which NBC News lauded as a "model firearms background check system."
Eventually, Price became the Deputy Commissioner, a cabinet level position, which also brought broadened responsibilities. Among those responsibilities was development of the architecture for a municipal service fee adopted by the Office of the Budget and proposed in the Governor's budget Address to legislature.
During his career, he attended the International Chiefs of Police "Leadership in Police Organizations" training, eventually becoming an instructor and completing the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He served on various committees among the National Institute of Justice Special Technical Committee and Law Enforcement Firearms.
Retiring in January 2022, Price was selected to become the Chief of Police in Bloomsburg, Pa. He oversees a department of 18 uniformed personnel and 3 civilian staff; managing a budget of approximately $3.2 million. The Bloomsburg Police maintain a 24/7 response capability and provide a full array of police services to a community of 12,700 residents in addition to a student population approaching 8,000.
Sarah Troxell
B.S. Chemistry
Sarah Troxell is winemaker at Schuylkill County’s award-winning Galen Glen Winery. Her Penn State connection began at a very young age; being born in State College while her father, Dr. Wes Rhodes, was finishing his Ph.D. in Physics.
After graduation, Dr. Rhodes accepted a faculty position at Penn State Schuylkill and Sarah began auditing summer classes in mathematics and computer science at age thirteen. Her first summer job was as a computer lab assistant at Penn State Schuylkill!
Interested in science from youth with a natural proclivity for mixing unusual concoctions—like perfumed toothpaste, Sarah eventually received a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in biology from Ursinus College. After college, her professional career focused on pharmaceutical packaging components for injectable drugs. But it was trips to Germany, and wine from Hawaii via husband Galen’s best friend, that collided to inspire Sarah and Galen to leave corporate jobs and acquire the Troxell family double-century farm, which is now Galen Glen Winery.
Established in 1995, Galen Glen Winery has become an icon for east coast wine and boasts numerous international accolades and reviews, including Sarah being recognized as Best Woman Winemaker in the United States. Sarah is proud to be entrusted each harvest with translating the story of the growing season and land into wine.
Sarah and Galen delight in living and working on their farm, with all 3 of their children and families nearby. Galen Glen is gradually transitioning to the next generation. Daughter Erin, who brings a global perspective and breadth of knowledge, is destined to shape the future of Pennsylvania wines.