University Park, Pa. -- Ten Penn State alumni have been elected and three appointed to Alumni Council, the governing body of the Penn State Alumni Association.
Elected to Alumni Council for three-year terms from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012, are incumbents Michael F. Catino, Shamokin, Pa.; Jeffrey L. High, Frederick, Md.; Marjorie Ganter Scholtz, Pittsburgh; Gregory F. Scott, Pittsburgh; and Alison Lipsett Simpson, Harrisburg, Pa. Newly elected to Alumni Council are Robert J. Booz, Centre Hall, Pa.; Andrew Santacroce, Horsham, Pa.; Fred Sembach, Middletown, Pa.; Sharon Stringer, State College, Pa.; and Chris Thomas, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Incoming Alumni Association President Barry M. Simpson filled three appointed positions on Alumni Council. The appointees are Samuel Bernstine, New Castle, Pa.; Andrew Jackson Sr., State College, Pa.; and Kristin Fortney McMullen, Summerville, S.C.
Alumni Council is an all-volunteer governing body that guides and directs policy for the Penn State Alumni Association. The council determines strategies and programs to be carried out by the Alumni Association staff and also is responsible for electing the Alumni Association president and vice president.
In this year's election, 14,188 Alumni Association members cast ballots -- an 11 percent participation rate among eligible voters -- with more than 57 percent submitting their ballots online.
Following is a brief biography about each newly named Alumni Council member:
Samuel Bernstine of New Castle, Pa., graduated from Penn State in 1978. He is a partner at Kepner Tregoe Inc. Bernstine has served on Alumni Council for the past two years as the representative from Penn State Shenango Alumni Society, serving on the Membership Committee.
Robert J. Booz of Centre Hall, Pa., is a two-time Penn State graduate with a 1968 bachelor's degree in business and a 1999 doctoral degree from the College of the Liberal Arts. Booz is retired from a 40-year career at Penn State, most recently as director of development at the Graduate School. While he is new to Alumni Council, Booz has served on the Penn State Graduate School Alumni Society board.
Michael F. Catino of Shamokin, Pa., has served on Alumni Council for five years, first as a representative of the Penn State Schuylkill Alumni Society, then as an elected member. He currently serves on the Program Development Committee. Catino is a 1970 engineering graduate and is president of Catino Associates Inc.
Jeffrey L. High of Frederick, Md., graduated from Penn State in 1991 and 1993 with bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering. He is an engineering manager for the Crane Group of Manitowoc Inc., and has served on Alumni Council since 2007. He served as the representative of the Penn State Mont Alto Alumni Society on Alumni Council from 2007-2009.
Andrew Jackon Sr. of State College, Pa., is a multicultural consultant and author. He has been a member of Alumni Council since 2006, serving on the Legislative Education and Advocacy Committee.
Kristen Fortney McMullen of Summerville, S.C., is a 1989 graduate from the College of Health and Human Development. She is the director of communications and alumni relations for the Pinewood Preparatory School. McMullen has been on Alumni Council for the past three years, serving on the Volunteer Support Committee.
Andrew Santacroce of Horsham, Pa., works for Verizon in business strategy and development for its Enhanced Communities. While this is the first time Santacroce has been elected, he represented the Penn State Abington Alumni Society on Alumni Council from 2006-2008. Santacroce has a 1988 degree in science.
Marjorie Ganter Scholtz of Pittsburgh graduated from Penn State in 1962 with a degree in liberal arts. She is a retired owner and director of a private preschool. Scholtz has been a member of Alumni Council since 2006, is a member of the Executive Board, and chairs the Membership Committee.
Gregory F. Scott of Pittsburgh is a senior project manager and professional engineer with Chester Engineers. He graduated from Penn State in 1992. Scott has been a member of Alumni Council for the last three years and serves on the Legislative Education and Advocacy Committee.
Fred Sembach of Middletown, Pa., is chief of staff for state Sen. Mike Folmer. He earned a bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1977 and a master's degree in public administration in 1978. This is his first elected term on Alumni Council. He previously served as the representative for Penn State Harrisburg on Alumni Council from 2005-2008.
Alison Lipsett Simpson of Harrisburg, Pa. is the assistant marketing manager for Penn State Harrisburg. She graduated in 2003 from the College of the Liberal Arts. Simpson has served on Alumni Council since 2006 and is a member of the Communications Committee.
Sharon Stringer of State College is an associate professor at Lock Haven University and is new to Alumni Council. She is a three-time Penn State graduate, earning a bachelor's degree in communications in 1978 and master's (1996) and doctoral (1999) degrees in agriculture.
Chris Thomas of Scottsdale, Ariz., is a marketing manager for General Electric. He graduated from Penn State with a bachelor's degree in 2003 and an MBA in 2008. Thomas is new to Alumni Council.
For more information about the Alumni Association or the Alumni Council, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/groups/council/ online. With more than 160,000 members, the Penn State Alumni Association is the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world. Established in 1870, the Alumni Association strives to connect alumni to the University and to each other, provide valuable benefits to members and support the University's mission of teaching, research and service.