UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of the celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Penn State Smeal College of Business Alumni Society Board honored its 2019 Alumni Society Board award winners on April 5. Two students and six alumni were recognized at the 2019 Awards Program and Hammond Society Dinner in the Business Building Atrium.
In addition, three new members were inducted into the Hammond Society. Induction honors alumni who have demonstrated a commitment to the Smeal College of Business and fosters their continued involvement in the college. Membership is offered to alumni of the college who have served out their maximum terms on the Smeal Alumni Society Board as an at-large director.
The awards and the 2019 recipients are as follows:
Board Sponsorship Award
Recognizes a Smeal graduating senior for demonstrating outstanding leadership and scholarship. The recipient is given the opportunity to be an ex-officio member of the Alumni Society Board for the year following graduation.
Recipient: Jennifer Ferrone, a senior majoring in supply chain and information systems with a minor in management information systems. After graduation, Ferrone will be returning to Target, where she interned last summer, joining the company full time as an inventory analyst at its corporate headquarters.
Student Diversity Award
Recognizes a Smeal student for leadership in an individual or group project that furthers diversity efforts at Smeal.
Recipient: Gina Uyen Mi Nuyen, a senior marketing major who also is double-minoring in digital media trends and analytics and supply chain and information systems. Nuyen is spending her senior year working at Saxbys, the student-run experiential learning café in the Business Building.
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
Recognizes a graduate for career achievements and community service.
Recipient: Brandon Lyons, a 2012 alumnus in supply chain and information systems, is a supervising associate of advisory services with experience management for supply chain and operations at Ernst & Young LLP (EY). He started his career at EY as a consultant in its performance improvement, supply chain and operations practice. In 2012, he was recognized as the “Supply Chain Rookie of the Year” for his exceptional client service. While on vacation in May 2014, Lyons dove into shallow water, breaking his T5 and T6 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. He now resides in Colorado Springs, Colorado, so he can train for the 2020 Paralympics Games as a member of the U.S. Paralympic Cycling Team.
Alumni Diversity Award
Recognizes a graduate who has demonstrated a commitment to the college’s goal of being a diverse and mutually supportive community that provides a climate of sensitivity, open-mindedness, and respect.
Recipient: Meredith A. Monroe, who earned a bachelor's degree in finance in 2010 and an MBA in 2016, is a manager in the people advisory services practice at EY. Monroe started her career in the Boeing Business Skills Rotational Program, which included stints in procurement financial analysis, integrated scheduling, and accounting. In 2016, Monroe joined EY. Over the past several years, Monroe has supported the Diversity Enhancement Programs office through the founding and establishment of the Smeal DEP Advisory Board. She has served as the board’s chairperson for the last three years. She was a member of the Penn State women’s basketball team from 2006 to 2010, serving as co-captain during her senior year.
Service to Smeal Award
Recognizes an alumnus/alumna for their outstanding service to the Smeal College of Business through volunteer activities and/or efforts that enrich the college community.
Recipient: Melissa B. Ferrari, a 2006 alumna in supply chain and information systems, is a supply chain strategy leader at Procter & Gamble. She has served Smeal in a number of capacities, including as an at-large director to the ASB. She has been an active participant in the Smeal Mentoring Program for 10 years and recently started volunteering as the alumni adviser to Smeal’s Council for Supply Chain Professionals student organization.
Recipient: Jeff Pontius, who earned his MBA in 1998, is the vice president of finance and business operations at Blue Pillar Inc. As an alumnus, Pontius has volunteered in mentorship programs and served on the MBA Alumni Advisory Board since 2014.
Distinguished Achievement Award
Recognizes a graduate alumnus/alumna whose career achievements have enhanced the prestige of the college.
Recipient: Angelo Annese, a 1997 alumnus in accounting, is a tax partner with EY, working in the firm’s real estate practice in New York. Annese has extensive experience serving real estate private equity funds, real estate loan portfolios, the hospitality industry, tax-exempt organizations, and corporate and institutional real-estate development. He serves as EY’s Northeast sub-area global talent hub leader, responsible for overseeing more than 70 professionals working in Bangalore, India, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Recipient: Jeffrey N. Kleintop, who earned his MBA in 1995, is senior vice president and chief global investment strategist at Charles Schwab. Kleintop is frequently cited in a range of national media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Barron’s, and Financial Times, and he is a regular guest on news networks including CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox Business News, CNN, PBS, and ABC News.
Hammond Society Inductees
Andrew Giorgione, 1989, marketing
Giorgione has dedicated more than a decade of service to Smeal and to the Alumni Society Board. He was officially elected to the board in 2009. His volunteer service includes acting as a mentor, hosting events in the Harrisburg area, and leading the Student Engagement Committee for several years. Giorgione has served as the board president for the past two years and will leave a legacy of re-launching fundraising efforts toward the Alumni Society Board scholarships. Under his leadership, the board community raised nearly $26,000 last year.
Clare Frissora, 1987, finance
Frissora has served on the board since 2013. During her tenure, she was chair of the Mentoring Committee and was integral in the substantial growth of the program. Her team helped create a number of marketing pieces and resources to promote the program and enhance the quality for participants. Frissora has been mentoring Smeal students since 2011 and has co-hosted a budgeting workshop for students each spring for the last six years.
Carlton Langley, 1999, marketing; 2018, MBA
Langley has served on the board since 2013. He was the vice chair of the Mentoring Committee and created the first version of an online matching application that significantly improved the matching process, allowing the program to sustain more participants each year. During his tenure on the board, Langley came back to Smeal as a full-time MBA student. While he was on campus, he participated in several professional development events for students. Carlton has also acted as a mentor to students for many years.