Trio of senior staffers join Penn State Athletics

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Director of Athletics Dave Joyner has announced the appointment of three senior management staff members as well as changes in administration for the football program following the retirement of Associate Athletic Director Fran Ganter.Joining the Penn State Athletics senior staff during the past two months are Troy Fisher, director of human resources; Jeff Garner, assistant athletic director - ticketing sales and services; and Mark Wharton, assistant athletic director - Nittany Lion Club.Fisher brings more than 25 years experience in human resources leadership to Penn State Athletics. From Red Lion, Pa., he has extensive experience in employment law, employee and labor relations, recruitment and organizational development. Fisher most recently served as director of human resources for the Red Lion Area School District near York, Pa. Fisher is a graduate of Mansfield University and achieved his Society for Human Resource Management certification in 2008. He is married and has two children, who are Penn State students.Garner oversees all aspects of the ticket operation for Penn State’s 31-sport athletic program, which is the third-largest among institutions in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). He has spent the past 13 years working in minor league and major league baseball, including 10 years with the State College Spikes and Altoona Curve franchises. He worked closely with Penn State in the development, construction and opening of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. From Shrewsbury, Pa., Garner is a graduate of Robert Morris University, where he was a football student-athlete. He is married and has two children.Wharton supervises the Nittany Lion Club, which has more than 22,000 members who provide financial support to Penn State Athletics and its 800-plus student-athletes. He has nearly 20 years of experience in athletic development, most recently serving as the executive director/assistant athletic director of the East Carolina University Educational Foundation (Pirate Club). He also has worked in development at University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of North Carolina-Asheville; and James Madison. Wharton is a graduate of East Carolina and earned his master’s degree at the University of Tennessee. He is married and has four children.Ganter retired earlier this year after serving nine years as Penn State associate athletic director for football administration following 33 years as a member of the football coaching staff.Rick Kaluza, associate athletic director of finance, has expanded his role within the football program in several areas, including: nonconference scheduling, budget administration and oversight of a variety of compliance-related areas, including performing student-athlete exit interviews and Faculty Senate approval of schedules.Jim Bernhardt, special assistant to the head coach, has assumed additional responsibilities as the day-to-day administrator for football operations, working with Kirk Diehl, director of football operations. Bernhardt and Kaluza work with head coach Bill O’Brien on nonconference scheduling.In addition, former Nittany Lion quarterback Wally Richardson returned to Penn State in June as director of the Football Lettermen's Club, another area Ganter supervised.Penn State won a school record 11 conference championships, including a record eight Big Ten titles in 2012-13, as well as a third consecutive NCAA Championship by the wrestling program. The Nittany Lions, who have more than 800 student-athletes, finished sixth in the 2012-13 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings, their ninth top 10 finish and highest finish since 2002-03.