Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges Announces Prestigious Executive Committee Appointments

The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC) today announced the recently-elected officers to the Executive Committee of its Board of Directors. The Executive Committee leads the PACCC Board of Directors in determining the statewide direction and policy interests of its member community colleges.

The following Executive Committee members, who have been nominated and approved by the PACCC Board of Directors, are serving a term which began on July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023:

  • Chair, Executive Committee, PACCC Board of Directors
    Tuesday Stanley, Ed.D.
    President, Westmoreland County Community College
  • Vice Chair, Executive Committee, PACCC Board of Directors
    Ann D. Bieber, Ed.D.
    President, Lehigh Carbon Community College
  • Secretary, Executive Committee, PACCC Board of Directors
    Catherine R. O’Donnell, J.D., MBA
    Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, Luzerne County Community College

The other member of the Executive Committee, whose term will also end June 30, 2023, includes:

  • Treasurer, Executive Committee, PACCC Board of Directors
    Marcel Groen
    Treasurer, Board of Trustees, Montgomery County Community College

“As members of the Executive Committee, these community college Presidents and Trustees will work with the Commission to ensure community colleges can increase the workforce readiness skills and educational attainment level of Pennsylvanians, as well as forge new and strengthen existing transfer partnerships with other postsecondary institutions here in the Commonwealth,” said Elizabeth A. Bolden, president & CEO of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. “Community colleges are the economic engines of Pennsylvania, creating skilled workers ready for employment in the Commonwealth’s most in-demand industries. We’re pleased to have these knowledgeable, motivated leaders driving that effort.”

Pennsylvania community colleges serve nearly a quarter of a million students from all 67 counties in the Commonwealth, as well as more low-income and first-time college students than any other sector of higher education. Community colleges and their students and alumni add as much as $13.6 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy, approximately two percent of the total gross state product. In 2020-2021, the colleges partnered with 1,420 local employers across the Commonwealth to provide $10.4 million of customized training for more than 80,000 Pennsylvania workers, and trained another 10,800 through partnerships with WEDNetPA.

President Tuesday Stanley, Ed. D.

Tuesday Stanley, Ed. D. was appointed the seventh president and the first female of Westmoreland County Community College by the college’s Board of Trustees April 23, 2014. During her tenure, Westmoreland has been awarded a Title III, $2.5 million grant to strengthen online educational services and student services to ensure a full spectrum of services to all of the communities the college serves, Westmoreland, Indiana and Fayette counties in Pennsylvania.

In addition, the college enacted a new three-year strategic plan which called for upgrading technology across the college locations, investing in employees through professional development and using data to drive decisions. This plan concluded successfully with 89% of the initiatives progressing to plan or fully complete. The college then launched a new strategic plan in 2020 and continued with the Balanced Scorecard approach. The plan focuses on 4 main perspectives: Customer, Internal Business Process, Employee Learning and Growth, and Financial.

Stanley led Westmoreland’s Investing in Our Ambitious Journey campaign which was the leading driver of corporate, private foundation and individual support for the construction and renovation projects that have transformed the Youngwood campus. In raising $6.5 million, the results of the Ambitious Journey campaign exceeded the goal of $5 million. This capital campaign was also record breaking in the number of major gifts resulting in naming opportunities. In total, nine areas of the Youngwood campus were named after major donors, committing over $800,000.

The college cut the ribbon on an addition to the Science Innovation Center on the college’s Youngwood campus in 2018. This new addition created student space for studying and interacting with faculty and each other, integrated learning in lectures and labs and infused technology in the pedagogy.

The college went on to cut the ribbon on Phase 1 of renovations to the Student Achievement Center, formerly known as Founders Hall, on the Youngwood campus in the Fall of 2019. The next phase included the creation of the enrollment center for one-stop student services, reimagined the library into a high-tech space, co-located the faculty with each other and students and designed student areas for studying and interacting with each other. In the fall of 2020, the final phase of the renovations were completed and the ribbon was cut on the event center, board room, Career Connections Center, and the Tutoring and Learning Services area.

Stanley has also led the college in multiple revenue ventures. In 2019, Tronix3D (now Agile Additive) opened offices in the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) and employs multiple Westmoreland graduates. In 2020 Excelicut opened in the ATC as a startup. Excelicut has flourished in the ATC environment and will be moving in the Fall of 2022 because their business has grown so much they need more space. At the same time, K-Tig, a welding company, will be moving into the building. In December 2020, Westmoreland opened a new Event Center which strategically provides another new revenue source for the college by expanding rental services.

In March 2020, the college began celebrating their 50th Anniversary. A year of celebrations was planned but many have been paused due to COVID-19 restrictions. As COVID-19 guidelines were put in place at a state level, Stanley, along with faculty, staff and leadership led a college-wide move to remote learning in less than a week. The college continues to successfully keep focus on graduating students and filling the workforce demands that continue in the county and the region.

As president, Stanley has also worked with faculty and administration to add several new academic programs, expand educational opportunities for high school students and grow transfer opportunities with regional 4-year universities and colleges. In December 2020, Stanley joined the administration team and faculty to create a dual admissions agreement with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In February of 2021, the college signed another dual admission agreement with Robert Morris University. The agreements are designed to streamline the process for students who earn an associate degree at Westmoreland to complete a bachelor’s degree.

She holds a doctorate in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in business administration from Lehigh University and a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University. She also has a certificate from Harvard University’s Institute for Higher Education and a certificate in bank marketing. 

She serves on the board of directors of the Economic Growth Connection, Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board, Challenger Learning Center, Indiana County Chamber of Commerce, Westmoreland Museum of American Art and the advisory board for HERDI, Higher Education Research & Development Institute. She is chair of the Westmoreland County Forum for Workforce Development, and a member of the Westmoreland Cultural Trust Board of Directors.

“The communities we serve need a skilled workforce now more than ever” explained Stanley. “Our mission is to provide students with the opportunity to expand their education and find family-sustaining jobs. We can help them achieve their dreams by wrapping them in support services. And as a member of the Commission and a community college president, I am dedicated to working with the Commission so students obtain high-demand, high-wage careers in the workforce and are able to transfer seamlessly across Pennsylvania into the university of their choice.”

President Ann Bieber, Ed. D.

Ann D. Bieber, Ed.D., was appointed the fifth president of Lehigh Carbon Community College on July 10, 2014. She began her career at the college in 1981 and over the years held positions including senior vice president of Administrative Services and dean of Continuing Education. Over her 40 years, she developed a deep commitment for honoring the legacy of the college founders and advancing the college to continue to serve the community in new ways and forge partnerships that benefit LCCC students and area employers. The college currently serves over 11,000 students in credit and workforce training programs each year.

Dr. Bieber is committed to enhancing, improving and fostering the college standing as one of the region’s premiere educational institutions. Consequently, the college was chosen by Amazon as one of four training providers nationwide for advanced manufacturing, received the designation of a Hispanic Serving Institution from the U.S. Department of Education, and was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for its commitment to educating Hispanic students.

She earned her doctorate in educational leadership and management from Capella University, her master’s in public administration from Kutztown University and her bachelor’s in business administration from Cedar Crest College. Dr. Bieber serves the community as a member of the Lehigh Valley Partnership, the Board of Directors for the Workforce Board Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, KidsPeace, Manufacturers Resource Center and the DaVinci Science Center.

“Community college students are at the center of economic development in their communities and throughout the state,” said Dr. Bieber. “Working hand in hand with employers, area school districts and other community partners, community colleges offer a high-quality relevant education through state-of-the-art technologies and experiential opportunities. The PA Commission is eager to partner with the Commonwealth to increase the state’s educational attainment with affordable and accessible educational pathways. We also strive to create more equitable outcomes for historically marginalized students. I welcome the opportunity to work closely with my colleague presidents as vice chair of the commission.”

Attorney Catherine R. O’Donnell, J.D., MBA

Catherine R. O’Donnell, J.D., MBA, is currently vice chair of the Board of Trustees of Luzerne County Community College. She also serves as chair of the Board’s Government and External Affairs, Public Relations and Marketing, and College Foundation Committee and as a member of the Executive Committee. She previously served as chair of the Board’s By-Laws Sub-Committee and as a member of the Academic Committee. Attorney O’Donnell has served as a member of the Luzerne County Community College Board of Trustees since 2018.

Attorney O’Donnell practices law with O’Donnell Law Offices and also serves as the firm’s business manager. She is the recipient of the Northeast PA Business Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business Award, The Times Leader Distinctive Women Award, and the Wilkes-Barre Law & Library President’s Award. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers for several years, named multiple times as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and named multiple times to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Top 50 Women Attorneys in PA. She has received the Martindale-Hubbel AV Preeminent Rating for multiple years and the Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America (lifetime). She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women, American Association for Justice, Pennsylvania Association for Justice, and Lackawanna County Bar Association. Attorney O’Donnell was appointed to two three-year terms as District III Hearing Committee Member serving the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. She serves as a member of the Guardian Section of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and as a member of the Guardians and Conservators Section of the American Bar Association.

She holds a B.A. degree from University of Pittsburgh, an MBA from University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Business, and a J.D. from University of Pittsburgh. She was admitted to the Pennsylvania and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 1988; to the District of Columbia and U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania in 1990; and to the United States Supreme Court in 2006.

In the community, Attorney O’Donnell is immediate past president, past two-term executive committee member, and current member of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association (Luzerne County Bar); president of the Luzerne County Bar Association Charitable Foundation; member of the Board of Directors for Luzerne County Dress for Success; member of the Board of Trustees of the Jewish Community Alliance of NEPA; member of the Board of Directors for Junior Leadership Wilkes-Barre; and member of the Board of Directors and secretary of the United Way of Wyoming Valley.

“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve on the Executive Committee of the Commission and look forward to working toward the advancement of the Commission’s mission on behalf of the residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Attorney O’Donnell.