Area Residents Complete Nonprofit Leadership Program

Twenty area professionals, already serving at local charitable organizations, completed The University of Scranton’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. The program seeks to train and develop future executives to serve area nonprofit institutions. The program’s graduates were recognized at a ceremony on campus in January 2024.

The certificate program combines a rigorous academic component taught by Kania School of Management faculty with expertise in nonprofit organizations, a mentorship and experiential learning. Each participant also tackles both a capstone organizational project and a personal leadership goal during the program year.

Not including the 2024 cohort, 47 participants, representing 40 separate regional nonprofit organizations, have graduated from the program since its beginning in 2017.

The 2024 students who completed Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program and the organizations they represent are:

Kathleen Barry, deputy COO, The Wright Center;

Tiffany Benedict, Susquehanna County program manager, Women's Resource Center;

Amy Benjamin, finance director, Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission;

Laura Boyle, founder/board president, Scranton Youth Arts Coalition;

Avianna Carilli, coordinator of domestic and international service programs, The University of Scranton;

Matthew Ceruti, vice president, resource development, United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties;

Lori Chaffers, executive director, Outreach;

Andrew Chew, director of research, The Institute;

Lauryn Cleveland, executive director of administration, Friendship House;

Arrah Fisher, executive director, The Cooperage;

Susan Jeffery, administrator, Hawk Family Foundation;

Glynis Johns, founder and CEO, Black Scranton Project;

Art Levandoski, coordinator of marketing and development, Jewish Family Services;

Amy Luyster, vice president, Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce;

Josh Nespoli, deputy director, Community Strategies Group;

Jennifer Passaniti, executive director, Center for Health and Human Services Research and Action;

Joan Peterson, director, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Lackawanna County;

Shane Powers, COO, NeighborWorks;

Erica Rogler, executive director, Wyoming County Cultural Center/Dietrich Theater;

John Santa Barbara, director of development, West Chester University Foundation.

Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, chair of the Accounting Department and director of the Ph.D. in Accounting Program at The University of Scranton serves as director of Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program. Kurt R. Bauman, executive director of Northeast Pennsylvania Nonprofit and Community Assistance Center, and Jesse Ergott, president and CEO of NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania, serve as co-coordinators of the program. Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program Advisory Board members Maria Montoro Edwards, Ph.D., president and CEO of Maternal and Family Health Services, and Barbara Norton, director of corporate and foundation relations for Allied Services, served as peer group coaches along with Linda Ciampi, retired executive director of the Employment Opportunity and Training Center, and Cindy Yevich, retired executive director of the Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

For additional information visit the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program webpage or call 570-941-4047.