TSCT Honors Alumni at Annual Alumni Banquet
The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Alumni Association recognized several alumni during their annual Alumni Banquet held on campus on Saturday, April 25.
SPIRIT OF ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - ROBERT H. LAUDEMAN
Mr. Laudeman is a 1965 graduate of the Machine program at Stevens. He went on to get an Apprenticeship in Tool & Die and worked at AMP Incorporated. He received a Bachelor’s degree and Masters in Education from Millersville University. After four years as an industrial arts teacher, he went back to AMP for several years before becoming Maryland State Director of the Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship. He then moved up to Regional Executive Assistant for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship, retiring in 2014.
Mr. Laudeman is involved in coaching for the York County Special Olympics and is involved in his church.
“The hand-on learning environment [at Stevens] provided me the opportunity to attain the skills that formed a strong foundation that enabled me to complete a Tool & Die Maker apprenticeship program and each Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Industrial Education.”
Bob and his wife, Barbara, are the parents of 3 children and reside in York, PA.
ALUMNI SERVICE TO THE COLLEGE AWARD - RON SCHWARTZ
Mr. Schwartz 1988 graduate of the Stevens Machine Technology program. He received his Journeyman Tool & Die Maker designation in 1994, and a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy in 2005.
Mr. Schwartz has had extensive industry experience and is currently professor of Machine Technology at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. He is on the advisory boards of York County School of Technology and Bethlehem Area Vocational School. He has served Stevens as a division chair and faculty senate chair, as well as numerous faculty committees.
“Because my father died when I was eleven years old, I was raised by a single mother and it was a constant struggle for her to provide financially. I became aware of the importance of being financially independent at a very young age. It was almost pure chance that I ended up at Stevens but it has made all the difference in my life. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than feeling as though I am able to assist my students to improve their own lives.”
Mr. Swartz credits Mr. Jug McKeever for making an impact on him while attending Stevens, stressing to him the importance of properly investing money.
Ron enjoys dual-sport motorcycle touring and restoring old boats. He is the father of two children. He and his wife, Susanna, reside in Drumore, PA
ALUMNI SERVICE TO THE COLLEGE AWARD - MICHAEL BRADY
Mr. Brady is a 2005 graduate of the Stevens Graphic Communication and Printing Technology program at Stevens. He went on to work for RR Donnelley before becoming the sophomore instructor in the same program from which he graduated.
Mr. Brady is a member of the Susquehanna Litho Club. His special interest is in film photography.
“I grew at Stevens personally and professionally. Stevens got me an internship at RR Donnelley; the lead to be employed there for eight years.”
Mike does extensive printing for the College, the Foundation and Alumni Association. He designed the layout for this evening’s program and volunteers his time and expertise providing layout for The Tower quarterly newsletter. He also volunteers for Keystone Church and Water Street Ministries. He and his wife, Laura, are the parents of two boys and reside in Lancaster.
ALUMNI SERVICE TO THE COLLEGE AWARD - BETH STAHLMAN VALENTIN
Mrs. Valentin received two associate degrees at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology; the first in 2004 in Machine Tool & Computer Aided Manufacturing; the second in 2006 in Mechanical Engineering.
She is currently a Quality Manager for National Novelty Brush Company. She serves on the board of directors for the Clare House, helping homeless women and children through life skills training and support. Mrs. Valentin also serves the Junior League of Lancaster, which is committed to promoting volunteerism and developing the potential of women. Since 2010 she has been a member of the Donegal Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a women’s volunteer service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and securing America’s future through education for children.
Recently, Mrs. Valentin has volunteered on campus to speak to groups of female high school students exploring opportunities at Stevens.
Mrs. Valentin is the mother of two children. She and her husband, Jose, reside in Lancaster.
CORPORATE PARTNER AWARD - TE CONNECTIVITY
TE Connectivity, previously AMP and Tyco, has been a consistent supporter of Stevens College. TE employees serve on several of the Industry Advisory Committees for technical programs at Stevens, providing valued input and leadership. TE Connectivity is also an employer of Stevens’ grads.
Since 1999 TE Connectivity Foundation has provided the College ten grants totaling over $163,000. They supported a robotics initiative this year with the Electronics Technology program as well as the Electro-Mechanical program. They provided funding for the new chemistry lab at the branch campus and helped equip the Smart Classroom in the Hartzel building. They were also a generous supporter of a new Wire EDM machine in the Machine Technology program.
These initiatives and their ongoing support have made TE Connectivity a valuable corporate partner to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.
CORPORATE PARTNER AWARD - THE PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA - CENTRAL PA CHAPTER
The Central PA Chapter chartered with Porsche Club of American in September 1965. Today there are 439 primary members and over 700 associated members in the region. PCA has over 110,000 members in local regions making it the largest single marque car club in the world.
In 2014, the Porsche Club established a major partnership with the College’s Auto and Collision Repair programs. They provided two full-tuition scholarships; one for Auto Tech and one for Collision Repair. They also provided tools for each second-year student.
The Porsche Club donated a Porsche to be restored by the two departments and then sold it with the proceeds going back into the program.
The College is grateful to this generous corporate partner and looks forward to their future involvement in the auto-related programs at Stevens.
CORPORATE PARTNER AWARD - ROHRER’S QUARRY
With all their employees participating in a community Earth Day event, Rohrer’s Quarry is unable to be with us this evening, so Alex Munro will receive the award on their behalf.
Rohrer’s has been assisting the New Home Construction program at Stevens for the past three years through their donation of stone and cement for the project. This is a significant savings to the program’s budget and an important part of the construction process. Travis Rohrer, the company president, has been an invaluable partner with the College.
HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD - WES GEIB
Wes Geib is an outstanding ambassador for the College, particularly the Machine Tool program. He has established an outreach program to assist the College. He personally contacts and visits area high school to introduce students, parents, guidance counselors, etc. to machining and to Stevens.
Mr. Geib volunteers on the Machine Tool Advisory Committee and has assisted in many other ways. He is the owner of Geib’s Manufacturing Solutions, Manheim, PA.
Admitting that he is very passionate about helping to expose young students to the trade industries and related employment opportunities, Mr. Geib notes that one of his major accomplishments is mentoring young people who have successfully completed classes at Stevens and found employment in jobs they enjoy.
Wes and his wife, Audrey, are the parents of three children and reside in Manheim, PA.
HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD - JOHN GOODING
As Chairman of the Good Group, Ephrata, PA, Mr. Gooding has been an active supporter of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology over the years.
The Gooding Group consists of GSM Roofing; GSM Industrial, a metal fabrication and installation contractor; the Gooding Group Foundation, a philanthropic organization; and BGT Realty. One of his most gratifying accomplishments is watching the business move into the third generation.
Mr. Gooding has served on the boards of many educational, philanthropic and community volunteer organizations. He is a graduate of Valley Forge Military Academy and Goldey Beacom College.
Mr. Gooding has three sons. His wife of 48 years passed away in February of Alzheimer’s, for which he hopes a cure will be found for the next generation. His special interests are grandchildren, hunting and fishing.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI ENTREPENEUR AWARD - BRUCE SHALLIS
After graduating from the Cabinetmaking program at Stevens in 1990, Mr. Shallis worked for two cabinetmakers in the Philadelphia area. He then came to the realization that he wanted to strike out on a venture of his own. He and his brother started Shallis Services, Inc., a commercial cleaning and maintenance business. Since 1996, Shallis Services has grown to a company of 50-plus employees.
In 2001, he took a hobby and turned it into a business for recreation with off-road vehicles, which he called Rausch Creek Off Road Park, Inc. RCORP is one of the top east coast destinations for the off-road sport. The park provides a safe, legal place to enjoy the sport as well as experience races and rock crawling events. They’ve held fundraising events on site to support breast cancer, wounded warriors, and 9/11 remembrance.
Mr. Shallis is an International Four Wheel Driver Trainer and a coach for Coatesville Youth Lacrosse.
Mr. Shallis met his future wife, Lisa, at a Stevens dance with LGH nursing students and today they are the parents of two sons. They reside in Coatesville, PA.
ALUMNI CITIZENSHIP AWARD - VINCENT J. LATTANZIO
Vince Lattanzio was a well-respected and very active member of the Stevens Alumni Association and Foundation upon his untimely passing in January of this year. He proudly served as treasurer of the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation, was chairman of the Alumni Awards committee, served on the Finance & Investment committee, the Fundraising committee and the Policy & Procedures committee.
Mr. Lattanzio graduated from Stevens in 1978 in the Cabinetmaking program. In 1988 he joined Fulton Financial Advisors as an employee benefits specialist and later earned the designation of Certified Financial Planner. He was a senior vice president of Charitable and Endowment Services at Fulton Bank at the time of his death.
The son of Italian immigrants, Vince treasured his recent trips to Italy where he connected with extended family in his parents’ hometowns in Abruzzo. He studied Italian and was able to speak it fluently. He also enjoyed Italian cooking, and visiting one of the special places of his childhood, Long Beach Island, NJ.
Vince was instrumental in securing several major scholarships for students at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. He was a quiet and unassuming advocate for Stevens, and diligently attended almost every event of the organization. His presence is greatly missed.
Mr. Lattanzio is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and four children: Annie (who is here tonight), Kate, Charlie and Joe.
OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD - CODY KAUFMAN
Cody Kaufman is a Lancaster county native with a real passion for metal working and metal art. This interest brought him to Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, where he completed his degree in Metal Fabrication and Welding Technology in 2009.
After graduation, Cody and his uncle, Bruce Kaufman, also a graduate of Stevens in architectural drafting, began their business, Kaufman’s Metal Art. Cody finds inspiration from his love of the outdoors and brings nature into his unique metal artwork. Everything is created by hand with techniques that ensure each piece is truly one of a kind.
Kaufman’s Metal Art has expanded significantly since its inception in 2012, and will no doubt continue to soar.