President's Message

Greetings PennACE members! I hope the joy of your holiday season was full of memorable traditions with loved ones and relaxing days at home!  The groundhog is definitely playing tricks on us! I hope everyone enjoyed those few surprise days of warmth that February brought before the next bought of snow. While it might still be chilly outside, things are warming up for PennACE!

The start of the spring semester brought the annual opportunity to gather for our round table conversations.  Our Professional Development/Employer Relations Chair team lead by Phyllis Schoen and George Carter, offered in-person events in both the east (Kutztown University) and the west (Duquesne University). The event in the west was co-sponsored by Western Pennsylvania Career Services Association (WestPACS). The conversations, at each location, centered around new trends, unique programming, and sharing best practices on career development. It was a great networking opportunity and while it was a challenging weather day, it was great to see so many familiar faces and welcome new ones!

Our Student of the Year Committee, lead by Andrew Stopko, have been working swiftly to identify and award the JoAnne Day Student of Year Awards to undergraduate students from our member institutions that have completed and internship or co-op. Please check out and congratulate our 2023 recipients.

The 2024 PennACE Conference registration is open and Vice President Sarah Kordish, and her committee have been planning an exciting event at The Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA! I promise you, you don’t want to miss this one! Early bird pricing is available and additional details can be found on the PennACE website. We can’t wait to dive into some chocolate with you this May!

Much like our Past-President, Krissie Doppelheuer stated last year, our members are the heartbeat that keeps this organization moving, and we are always looking for new ways to engage with you. The Executive Board works hard to continue to grow our membership and identify new and exciting opportunities that are worthwhile for our membership to participate and benefit. Please continue to promote PennACE and its benefits, and consider joining the board!

Please do not hesitate to contact any of us with your comments or suggestions. We look forward to engaging with each of you in person, but in the meantime I this semester and the remainder of your academic year are a success!

Kate Labriola-Gorentz

PennACE President