PRESIDENT

Ambassador David F. Girard-diCarlo, Ret. is the current President of the Society. He joined Cozen O’Connor’s Philadelphia office in May 2009. Prior to joining the law firm, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Austria and in key executive positions for over 20 years at Blank Rome LLP. Ambassador Girard-diCarlo has been a member of numerous boards and is an active participant in business and cultural communities. A graduate of St. Joseph’s University and Villanova School of Law, he is the recipient of many honors, including the Americanism Award from the Anti-Defamation League and the Pontifical Honor of Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great.

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL

Curtis H. Barnette was Chairman and CEO of Bethlehem Steel Corporation from 1992 to 2000, and today continues to serve as Chairman Emeritus to the company he first joined as an attorney in 1967. Mr. Barnette served as a member of the President’s Trade Advisory Committee under three presidents and was appointed by Governor Tom Ridge to Pennsylvania’s 21st Century Environmental Commission. He was a Fulbright Scholar in International Law at the University of Manchester, England, and is a graduate of West Virginia University, Yale Law School and Harvard Business School.

Frank V. Cahouet was Chairman, President and CEO of Mellon Financial Corporation from 1987 until his retirement in 1998. Prior to his service with Mellon, he was President and COO of Fannie Mae. A native of Boston, Mr. Cahouet began his career with Security Pacific National Bank in 1960, and continued there for 24 years. He is the founding chairman and director of the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance. He is director emeriti of Extra Mile Education Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Little Sisters of the Poor. Frank V. Cahouet is a graduate of Harvard University and the Wharton Graduate School of Finance.  

Robert J. Ciaruffoli is Chairman and CEO of ParenteBeard LLC. With over 30 years of experience in the accounting profession, Mr. Ciaruffoli joined Parente Randolph in 1979 and was elected Chairman and CEO in 2000. He was instrumental in transitioning the northeastern Pennsylvania accounting and consulting firm into a multi-state firm headquartered in Philadelphia. A graduate of King’s College and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Mr. Ciaruffoli is President of the Board of the Philadelphia Police Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of the Union League.

Nicholas DeBenedictis is Secretary of the Society and has been Chairman of Aqua America since 1993. Prior to his current position, Mr. DeBenedictis was Senior Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs for PECO Energy. He was elected Chairman of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in 2004 and chaired Mayor Street’s 21st Century Review Forum Regional Cooperation Committee. Mr. DeBenedictis served as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Environmental Resources and Director of the Office of Economic Development during the Thornburgh Administration. He received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Drexel University and has received numerous awards for public service and civic leadership.

Andrew C. Fisher is President and Chief Investment Officer of CIM Investment Management, Inc., a registered Investment Advisory Firm in Pittsburgh, which specializes in the public sector. CIM manages portfolios ranging in size from three to sixty three million dollars and works extensively with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, local municipalities, counties and other clients. He participates in many community projects, including President of the Carriage House Children’s Center at Wightman School Community Center. Mr. Fisher is a graduate of the University of Colorado and played on the varsity squad of that university’s nationally ranked rugby team.  

Thomas B. Hagen, a recognized business and civic leader for more than 40 years, is Chairman and owner of Custom Group Industries in Erie. He served as the 28th and last Secretary of Commerce and the first Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development in the Ridge Administration. Mr. Hagen began his career as a file clerk with the Erie Insurance Group, where he eventually became Chairman and CEO. Long active in community revitalization and historic restoration, he has received numerous awards and honors for his public service. A former President of the Society, Mr. Hagen attended Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and graduated in 1957 from Ohio State University.

S. Dale High is Chairman of the Board of the High Companies, a family business that encompasses 15 entities and employs more than 2400 people. After graduating from Elizabethtown College in 1963, Mr. High joined the company and has helped to strategically grow the High Companies’ interests in the steel and concrete industries, architecture and planning and real estate among others. Mr. High was instrumental in establishing the Family Business Center at Elizabethtown College. He serves on numerous boards, and received the Central Penn Business Journal’s 2004 Hall of Fame Award.

James E. Nevels is Vice President of the Society. He is founder and chairman of The Swarthmore Group with nearly thirty years experience in the securities and investment industry. Mr. Nevels was appointed by President Bush to the Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, and Chairman from 2005-2007. Currently, Mr. Nevels is the non-executive Chairman of the Board of The Hershey Company, a member of the Board of the Hershey Trust Company, the Milton Hershey School, the Tasty Baking Company, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Gettysburg Foundation. From 2001 until 2007 he served as Chairman of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission, charged with overseeing the turnaround of the Philadelphia School System. Mr. Nevels is a graduate of Bucknell University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School.

Sandra Schultz Newman is a nationally recognized jurist, prolific writer and highly sought after public speaker. From 1995 – 2006 she served as the first elected female justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In that position, she was the high court’s Liaison to the First Judicial District (Philadelphia) as well as a member of the Court’s Judicial Council. Prior to her term on the Supreme Court, Justice Newman was a judge on the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania and an attorney in private practice. She was also the first female Assistant District Attorney in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. The recipient of numerous honors and awards. Justice Newman is a graduate of Drexel University and received a master of arts degree from Temple University. She earned her law degree from Villanova University School of Law.  

Patrick J. O’Connor is Treasurer of the Society. He is Vice Chairman of Cozen O’Connor and for three consecutive years, he was named as one of the top 100 lawyers in Pennsylvania. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the American Bar Foundation. A graduate of King’s College and Villanova University School of Law, Mr. O’Connor serves on the Board of Consultors for the Villanova University School of Law, and is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Temple University. He is Chairman of the Board of Mellon Private Asset Management Mutual Funds, Chairman of Franklin Security Bank and serves on the board of the Philadelphia Police Foundation and the advisory Board for Litigation Council of America.  

Velma A. Redmond is Divisional General Counsel of American Water and serves as Vice President, Corporate Counsel and Secretary of Pennsylvania American Water. She was formerly Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of State, Chief Counsel to the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission and Assistant Attorney General in the Pennsylvania Department of Justice. Ms. Redmond is Vice Chair of the Board of Managers of the Milton Hershey School and the Board of Directors of Hershey Trust Company. She is Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Harrisburg Area Community College. Ms. Redmond graduated from Princeton University and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Villanova University School of Law.

Roger W. Richards is the founder and President of Richards & Associates, P.C., a firm which specializes in corporate and municipal finance, commercial banking and mergers and acquisitions. He is also the owner of Bliley Technologies, Inc., which designs and manufactures crystal oscillators and quartz crystals, and its subsidiary Sunburst Electronics, Inc., an electronic contract manufacturer serving the aerospace, military, medical device and industrial equipment sectors. A graduate of Westminster College and Dickinson School of Law, Mr. Richards is an active member of the business community in Erie.

Arthur J. Rothkopf is the recently retired Senior Vice President and Counselor to the President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with special responsibilities in education and workforce development. From 1993 until 2005, he was the President of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. There, under Mr. Rothkopf’s guidance, more than $250 million in new construction was completed and the college’s endowment more than doubled. Prior to his tenure at Lafayette, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation by President George H.W. Bush. He serves as a member of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education, as well as a member of the Board of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A former president of the Society, serving from 2006-2008, Arthur J. Rothkopf graduated from Lafayette College and earned his law degree from Harvard University.  

Charles Snelling is an engineer and entrepreneur. A graduate of Lehigh University, he is the holder of 22 patents and was the founder of numerous high-tech companies that specialized in applied thermodynamics, energy storage and thermal systems design. A former president of the Society, serving from 1997-2000, Mr. Snelling is currently involved in private venture capital, real estate investment and public service. For four years, he was President of the Allentown City Council. In addition to serving on hospital, museum, college and corporate boards, Mr. Snelling is a Director of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, by appointment of the President.  

Andrew J. Sordoni, III, was the youngest President of The Pennsylvania Society, serving from 1988 to 1991. He has served as an officer of Sordoni Construction Services, Inc. for nearly forty years, during which time he has held executive responsibilities in manufacturing, hotel management and real estate development. He was Chairman or President of C-TEC Corporation from 1979 until 1993. Mr. Sordoni has been active in business, civic and political affairs throughout his adult life. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including an honorary doctoral from King’s College, the Grand Prix du Disque de Jazz from France and the Medal of the Westmoreland Museum of Art. He is also an enthusiastic and dedicated art collector. Mr. Sordoni has attended every annual dinner of the Society since 1967.

Stephen D. Steinour is Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Huntington Bancshare Inc. Prior to joining Huntington, Mr. Steinour served as Managing Partner at CrossHarbor Capital. Prior to CrossHarbor, he was CEO and President at Citizens Financial Group and Chairman and CEO of Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. Before joining Citizens in 1992, he was division executive for loan recovery with Fleet Financial Group. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College and of the Executive Program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Steinour has been very active in community affairs and serves on numerous boards, including Exelon Corporate, the Eisenhower Fellowships and the National Constitution Center. 

John K. Tsui is the Chairman of Towne Development of Hawaii, Inc. His career began with Philadelphia National Bank in 1963. In 1971 he moved to Philadelphia International Bank as Vice President and Manager from 1971 to 1973. He then served in key executive roles with the Bank of New York, Bank of Hawaii and BancWest Corporation. He is a member of the National Council on Penn State Philanthropy. Mr. Tsui is a 1960 graduate of Pennsylvania State University and studied at the Amos Tuck Graduate School, Dartmouth College. He is a veteran of the United States Army.

Jean Craige Pepper Victor is First Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor for Merrill Lynch, Erie, Pennsylvania. As a registered investment adviser, she has worked with public pension funds for 16 years, and is a registered representative with six major stock exchanges. Committed to and active in community service and historic preservation, Ms. Victor is a trustee of the Goodwise Scholarship Fund for minority students, and has served as co-chair of the Junior League Historical Preservation Committee. Jean Craige Pepper Victor is a graduate of Hollins University. 

C. Alan Walker is President and CEO of Bradford Energy Company. A former President of the Society, serving from 2004-2006, Mr. Walker is past Chairman of the Boards of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, Pennsylvanians for Effective Government and the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority. He is a Trustee of Bucknell University and has long been active in community service, holding leadership roles with the Bigler Civic and Recreation Association, Clearfield Hospital, Clearfield Y.M.C.A., the Boy Scouts of America, Team Pennsylvania and the Republican State Committee, among others. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, he is a graduate of Bucknell University and holds an M.B.A. from Penn State University.

F. John White serves as Chief Executive Officer of Public Financial Management and member of its Board of Directors. Mr. White has coordinated PFM's growth in personnel, technology advances, and business practice expansion, expanding from a single office with five employees in 1980 to over 427 employees in 31 offices nationwide in America's largest cities. Prior to joining PFM in 1980, Mr. White held policy-making positions in various aspects of local, state and federal governments. A graduate of Muhlenberg College, Mr. White is active in the community. Among numerous activities, he is a Board Member of the Kimmel Center; and he is Treasurer of the Board of Overseers of the William Penn Charter School which honored him with the Alumni Award of Achievement.

LeRoy S. Zimmerman is the immediate past President of the Society. He was Pennsylvania’s first elected Attorney General, a position he held for eight years, beginning in 1981. Immediately preceding that, he served as Dauphin County District Attorney for 15 years. Currently, Mr. Zimmerman is Senior Counsel for the firm of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. He is Chairman of the Milton Hershey School Board of Managers, the Hershey Trust Company Board of Directors and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company. Active in numerous professional and civic organizations, he is the recipient of many honors and awards for public service and leadership. LeRoy S. Zimmerman is a graduate of Villanova University and the Dickinson School of Law.

COUNCILORS EMERITI

Frederick W. Anton, III, is President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Manufacturer’s Association. Since 1981, he has hosted a bipartisan seminar and luncheon at the Metropolitan Club on the Saturday of The Pennsylvania Society’s annual dinner. A former President of the Society and now Coucilor Emeritus, Mr. Anton is Chairman of the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission of Pennsylvania and is active in many business and civic activities. He is a graduate of Villanova University, the Villanova University School of Law, and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Mr. Anton is a lifelong resident of southeastern Pennsylvania.

Fred M. Kirby, II, was awarded the Gold Medal of the Society in 1982. A native of Wilkes-Barre, Mr. Kirby is a graduate of Lafayette College and Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve in the European Theatre from 1941 to 1946. In 1967, Fred Kirby became Chairman of the Board of Allegheny Corporation, the same year in which he became President of the F. M. Kirby Foundation. In 1940, he was a member of the Lafayette College undefeated football team. Fred M. Kirby, II, is Director Emeritus of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame and Councilor Emeritus of The Pennsylvania Society, among numerous affiliations.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Carol McCullough Fitzgerald is the fifth Executive Director of The Pennsylvania Society and the first woman to hold that post. Prior to that, she produced and organized programs and major special events, managed political campaigns, and planned highly successful fundraising strategies. In conjunction with the Republican National Convention of 2000, she developed and produced an interactive celebration of the American presidency called PoliticalFest. Prior to Politicalfest, Ms. Fitzgerald was the Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations at Drexel University, and the Senior Associate Director of Alumni Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Fitzgerald serves on numerous boards and commissions, including Historic Philadelphia, Inc., Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women and the Board of Trustees of Chestnut Hill College. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Masters degree from Drexel University.