Elections are upcoming for Penn State’s alumni trustees. Here’s who’s running — and how to vote
Penn State’s annual election for alumni-selected seats on the board of trustees is just days away — and six candidates are running for three open positions.
Alumni who already have an email on file with the university should receive an online ballot Saturday via email from psuelections@eballot.com. (Alumni who don’t receive an email can always request a ballot online.) The election will then remain open until 9 a.m. May 6.
There are nine total alumni-elected trustees with three-year terms and, because terms are staggered, three seats become open every year. The trustees whose terms are up this year include Brandon Short, Laurie Stanell and Robert Tribeck.
Tribeck is not running for reelection.
A webinar will be held with the candidates at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, hosted by Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship. In the meantime, here’s a closer look at the six candidates, based on information provided by the board:
Jim Bognet, 1997 alum
Facebook: Bognet for PSU
Email: Bognet4PSU@gmail.com
Bio: Ran for the U.S. House last year to represent Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District, but the Republican challenger lost to Democrat Matt Cartwright. (Bognet had 48.2% of the vote to Cartwright’s 51.8%.) ... Graduated with a B.S. in finance, before earning a law degree and master’s in business administration from UCLA. ... Native of Hazleton. ... Grew up in a PSU family that counts as alumni Bognet’s mother, father, brother, sister and more than 20 cousins.
Position statement: 1. Respect for Penn State’s proud legacy, 2. Affordable tuition for students, 3. In-person reopening.
Alvin F. de Levie, 1973 alum
Bio: Personal injury attorney in State College. ... Graduated from Penn State in 1973 and from Villanova Law School in 1976. ... Grew up in State College, near Joe Paterno, and was a bat boy for the baseball team. ... Former member of the Undergraduate Student Government academic committee; published the first all-inclusive scholarship guide for Penn State students. ... Supports the Paterno Family Run and Thon.
Position statement: 1. Grow Penn State’s status as a world-class university while remaining affordable, 2. Restore Paterno’s statue, 3. Promote cooperation between town and gown, 4. Promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
Bridget M. Lasda, 2002 alum
Facebook: Bridget 4 PSU Board of Trustees
Website: Bridget4PSUBOT.squarespace.com
Bio: Chief Customer Officer at the King Juice Company, where she’s responsible for “the strategic leadership of the domestic and international sales businesses.” ... Graduated from Penn State with a B.S. in special education and from Emory’s Goizueta Business School in 2012 ... Former president of her sorority, Chi Omega, and former president of the Panhellenic Council. ... Earned an Alumni of Achievement award in 2016. ... Recipient of the West Chester 40 under 40 award in 2017.
Position statement: 1. Enable access and affordability to education, 2. Greater technological innovation in higher education, 3. Ensure effective policies that support diversity, equity and inclusion, 4. Promote and enable experiences afforded to students via student organizations.
Brandon Short, 1999 alum
Facebook: Brandon Short PSU Board of Trustees
Website: BShort4PSU.net
Bio: Currently the director of mergers & acquisitions for Round Hill Capital, a London-based real estate private equity firm.. ... Two-time Penn State football captain and 1999 All-American who played in the NFL for seven seasons. ... Graduated from PSU’s Smeal Business School in 1999, before earning an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2010. ... Elected to BOT in 2018; currently the chairman of the Board Oversight Task Force on Racism, Bias and Community Safety.
Position statement: 1. Make Penn State more affordable, 2. Implement improved board governance and accountability, 3. Prepare Penn State for the future by using technology, 4. Educational equity, 5. Uniting the Penn State community.
Laurie A. Stanell, 1980 alum
Facebook: Stanell 4 Penn State Trustee
Website: Stanell4Trustee.com
Email: laurie@stanell4trustee.com
Bio: Solo practitioner and business owner of Buckingham Dentistry. ... Graduated from Penn State in 1980, before attending Temple Dental School. ... Fourth-generation Penn Stater. ... Member of the American Dental Association as a doctor of dental medicine. ... Elected to the BOT in 2018; currently serves on several committees including academic affairs and research. ... Member of the Eberly College of Science Alumni Society Board. ... Regularly works with the Penn State Women’s Empowerment Roundtable.
Position statement: 1. Strongly advocate for tuition control, 2. Advocate for diversity, racial and gender equity, 3. Continue to work for BOT transparency and size, 4. Continue to support positive changes to Greek life, 5. Continue to be a visible presence in Harrisburg, 6. Continue to meet with University Park and commonwealth campus students and faculty to listen to concerns and celebrate accomplishments.
Steven B. Wagman, 1982 alum
LinkedIn: Steven Wagman
Bio: Spent more than three decades as a vice president with Siemens Healthcare and as the chairman of its Diversity & Inclusion Council. Currently serves as the National Healthcare Business Leader for Siemens Smart Infrastructure in North America. ... Graduated with a PSU degree in health planning/policy & administration, before heading to Pitt for a Master of Health Administration. ... Served as president of the Penn State Alumni Association, where he also had an unelected spot on the BOT, which expires this year. ... Member of various alumni and advisory boards, such as the chair for the Corporate Engagement Advisory Committee for endowment campaigns.
Position statement: 1. Affordable, word-class education, 2. Health, safety and physical well-being of students, 3. Improvements in diversity, equity and inclusion, 4. Fiscally responsible modernization and replacement of campus facilities.
