Nominations open for Penn State alumni trustee seats. Why this year’s election process is different
Nominations are now open for the three open alumni elected seats on the Penn State board of trustees. This year’s election cycle will be the first time trustees have a bigger say in who can appear on the ballot since changing some bylaws last year.
Nominations opened for Penn State alumni to nominate candidates on Jan. 21 and will remain open until 5 p.m. Feb. 4. Nomination ballots were emailed to the email address on file with the university, or alumni can access the ballot at vote.yeselections.com/psunom.
People are eligible to participate in the alumni trustee election if they are Penn State graduates or former students who passed at least one semester, or two terms of work or more in a degree program. Former students can participate the year after they last attended.
Candidates who garner at least 50 nominations, submit all required documents and are “qualified” will have their names on the ballot. In the past, candidates needed 250 nominations but the board of trustees voted to reduce that number last year.
In a controversial decision, the board also approved giving a nominating subcommittee the ability to review alumni trustee candidates and determine whether candidates are “qualified” to be on the ballot.
The rubric that the subcommittee will use to determine if candidates are qualified can change each election based on the board’s needs.
The qualifications include a commitment to advancing the mission, vision and goals of Penn State, bringing expertise in areas identified in the board’s skill set inventory, supporting the university’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, complying with the university’s ethical standards and the trustee code of conduct and conflict of interest policies, and attending at least 75% of the five regularly scheduled board meetings each year.
There is also a “screening matrix” that the nominating subcommittee will use to assess the materials submitted by alumni, at-large and business and industry candidates for election/appointment to the board. That requires a background check.
Any candidate with a “no” on the screening matrix will be considered for ballot ineligibility, the matrix states. A two thirds vote of the subcommittee is needed to deem a candidate ineligible.
The nominating subcommittee consists of representatives from all the different categories of trustees. As of November, the subcommittee is chaired by Daniel Onorato, vice chair is Daniel Delligati, and members are Robert Beard, Randy Black, Robert Fenza, Chris Hoffman, David Kleppinger, Ali Krieger, Jay Paterno, Nicholas Rowland, Mary Lee Schneider, Kevin Schuyler and Richard Sokolov.
When the board approved changes to its alumni trustee election process, the alumni-elected trustees largely voted against the measure but it passed the board 24-8. At the time, Trustee Anthony Lubrano said he understood the thinking behind a nominating committee but said he “can’t accept the notion that in a democratic process we will decide who’s not on the ballot because we don’t believe they are qualified.”
“That’s what the electorate’s supposed to do, not us,” he said.
Some trustees worried that such a change could open the board up to the threat of litigation.
There are nine alumni-elected trustees in all and they serve staggered three-year terms with three seats becoming open each year. This year, Ted Brown, Barry Fenchak and Christa Hasenkopf’s terms are up.
Fenchak, who the board unsuccessfully attempted to remove last year, publicly announced he’s running for his second term. Hasenkopf will not seek reelection, according to Penn State Forward, a progressive coalition that helped elect her in 2022. In a press release, Press Forward announced that it is backing three candidates this year: investment strategist Uma Moriarity, higher education policy scholar Katherine Wheatle and civil liberties lawyer Daniel Zahn.
The election will begin on April 21. Alumni will have until 9 a.m. May 8 to cast their vote. For more information on the alumni trustee election, visit trustees.psu.edu/election.
