Penn College Board of Directors Welcomes Two New Members

John J. Romano, vice president for commonwealth campuses at The Pennsylvania State University, and Steven P. Johnson, president and CEO of Susquehanna Health, have been appointed to the Pennsylvania College of Technology Board of Directors.

Romano and Johnson both will take their seats on the board in June. They were appointed by the Corporation for Penn State. Penn College is a special mission affiliate of Penn State, committed to applied technology education.

"We are delighted to have such accomplished leaders serve on the board of directors," said Penn College President Davie Jane Gilmour. "John Romano brings a wealth of experience in higher education and a statewide perspective. Steven Johnson is well-respected in the health-care field and, given the health-science focus of many of our majors, is well-suited to serve the college in this role."

The new directors will succeed Craig D. Weidemann and Birch B. Phillips Jr. on the 11-member board. Weidemann, vice president for outreach at Penn State, has served since 2004. Phillips, a Williamsport businessman, has served since 1997.

Romano announced his pending June 30 retirement in December to give the university ample time to find a replacement. He has worked for more than four decades at Penn State. As vice president for commonwealth campuses, he is the academic and administrative leader for 19 undergraduate Penn State campuses. He is responsible for strategic initiatives and development of the campuses, resource sharing, student recruitment and retention strategies, and promoting curricular integration across the entire university. More than 33,500 students are enrolled at Penn State's commonwealth campuses, the most in the history of the university.

Romano, who also is a member of President's Council, the university's senior administrative policy body, serves as chairman of the faculty and staff campaign For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students.

Prior to becoming vice president, Romano served from 1993 to 2005 as vice provost and dean for enrollment management and administration. Before being named vice provost, he served as campus executive officer from 1985-93 for Penn State York, where he was instrumental in growing enrollment and helping the campus secure funding for new state-of-the-art facilities.

Romano also has served as a faculty member in the College of Education and the College of the Liberal Arts. He also served as assistant and associate dean for undergraduate studies in the College of the Liberal Arts. Prior to his employment at Penn State, Romano was the assistant to the vice president for student affairs at the University of Delaware.

He holds a Ph.D. in counselor education from Penn State and a Master of Science in guidance and counseling from Springfield College. He received a bachelor's degree in secondary education (physics) from the State University of New York at Oswego.

Johnson, who was appointed to his current position with Susquehanna Health in 2004, is leading a $250 million, three-campus renovation and replacement program, which is scheduled for completion in 2012. Susquehanna Health includes three hospitals; long-term care, home health and hospice, behavioral health, comprehensive physical medicine and rehabilitation and pre-hospital services; a family practice residency training program; and a large, multispecialty physician group practice.

Johnson joined The Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center in 1984 as director of personnel. He was named director of materials management in 1985 and vice president of operations in 1988. In 1993, he was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer. From 1996-2000, Johnson was senior vice president and chief operating officer; he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer from 2000-04.

Before his appointment at The Williamsport Hospital and Medical Center, Johnson served as assistant administrator of a county-owned nursing home and personal-care facility. He served in various leadership roles for Lycoming County Children & Youth Services while completing Army basic training, Officer Candidate School and the infantry officer basic training program.

Johnson holds a master's degree in public administration from Marywood University and a bachelor's degree in liberal arts from Lycoming College.

He is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Board of Directors of VHA Pennsylvania, a board member and chairman of the Committee on Quality and Care Management for the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, and sits on a variety of other public and private service boards.

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