Penn College to Present Mentorship Awards at Commencement

Pennsylvania College of Technology will present Mentorship Awards during Aug. 7 commencement ceremonies to Christopher P. McNally, an alumnus from Camp Hill, and Anderson Construction, a Chambersburg company that assists Penn College students and graduates.

The Mentorship Award, which was established in 2002, recognizes alumni and businesses that have made significant or ongoing contributions to the education and development of Penn College students.

The commencement ceremonies will take place at 11 a.m. at the Community Arts Center, 220 W. Fourth St., Williamsport.

McNally, who graduated with associate's degrees in Air Conditioning/Refrigeration (1987) and Electronics Technology (1985) from Penn College predecessor Williamsport Area Community College, is employed as an area service manager for York International Corp. He also has been branch service manager, Unitary Products Group, for the York-based firm. Previously, he held positions with Carrier Building Systems and Services, H.B. McClure Co. and Monroe Mechanical Contracting.

McNally has been a member of the College's HVAC Technology Advisory Committee, serving as chairman for the past two years. His current employer uses Penn College HVAC students as summer interns and has hired five graduates of the College (including McNally). When he worked for Carrier Corp., McNally facilitated the donation of several split-system air conditioners for use in Penn College's HVAC labs.

A nominator said of McNally: "Chris is very proud to be a graduate of Williamsport Area Community College/Penn College. As a student, Chris was on the crew that installed the HVAC system for the student-designed-and-built Victorian House on campus. With his desire to give back to the College, Chris is currently serving as chairman of the HVAC program advisory board."

Accepting the award for Anderson Construction will be the firm's owner, Pam Anderson. Recently, Anderson made the keynote presentation, "Building Personal Foundations," to participants in the College's SMART Girls (Science and Math Applications in Real-World Technologies for Girls) residential workshops.

Anderson also was an advisory committee participant for the development of the Residential Construction and Technology Management major. Her presentations to students in that major include "Foundation Time/Cost Comparisons" and "Supervising Women in Construction" (based on discussions with female students and professionals).

Anderson made a presentation to the Penn College Construction Association and initiated a PCCA fund-raiser to build the Anderson Construction trade-show booth for the 2003 Franklin County Builders Association Home Show. The booth earned a "Runner-Up Best of Show" designation. She also coordinated the PCCA students' booth at the 2004 Franklin County Builders Association Home Show and coordinated PCCA's winning nomination for the National Association of Home Builders' outstanding educator award. She has been a professional resource to current students and graduates, providing assistance with job searches and other activities.

A nominator said of Anderson: "With Pam as an advocate for Penn College, it's like having a branch office of Penn College with admissions, financial aid and career placement representatives in Chambersburg."

In addition to the Mentorship Awards, the Alumni Relations Office also presents Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna and Alumnus/Alumna Achievement awards in May and Alumni Citizenship/Humanitarian Awards in December. For more information about Penn College alumni activities, call toll-free 1-877-PCT-ALUM, send e-mail or visit on the Web.