MCCC Alumni Association to Hold Hall of Fame Ceremony for 2007 Inductees
Aug. 31, 2007, Pottstown, Pa.—The Foundation and Alumni Association of Montgomery County Community College will hold its 5th annual Alumni Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday, Oct. 5 in the Art Gallery at the West Campus in Pottstown. Hors d’oeuvers will be served at 6 p.m., with the ceremony starting at 7 p.m. The cost is $40 per person, and the event is open to the public. For information and reservations, please call Terri Goertel at 215-641-6530.
The following individuals will be inducted into the Montgomery County Community College Hall of Fame.
Julio M. Algarin, Class of 1979
Julio M. Algarin, of Sanatoga, began his career in criminal justice in 1974 as a correctional officer at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. Since that time, he has risen through the ranks of corporal, sergeant, captain, assistant warden and deputy warden to his current position of warden, which he began in 2005. Under his leadership, the prison has started to open its doors and to work with outside agencies and the community in new and innovative ways. Julio is committed to changing training and procedures in order to address the historically high turn-over rate of correctional officers, and he takes great pride in his staff’s ability to operate an efficient, diligent and leading edge prison. Julio entered the College in 1977 under the LEAP program, a federal initiative that encouraged people to enter the criminal justice field and to further their education. He recalls having previous Hall of Fame inductees Thomas Rogers and Oscar Vance as his classmates in that program. A Marine Corps veteran, Julio values the numerous perspectives his classmates from all walks of life brought to the program and describes his educational experience as “stimulating.” His dedication to education recently led him back to the College, where he serves on the Criminal Justice Studies Advisory Board.
Victoria M. Bright, Class of 1984
Victoria Bright, of Phoenixville, describes being “born into” the profession of Human Services even before she chose it as a major. Undecided on her career path, she credits counselor Russ Loverdi at the College with directing her toward courses in the area of Human Services. She quickly became active as a peer counselor in the College’s Drop In Center and was elected as president of the Human Services Club. After graduating with an associate’s degree in Human Services in 1984, she continued on to Villanova University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Human Services Administration. Victoria has worked in the field of mental health since age 19, beginning with her field practicum while a student at the College. She has worked in the areas of substance abuse counseling, acute emergency services and intensive case management. She currently serves as the coordinator of Regional Mental Health Services, an organization that provides mental health services to Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Victoria has led the development of more than 30 programs that serve approximately 250 people in the Southeastern Pennsylvania region. She serves as a strong advocate for individuals and their families dealing with mental health issues and ensuring that they remain a productive part of society.
Peggy Lee-Clark, Class of 1988
Peggy Lee-Clark, of Salford, had already worked in the restaurant industry for seven years when she enrolled at the College as a non-traditional student to study hotel and restaurant management. After earning an associate’s degree in 1988 and later a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Eastern University and a graduate certificate in Women’s Leadership from Rosemont College, she continued to work in her field for more than 20 years. During that time, Peggy held numerous management positions that included restaurant manager, director of operations and manager of human resources, front office, guest services and sales. In 1994, her former professor Debbie Hunt, now coordinator of the College’s Hospitality Management program, enlisted Peggy to teach a management course. Two years later, she earned the prestigious Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence for her dedication to her students and her field. In 1997, Peggy became a full-time instructor of Hospitality Management at the College. In addition to her work in the classroom, she also serves as a co-advisor of Phi Beta Lambda student business organization, the chairperson of the all-College curriculum committee and the executive vice president of the Faculty Union. She describes herself as being “truly blessed” for having not one but two great careers in her lifetime. “I loved my career in hotel and restaurant management, and I love my career as a teacher,” she said.
Robert S. Cominsky, Class of 1974
Robert S. Cominsky, of Maitland, Fla., admits that when he first enrolled at the College, academics were not his top priority. However, after being inspired by the caring approach of his first accounting professor, John Lacy, Robert quickly developed a plan for success. He graduated in 1974 with an associate’s degree in Accounting and later from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He has 28 years of experience as a senior executive in technology sales, sales management and recruiting and has spent the last 20 years in service to the higher education sector. Robert currently serves as the vice president of business development for Sungard Higher Education, Managed Services. In that capacity, he has national responsibility for sales management and business development activities associated with both prospective and existing managed services clients. His duties are primarily focused on overseeing the attainment of long-term technology services contracts that are tailored to the unique needs of colleges and universities. Robert reconnected with the College a few years ago in a consulting role, and describes being “energized” by his return to the Blue Bell campus. “I’ve learned through my career that, if it were not for community colleges, our society would be so far behind from an educational standpoint,” he said.
Susan Nicholas Gephart, Class of 1977
Susan Nicholas Gephart, of Bellefonte, has been painting award-winning “plein air” landscapes for more than 30 years. Although she was exposed to art at a young age, her formal training began in 1975 during a painting class with professor Roger Cairns at the College. Graduating in 1977 with an associate’s degree in fine arts, she earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from Penn State University two years later. Susan is committed to the idea of bringing art to the public and creating environmental awareness through her landscape paintings. She has coordinated exhibits for the Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association for more than two decades and has held leadership positions with the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania and the Central Pennsylvania Pastel Society. When she’s not painting, Susan teaches art to others through private lessons, artist retreats and workshops. Her work has been shown with The Pastel Society of America, the Art of the State of Pennsylvania and the Central Festival of the Arts, where she won Best in Show. Locally, Susan’s work can be seen at Langman Gallery in Willow Grove, and later this year, she and her father, artist Thomas C. Nicholas, Jr., will exhibit a retrospective show titled “Landscape Passages” in the College’s very own Multiple Choice Gallery in Blue Bell. Her work is also in the permanent collections of the Penn Stater Conference Center at Penn State University and the Southern Alleghanies Museum of Art.
Alana Janelle Mauger, Class of 1997
Alana Janelle Mauger, of Gilbertsville, credits the College with building her confidence as a student, a writer and a community leader. During her time as a student, she was engaged in college life as the editor of the student newspaper and as a senator of student government. After graduating in 1997 with an associate’s degree in Liberal Arts, she went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing from Kutztown University and a master’s degree in Education from Capella University. After working as an editor with Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. and at WPAZ radio, Alana returned to the College in 2002 in her current position as coordinator of media and public relations. However, it is her volunteer work that brings Alana the greatest satisfaction. She has served as a high school youth worker at her church for the past eight years and has been an advisor to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Lutheran Youth Organization for the past two years. She is actively involved with Habitat for Humanity and the Appalachia Service Project, using her vacation time to accompany teens to areas like Kentucky and West Virginia to perform service work, in addition to working at sites across Montgomery County. Professionally, she sits on the Board of Directors of the College and University Public Relations Association of Pennsylvania (CUPRAP) and is active with a variety of human and civil rights and environmental organizations.
