At its Jan. 23 regular business meeting, the Council of Trustees of Pennsylvania Western University honored the contributions of three members — former state representative and trustee Donna Oberlander, immediate past chair Kathy L. Pape and immediate past vice chair Larry Maggi. PennWest President Jon Anderson also announced the names of retired faculty and administrators recently granted emeritus status.  

Oberlander has served on the PennWest Council of Trustees since 2022, following her 6-year tenure on the Clarion Council of Trustees from 2008 to 2022. She represented Pennsylvania’s 63rd District in the House of Representatives from 2009 to 2024 and is now a partner at Rooney Novak Isenhour Group.   

“Donna achieved numerous firsts, including becoming the first Republican woman in Pennsylvania to serve as both Republican Whip and policy chairman,” said board chair J.D. Dunbar. “She has received numerous accolades, including the ‘Guardian of Small Business’ and the 2021 Legislative Leadership awards.   

Pape was appointed to the PennWest Council of Trustees in 2022 and was chair from October 2022 to January 2025. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in the university's presidential search, culminating in the successful appointment of Dr. Jon Anderson as PennWest’s second president. Previously, Pape served on the Edinboro Council of Trustees for eight years, from 2012 to 2020. She retired from Saxton & Stump in January 2024 and continues to be actively involved with several nonprofit and community development organizations. 

Maggi has been a member of the PennWest Council of Trustees since 2022, serving as vice chair from October 2022 to January 2025. During his tenure, he chaired the presidential search committee, co-chaired the Finance and Administration Committee, and served on the Executive and Academic Affairs Committee. Maggi also served on the California Council of Trustees for six years. He is serving his sixth term on the Board of Commissioners of Washington County and holds the position of vice chairman. 

“The council is grateful for the leadership of both Kathy and Larry,” Dunbar said. “They have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the success of PennWest, notably in their work with the presidential search committee, which led to the appointment of Dr. Jon Anderson as the university’s second president.”   

At the meeting, Anderson announced the names of 20 retired faculty and administrators who were granted emeritus status in the last quarter.     

In other business, the Council of Trustees:

The PennWest Council of Trustees will next meet on March 27, 2025, on the PennWest Edinboro campus.