Comitz Law
The law firm serving Northeast Pennsylvania announced the addition of two distinguished attorneys, Chester F. Dudick Jr. and Jannell L. Decker-Dudick, to its legal team. With their arrival, the firm continues to expand its commitment to providing top-tier legal representation in personal injury, commercial litigation, estate planning, family law and beyond.
Dudick, chief deputy district attorney for Luzerne County, is a graduate of the Dickinson School of Law, class of 1980. A lifelong resident of Luzerne County, his private practice began in 1980 in the litigation department of Hourigan, Kluger & Spohrer (now Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn).
Over the years, he has served in several prominent law firms, including Bialkowski, Fine & Bialkowski and Dudick & Decker.
Dudick has extensive experience in both criminal and civil litigation. As chief deputy district attorney, he has served as senior trial counsel for multiple homicide trials and other major criminal cases, including theft, aggravated assault, white-collar crimes, vehicular homicide and arson. Additionally, his civil practice has included personal injury, workers’ compensation and Social Security cases.
Decker-Dudick, a graduate of the Dickinson School of Law, class of 1984, is also a lifelong resident of Luzerne County.
Upon graduation, she joined her father, Robert G. Decker, in his private practice, focusing on real estate, estates and trusts, adoptions and business law. In 1986, she became a partner at Decker, Decker & Dudick (now Dudick & Decker), where she has served as managing partner and continued her focus on trusts and estates.
Decker-Dudick has also volunteered with Wills for Heroes and has served on the board of directors for the Georgetown Settlement and the Montrose Bible Conference.
The addition of Dudick and Decker-Dudick enhances the firm’s ability to serve its growing client base while reinforcing its reputation for legal excellence. Each brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in litigation and estate law, further strengthening the firm’s mission to provide aggressive and compassionate representation.
Dime Bank
Gary Schemel II, Dime Bank (SUBMITTED)
Gary Schemel II has been promoted to the position of assistant vice president. In his role, Schemel is responsible for the oversight of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)/Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and the fraud department. He is instrumental in designing, implementing and overseeing the BSA/AML compliance program, ensuring the bank’s adherence to relevant laws and regulations, and investigating potential suspicious activity.
Schemel joined the bank in September 2015 as a fraud specialist. In December 2021, he was promoted to BSA-fraud manager and, most recently, in December, he was elevated to BSA/AML fraud officer. This latest promotion to assistant vice president recognizes his significant contributions and expertise in this critical area.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from King’s College. He has furthered his professional development by completing the PA Bankers Association’s Banking School in 2018 and is currently enrolled in the PBA Advanced School of Banking. Additionally, Schemel earned his BSA/AML Professional Certification from the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA).
Friendship House
Chris Howe, Friendship House (SUBMITTED)
Chris Howe has been appointed vice president and chief operating officer of the vital behavioral health and human services organization in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Howe has more than two decades of experience in health care leadership. Most recently, he served as chief executive officer of Commonwealth Health’s Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, where he led marketwide initiatives that resulted in significant improvements in clinical, operational and financial performance.
Howe has held leadership roles at Bon Secours Mercy Health in Springfield, Ohio, and Plateau Medical Center in Oak Hill, West Virginia.
Howe possesses a Master of Health Administration and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of South Carolina. He is a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional, a Fellow of the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, and an active member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
He resides in the North Pocono area. Howe takes over from James R. Martin, retiring after serving as the vice president/CEO of Friendship House during its growth and expansion over the past decade.
Geisinger College’s School of Medicine
John Szarek, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (SUBMITTED)
Geisinger College of Health Sciences announced that John L. Szarek, BPharm, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and vice chair of curriculum, received the prestigious Edward Patrick Finnerty Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE). Szarek will accept the award in person at the 29th annual IAMSE Conference in June in Calgary.
This honor is awarded to an IAMSE member who has demonstrated sustained involvement in and commitment to the advancement of the IAMSE through their many types of service to the organization at the “maximal level of performance.”
Szarek has been a member of IAMSE since 1999, contributing significantly to the organization’s growth and development through various leadership roles and scholarly activities. He served on the IAMSE board of directors from 2004-2006 and 2007-2013, including serving as secretary from 2012-2013. He has regularly contributed to the organization’s annual conferences, serving on several program committees and chairing the 2006 program.
Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate
Shannon Trivett, Hinderfeld Commercial Real Estate (SUBMITTED)
Shannon Trivett has been awarded the Certified Property Manager (CPM) designation by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). This esteemed certification is recognized globally as a mark of excellence and expertise in property management.
With a career spanning over 19 years at the real estate firm, Trivett has demonstrated unwavering dedication and proficiency in the commercial real estate sector. Since joining the company in 2005, she has taken on increasing responsibilities across marketing, brokerage and property management. Her comprehensive understanding of the industry has been instrumental in delivering exceptional value to clients and stakeholders.
The CPM designation is IREM’s premier certification, signifying a property manager’s ability to maximize the value of real estate assets across various property types. CPM designees are recognized for their expertise in areas such as asset management, ethics and financial operations.
JBC Associates Inc.
Thomas Davis, JBC Associates (SUBMITTED)
The professional construction management firm announced that Thomas (Tom) Davis Jr. has joined as senior vice president, Transportation Services. With 37 years of experience in the transportation construction services industry, Davis brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team.
In his new role, he will oversee the company’s transportation construction management and inspection operations, ensuring that its projects align with client expectations and performance goals. Additionally, Davis will play a crucial role in business development by strengthening the company’s relationships with existing clients, securing new contracts and expanding its market presence in Pennsylvania.
He will provide strategic leadership for the company’s services across PennDOT Districts 4-0, 5-0, 6-0 and 8-0, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and other local agencies.
New York Air National Guard
Murphy James from Milford, and assigned to the 109th Airlift Wing, received a promotion March 10 to the rank of airman basic.
Air National Guard promotions are based on a airman’s overall performance, demonstrated leadership abilities, professionalism and future development potential.
These promotions recognize the best-qualified airmen for a career in the New York Air National Guard.
The New York National Guard (New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs) is the state’s executive agency responsible to the governor for managing New York’s military forces, which consist of nearly 20,000 members of the New York Army National Guard, the New York Air National Guard, the New York Naval Militia and the New York Guard.
Orchard Executive Search Firm
B.J. Berrettini, Orchard Executive Search Firm (SUBMITTED)
Twenty-year industry veteran B.J. Berrettini of Lake Twp./Dallas announced the opening of a new executive talent solutions firm, serving the banking, credit union and financial/technical services industries.
The new company offers a human-centered, personal and detailed approach to transformative hiring solutions, executive talent acquisition and retention, leadership consulting, cultural fit assessments, diversity and inclusion, career development and advancement, succession planning and overall organizational growth.
Prior to opening the firm, Berrettini built successful regional recruiting programs at two established executive search firms.
A graduate of Pennsylvania State University in marketing and management, he spent the last decade building and expanding a proven executive talent acquisition and placement track record in the New England banking industry.
St. Mary’s Villa
Noelle Lyon-Kovaleski, St. Mary’s Villa (SUBMITTED)
The Elmhurst Twp. villa, a member of Covenant Health, recently welcomed Noelle Lyon-Kovaleski, LHNA, as the new president of its senior care community, which includes 112 beds for skilled nursing, rehabilitation, respite and palliative care as well as 64 semiprivate, private or independent living personal care home units. As president, Lyon-Kovaleski focuses on daily operations, strategic planning and business development.
Lyon-Kovaleski formerly served as both a regional administrator and center executive director at Carbondale Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, as well as an administrator at Butler Valley Manor in Drums.
Lyon-Kovaleski holds a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from King’s College and a Bachelor of Arts in health policy administration from Pennsylvania State University. She also serves as a board member for the Pennsylvania Health Care Association and Northeast Pennsylvania Long-Term Care Association.
The Wright Center
Jean Gauvin, Wright Center (SUBMITTED)
Evan Silvi, Wright Center (SUBMITTED)
McKenzie Taylor, Wright Center (SUBMITTED)
Jignesh Sheth, Wright Center (SUBMITTED)
The Wright Center for Community Health has expanded its psychiatry services with the addition of an experienced psychiatrist, who is now offering office-based remote appointments for adults.
Dr. Jean Gauvin, who earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will provide a full range of services to patients via office-based remote appointments five days a week. Additionally, he will work with colleagues across the Wright Center to continue integrating behavioral health and primary health services.
The Wright Center provides office-based remote visits to improve accessibility for individuals in underserved and under-resourced areas, reducing barriers to behavioral health care.
Gauvin completed his residency training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and has worked as a psychiatrist in several hospitals across Connecticut and at the Connecticut Department of Corrections.
The Wright Center for Community Health is expanding access to behavioral health care by hiring a psychiatrist who will provide office-based remote psychiatry appointments for patients of all ages, helping to address the region’s shortage of mental health specialists.
Dr. Evan Silvi, a graduate of Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, has joined the Wright Center to provide comprehensive psychiatric care. In addition to offering a full range of behavioral health services, he will collaborate with colleagues across the organization to further integrate mental health into whole-person primary health services, enhancing patient-centered treatment.
After completing his psychiatry residency training and a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, Silvi worked for a decade as a staff psychiatrist at SwedishAmerican Health System in Rockford, Illinois. More recently, the Beloit, Wisconsin, resident has served as a psychiatrist at several locations throughout the United States, including in Harrisburg.
A second dentist who completed the postdoctoral residency training program at the Wright Center for Community Health has joined the nonprofit and is now accepting new patients at the Wright Center for Community Health Wilkes-Barre.
Dr. McKenzie Taylor provides comprehensive oral care services for all ages, including preventive, endodontic, periodontal, restorative, prosthetic and follow-up care, at the Wright Center’s largest dental clinic at 169 N. Pennsylvania Ave.
Taylor holds a Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry and completed her postdoctoral Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency at the Wright Center for Community Health Scranton through an affiliation with NYU Langone Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Program.
She will join Dr. Michael Regan at the dental clinic in Wilkes-Barre.
Dr. Jignesh Sheth, senior vice president and chief medical and information officer at the Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, has been appointed by Gov. Josh Shapiro to serve as a member of the state’s newly formed Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Related Disorders Advisory Committee.
This gubernatorial appointment recognizes Sheth’s exceptional leadership and clinical expertise in advancing patient-centered, data-driven care models that improve the lives of Pennsylvanians — particularly vulnerable and aging populations.
Sheth received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery with honors in biochemistry, medicine and public health in 2004 from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Wardha, India. He earned his Master’s in Public Health with a specialization in health promotion in 2006 from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.
After completing his internal medicine residency in 2009 through the Scranton-Temple Residency Program, now the Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Sheth joined the Wright Center as an internal medicine primary care physician and lead physician for population management and reporting.
United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike
Angela Bassani, United Way (SUBMITTED)
Angela Bassani, Ed.D., CPA, has been appointed as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer. A longtime advocate for the community and a dedicated leader, Bassani steps into the role following the distinguished tenure of Gary Drapek, who is retiring after 22 years of service.
With this appointment, Bassani becomes the fifth president in the organization’s more than 100-year history — and the first woman to hold the position.
She has worked with United Way for over a decade, most notably leading the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, where she has helped thousands of individuals access critical financial resources.
In addition to her nonprofit experience, Bassani holds a doctorate in educational leadership and management from Drexel University, an MBA and bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton, and is a certified public accountant.
University of Scranton
Jacquelyn Dionne, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, University of Scranton (SUBMITTED)
Alumni Jacquelyn Dionne, R.N. ’89 and Monsignor Joseph G. Quinn, J.D., J.C.L. ’72 will receive honorary degrees from the university at its undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 18.
A native of Scranton and a resident of Westport, Connecticut, Dionne became a registered nurse upon graduating from Community Medical Center in 1986 and received a bachelor’s degree in health administration from the University of Scranton in 1989. During her career as an intensive care nurse, she earned several certifications at Mount Auburn, a Harvard University teaching hospital, and later at the New Hampshire Heart Institute.
After staying at home for several years to raise a family, Dionne returned to the medical setting seven years ago and is currently the health and wellness coordinator for Brookdale Senior Living in Wilton, Connecticut.
Dionne and her husband, John ’86, H’10, are co-chairs of the largest capital campaign in the university’s 137-year history, “A Fire That Kindles Other Fires: The Campaign To Advance Mission, Access & Excellence.”
Quinn, a priest who has served the Diocese of Scranton for more than 40 years, was named pastor emeritus of Our Lady of the Snows Parish in Clarks Summit upon his retirement in 2024.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the university in 1972, he went on to earn a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Seton Hall University School of Law. At the age of 25, he was appointed a federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the youngest person in the country to serve in this position.
After discerning his call to the priesthood, he entered the seminary in 1981, completing his studies at the North American College in Rome, where he was awarded graduate degrees in theology from both the Gregorian University and the Angelicum University. Following his ordination, he was awarded dual degrees in canon law from the University of Ottawa and St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada.
Quinn has served in key pastoral and administrative roles and special assignments in the Diocese of Scranton, including 16 years as rector of St. Peter’s Cathedral.
The university’s undergraduate commencement ceremony, including the awarding of the honorary degrees, will begin at 11 a.m. on May 18 at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Twp.