Jennifer Hefkin was promoted to Chief Financial Officer of Mutual Benefit Group on Jan. 1.

In this role, she will support the development of corporate strategy, including investment strategy and policy. She will oversee financial planning, analysis and reporting for Mutual Benefit Group companies and work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team to drive innovation and identify new business opportunities.

She began her employment with Mutual Benefit Group as an accountant and has held various positions during her tenure, including accountant supervisor, controller, assistant vice president — finance and accounting and most recently vice president — finance and accounting.

Kristy Chunta has been appointed to the Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Board of Trustees.

Chunta

Chunta is currently the Doctoral Program Coordinator and a professor in the Department of Nursing at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has been the Program Coordinator since May 2021 after previously serving as Master’s Program Coordinator and as an Assistant Chairperson. Chunta has also been a professor since August 2017 and has taught as an assistant and associate professor at IUP since 2005.

Jennifer Kowalkowski has been appointed as the director of the UPMC Mercy School of Nursing at UPMC Altoona. She has held a wide breadth of nursing education roles across her career and most recently was an assistant professor of nursing at the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing.

Kowalkowski earned her doctorate degree in nursing with a minor in population health sciences from the University of Wisconsin and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in rural health disparities and biobehavioral health at the Pennsylvania State University.

Awards and honors

Dr. Lorraine Rosamilia, a board-certified dermatologist from Centre County has been elected by the Pennsylvania

Kowalkowski

Medical Society to serve as chair of its Board of Trustees.

She is the first woman elected as chair in the society’s 178-year history.

Rosamilia has been an active PAMED member for 14 years and currently serves as a delegate to the American Medical Association. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for patients and for the practice of medicine at both the state and federal levels.

James A. Troha, Juniata College president, was named vice chair of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Board of Governors at the NCAA Convention held in Washington, D.C.

A dedicated advocate for student-athletes, Troha’s leadership will support the board in overseeing strategic issues and guiding governance.

Rosamilia

Troha was named to the NCAA Board of Governors in November 2024 to serve a two-year term from 2025-27. He recently completed a two-year term as chair of the NCAA Division III President’s Council and is currently serving on the NCAA’s Strategic Risk Advisory and Compensation committees.

Paul Rhodes, a rural letter carrier, was inducted into the National Safety Council Million Mile club with more than 43 years of driving excellence all in Roaring Spring.

The Million Mile Club is part of the Safe Driver Award program created by the National Safety Council highlighting drivers with 1 million miles of driving or 30 accumulated years driven without preventable accidents. The Safe Driver Award is the trademark of the expert driver and is recognized as the nation’s highest award for professional safe driving.

Submissions for Workplace can be sent to Walt Frank at wfrank@altoonamirror.com. Please include the name of the individual, his/her present address, original hometown and high school and college from where he/she graduated, and information about the person’s accomplishment.

Paul Rhodes, a rural letter carrier, was inducted into the National Safety Council Million Mile club with more than 43 years of driving excellence all in Roaring Spring.

Troha

The Million Mile Club is part of the Safe Driver Award program created by the National Safety Council highlighting drivers with 1 million miles of driving or 30 accumulated years driven without preventable accidents.

The Safe Driver Award is the trademark of the expert driver and is recognized as the nation’s highest award for professional safe driving.

Submissions for Workplace can be sent to Walt Frank at wfrank@altoonamirror.com. Please include the name of the individual, his/her present address, original hometown and high school and college from where he/she graduated, and information about the person’s accomplishment.

Rhodes