New hires and promotions

Mary Slattery of Anderson Family Funeral Homes has officially become a licensed funeral director. This milestone follows the successful completion of her internship under the direction of Garrett Anderson, which began in February 2025.

Slattery first joined the Anderson Family Funeral Homes team in August 2022. A 2010 graduate of Penn Cambria High School, she initially pursued a career in health care, earning her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Mount Aloysius College in 2014.

After working at the Hollidaysburg Veterans Home and the Primary Health Network, she attended the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, where she graduated in January 2025.

Geoffrey White has rejoined McNees Wallace & Nurick’s Intellectual Property Group after more than 10 years in senior legal and operational leadership roles with Pennsylvania-based technology and advanced manufacturing companies.

He will serve clients across western Pennsylvania, the State College area, statewide and nationally from McNees’ Pittsburgh office.

White had previously served more than seven years with McNees’ Intellectual Property Group from 2007-15.

Darwin Russell has joined Keller Engineers Inc. as a resident project representative in their Water/Wastewater Division.

Russell brings more than 30 years of project management experience and holds OSHA certification. He is highly skilled in blueprint reading and possesses a strong understanding of mechanical systems.

In his new role, Russell, a graduate of Northern Bedford County High School, will support the Water/Wastewater team by providing field inspection services for water and wastewater construction projects, ensuring that all work complies with the design team’s specifications.

Jane Montgomery has been approved as the Bedford County Treatment Court coordinator and will officially start on March 23.

Montgomery served as a treatment provider for Problem Solving Courts in Jefferson and Denver counties, Colorado, from 2015-19 and later as program manager for a college student support program in Denver, Colo. Montgomery obtained her bachelor’s degree in social work from Cedarville University and attained a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania.

Awards and honors

Brian Gates was recently presented the Diamond Award for training in the martial arts for more than 50 years at the Action Martial Arts Magazines Hall of Honor event in Atlantic City, N.J., along with world champions Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, Bill “Superfoot” Wallace and Eric Lee.

Gates has operated and instructed at MBGKARMA, which has locations in Hollidaysburg and Patton, since 1985.

Stephen McKnight, president/CEO of the Blair Alliance for Business and Economic Growth, has been named to the advisory board of the Outdoor Business Alliance of Pennsylvania.

The Outdoor Business Alliance of Pennsylvania is a new nonprofit entity dedicated to elevating the needs of the commonwealth’s $19 billion outdoor recreation industry and supporting business development, innovation and growth across the more than 9,000 businesses that make up this major driver of the state’s economy.

Course completions and certifications

Kimberly LaBelle and Desiree Beppler, Mount Aloysius nursing faculty members have obtained new certifications in nursing simulation education, allowing them to better teach Mountie nursing students in the classroom.

LaBelle, nursing simulation/lab assistant at the Mount, is now a certified health care simulation operations specialist through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Beppler, simulation coordinator at the Mount, is now a certified health care simulation educator, also through the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

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.