Lycoming College 2020 President's Report/Magazine

Robert W. Bucknam Jr. ’81 is executive vice president and a shareholder attorney for Archer Attorneys at Law. He is chair of both the firm’s Land Use, Environmental Permitting, and Regulatory Compliance Group and the firm’s Energy and Utilities Law Group. His legal practice specializes in the area of land use planning, zoning, environmental law and permitting, energy law, utilities law, redevelopment law, administrative agency permitting and regulatory compliance at all governmental levels, real estate transactions and financing, and related litigation. Bucknam’s extensive experience has included obtaining approvals for and developing or implementing some of the most significant projects in New Jersey and the Delaware Valley in the past 30 years. Active in community involvement, he serves as a board member for the Greater Hammonton Chamber of Commerce and the Atlantic Cape Community College Foundation and is active with and served as general counsel for Habitat for Humanity Atlantic County. He has been recognized as one of the “Best Lawyers in America” and a “New Jersey Super Lawyer.” Lycoming College was pleased to welcome Bucknam to campus as a speaker for the Center for Energy and the Future in 2018, where he discussed the future of energy in Pennsylvania through the lens of policy and regulation. Bucknam graduated magna cum laude with a double-major in political science and history and was presented the Chieftain Award from Lycoming College. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Villanova University School of Law. Steven P. Johnson ’76 ’19H is president of UPMC Susquehanna, headquartered in Williamsport, Pa., which was selected as one of the Top 15 health systems in the U.S. by IBMWatson. Johnson’s career in healthcare began in 1980 when, following completion of Army Basic Training and Officer Candidate School, and a career at the Lycoming County Department of Children and Youth Services, he became a nursing home administrator. His passion for healthcare grew as he moved into the position of director of personnel for Williamsport Hospital. Since then, he has served in a number of areas and leadership positions, including materials management, operations, senior vice president, and executive vice president. When regional health system UPMC Susquehanna (then Susquehanna Health) was formed in 1994, Johnson served as its chief operating officer, later moving into the position of president and chief executive officer in 2004. Maintaining strong ties to the community throughout his career, he is the vice-chairman of the Little League Baseball International board of directors and locally serves on the boards of Pennsylvania College of Technology, the Williamsport Lycoming Economic and Community Development Corporation, and the regional advisory board for M&T Bank. Johnson received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Lycoming and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws when he delivered the 171st Commencement address. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from Marywood University and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. A retired Army colonel, Marina N. Vernalis ’73 ’16H , D.O., F.A.C.C., is the senior vice president and chief medical officer for AusculSciences, Inc., a start-up bioacoustics company. She is an adjunct associate professor of clinical medicine at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. A fellow of the American College of Cardiology and physician-researcher, she has authored or co-authored more than 170 scientific manuscripts and abstracts. Previously, Vernalis served as the chief of cardiovascular disease at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and was the cardiovascular consultant to the US Army Surgeon General — the first woman appointed to each of these two positions. She also served as a cardiovascular consultant to the White House Medical Unit and Office of the Attending Physician to Congress. She has received several awards including the Association of Military Surgeons Paul Dudley White Award for worldwide cardiovascular leadership and the American Heart Association Heart Hero Award. Her military awards include the Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, and other Army and Navy honors. In 2009, she received the Angela R. Kyte Outstanding Alumnus Award from Lycoming College. In 2016, Lycoming bestowed her an honorary Doctor of Science degree in recognition of her accomplishments and achievements in cardiac medicine, and for breaking gender barriers in the military and medical fields. Vernalis earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and philosophy from Lycoming and a medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Tammy (Avery) Weber ’83 is managing principal of Marshall, Parker & Weber in Williamsport, Pa. She is one of fewer than 70 attorneys in Pennsylvania who have been confirmed by the National Elder Law Foundation authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as a Certified Elder Law Attorney. She previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. While in this position, she was the recipient of the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General’s Integrity Award for the investigation and criminal conviction of the first Medicare money laundering seizure case in the country. She is chair of both the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania and the Lycoming Law Association’s Community Activities and Outreach Committee, president-elect of the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys, a member of the Northcentral Pennsylvania Estate Planner’s Council and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and serves on the Ethics Advisory Board for Albright LIFE. She is a former chair of the President’s Leadership Council at Lycoming College and was named the 2014 Lycoming Alumna of the Year presented by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. She was selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2021 Edition in the field of Trusts and Estates. Weber graduated magna cum laude from Lycoming with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and earned her law degree from Temple University. 29 www.lycoming.edu