Two Penn State alumni won’t be seeking third terms on the university’s Board of Trustees.
Ryan McCombie and Anthony Lubrano, both of whom were first elected in 2012 behind a wave of criticism of the board’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the firing of Joe Paterno, announced separately that they will decline nomination in this spring’s alumni trustee election.
‘This decision was not made in haste,’ said Lubrano, president of A.P Lubrano & Co. financial services firm in Exton. ‘Family and business demands on my time have grown to the point where I will not be able to responsibly discharge my duties as a Trustee for another term. I also believe, after almost six years, that the University would be better served by the injection of new blood into the Board of Trustees.’
Lubrano said he was thankful and honored to have served on the board.
McCombie, a retired Navy SEAL and now a business consultant, also said he was honored for the opportunity to serve on the board but ready to step away.
‘Since joining the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees almost six years ago, I have been rewarded with some of the most interesting, tumultuous, gratifying and challenging experiences of my volunteer life,’ he said. ‘There was never a shortage of demands or struggles to address. Almost immediately after taking office, I lodged a plea against the unwarranted sanctions the NCAA had imposed
against Penn State. This event influenced and shaped much of my time on the Board.
‘Nonetheless, I also had the opportunity to serve on the Academic, Audit and Risk committees; serve as vice chair and subsequently chair of the Outreach committee; and serve on the Executive Committee and numerous subcommittees. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from many great minds and also contribute along the way.’
The nomination period for the trustee election closed at 5 p.m. on Sunday. McCombie announced his decision shortly after that on Sunday night and Lubrano announced his on Monday morning.
Candidates need 250 nominations to get on the ballot. Qualifiers have not yet been officially announced, and ballots will be sent to alumni by email on April 10. The election will close at 9 a.m. on May 3, with results announced at the May 4 board meeting.
Both Lubrano and McCombie are among the alumni trustees that have been voted in with endorsements from Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, a grassroots alumni organization dedicated to board reform in the wake of the Sandusky scandal. All nine current alumni-elected trustees were endorsed by the organization.
“When the truth and facts are finally written about this sad saga, Anthony Lubrano and Ryan McCombie will firmly and undoubtedly be on the right side of history,’ a PS4RS statement on Monday said. ‘Each distinguished alumnus, in his own way, has advanced the notion and the desperate need for truthful and transparent leadership at Penn State University. Over two terms and six years, Ryan and Anthony have displayed loyalty, persistence and self-sacrifice in the name of correcting the false narrative of a university cover-up set in motion by the 2011 Board of Trustees. Their courage, in the face of outright lies promoted by the Board, was the catalyst for the formation and growth of Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, the largest governance advocacy organization of more than 100,000 supporters focused on the university.
‘Our group will continue to support alumni trustee candidates this year, and every year, who seek to reduce the size of the board, promote transparency and importantly, tell the full and complete truth about the Sandusky scandal. We look forward to announcing our endorsements in the coming weeks.”
In his announcement, Lubrano endorsed incumbent Robert Tribeck along with attorney Alvin de Levie and former Nittany Lion football player and current investment executive Brandon Short. McCombie did not make any endorsements in his announcement.
Both will complete their second three-year terms, which conclude on June 30.
‘Our work is far from over,’ Lubrano said. ‘As I have repeatedly said, the tortoise won the race, not the hare.’
