State College area business leader and philanthropist Lance T. Shaner has been named Penn State’s 2010 Renaissance Fund honoree.
Shaner is the chairman of the Shaner Companies and CEO of Shaner Hotels, a hotel company that does business in 15 states. He also is a past chairman of the Centre County United Way and has served in a variety of other nonprofit roles.
The 34th annual Renaissance Fund Dinner will be held in Shaner’s honor on Nov. 4 at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. A recent Penn State mailing about the dinner announced Shaner as the honoree.
Proceeds from the Renaissance Fund event benefit Penn State’s Renaissance Fund scholarships, granted to academically talented students with the greatest financial need. Some 50 percent of Renaissance Fund scholarship recipients are the first to attend college in their respective families, according to Penn Sate.
Last year’s Renaissance Fund Dinner, held in honor of former State College Area School District Superintendent Patricia Best, generated more than $84,000 for the scholarships, Penn State has reported.
The Renaissance Fund endowment has topped $8 million, and well more than 400 Penn State students received Renaissance Fund scholarships in the past academic year, according to the university.
Penn State is expected to release more information about the November 2010 dinner in the coming weeks.
