Joe Battista

Joe Battista has been an integral part of the Penn State and State College communities since 1978. He is best known for his effort to bring varsity ice hockey to Happy Valley and in the building of Pegula Ice Arena. JoeBa is the owner of PRAGMATIC Passion, LLC consulting and a professional speaker. He is the author of The Power of Pragmatic Passion: 7 Common Sense Principles for Personal and Professional Success. Joe is semi-retired and lives in Bluffton, South Carolina with his wife Heidi (PSU ’81 & ’83) and dog Barkley. They have a daughter Brianna (PSU ’15), and son’s Jon (PSU ’16), and Ryan (PSU ’22).

The White Out Is Special, Even When It’s a Wet Out

Columns

September 26, 2023Joe Battista

September 23 was circled on our calendar for a long time. Our 10-day trip north to Happy Valley would allow us to see our two oldest children in the D.C. […]

It’s All About the Core (Values)

Columns

September 12, 2023Joe Battista

Anyone who has ever worked out with a personal trainer or strength coach will tell you that the key to healthy physical movement is to focus on your core muscles. […]

Let’s Get It Started

Columns

August 29, 2023Joe Battista

It’s back to school time, whether it’s K-12, trade school, community college or a university. To me, it’s one of the most energizing and exciting times of the year and […]

Our Fascination with Souvenirs, Trinkets and Memorabilia

Columns

August 15, 2023Joe Battista

This past Sunday my wife, Heidi, and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary by attending a production of the Broadway hit show “Jersey Boys” at the Arts Center of Coastal […]

Six Degrees of Separation, Penn State-Style

Columns

August 1, 2023Joe Battista

Networking, as we all know, is a crucial skill and the research on happiness shows the more we are engaged socially, the happier and healthier our lives will be. Most […]

Weekend Warriors

Columns

July 18, 2023Joe Battista

This past weekend we hosted the third annual Weekend Warriors Adult Hockey Camp in Sun Valley, Idaho. Attendees included high school best friends John and Colin, originally from Maryland, who […]