Lunch with Mimi

At Penn State since 2004, Donna Fick has been renowned for her research in delirium, dementia, and improving cognitive health in older adults. As an Elouise Ross Eberly Endowed professor at the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing and director of the Tressa Nese and Helen Diskevich Center of Geriatric Nursing Excellence, Fick teaches…

Mary Lou Bennett started as a Realtor in 1973 and was co-owner of RE/MAX Centre Realty in State College from 1992-2015. Retired in July 2020, she continues her philanthropic work to make a difference in the community through numerous organizations, including the United Way, the Renaissance Fund, the Arboretum at Penn State, and her congregation…

Zach Barton took the helm as executive director of Leadership Centre County in June 2020, in the middle of a pandemic. He succeeded Georgia Abbey, who had been in the role for two decades. Barton is a 2018 graduate of the Leadership program, a community leadership development organization with the mission to educate participants about…

Robert Persiko spent the better part of his career helping foster connections with people from around the world, and in retirement, he’s continuing to bring cultures together. Persiko was elected in late 2020 as president of Global Connections, an all-volunteer organization in Centre County that aims to cultivate understanding and respect across cultures. Persiko retired…

Dr. Nirmal Joshi’s primary interest has always been to keep the patient at the center of care. He has helped implement novel and innovative methods that improve doctor-patient communication, and remains strongly interested in humanism in healthcare. Joshi was appointed Mount Nittany Health chief medical officer in November 2017, and was recently named chief medical…

Now with more than 2,200 units and branches, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country. As the largest civil rights organization in the nation, its mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality…

Shana Mark joined Encompass Health Nittany Valley as director of business development in August 2020 and, among other things, has played a key role in the hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She serves as coordinator of the hospital’s COVID vaccine clinic. Mark leads the Encompass clinical admissions and marketing team in connecting the community…

The chief executive officer for the Borough of State College since November 2003, borough Manager Tom Fountaine credits his hardworking staff for stepping up and doubling down on the work they do for the community. Born in Bedford, Indiana, Fountaine graduated from Indiana University in January 1982 with a degree in public administration. His work…