PHEAA Welcomes Senator Wayne Fontana to Board of Directors
Harrisburg, PA (February 19, 2009) - PHEAA welcomed Senator Wayne D. Fontana to its Board of Directors at the Board's monthly meeting held on February 12.
Senator Fontana has been appointed to the position vacated by Senator Andy Dinniman, who resigned from the Board in February 2009.
Representing the 42nd Senatorial District, Senator Fontana has been serving our communities since his special election in 2005.
He has been appointed Minority Chair of the Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee. He will also serve as a member of the Judiciary, Law and Justice, Policy, Transportation and Urban Affairs and Housing Committees this Legislative session.
Senator Fontana's new position on the PHEAA Board of Directors provides him the opportunity to encourage students to continue their education and aid them in affording it.
“I am honored to join the PHEAA Board of Directors,” said Senator Fontana. “I truly believe in the work that they do, for the betterment of students and the betterment of Pennsylvania.”
“We welcome Senator Fontana to the Board,” said Representative William Adolph, Jr., Chairman of the PHEAA Board. “He brings a fresh new outlook to the Board, which allows us to adopt a new approach in addressing the education issues facing our students and their families.”
“Senator Fontana is a welcome addition to our Board,” concurred Senator Sean Logan, Vice Chairman of the PHEAA Board. “I’ve worked with him on numerous legislative initiatives, so I have great confidence that he will be an invaluable resource as we continue to work on fulfilling our public service mission.”
The PHEAA Board of Directors faced numerous challenges during 2008 but the Board, under Adolph's leadership, enacted the most strict travel and business expense reimbursement policy of any Commonwealth organization. That, combined with an aggressive cost-cutting campaign and the continued commitment of PHEAA associates, has led to PHEAA generating a positive operating income of $17.1 million for the first quarter of the 2008-09 fiscal year.