The World Campus Alumni Society leadership is led by volunteers and plans events, meetings, and other support activities for Penn State World Campus and its alumni.
What Do Alumni Society Leaders Do?
- We engage with World Campus leadership and advise on key initiatives that impact or involve the alumni community.
- We partner with the Alumni Association affiliate groups to provide meaningful opportunities for our alumni and students.
- We advocate for, promote, and offer other support programs that fulfill our mission and the strategic mission of World Campus.
Leadership expectations and responsibilities:
- Advocate for Penn State and the World Campus community.
- Understand the strategic priorities of World Campus and partner with leaders in identifying opportunities for achieving them.
- Promote and be familiar with the Alumni Association membership programs and benefits.
- Cultivate connections with alumni affiliate groups, including local chapters and academic societies.
- Contribute to Alumni Society committees.
- Actively participate in scheduled meetings.
- Support and promote philanthropic endeavors relevant to the mission of the Alumni Society.
Meetings are open to all World Campus Alumni Society members. If you are interested in attending a meeting, please email Penn State World Campus alumni relations at alumni@worldcampus.psu.edu.
World Campus Alumni Society Leadership Officers
Linda Wackerman, President
Airbus 320 International Pilot, American Airlines; Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, Retired
Linda grew up in Miami, Florida; received a bachelor’s degree in aerospace science from Metropolitan State College in Denver, Colorado; and is an alumna of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI. She received a Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security from Penn State World Campus in 2016. Linda was designated a Naval Aviator in October 1987 and retired from the Navy in October 2018 as Rear Admiral. She has multiple military decorations, was selected as 2005 Federal Woman and 1995 NAS-JRB Willow Grove Woman of the Year, and received the 2020 Penn State World Campus Outstanding Graduate Alumna Award. She continues to serve as a board member for Penn State’s Homeland Security Advisory Council; is an executive board member for the Boy Scouts of America, Washington Crossing Council; is an executive board member of the YMCA of Bucks County; and co-chairs their Diversity, Inclusion, and Global Engagement committee.
Linda is an Airbus A320 International Pilot with American Airlines (AA) — she has accumulated more than 5,400 military and approximately 10,000 civilian flight hours. She serves as a facilitator for AA and is a volunteer on the Allied Pilots Association’s Professional Standards Committee and the deputy chair for the Inclusion and Diversity Subcommittee. She is also the assistant director for the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) at Aerospace Professionals in Schools (APIS). She is married to a fellow retired Naval Aviator and fellow Penn State alumnus and is the proud mother of four incredible children (including a Penn State alumna and a soon-to-be alumnus).
Michelle Buzzelli, Vice President
Population Health Program Manager, University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center
Michelle earned her master’s in homeland security with concentrations in public health and hospital and health system preparedness in 2019 from Penn State World Campus and in 2020 from Penn State College of Medicine. She is a population health specialist for the University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center, where she has provided pioneering administration and analytics in population health. She also has a bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University and a master’s from Towson University.
Michelle is a member of the Penn State Alumni Association – Baltimore Chapter board and a FastStart mentor. She has also previously served on Penn State’s Alumni Council. She enjoys traveling, cooking, spending time on the water, and learning. She is a lasagna maker for Lasagna Love.
Carol E. Snyder, Secretary/Treasurer
Human Resources, Ethicon, Inc. — a Johnson & Johnson, Inc. affiliate (retired)
Carol earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Penn State World Campus in 2012. She retired from Johnson & Johnson after 28 years in the human resources department of Ethicon, Inc., one of the largest affiliates of J&J. She primarily focused on compensation and benefits. During her career, she earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Society for Human Resource Management and a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification from World at Work. At times, she also held responsibility for other parts of human resources, such as compliance (I-9s, Sarbanes-Oxley, FMLA), HR policies, HR records, acquisitions, and recruiting.
Carol was one of the founding members of the World Campus Alumni Society and served for several years as secretary. Carol is the recipient of the Penn State Outreach and Online Education Outstanding World Campus Alumna Award for 2016. Carol and her late husband sponsor the Charles E. and Carol E. Snyder World Campus Alumni Society Open Doors Scholarship in the World Campus to support students in need in taking full advantage of the educational opportunities opened to them.
Juan Villar, Officer-at-Large
Law Enforcement Agent, Organized Crime Bureau, County Sheriff’s Office, South Florida
Juan “JC” Villar earned a master’s in psychology of leadership from Penn State World Campus in 2021. JC is a law enforcement agent in the organized crime bureau at a county sheriff’s office in South Florida. JC served on the Penn State World Campus student advisory board during his time as a student, giving him the passion to serve Penn State. He enjoys coaching high school wrestling athletes, when time permits. JC hopes to teach as an adjunct professor at a college in the future.
Mark Poblete, Immediate Past President
Director, Enterprise Services Risk, Capital One Financial
Mark earned his Master of Science in Information Science from Penn State World Campus in 2020 and a Graduate Certificate in Enterprise Architecture in 2022. He previously earned his Bachelor of Science in Information Sciences and Technology from Penn State in 2007. Mark is a seasoned risk management professional whose career has focused on delivering risk management services to business partners in government and financial services. He supports highly complex, enterprise-wide technology initiatives and partners with product managers, technology teams, and cybersecurity analysts in identifying, assessing, and managing operational and compliance risk.
As a Penn State volunteer, in addition to his current alumni service to Penn State World Campus, Mark previously served as the president of the Penn State World Campus Blue & White Society, the student membership of the Penn State Alumni Association. He also is a former member of the volunteer leadership of both the College of Information Sciences and Technology Alumni Society and the Penn State Alumni Blue Band Association Alumni Interest Group, having served both organizations as a past president.
Mark currently also serves as the World Campus Alumni Society’s representative to the Penn State Alumni Association’s Alumni Council, where he sits on both the Audit and Risk Committee and the Governance Committee.
World Campus Alumni Society Leadership Members
Ayanna Pressley Anis
Human Resources Executive, Netflix
Ayanna Pressley Anis is a human resources (HR) executive at Netflix in Los Angeles, California. She strategically partners with internal leaders to guide decisions regarding organizational structure design, culture, talent density, and more.
Before joining Netflix, Ayanna was the head of HR for the UCAN region of Leica Geosystems, a subsidiary of Hexagon, which is headquartered in Heerbrugg, Switzerland. After graduating with a master’s degree in human resources and employment relations from Penn State World Campus, Ayanna began her career as an HR consultant in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ayanna is committed to living a life of service. She shares her knowledge and expertise of more than 20 years in a variety of industries with others. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and holds executive positions with nonprofits focused on mental health and empowering young women of color. In addition, she is a former Penn State Alumni Association Atlanta Chapter Board Member and a former Penn State African American Alumni Organization of Atlanta (AAAO) Board Member.
Leah Carraway-Justice
Project & Change Manager, Office of Enterprise Change and Transformation, Penn State Office of the President
Leah Carraway-Justice is a dedicated higher education professional and a two-time graduate of Penn State World Campus. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Labor and Employment Relations/Organizational Leadership in 2017, followed by a Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change in 2020, where she participated in a virtual graduation celebration.
Leah began her Penn State career as an administrative assistant in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. She later served as a change management consultant for the Finance & Business Office of Change Management, which transitioned to the Office of Enterprise Change & Transformation within the Office of the President. Leah also held the role of director of operations in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the College of Medicine before returning to the Office of Enterprise Change & Transformation, where she currently serves as project manager.
With experience spanning multiple units and leadership roles, Leah brings a broad and insightful perspective to the Penn State community. For the 2025–26 academic year, she will serve as secretary-elect for the University Staff Advisory Council.
Luis Carrillo
Senior Vice President of Global Procurement, Bank of America
Luis Carrillo earned a Master of Business in Global Management in 2000. After attending his wife Tracey’s graduation from Penn State World Campus in 2018, he decided to go back to school and get another master’s. He fell in love with what Penn State stood for. He truly was moved by the “WE ARE.” In 2020, he obtained a Master of Professional Studies in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Business Architecture) from Penn State World Campus. He is the senior vice president of global procurement for Bank of America, where he is responsible for all procurement activity related to professional services globally.
Luis enjoys sharing Penn State experiences with his two boys (Gabriel and Gavin). They are very excited at the possibility that they might also be part of the Penn State family after high school. During his free time, Luis enjoys traveling, cooking, renting a plane, and going flying.
Karim Henawy
SLB, Houston Technology Center
Reservoir Evaluation, Technology Performance Manager
Karim is an energy and a technology leader with a diverse background in oil and gas operations, reservoir performance technologies, reliability management, and renewable energy and sustainability systems, supported by both academic and practical experience. With more than 14 years of progressive experience in the energy sector at SLB, his career has evolved from hands-on field engineering and operational leadership to regional and division-level technology sustaining management. This journey has given him a practical understanding of how energy systems and technologies are deployed, sustained, optimized, and transformed into real operating environments.
Karim’s professional foundation was built in the oil and gas sector across the Middle East and the United States, where he has led field operations, maintenance, reliability, equipment readiness, service quality investigations, and technology research and sustaining programs for critical reservoir performance technologies. This experience shaped his ability to connect subsurface technology, operational execution, technology performance, logistics, supply chain planning, and cross-functional engineering collaboration into practical improvement strategies that enhance performance, safety, and efficiency.
Beyond operational and leadership experience in conventional energy, Karim intentionally expanded his energy perspective through a Master of Professional Studies in Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems at Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. This academic path strengthened his understanding of energy transition drivers, diversified energy sources, sustainability considerations, and the need to balance today’s energy reliability with tomorrow’s lower-carbon and more efficient energy solutions.
Karim’s ambition is to bring together an engineering foundation, deep oilfield technology experience, and renewable energy professional studies to approach energy challenges with a broad, systems-based mindset. He is driven by continuous improvement, practical innovation, and the belief that the future of energy will require professionals who can bridge operational reality, technology reliability, and sustainable energy transformation.
James “Jim” Lawrence
Journalist, American Metal Market/Fastmarkets
Jim spent more than 40 years in the stainless steel and high-temperature alloy scrap business as general manager, plant manager, VP & GM, VP of sales, and international technical manager for Asia Operations, taking him to Asia 70 times. He is currently a reporter/journalist for the American Metal Market/Fastmarkets, a worldwide price reporting agency in the metals and commodity-based industries. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, where he is a past president and continues to serve on the board.
He is a past vice president of the Penn State World Campus Alumni Society and a United States Army veteran, having served during the Vietnam War. He resides in Franklin Park, Pennsylvania, with his wonderful wife, Barbara. He has two beautiful daughters, three terrific granddaughters, and, of course, two great sons-in-law.
Michael “Mike” Liotta
Director, Privacy Standards & Training, American Express
Mike Liotta is a graduate of Penn State, earning concurrent degrees — Master of Business Administration in General Management and Master of Management in Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship through the Smeal College of Business and Penn State World Campus — in 2023 and 2024, respectively. He also obtained graduate certificates in business architecture and strategic leadership. Mike completed his undergraduate degree in modern languages and literature from the University of Buffalo, State University of New York. He has spent more than half of his professional career with American Express, supporting acquisition strategy, emerging payments, third-party acquiring, and operational transformation. Before American Express, Mike spent ten years with MTV Networks, a division of ViacomCBS, supporting intellectual property licensing and corporate governance for MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Showtime, and Simon & Schuster.
Mike resides with his family in Monmouth County, New Jersey. His service to Penn State includes being an active member of the Penn State Alumni Association (PSAA), PSAA Central New Jersey Chapter, Smeal Alumni Society, and Smeal Alumni Mentoring Committee. He serves as a Smeal alumni mentor and a World Campus Smart Track to Success peer mentor. He previously served as president of the Penn State World Campus Blue & White Society, the student arm of the PSAA, working closely with the World Campus Alumni Society leadership. In his spare time since fall 2022, Mike has been a teaching assistant for Smeal’s undergraduate capstone course and has been involved with several nonprofit and volunteer organizations, including volunteering through American Express.
Kenneth Mayner
Chief Branding Officer, City of Fayetteville, North Carolina
Kenneth Mayner is a public-sector communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in North Carolina state and local government. He currently serves as the chief branding officer for the City of Fayetteville, North Carolina’s sixth-largest municipality, where his work focuses on strategic communications, branding, media relations, resident engagement, internal communications, transparency, and creative storytelling.
Kenneth earned his Master of Public Administration through Penn State World Campus in 2017 and is proud to be part of a community that expands access to higher education for working professionals, adult learners, military-affiliated students, and students balancing education with service, family, and career responsibilities. He also earned an M.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in Public Relations from the University of Florida in 2025, further strengthening his expertise in public relations, digital engagement, strategic messaging, and local government communications.
In his role with the City of Fayetteville, Kenneth helps develop communications that make local government more accessible, understandable, and responsive to residents. His work supports civic engagement, community trust, crisis communications, public information, organizational branding, and storytelling that highlights the people, services, and initiatives shaping the community.
A Fayetteville, North Carolina, native, Kenneth is passionate about lifelong learning, alumni service, mentorship, and the power of communications to build stronger connections between institutions and the people they serve. As a Penn State World Campus alumnus, he hopes to contribute a public service perspective, communications expertise, and a strong commitment to advancing the mission of the World Campus Alumni Society.
James McCarty
Associate Director of Admissions, Johns Hopkins University School of Education
James McCarty is a first-generation college student who earned a B.A. in Applied Psychology from Penn State Berks in 2013 and completed an M.Ed. in Higher Education through Penn State World Campus in 2016. He began his professional career as an admissions counselor at Penn State Berks, before being promoted to assistant director of transfer admissions. He worked for his alma mater for eight years and enjoyed recruiting prospective Penn State students. He also assisted in constructing numerous articulation agreements for the University, and most notably supported establishing the Transfer RaiseMe scholarship opportunity for all incoming transfer students to the University’s 20 undergraduate campus locations.
A Reading, Pennsylvania, native, he now lives in nearby Lancaster and works for Johns Hopkins University as the associate director of admissions for the School of Education (SOE). He oversees the admission evaluation and recruitment for the nine graduate degree programs in education and counseling offered at SOE.
James has served on the Penn State Berks Alumni Society board since his undergraduate graduation in 2013 in numerous roles, including a three-year term as the vice president. During his free time, James enjoys the company of his family and friends, exploring Lancaster County, traveling, being active outdoors, and golfing.
Joanne Newborn
Founder, Newborn Evolution
Joanne Newborn spent nearly three decades in the corporate landscape in sales, marketing, strategy, and management, building and leading teams across North America. She has worked for family-owned businesses and large, publicly traded companies.
In 2018, she founded her company, Newborn Evolution, which partners with smart leaders to build teams that think strategically, problem-solve effectively, and take true ownership of their outcomes. She and her team of exemplary coaches, consultants, and trainers have worked with more than 100 organizations in 50 countries around the globe, building leaders and high-impact teams from individual contributors to the C-suite.
Her company is a four-time award-winning firm that proudly holds Women-Owned Small Business Certifications with the SBA, the State of New Jersey, and the Port Authority of NY/NJ. She is also passionate about supporting and building women leaders through Women of the Vine & Spirits, Women in Wine New Jersey, William Paterson University, and various corporate female-focused employee resource groups.
Joanne frequently speaks at conferences and universities around the country, as well as being an author in various publications. She proudly earned her MBA from Penn State with Beta Gamma Sigma Honors, has her ACC credential with the International Coaching Federation, and is a Certified DiSC Practitioner and a Certified Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coach. Gratitude is her attitude.
Julie Pichora
Senior Mortgage Loan Processor, Developer’s Mortgage Company
Julie earned her MBA from Penn State World Campus in 2017. She currently resides in Pittsburgh, where she is a senior mortgage loan processor for Movement Mortgage. In her free time, Julie enjoys traveling and scuba diving. She is also the secretary of the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association.
Joanie Quintanilla
Manager, Pursuit Project Management, Deloitte
Joanie Quintanilla is a trilingual professional (English, Spanish, French) and a manager at Deloitte, where she oversees complex business pursuits, drawing from her experience with multi-million-dollar strategic projects across both the public and private sectors. A proud Penn State alumna, Joanie earned her Master of Public Administration and Graduate Certificate in Public Budgeting and Financial Management from Penn State World Campus. She also holds an MBA from Florida State University and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®).
Joanie is passionate about developing stakeholder relationships, driving technology adoption, and leading process optimization to create environments where individuals and organizations thrive. She holds certifications in AI Strategy, Prompt Engineering, AWS Cloud Practitioner, and Google Cybersecurity, demonstrating her commitment to staying at the forefront of technological innovation. She is dedicated to mentorship, championing diversity of thought, and driving organizational excellence through cross-cultural collaboration.
Outside of work, Joanie enjoys exploring new cultures and languages, reflecting her global outlook and love of lifelong learning. She is committed to advancing the mission of the Penn State World Campus Alumni Society, inspiring purposeful leadership, and making a positive impact on the Penn State community. Joanie resides in Tallahassee, Florida.
Matthew Stanford
Appellate & Supreme Court Attorney, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
Matthew Stanford earned his Bachelor of Arts in Law & Society in 2012 from Penn State World Campus. After spending the next two years as a paralegal and litigation director for a civil rights law firm in the San Francisco Bay Area, Matt went on to earn his Juris Doctorate from Berkeley Law, where in 2017 he graduated at the top of his class and was awarded a coveted membership in the Order of the Coif. Following his graduation, Matt had the good fortune of earning three judicial clerkship appointments, including with U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton (District of Arizona), U.S. Circuit Judge Michael Daly Hawkins (Ninth Circuit), and Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel (Arizona Supreme Court). Matt credits beginning his legal career in public service for equipping him with a uniquely civic-minded approach to the practice of law.
As a member of the Appellate & Supreme Court group at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP (BCLP), Matt’s practice focuses primarily on appellate litigation, appellate consulting, and advanced motion practice for high-stakes and high-profile matters, including a robust pro bono practice that has encompassed important issues of constitutional law and statutory interpretation. Matt is also an avid writer and has contributed his thought leadership to numerous publications, including several top-tier law journals, Insider, The Recorder, and Expert Forum.
Matt lives with his family in Phoenix, Arizona, where he has been lucky enough to attend not one but two Penn State appearances in the Fiesta Bowl since moving to the area in 2017. In addition to his leadership service to the World Campus Alumni Society, Matt volunteers his time as a board member of the Arizona Capital Representation Project and the Phoenix Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society for Law & Policy, as well as several volunteer committees at BCLP. In his spare time, Matt likes to spend time with his family, perform at open mic nights, enjoy live music and stand-up comedy, and of course, watch every Penn State football game.
Mikaela Tracy
Project Manager, North Ave.
Mikaela Tracy earned her Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change from Penn State World Campus in 2023. Prior to Penn State, Mikaela was a D1 athlete (volleyball) at The Citadel and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. While at KSU, she also served as president of the school’s Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapter and earned her SHRM-CP certification in 2021. Mikaela has a strong passion for helping others grow and develop in order to help them further succeed in reaching their goals.
Mikaela is a proud Penn State legacy, as her parents’ love story started after they met at University Park more than 40 years ago. In her free time, Mikaela enjoys traveling, reading, playing golf, staying active, cooking, and trying new coffee shops. As a former athlete, she enjoys cheering on all the Nittany Lions athletic teams, especially football and volleyball in the fall.