Penn State Health Board of Directors

Neeli Bendapudi, president of Penn State, has a nearly 30-year career as a leader in higher education and business. She was named the 19th president of Penn State by the University’s Board of Trustees in 2022. She leads Penn State’s 24-campus network and top-ranked online World Campus.

Previously, Bendapudi served as president of the University of Louisville where she oversaw a series of transformative efforts in academics; finance; the health enterprise; philanthropy; athletics; diversity, equity and inclusion; and more. 

Prior to that, she served the University of Kansas (KU) in positions including provost and executive vice chancellor and dean of the School of Business, and was founding director of the Initiative for Managing Services at The Ohio State University (OSU). In addition, she was the executive vice president and chief customer officer for Huntington National Bank and taught marketing at the University of Louisville, KU, Texas A&M University and OSU. 

With a background in the study of consumer behavior in service contexts, her research focuses on customers’ willingness to maintain long-term relationships with firms and with the brands and employees that represent them. Bendapudi has been honored at the national and university levels, including the Academy of Marketing Science Outstanding Marketing Teacher Award, KU’s Women’s Hall of Fame, as one of 25 outstanding women who have made a difference by Diverse Issues in Higher Education and as one of 25 Most Admired CEOs by Louisville Business First.

Bendapudi is a Leadership Foundation fellow, member of the International Women’s Forum and serves on the boards of the American Council on Education and Internet2. She has taught marketing at the University of Louisville, KU, Texas A&M University and OSU. 

She earned her bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Andhra University, India, and her doctorate in marketing from the University of Kansas.

Timothy Brown is the founder and CEO of Sageworth, including Sageworth Holdings LLC, Sageworth Trust Company, and Sageworth Trust Company of South Dakota. He also serves as chair of the Finance and Investment committees for Penn State Health.

Brown also serves on the boards of several organizations, including:

• Utz Brands Inc.
• High Holdings Inc.  
• Chief Executives Organization ─ incoming international chair
• Global Family Enterprise Program advisory board, Columbia Business School

Prior to founding Sageworth, Brown was a partner with the law firm of Barley Snyder LLC where he advised closely held businesses and their owners on corporate transactions, general business matters, tax issues and estate planning. He chaired both the firm’s tax group and its family business group.

Brown received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Penn State and his law degree from Georgetown University. After graduating from Penn State, he joined Arthur Andersen & Co. as a certified public accountant in its tax division in Washington, D.C. Following Arthur Andersen, Brown was an associate attorney with the law firm of Dunnells, Duvall, Bennett & Porter, where he concentrated his legal practice in the areas of tax, partnerships, real estate and estate planning. Brown returned to his hometown of Lancaster, Pa., to join the Barley firm.

Brown is a member of Chief Executives Organization and YPO, of which he served as chair emeritus, chair, education officer and finance officer of the Pennsylvania chapter. He helped found the High Center for Family at Elizabethtown College. He is co-founder and manager of The International Churchill Society, was a founding director of Music for Everyone, former trustee of the Pennsylvania Academy of Music, general counsel and secretary past president of the Lancaster City Alliance, past president of the Lancaster Museum of Art and past director of Harb-Adult.

Peter Carlino is chairman emeritus of Penn National Gaming Inc., a public company trading on the Nasdaq, as well as chair and chief executive officer of Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc., also a public company found on the Nasdaq.

For 20 years prior to the Penn National IPO, Carlino served as chair and president of Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, the predecessor of Penn National Gaming Inc. His real estate businesses have developed commercial and residential projects in eastern Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

Carlino and his wife, Marshia, have been instrumental in developing Penn State's Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Center, with gifts to endow the chair position and three early career professorships. Through Penn National Gaming Inc., Carlino has provided leadership for an annual golf tournament that supports the IBD Center. The Carlinos have also provided significant support to further the professional careers of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center nurses through the Elizabeth Powers Carlino Nursing Excellence Award. The award is named in memory of Carlino's mother, who was a registered nurse. Penn National Gaming Inc. also made a leadership commitment to Penn State Health Children's hospital building campaign.

Carlino is a Penn State graduate.

Mark Dambly began his career at Pennrose Properties as a vice president and partner, becoming the firm’s president in 2004. He directs the firm's business development efforts, seeking opportunities for future business and establishing and maintaining relationships with municipalities, agencies and lenders. Under his leadership, Pennrose's portfolio of real estate developments has grown to nearly 10,000 units.

Prior to joining Pennrose, Dambly owned and operated a successful homebuilding business.

Among his civic activities, Dambly serves on Penn State’s board of trustees and on the board of directors of Penn State Health. He is also a member of the board of directors for the Riverfront Alliance of Delaware County, Regional Housing Legal Services, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania Apartment Association – East. He has partnered with Penn State Health Children's Hospital to help conquer childhood cancer through his support for Four Diamonds.

Dambly is a Penn State graduate, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in real estate and insurance.

Dr. Tony Farah is the executive vice president, chief medical and clinical transformation officer of Highmark Health, a $21 billion national, blended health organization that includes one of America's largest Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers and a growing regional and physician network. Based in Pittsburgh, Highmark Health's 37,000 employees serve millions of customers nationwide through the nonprofit organization's affiliated businesses, including Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, HM Insurance Group, United Concordia Dental, HM Health Solutions and Helion.

Farah is Highmark Health's senior-most medical officer responsible for the continued transformation of clinical care within the organization to achieve the best value for patients and members in overall experience, access, quality, safety and affordability. Appointed to this newly created position in 2017, he leads the fundamental redesign of care delivery in every setting, advancing innovative new models that optimize health as well as health care delivery.

A nationally recognized and highly respected physician-leader who is passionate about putting patients first, he played a key role in the formation of Highmark Health's provider company Allegheny Health Network (AHN). The 12-hospital integrated health care system is anchored by a quaternary academic medical center that serves the greater western Pennsylvania region and includes more than 2,500 employed and affiliated physicians.

His roles within AHN have included chief medical officer and president of AHN's employed physician organization Allegheny Clinic, chief medical officer of Allegheny General Hospital, and medical director of Allegheny General Hospital's cardiac catheterization laboratories. Farah also has played a prominent role in many innovations that have improved the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease.

Farah's profound commitment to expanding and improving access to advanced heart care in western Pennsylvania has included both cardiac program development and oversight of cardiac catheterization laboratories at numerous community hospitals. He has been the principal investigator or co-investigator of well over 100 clinical trials, and his work has been featured in many peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Farah previously served as a trustee of one of the medical field’s most prestigious scientific organizations, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. He has been recognized since 1998 as one of the nation's "Best Doctors in America" in the field of cardiology by Pittsburgh Magazine. He has also been recognized with the Healthcare Hero Award in the healthcare executive category by the Pittsburgh Business Times. In 2016, he was selected as one of the nation’s top 100 CMOs to Know by Becker’s Hospital Review, and in 2019, he was named by Modern Healthcare magazine as one of the nation’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and his MD from the American University of Beirut, after which he served his internship, residency and fellowship at Allegheny General Hospital.

Karen Hanlon is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Highmark Health, a Pittsburgh-based national, blended health organization. She is responsible for overseeing the strategy and long-term operations of Highmark Health and Highmark Inc., as the organization focuses on bringing transformational care to its customers and growing beyond traditional health care models, products and services. Hanlon also oversees the operations of Allegheny Health Network, Highmark Wholecare, the Highmark Health-Penn State Health partnership and enGen, a healthtech subsidiary of Highmark Health.

During her tenure at Highmark, Hanlon held several positions within the finance division before becoming the chief financial officer (CFO) and treasurer of Highmark Health in 2014, and the chief operating officer in 2018. As CFO, Hanlon played a significant role in strengthening the overall financial performance of the enterprise, including oversight of the financial turnaround of Allegheny Health Network.

In her current role at Highmark, Hanlon is a strong advocate of supplier diversity and is executive sponsor of the initiative to provide consistent opportunities for minority-owned and operated businesses in the supply chain. She sits on the board of several Highmark Health subsidiaries and affiliates and also champions leadership roles for women in health care. A certified public accountant in Pennsylvania with more than 20 years of finance experience, Hanlon began her career in public accounting at KPMG Peat Marwick.

Hanlon holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from Grove City College, Grove City, Pa. She was a 2019 recipient of the Grove City College Alumni Association Jack Kennedy Memorial Alumni Achievement Award, which honors graduates who have made significant contributions in their field. She has also been honored by the Pittsburgh Business Times as CFO of the Year.

Karen Kim, MD, MS, was named dean at the Penn State College of Medicine in 2023. As the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Rural Health Research, Kim leads the College of Medicine’s education, research and clinical missions, culture of innovation, and will focus on enhancing team-based interdisciplinary collaboration across the College of Medicine, Penn State Health, the University at large  and across commonwealth campuses. As Physician in Chief, Kim plays a critical role in shaping the academic health system. 

In addition to dean, Kim is a nationally recognized leader in health disparities research,  curricular innovation and public policy. Her research focuses on the rigorous development and evaluation of multi-level strategies to advance cancer health equity among marginalized and vulnerable populations. As founder and director of the Center for Asian Health Equity-a community-academic partnership, Kim is a national leader on public policies for the inclusion of Asian-Americans and underserved populations in research.

Prior to joining Penn State, Kim served as the Vice Provost for Research and Senior Research Officer at the University of Chicago,  the Sara and Harold Lincoln Thompson Chair and Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center. During her tenure as Vice Provost for Research, Dr. Kim collaborated with divisions, schools, centers and institutes across the University and national laboratories to establish strategic research priorities, significantly increase interdisciplinary research and funding success and to enhance broader impact through inclusive innovation.  
 
With extensive expertise in community-based participatory research (CBPR), dissemination and implementation science, intervention and minority health research, Kim is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot Initiative, and the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Minority Health and the National Institutes of Health. Kim leads the State of Illinois’ colorectal cancer control program across urban and rural regions and has focused on developing innovative technology-based solutions to address gaps in health care services among federally qualified community and rural health centers.
 
In addition to her research, Kim is deeply committed to civic engagement and has dedicated significant time to advancing health through service to numerous nonprofit organizations and national boards. Kim has been nationally recognized for her advocacy and policy work and received the International Women’s Leadership Award, the Chicago Foundation for Women Impact Award and the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Increasing Health Equity.
 
She is a member of the American College of Physicians, American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Medical Association, American Association for Cancer Research and the American Public Health Association.

She is the College’s first female dean and the only current Korean American woman to hold such a title nationally.

David Kleppinger is chair emeritus at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, a law firm in Harrisburg, Pa., where he served as chair for 12 years. He was appointed to the Penn State board of trustees by Governor Tom Wolf in 2017 and was elected vice chair in 2020. Kleppinger is also a member and past chair of the Penn State Political Science Department’s Board of Visitors and is on the board of the RETTEW Holding Company. His past board service includes the PA Chamber of Business and Industry, where he held positions of chair and vice chair; the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation; Team Pennsylvania Foundation; LINK Foundation; Jonathan Eshenour Foundation; and chair of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities and United Way of the Capital Region.

Kleppinger is a Penn State graduate who earned his Juris Doctor degree from Temple University School of Law. 

Keith Masser is president of Sterman Masser Inc. in Sacramento, Pa., a family farm that produces potatoes, cash grain and hay, and processes dehydrated and fresh-cut potato products. He was elected to the Penn State board of trustees in 2008 and currently is chair emeritus.

Masser’s honors and recognitions include Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Alumni, the Red Book Produce Directory Business Character Award, EPA Environmental Stewardship Award and Master Farmer. He was the Vance Publishing Potato Man of the Year and Man for All Seasons, as well as an American Vegetable Grower Achievement Award national finalist and Top Producer of the Year finalist.

Masser and his wife, Helen, contributed to the Penn State Health Children's Hospital Building Campaign and have joined in the fight to conquer childhood cancer with gifts to Four Diamonds.

Masser is a graduate of Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural engineering. He is actively involved with the University as a member of the Mount Nittany Society, Penn State Alumni Association; Alpha Epsilon, the honor society for outstanding agricultural, biological and food engineers; and Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.

As CEO and chief growth officer of Highmark Health Plan and Diversified Businesses for Highmark Inc., Deborah Rice-Johnson is responsible for nationally recognized Highmark subsidiaries, including United Concordia Dental, stop-loss insurance company HM Insurance Group and health care technology and services firm Helion. She also has responsibility for pursuing a range of strategic partnerships, affiliations and acquisitions that will allow Highmark Health to unlock shared value to organizations and transform health care.

Rice-Johnson has more than 30 years of experience in the health insurance industry, having held a variety of management positions at Highmark and its predecessor company. Throughout her career, she has developed a passion for improving the health care experience, particularly as it relates to oncology services. She is committed to positively impacting the employment situation of our nation’s military veterans and those with disabilities through championing private-sector hiring efforts.

In addition to her position at Highmark, Rice-Johnson serves on the boards of the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Carlow University, Blue Health Intelligence, Evio and Dollar Bank. She is board president for Variety – the Children’s Charity and board chair emeritus of the Epilepsy Association of Western and Central Pennsylvania. 

Rice-Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Carlow University and in 2014, was named Carlow Laureate, the university’s most prestigious alumni award, recognizing those whose work, thoughts and actions demonstrate the highest standards of professional accomplishment and leadership.

Barry Robinson, a practicing attorney, retired as chief counsel for economic affairs with the U.S. Department of Commerce. He previously served as senior counsel for corporate affairs for the Recording Industry Association of America Inc., the nonprofit trade association representing the United States sound recording industry, and as senior counsel for international investment and trade in the U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.

Robinson served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps and as a member of the Defense Department Task Force to Investigate Discrimination in the Administration of Military Justice. He served as president and director of the Washington Foreign Law Society and a member of the Legal Section Committee of the American Society of Association Executives.

Robinson was the recipient of the Penn State African American Alumni Organization’s 2018 Outstanding Alumni Award. Additional honors include the College of Liberal Arts' Outstanding Political Science Alumni Award, the Liberal Arts Alumni Society's Service to Penn State Award and the Department of Commerce's Gold Medal Award in recognition of his contribution to the development and timely implementation of the International Trade Data System.

He is a Trustee Emeritus of the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees. Robinson and his wife, Francine, have also supported the Pediatric Research and Discovery Fund at Penn State Health Children's Hospital.

Robinson received his law degree from New York University and is a graduate of Penn State's College of the Liberal Arts.

As the senior vice president for finance and business/treasurer at Penn State, Sara F. Thorndike is responsible for the management of the university’s financial performance and operating budget and the Finance and Business Unit's strategic planning process. Thorndike also leads financial, endowment management, business and administrative activities at all Penn State campuses. She serves as a member of the President's Council and the Board of Directors for Penn State Corporation. In addition, she chairs the Penn State Investment Council and Health Care Advisory Council.

Prior to joining Penn State, Thorndike served as vice chancellor for administration and finance and chief financial officer for East Carolina University from 2018 to 2021. Previously, she served as the senior associate vice chancellor for business affairs, chief financial officer and controller for the University of North Carolina Wilmington from 2014 to 2018 and as the controller and accounting director for the Principia Corporation from 2005 to 2014. Prior to that, she served in financial analyst and accountant roles at various corporations.

Thorndike earned a doctorate of education in higher education leadership from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, a Master of Business Administration from The Ohio State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Franklin University. She is a certified public accountant licensed in Ohio and North Carolina. 

Active in numerous community and business organizations, Thorndike serves on the board of directors of the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County and the Centre County United Way. She also volunteers for the Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance and is active in National Association of College and University Business Officers and a variety of professional and community service organizations.

Peter Tombros is professor and distinguished executive-in-residence at the Eberly College of Science, Penn State. He serves and has served on the boards of Cambrex Inc., Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the Columbia University Medical Center Board of Advisors. Tombros was also appointed to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania CURE Program, Health Research Advisory Committee, and served as a director of other public companies, including Alpharma, Pharmanet Development Group Inc., Dendrite International and NPS Pharmaceuticals.

Tombros and his wife, Ann, created the Tombros Foundation to pursue their philanthropic interests. He served as chair of the seven-and-one-half-year Pennsylvania State University $2.2 billion Capital Campaign.

Tombros’ professional career includes president and CEO of Enzon Pharma, where Enzon was able to grow from a market capitalization of $44 million to more than $3 billion under his leadership, making Enzon one of the top 20 biotech firms in the United States at that time. Prior to that, he spent 25 years at Pfizer Inc., where he helped build the pharmaceutical business in a variety of positions, including vice president of marketing, senior vice president and general manager and executive vice president of Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. He was also appointed corporate vice president for strategic planning. In that role, he helped Pfizer narrow its focus on health care and oversaw the divestiture of non-health care businesses. Tombros also had oversight for the venture capital firms Pfizer funded to look for new technologies.

Tombros’ private company experience included serving as CEO and director of VivoQuest. The Financial Times selected him to receive its 2015 Outstanding Director Award.

Tombros earned both Master of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Penn State, followed by a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Steve Wagman joined Siemens Smart Infrastructure in 2016 as the National Healthcare Business Leader for the health care vertical market in North America. This followed a brief retirement in 2015, following a 33-year career with Siemens Medical Solutions during which he served as a vice president within the division and as chair of its Diversity and Inclusion Council, a nationally recognized Top 25 council.

Over the course of his career, Wagman has led national organizations in health care information technology, revenue cycle, strategic consulting, global services, medical imaging, design and construction services, building performance and sustainability, energy performance services, smart health care buildings and program management for Siemens One strategic health care alliances. 

Wagman is a current Penn State trustee, which includes the College of Medicine and the Penn State Health system, and is a member of the Board of Trustees Executive Committee. 

His previous service to Penn State includes past president and member of the Penn State Alumni Association Executive Board and chair of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee; Penn State College of Health and Human Development Alumni Society Executive Board member; National Science Foundation Center for Health Organization Transformation Advisory Board member; and past chair for the $2.2B capital campaign’s Corporate Engagement Advisory Committee. Wagman is also a student mentor and guest lecturer, as well as past president, for the Health Policy and Administration Affiliate Program Group. He is a Penn State alumni admissions volunteer and served as a member of the Industry Advisory Board at Penn State Abington for the Division of Social Sciences and Business.

Wagman earned his degree in Health Policy and Administration at Penn State and completed coursework in the Master of Health Administration program, University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, American Society for Health Care Engineering and the Association of ERGs & Councils.