John B. Lloyd ’62 receives the Penn State Behrend Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2024. He retired from public accounting in 2017 after more than 50 years. In 2007, he combined his accounting and consulting firm, Lloyd and Company, with the firm Buffamante Whipple Buttafaro, PC (BWB), where he was a director until his retirement.
Lloyd is passionate about the rejuvenation of the Jamestown, New York, community, and he is a leader who was instrumental in the economic and social transformation making Jamestown an attractive place to work, live, shop, and visit. Lloyd facilitated many community initiatives, including serving on the board of directors of the Gebbie Foundation, a foundation with $80M in assets that focuses on the economic development of Western New York. According to the Gebbie Foundation’s executive director, due to Lloyd’s counsel, the foundation’s focus shifted to proactive grantmaking, investing in economic development initiatives to improve the fiscal health of the Jamestown, New York, community. Lloyd initiated the Gebbie Foundation’s collaboration with many public and private partners, which resulted in the construction of a new hotel, erection of Buffamante Whipple Buttafaro’s BWB professional office building, restoration of the Erie-Lackawanna Train Station, and more.
Most notably, during Lloyd’s board tenure, the Gebbie Foundation Board of Directors approved $6 million for the development of the National Comedy Center. Opened in 2018, the new National Comedy Center received rave reviews from visitors, residents, and comedy professionals. Prior to the comedy center opening, Lloyd was instrumental in bringing the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum to fruition and served on the board of directors for the museum. During both board tenures, Lloyd influenced the significant diversions for both non-profits. These judicious decisions positively impacted the region, increased the financial impact of the Gebbie and the National Comedy Center, and markedly changed the national reputation of Jamestown, New York. Lloyd was also a charter co-founder of Jobs, Inc., which became known as Jobs Chautauqua, a county-wide public/private partnership to bring businesses into Chautauqua County, New York, where Lloyd traveled internationally to recruit corporations to his hometown. This group expanded to support Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, now known as Invest Buffalo Niagara.
Lloyd walks the walk as a job creator and business owner and has also been involved in the formation of Sunburst Travel Agency; Lakeview Computer Consulting; Longview Consulting, LLC; CC Financial Services, Inc.; and Summit Financial Services, LLC. These businesses range in services from financial planning, mergers and acquisitions to real estate, computer service, and travel service. Within each one of these companies, he held various roles as silent partner, investor, or consultant.
Lloyd is known as a connector who facilitates networking among community leaders, non-profit boards, and executives with Penn State Behrend campus leadership and students. Recognizing the importance of linking together communities, he believes that there is strength in unity. Additionally, with Chautauqua County being the closest New York state county to any Penn State campus, Lloyd advocates for collaboration between the Chautauqua County and Penn State Behrend communities.
Lloyd has been active in setting up meetings with various Jamestown/Chautauqua area business leaders and Penn State Behrend staff and faculty. He and his wife, Jean, have hosted alumni receptions in their home. The Lloyds also regularly attend alumni campus events and reach out to other Behrend Pioneer Alumni to invite them to events.
Lloyd has also helped spread the word about the Discovery Scholarships available for prospective students in his bordering state. Years prior to the Discovery Grants, Lloyd was instrumental in working with Penn State Behrend’s admissions team to allow for Chautauqua County residents to pay in-state tuition rates. He also helped Penn State Behrend create a matriculation agreement with Jamestown Community College nearly 20 years ago.
Lloyd is a “Behrend pioneer,” who are defined as alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago, and served on the Pioneer Committee for Penn State Behrend’s 60th Anniversary (15 years ago). While enrolled he wrote for the Nittany Cub, the student newspaper, and played baseball. After transferring to University Park, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa and the Accounting Club.
Lloyd and his wife, Jean Chambers Lloyd ’62, met at Penn State and were married in Eisenhower Chapel on April 12, 1962, and three of their five children also met their spouses at Penn State. All five of their children began their university educations at Behrend, and four of their five children graduated from Penn State. They also have 11 grandchildren, three of whom are Penn State graduates, and one current student: Melissa ’13, Alex, Jacqueline, Taylor ’17, Jake ’20, ’21, Madeline, Kenny, Martha (a current student), Anna, Marley, and Cecilia. Lloyd’s late father Kenneth Lloyd is also a Penn State alumnus from 1927.