Behrend’s Black School of Business appoints two new executives in residence

ERIE, Pa. — Two business leaders with experience in accounting and tax consulting will join the executive in residence program at Penn State Behrend’s Black School of Business for the 2022-23 academic year. Five other executives have renewed their commitments to the program.

Executives in residence at Penn State Behrend are appointed to renewable one-year terms. They lead workshops, sponsor class projects, judge business competitions and provide career advising and mentoring opportunities to students in the Black School.

“These appointments are an investment in the school and our students, who gain hands-on, portfolio-building opportunities and begin to build their professional networks,” said Greg Filbeck, director of the Black School. “The guidance, mentoring and firsthand experience these executives provide is invaluable to our students, and to our faculty.”

This year’s new executives in residence are:

• Janel Bonsell, principal and director of human resources at Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh & Co. Bonsell joined the Erie-based accounting firm in 1995 as the company’s first professional hire. In 2009, she was promoted to firm principal. She is the client services executive for several of the firm’s for-profit, owner-operated businesses, with a professional concentration in attest services. She also directs human resources at the firm. Bonsell holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Gannon University. She is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner.

• Christopher A. Elwell, CPA at Maloney, Reed, Scarpitti & Co. Elwell specializes in tax consulting, compliance and preparation of tax returns. He also provides audit, accounting and financial-reporting services for privately held owner-operated businesses and non-profits. He has been a partner at Maloney, Reed, Scarpitti & Co. since 2015. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biopsychology from Allegheny College.

The new executives in residence join five other executives, who will continue their work at Behrend:

• Steven D. Bugajski, chief information officer, U.S. Steel
• Matthew MacBeth, founder, Guidant Venture Studio
• Eugene Natali, CEO and founder, Troutwood
• Jeremy O’Mard, managing consultant, managed services and cloud solutions, IBM Global Business Services
• Jeff Stempka, brand manager, Gibson USA & Custom

To learn more about the Executive in Residence program at Penn State Behrend, visit behrend.psu.edu/business.