Lackawanna College Names Directors

Lackawanna College officials recently appointed Reid, formerly the director at the Towanda Center, to his new position in Tunkhannock. Replacing Reid as the new Towanda Center Director is Kelly White.

“Brad and Kelly both bring extensive experience in education and community service to their respective roles, which will help us continue our mission of being the community’s college in Tunkhannock and Towanda,” said Lackawanna College President Dr. Jill Murray. “They will improve existing college programs, help strengthen our local partnerships and seek new opportunities for us to provide additional community resources.”

Lackawanna’s centers offer the communities they serve targeted programs that can help both local businesses and employees succeed.

“Brad and Kelly will continue our work of delivering high-quality degree and non-degree programs that prepare students to succeed in the workforce,” said Tom Bogush, regional director of Admissions at Lackawanna College. “They are dedicated professionals who are involved in their communities and understand the impact training and education has on the local workforce.”

Reid said his immediate plans are to provide community members access to post high school education so graduates can enter the local workforce with the training they need. He also wants to develop partnerships with businesses and the community.

For example, when he was in Towanda, Reid worked with a local organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger to create a pop-up food pantry for those in need.

“Our goal is to provide an education and service to the local community,” said Reid, a Tunkhannock native. “We do that by working together to meet their needs. We have a decent number of first-time students at Lackawanna College. So many students and parents come here at first not knowing what to expect. We help them work through the unknown. We’re there for them during their time here at Lackawanna. It’s so satisfying to see these students graduate, enter the workforce and be successful.”

Besides serving as center director in Tunkhannock and Towanda, Reid worked as online recruitment and CRM administration specialist in Admissions for Lackawanna. Prior to working at the college, Reid held several higher education positions at Penn Foster and New Horizons Learning Centers. He also worked at TMG Health and JT’s Automotive Group.

Reid earned his associate degree in Business Administration and bachelor’s degree in Business and Management from Lackawanna College. He also is planning to start a master’s of Business Administration in the fall.

The center in Tunkhannock is relatively new, having only been open for about a year and serves about 50 students. The center not only offers a variety of degrees and certificates catered to the local community but also the School of Petroleum and Natural Gas, which moved to the Tunkhannock location as a way to better serve those who are seeking training in that field.

As the new Center Director in Towanda, White also has plans to continue to meet the needs of the local community by strengthening existing programs, building partnerships and looking for ways to better serve the community.

One way White is doing that is by holding a summer bootcamp for students to learn more about how to navigate the college admissions process. The first bootcamp will be held in mid-August and will help students and their parents learn more about writing college essays, financial aid and other topics.

“This is the community’s college and I’m always looking for different ways to better serve the needs of our population,” White said. “I really feel like I’ve found my calling in life with higher education. This position gives me a great opportunity to serve traditional students as well as non-traditional students.”

White also has a background in education and community service, having worked and volunteered for several educational and non-profit organizations. Before joining Lackawanna, White most recently served as the executive director of the Greater Wyalusing Chamber of Commerce. She also served as a teaching assistant at Wyalusing Valley Children’s Center, chief operations officer at Grovedale Winery, director at the Bradford County Regional Arts Council, director at Northern Tier Partnership for Arts in Education and director at Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts.

Additionally, she served as executive director of the Wyalusing Area Education Foundation, manager and director of events at Grovedale Winery, and writer and photographer at The Rocket-Courier. White studied Creative Writing and Communications at the University of Pittsburgh and volunteers with several educational and community organizations. The Towanda center opened in 1993 and has about 80 students attending. Towanda offers several associate and bachelor’s degrees as well as certificate programs in Health Science.

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Lackawanna College also announced South Abington Township Resident and retired Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Kevin F. Mahoney as the new Police Academy Director. 

Mahoney brings over 25 years of law enforcement experience with the Pennsylvania State Police to the position. Prior to his appointment as Academy Director, Mahoney served as an Assistant Director of Academy Operations for Lackawanna College. At the time of his retirement from the State Police in June of 2021, he served as Commander of the Criminal Investigation Section for Troop R Dunmore, which encompasses Lackawanna, Susquehanna, Wayne and Pike Counties. 

In his role, Mahoney will develop and oversee, and provide direction for the Lackawanna College Police Academy, including curriculum development and instruction and student recruitment. 

“Lt. Mahoney is a proven leader who shares Lackawanna College’s commitment to the community,” said Dr. Jill Murray, Lackawanna College President. “His extensive history in law enforcement and experience with the Academy will serve as an asset to the College. We look forward to continuing to grow the Police Academy through his leadership.” 

Mahoney also served seven years in the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards; three years as an Investigator, and four years as the Commander of the Eastern Section of the Internal Affairs Division. 

Mahoney is the recipient of three State Police Commissioners Significant Operation Service Awards, two Area Commanders Letters of Commendation, the 2015 Baltimore Riots Service Award, and the Blooming Grove Service Award. 

He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Scranton.

Lackawanna College announced South Abington Township Resident and retired Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Kevin F. Mahoney as the new Police Academy Director.