UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Results from this year’s Penn State Board of Trustees elections were announced at the group’s meeting today (May 8). Eight newly elected trustees will begin their terms on July 1.
Agricultural trustees
Six trustees are elected by delegates of the organized agricultural societies or associations in the commonwealth. Agricultural trustee terms are staggered so that the terms of two trustees expire each year. In 2026, the number of candidates equaled the number of available positions; therefore, in accordance with the University’s bylaws, no election by agricultural delegates was required.
The board:
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Re-elected Randall “Randy” E. Black, vice chairman of the boards of Citizens Financial Services, Inc., and First Citizens Community Bank. He has been chief executive officer and president of First Citizens Community Bank since 2004. As a Board of Trustees member, Black serves as Audit and Risk Committee chair, sits on the Penn State Investment Council, and the Risk Subcommittee. Black also chairs the Federal Reserve Bank Audit Committee and is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank Governance Committee
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Re-elected Lynn A. Dietrich, retired director of engineering for Manitowoc Cranes, Inc., and previous vice president of product development for Grove Manufacturing. Dietrich has served on various board committees. A 1973 Penn State graduate, Dietrich has been recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award and College of Agricultural Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award.
At-large trustee
Three trustees are elected at-large by the Board of Trustees. At-large trustee terms are staggered so that the term of one trustee expires each year. In 2026, the board:
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Re-elected Matthew W. Schuyler, chief operations officer at Creative Artists Agency. Schuyler previously served as chief brand officer at Hilton, where he helped earn top global rankings for culture and diversity. In addition, he has worked with Capital One, Cisco and PricewaterhouseCoopers, and has served on the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. A graduate of Penn State, Schuyler previously served as chair and vice chair of the Board of Trustees.
Business and industry trustees
Six trustees are elected by the Board of Trustees to represent business and industry endeavors. The terms of business and industry trustees are staggered so that the terms of two trustees expire each year. In 2026, the board:
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Re-elected Robert F. Beard, retired chief operating officer for UGI Corporation and chief executive officer for UGI Utilities and Mountaineer Gas. Beard currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Black Hills Corporation and is a member of the board of Capstone Green Energy. On the Penn State Board of Trustees, Beard is chair of the Finance and Investment Committee and a member of the Governance and Executive committees. Beard is a recipient of the Penn State Alumni Fellow Award.
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Re-elected Karen H. Quintos, retired chief customer and marketing officer for Dell Technologies, where she served in multiple other leadership positions over more than 20 years. Quintos serves on the boards of Cummins Inc., Lennox International, Translational Genomics, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A Penn State alumna, Quintos is the recipient of the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award. She previously chaired the Smeal College of Business board.
Alumni trustees
Nine trustees are elected by Penn State alumni and former students of the University. Alumni trustee terms are staggered so that the terms of three trustees expire each year. In 2026, the three alumni trustee candidates that received the highest number of votes cast are:
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Joseph “Jay” Paterno, a consultant in private equity, philanthropy, athletics, writing and media. Paterno was one of the first college name, image and likeness (NIL) consultants in the country, and co-founded Success With Honor to support Penn State student-athletes. Paterno was executive producer for “THON: 50 Years for the Kids,” authored the best-selling book “Paterno Legacy” and the novels “Hot Seat” and “Blitzed!” Paterno also writes columns appearing in local, national and international publications. He's coached football for two decades and created shows for both radio and television, participated in successful U.S. presidential campaigns, and attended a White House Community Leaders Forum.
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Karen E. Keller, a lawyer currently serving as managing partner at an intellectual property and commercial litigation boutique firm. Keller, a 2000 Penn State alumna, served on the Alumni Council for eight years and oversaw a complete revision of the existing bylaws and strategic planning, along with serving on multiple committees. Keller served on the Eberly College Alumni Board and co-chair of the Eberly College Millenium Society, and she currently serves on the Eberly College Dean’s Advisory Committee. She’s also worked as a guest lecturer and engaged with students through multiple organizations. Her family created the Keller Family Endowment for Alumni Experiences in Science.
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Dr. Joseph S. DeRenzo, Magee's chief of anesthesiology and director for the Division of Obstetric & Women’s Anesthesiology. DeRenzo also serves as an associate professor and directs the Advanced Anesthesiology Consultant Fellowship Program. DeRenzo previously served as chief resident of University of Pittsburgh’s Anesthesiology Residency and, following the residency, joined the faculty. DeRenzo has earned multiple awards for his work, including the Excellence in Teaching award. As a Penn State student, DeRenzo was a Schreyer Scholar and earned the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence and election to the AOA Honor Medical Society.
Alumni ballot votes
The total distribution of the votes cast in the alumni election is listed below, in descending order by the total number of votes that each candidate received. Each candidate’s ballot position number is listed in parentheses after their name, followed by the total number of votes received.
- Joseph “Jay” V Paterno, Jr. (1) - 12,066
- Karen Keller (3) - 11,641
- Dr. Joseph S. DeRenzo, MD (2) - 11,458
- Alexandria (Ali) Krieger (4) - 9,436
Total Eligible Voters – 767,909
Total Ballots Cast – 17,281 (38 mail-in)
*On each ballot, voters could select up to three candidates.
Penn State’s 38-member Board of Trustees is composed of six members appointed by the governor, nine members elected by alumni, six members elected by agricultural societies, six members elected by the board representing business and industry endeavors, one student trustee, one academic trustee, three at-large trustees, and the immediate past president of the Penn State Alumni Association. In addition, five members are ex-officio by right of their office, including Gov. Josh Shapiro (non-voting), Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi (non-voting), Secretary of Agriculture Russell C. Redding, Acting Secretary of Education Carrie Rowe and Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources Cindy Adams Dunn.
For more information on the Penn State Board of Trustees, visit trustees.psu.edu.