Pennsylvania Bar Association Presents Awards for Outstanding Leadership, Extraordinary Service and Longstanding Membership

HARRISBURG (May 16, 2017) — The Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) has presented awards that recognize outstanding leadership in the legal profession and extraordinary service and longstanding membership in the association.

PBA Special Achievement Awards recognize those lawyers and individuals who have provided time and resources to improve the association and the legal profession. The President’s Awards, bestowed at the discretion of 2016-17 PBA President Sara A. Austin, recognize extraordinary commitment to the association. PBA Fifty-Year Member Awards recognize lawyers who have been association members for five decades.

The awards were presented on May 12 during the association’s Annual Meeting at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh.

Allegheny County

Carol A. Behers, Raphael Ramsden & Behers PC, Pittsburgh: PBA Special Achievement Award — for progress made as co-chair of the PBA Family Law Section developing legislation that would reduce the waiting time for divorce in Pennsylvania.

Samuel W. Braver, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Pittsburgh: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his dedication and time served as a member of the Investigative Panel Division of the PBA Judicial Evaluation Commission.

James T. Collie Jr., Verona: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas L. Cooper, Cooper & Ziegler, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

J. Kent Culley, Tucker Arensberg PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

J. Murray Egan, Metz Lewis Brodman Must O'Keefe LLC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Retired Chief Justice John P. Flaherty Jr., Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Glenshaw: Fifty-Year Member Award

Jon L. Friedman, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

H. Arnold Gefsky, Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Samuel P. Gerace, Jones Gregg Creehan & Gerace LLP, Bethel Park: Fifty-Year Member Award

Andrea Geraghty, Meyer Unkovic & Scott LLP, Pittsburgh: PBA Special Achievement Award — for her dedication and time served as a member of the Investigative Panel Division of the PBA Judicial Evaluation Commission.

Mark J. Goldberg, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

H. Yale Gutnick, Strassburger McKenna Gutnick & Gefsky, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Dale Hershey, Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Retired Senior Judge Lawrence W. Kaplan, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

James E. Kopelman, Jacques & Jacques PC, Natrona Heights: Fifty-Year Member Award

John W. Latella, Law Office of John W. Latella, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

J. Richard Lauver, K&L Gates LLP, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Stanton D. Levenson, Stanton D. Levenson PA, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Maurice A. Nernberg Jr., Maurice A Nernberg & Associates, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Wilbur McCoy Otto, Otto Law Group LLC, Sewickley: Fifty-Year Member Award

T. Lawrence Palmer, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Charitable Trusts and Organizations, Wexford: Fifty-Year Member Award

Alan Papernick, Papernick & Gefsky LLC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Samuel J. Pasquarelli, Sherrard German & Kelly PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph J. Pass Jr., Jubelirer Pass & Intrieri PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

John A. Pillar, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Richard E. Rush, Thomson Rhodes & Cowie PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Francis V. Sabino, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Edgar M. Snyder, Edgar Snyder & Associates LLC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Robert D. Yeager, K&L Gates LLP, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Gerald N. Ziskind, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award

Beaver County

Samuel J. Orr III, Beaver: Fifty-Year Member Award

Berks County

Jack G. Mancuso, Brumbach Mancuso & Fegley PC, Reading: Fifty-Year Member Award

Geoffrey M. Stoudt, Kozloff Stoudt PC, Wyomissing: Fifty-Year Member Award

Blair County

Alan R. Krier, Jubelirer Carothers Krier & Halpern, Altoona: Fifty-Year Member Award

Bradford County

Gerald W. Brann, Brann Williams Caldwell & Sheetz, Troy: Fifty-Year Member Award

Bucks County

Charles H. Dorsett Jr., Eastburn and Gray PC, Doylestown: Fifty-Year Member Award

John F. Grim, Grim Biehn & Thatcher PC, Perkasie: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas J. Profy III, Begley Carlin & Mandio LLP, Langhorne: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senior District Judge Donald W. Van Artsdalin, U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Doylestown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Harold B. Vikoren, Harold B Vikoren & Associates, New Hope: Fifty-Year Member Award

Butler County

Retired Judge George Harold Hancher, Hancher Law Office, Zelienople: Fifty-Year Member Award

Cambria County

Nicholas O. Antonazzo, Johnstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

William K. Eckel, Johnstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

William L. Glosser, Smorto Persio Webb & McGill, Johnstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senior Judge F. Joseph Leahey Jr., Cambria County Court of Common Pleas, Ebensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senior Judge D. Gerard Long, Cambria County Court of Common Pleas, Ebensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Centre County

Richard L. Campbell, Miller Kistler & Campbell, State College: Fifty-Year Member Award

Chester County

John C. Cameron, Penn State Great Valley, Malvern: PBA Special Achievement Award — for leadership and time served as co-chair of PBA Health Care Law Committee.

Lawrence A. Goldberg, Goldberg Meanix McCallin & Muth, West Chester: Fifty-Year Member Award

William P. Quinn, Gollatz Griffin & Ewing PC, Malvern: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph A. Ryan, Ryan Emory & Ryan LLP, Downingtown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Clearfield County

Robert M. Hanak, Hanak Guido & Taladay, DuBois: Fifty-Year Member Award

James Naddeo, Naddeo & Lewis LLC, Clearfield: Fifty-Year Member Award

Clinton County

Judge J. Michael Williamson, Clinton County Court of Common Pleas, Lock Haven: Fifty-Year Member Award

Cumberland County

Frances H. Del Duca, Carlisle: Fifty-Year Member Award

Jerry R. Duffie, Johnson Duffie Stewart & Weidner PC, Lemoyne: Fifty-Year Member Award

William E. Miller Jr., Camp Hill: Fifty-Year Member Award

Dauphin County

Arthur K. Dils, Dils & Dils, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Edward S. Finkelstein, Hummelstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Pamela K. Kance, Harrisburg: PBA President’s Award — for her outstanding commitment and dedicated service to the PBA as section relations coordinator. 

Herbert R. Nurick, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Delaware County

Allen Edwin Amgott, Havertown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Carmen P. Belefonte, Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky PC, Media: PBA Special Achievement Award — for dedication and time served as a member of the Investigative Panel Division of the PBA Judicial Evaluation Commission.

Leo Francis Doyle, Springfield: Fifty-Year Member Award

John B. Eurell, Lansdowne: Fifty-Year Member Award

Daniel I. Murphy, Bryn Mawr: Fifty-Year Member Award

John G. Shea, Shea & Shea, Bryn Mawr: Fifty-Year Member Award

Richard C. Tinucci, Glenolden: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph A. Walheim, Joseph A. Walheim & Associates, Havertown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Elk County

James A. Meyer, Meyer Wagner Brown & Kraus, Saint Marys: Fifty-Year Member Award

Erie County

Charles D. Agresti, Marsh Spaeder Baur Spaeder & Schaaf, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award

Andrew J. Conner, Conner Riley Friedman & Weichler, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph T. Messina, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award

Edward P. Wittmann, Elderkin Law Firm, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award

Fayette County

George L. Hallal, Brownsville: Fifty-Year Member Award

Carmine V. Molinaro, Molinaro Law Offices, Connellsville: Fifty-Year Member Award

Indiana County

Edwin M. Clark, Holsinger Clark & Armstrong PC, Indiana: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lackawanna County

John B. Beemer, Beemer & Beemer, Clarks Summit: Fifty-Year Member Award

Dorrance R. Belin, Oliver Price & Rhodes, Clarks Summit: Fifty-Year Member Award

Ernest J. Gazda Jr., Gazda & Penetar: Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Melinda C. Ghilardi, Federal Public Defenders Office, Scranton: PBA President’s Award — for her outstanding leadership, professionalism and dedication to the PBA Bar Leadership Institute, the PBA Federal Practice Committee, the PBA Diversity Team and the Commission on Women in the Profession.

Richard T. Mulcahey, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Judge James M. Munley, U.S. District Court Middle District of Pennsylvania, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Jacob I. Nogi, Nogi Appleton Weinberger & Wren PC, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Otto P. Robinson Jr., Penn Security Bank, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Benjamin S. Schnessel, Carbondale: Fifty-Year Member Award

C. H. Welles IV, Welles & McGrath, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lancaster County

William A. Atlee Jr., Atlee Hall LLP, Lancaster: Fifty-Year Member Award

William E. Chillas, Law Office of William E Chillas, Lancaster: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lawrence County

Richard E. Flannery, Nicolls Flannery & Palmer PC, New Castle: Fifty-Year Member Award

Frank G. Verterano, Verterano & Manolis, New Castle: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lehigh County

Martin D. Cohen, Cohen Feeley Altemose & Rambo, Bethlehem: Fifty-Year Member Award

Martin J. Karess, Karess Reich & Furst, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award

E. Keller Kline III, Kline & Kline, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Barry N. Mosebach, Mosebach Funt Dayton & Duckworth PC, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senior Judge William H. Platt, Superior Court of Pennsylvania, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Palmer Kress Schreiber, Old Zionsville: Fifty-Year Member Award

Rudolph Zieger Jr., Whitehall: Fifty-Year Member Award

Luzerne County

Elaine Cook, Cook Law PC, Drums: PBA Special Achievement Award — for leadership and time served as co-chair of PBA Health Care Law Committee.

Joseph F. Flanagan, Forty Fort: Fifty-Year Member Award

Daniel G. Flannery, Rosenn Jenkins & Greenwald LLP, Wilkes-Barre: Fifty-Year Member Award

Harry Hiscox, Hiscox & Musto, Kingston: Fifty-Year Member Award

Paul R. Mahler, Mahler Law Firm LLC, Forty Fort: Fifty-Year Member Award

James A. Schneider, Schneider Law Offices PC, Hazleton: Fifty-Year Member Award

David E. Schwager, Chariton Schwager & Malak, Wilkes-Barre: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his leadership as chair of the PBA Planning Committee in the development of a strategic plan for the association.

Sandor Yelen, Yelen Law Offices, Wilkes-Barre: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lycoming County

George V. Cohen, McNerney Page Vanderlin & Hall, Williamsport: Fifty-Year Member Award

Scott A. Williams, Williams & Smay, Williamsport: Fifty-Year Member Award

Mercer

Joseph P. Valentino, Joseph P Valentino PC, Hermitage: Fifty-Year Member Award

Mifflin

Former Judge Francis A. Searer, Searer Schrum & Searer, Lewistown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas M. Torquato, Torquato Law Office, Lewistown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Monroe County

Bernard M. Billick (recently deceased), Law Offices of Bernard M. Billick, Stroudsburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

Montgomery County

David  J. Ackerman, Wynnewood: Fifty-Year Member Award

Robert A. Bacine, Friedman Schuman PC, Jenkintown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Linda F. Berman, Linda F. Berman Attorney at Law, King of Prussia: PBA Special Achievement Award —for dedication and time served as a member of the Investigative Panel Division of the PBA Judicial Evaluation Commission

Robert A. Bildersee, Bildersee & Silbert LLP, Abington: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph Boardman, Joseph Boardman PC, Bala Cynwyd: Fifty-Year Member Award

Dominic P. Costa, Oreland: Fifty-Year Member Award

John M. Demcisak, Hatboro: Fifty-Year Member Award

Mary Cushing Doherty, High Swartz LLP, Norristown: PBA Special Achievement Award — for progress made as co-chair of the PBA Family Law Section developing legislation that would reduce the waiting time for divorce in Pennsylvania.

John M. Elliott, Elliott Greenleaf, Blue Bell: Fifty-Year Member Award

Larry Friedman, Wynnewood: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senator Stewart J. Greenleaf, Elliott Greenleaf, Blue Bell: Fifty-Year Member Award

Barry W. Kerchner, Pottstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Allen M. Metzger, Jenkintown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Melvin B. Miller, Melvin B Miller Ltd., Gladwyne: Fifty-Year Member Award

Robert F. Morris, Morris Wilson PC, Plymouth Meeting: PBA President’s Award — for the high level of professionalism, dedication, and commitment that he demonstrated as chair of the PBA Judicial Evaluation Commission.

J. Edmund Mullin, Hamburg Rubin Mullin Maxwell & Lupin PC, Lansdale: Fifty-Year Member Award

Michael J. O’Donoghue, Wisler Pearlstine LLP, Blue Bell: Fifty-Year Member Award

Stanton S. Oswald, Jenkintown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Michael O. Peale Jr., Timoney Knox LLP, Fort Washington: Fifty-Year Member Award

Paul F. Prestia, RatnerPrestia PC, King of Prussia: Fifty-Year Member Award

M. Melvin Shralow, Shralow ADR LLC, Bryn Mawr: Fifty-Year Member Award

Bernard F. Siergiej, Jenkins Siergiej & Smith, Ambler: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph M. Walker, Blue Bell: Fifty-Year Member Award

Richard E. Wells, Wells Hoffman Holloway & Medvesky LLP, Pottstown: Fifty-Year Member Award

Frederic M. Wentz, McGrory Wentz LLP, Plymouth Meeting: Fifty-Year Member Award

Northampton County

Herbert G. Litvin, Easton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Alan B. McFall, McFall Layman & Jordan PC, Bangor: Fifty-Year Member Award

Henry R. Newton, Herster Newton & Murphy, Easton: Fifty-Year Member Award

Salvador J. Salazar, Bath: Fifty-Year Member Award

Philadelphia County

Bennett L. Aaron, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Daniel J. Allan, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Paul C. Astor, Astor Weiss Kaplan & Mandel LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Jerome R. Balka, Balka & Balka, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Jack R. Bershad, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Herbert Brener, Kovler & Rush PC: Fifty-Year Member Award

John J. Cahill Jr., Schubert Gallagher Tyley & Mulcahey, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Michael Churchill, Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

William H. Clark Jr., Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Philadelphia: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his leadership in evaluating and drafting amendments to Title 15, the short title for the Pennsylvania Uniform Unincorporated Nonprofit Association Law, through the PBA Business Law Section Title 15 Committee.

Jennifer S. Coatsworth, Margolis Edelstein, Philadelphia: PBA Special Achievement Award — for the enthusiasm and professionalism she brings to her involvement with several committees and sections of the PBA.

Leonard J. Cooper, Cozen O'Connor, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Vincent B. Corsetti, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

John P. Crampton, Dilworth Paxson LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Samuel E. Dennis, Fox Rothschild LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Stanton Dubin, AnapolWeiss, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Edward M. Glickman, Cozen O’Connor, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

John Francis Gough, Gough Law Associates RLLC, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Goncer M. Krestal, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

William M. Labkoff, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Michael B. Lee, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, Philadelphia: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his work as managing attorney of the Criminal Record Expungement Project, where he trains pro bono attorneys, organizes community education events and argues expungement and redaction petitions.

Domenic M. Masciantonio, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lawrence G. Metzger, Metzger & Kleiner, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Jerrold V. Moss, Astor Weiss Kaplan & Mandel LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Wesley R. Payne IV, White and Williams LLP, Philadelphia: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his work as chair of the PBA Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and pro bono efforts for veterans.

Richard B. Pearl, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Joseph F. Ricchiuti, Young Ricchiuti Caldwell & Heller LLC, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Lila G. Roomberg, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Carl W. Schneider, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senior Judge Anthony J. Scirica, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Retired President Judge A. Leo Sereni, Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Thomas J. Tumola, Duane Morris LLP, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Schuylkill County

James J. Curran Jr., Pottsville: Fifty-Year Member Award

Ronald Thomas Derenzo, Derenzo & Zerbe, Pottsville, Fifty-Year Member Award

Snyder County

Marvin J. Rudnitsky, RHP Law Group LLC, Philadelphia: Fifty-Year Member Award

Somerset County

John J. Barbera, Barbera Clapper Beener Rullo & Melvin, Somerset: Fifty-Year Member Award

Senior Judge Eugene E. Fike II, Somerset County Court of Common Pleas, Somerset: Fifty-Year Member Award

Robert M. Philson, Meyersdale: Fifty-Year Member Award

Mary E. Schellhammer, Somerset: PBA President’s Award — for her dedication and outstanding leadership of several sections of the PBA, as well as her commitment to building a relationship between the Somerset County bar and the PBA. 

Venango County

Michael J. Antkowiak, Franklin: Fifty-Year Member Award

Ralph L. Montgomery Jr., Franklin: Fifty-Year Member Award

Washington County

D. Keith Melenyzer (recently deceased), Melenyzer Sam & Agrafiotis, Charleroi: Fifty-Year Member Award

Wayne County

Albert G. Rutherford, Rutherford & Rutherford, Honesdale: Fifty-Year Member Award

Westmoreland County

Judge John J. Driscoll, Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award

David B. Wasson, Lower Burrell: Fifty-Year Member Award

York County

D. Reed Anderson, Stock and Leader, York: Fifty-Year Member Award

Peter Reigle Andrews, CGA Law Firm, York: Fifty-Year Member Award

Gilbert G. Malone, Malone & Neubaum, York: Fifty-Year Member Award

Out of State

Meyer A. Bushman, University Park, Fla.: Fifty-Year Member Award

Donald H. Cuozzo, Osprey, Fla.: Fifty-Year Member Award

Michael M. Dean, Peoa, Utah: Fifty-Year Member Award

Giles J. Gaca, Chapel Hill, N.C.: Fifty-Year Member Award

William M. Hoffman, Baltimore, Md.: Fifty-Year Member Award

David  J. Humphreys, Stow, N.Y.: Fifty-Year Member Award

Retired Senior Judge Peter J. O'Brien, Pompano Beach, Fla.: Fifty-Year Member Award

Peter O. Price, New York, N.Y.: Fifty-Year Member Award

Sheldon S. Toll, Sheldon S. Toll PLLC, Southfield, Mich.: Fifty-Year Member Award

Founded in 1895, the Pennsylvania Bar Association strives to promote justice, professional excellence and respect for the law; improve public understanding of the legal system; facilitate access to legal services; and serve the 27,000 lawyers who are members of the association.