HARRISBURG (May 25, 2021) — 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 recognize extraordinary commitment to the association. PBA Fifty-Year Member Awards recognize lawyers who have been association members for five decades.
The Special Achievement and President’s awards were presented virtually at an awards ceremony during the PBA Virtual Annual Meeting, May 19-21. Fifty-Year Member Awards were recognized separately.
Adams County
Gary E. Hartman, Hartman & Yannetti Inc., Gettysburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Allegheny County
Charles H. Alpern, Alpern Schubert PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
John F. Becker, Becker & Becker, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Eugene K. Connors, Presto: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Michael A. Della Vecchia, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
John F. Dugan, K & L Gates LLP, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
M. Richard Dunlap, Attorney at Law, Allison Park: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge D. Michael Fisher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Pittsburgh: PBA President’s Award — for his dedication and outstanding leadership of the PBA Federal Practice Committee and commitment to spearheading the Federal Practice Institutes.
Bruce G. Gabler, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Charles B. Gibbons, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
James K. Goldberg, Clark Hill PLC, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Howard Grossinger, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Raymond F. Keisling, Carpenter McCadden & Lane LLP, Wexford: Fifty-Year Member Award
Terry Allen Lerman, First Capital Corporation, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert S. Markovitz, Markovitz & Germinaro, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lawrence N. Paper, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Anthony P. Picadio, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Raymond J. Seals, Raymond J Seals Attorney At Law, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
John A. Tumolo, Attorney at Law, Pittsburgh: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert F. Wagner, Oakmont: Fifty-Year Member Award
Beaver County
Russell A. Basinger, Midland: Fifty-Year Member Award
Michael B. Jones, McMillen Urick Tocci & Jones, Aliquippa: PBA Special Achievement Award — in recognition of his steadfast and pragmatic leadership of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation Development Committee and Strategic Planning Task Force, in addition to his commendable service chairing the PBA COVID-19 Task Force and serving on the PBA Bylaws Committee.
John Albert Miller, Beaver: Fifty-Year Member Award
Layden C. Sadecky,Law Offices Layden C Sadecky, Beaver: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert J. Taylor, Ambridge: Fifty-Year Member Award
Berks County
Alfred W. Crump, Wyomissing: Fifty-Year Member Award
David S. Hope, American Crane & Equipment Company, Douglassville: Fifty-Year Member Award
Blair County
Allen E. Gibboney, Gibboney & Gibboney, Altoona: Fifty-Year Member Award
Butler County
James A. Taylor, West Sunbury: Fifty-Year Member Award
Cambria County
John J. Bagnato, Johnstown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Carbon County
Joseph John Velitsky, Velitsky & Frycklund, Summit Hill: Fifty-Year Member Award
Chester County
Ronald F. Brien, Attorney at Law, Spring City: Fifty-Year Member Award
David P. Brown, Kimberton: Fifty-Year Member Award
John T. Curtin, Philips Curtin & DiGiacomo, Berwyn: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Thomas G. Gavin, West Chester: Fifty-Year Member Award
Kim Denise Morton, Morton & Kubacke Family Law LLC, West Chester: PBA President’s Award — for dedication, commitment and outstanding leadership of the PBA House of Delegates during the pandemic.
Howard D. Venzie, Venzie Construction ADR Services LLC, Exton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Clarion County
Kent S. Pope, Clarion: Fifty-Year Member Award
Clearfield County
John Sughrue, Law Office of John Sughrue, Clearfield: Fifty-Year Member Award
Clinton County
Donald L. Faulkner, Snowiss Steinberg & Faulkner LLP, Lock Haven: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lee H. Roberts, Roberts Miceli LLP, Lock Haven: Fifty-Year Member Award
Columbia County
William S. Kreisher, Kreisher Marshall & Associates LLC, Bloomsburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Cumberland County
Ronald D. Butler, Ronald D. Butler PC, Lemoyne: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert P. Coyne, Coyne & Coyne PC, Camp Hill: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his tireless efforts and dedication as a pro bono volunteer for the PBA Military and Veterans Affairs’ Committee, generously donating his time for numerous veterans’ legal needs clinics and support of legal aid services.
Hannah R. Suhr, The Law Office of Andrew H. Shaw P.C., Carlisle: PBA Special Achievement Award — for her long-time contributions and tireless dedication as a Wills for Heroes volunteer, as well as devoting a great deal of time and energy to serving veterans and handling pro bono cases for her law firm.
Dauphin County
William J. Cluck, Law Office of William J Cluck, Harrisburg: PBA President’s Award — for his dedication and leadership in developing the PBA Environmental & Energy Law Section Minority Scholarship Fund of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation supporting law students who pursue an interest in environmental and energy law.
Jesse G. Hereda, Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg: PBA President’s Award — for his commitment to partnering with the PBA and the promotion of PBA initiatives among all lawyers in Pennsylvania.
Jonathan D. Koltash, Pa. Health Insurance Exchange Authority Office of Chief Counsel, Harrisburg: PBA Special Achievement Award to the PBA Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition Committee — for their extraordinary work successfully converting the annual YLD Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition to a virtual format as a result of the pandemic.
Jane E. Meyer, Dauphin County Courthouse, Harrisburg: PBA Special Achievement Award to the PBA Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition Committee — for their extraordinary work successfully converting the annual YLD Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition to a virtual format as a result of the pandemic.
William J. Peters, Peters & Wasilefski, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Mark S. Silver, Mette Evans & Woodside PC, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Jonathan Vipond, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, Harrisburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Delaware County
Edward N. Flail, Attorney at Law, Wayne: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard L. Hughey, Hughey Law, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award
Charles S. Katz, Charles S. Katz Jr & Associates, Glen Mills: Fifty-Year Member Award
Paul D. Nelson, Media: Fifty-Year Member Award
Phyllis M. Shea, Shea Law Offices LLP, Bryn Mawr: Fifty-Year Member Award
Michael J. Sheridan, Fox Differ Callahan Sheridan & McDevitt, Wayne: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lawrence G. Strohm, Law Office of Lawrence G Strohm Jr., Media: Fifty-Year Member Award
Erie County
James S. Bryan, Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett PC, North East: Fifty-Year Member Award
Alois Lubiejewski, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award
Richard A. Vendetti, Vendetti & Vendetti, Erie: Fifty-Year Member Award
Fayette County
Donald J. McCue, Donald McCue Law Firm PC, Connellsville: Fifty-Year Member Award
Huntingdon County
Judge Stewart L. Kurtz, Huntingdon: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lackawanna County
Richard S. Bishop, Hourigan Kluger & Quinn PC, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
James J. Powell, Powell Law, Scranton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Retired Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Dunmore: PBA President’s Award — for his dedication and outstanding leadership as chair of the PBA Joint Task Force on the Continuity of the Delivery of Legal Services, which resulted in a report that identifies practices to assure legal services continue so that citizens have access to justice for the duration of the pandemic and future emergencies.
Lancaster County
Richard G. Greiner, Nikolaus & Hohenadel LLP, Lancaster: Fifty-Year Member Award
William C. Haynes, Law Offices of William C. Haynes, Lancaster: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lebanon County
Thomas P. Harlan, Henry and Beaver LLP, Lebanon: Fifty-Year Member Award
Lehigh County
Lawrence Center, Lawrence Center Esq., Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Nancy Conrad, White and Williams LLP, Center Valley: PBA President’s Award — for her dedication and outstanding leadership of the PBA Diversity Team and for spearheading the Diversity and Inclusion Best Practices Series, which shed light on important topics in a meaningful way throughout the past year.
J. Jackson Eaton, Gross McGinley LLP, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Edward A. Fedok, Stevens & Lee PC, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Harold G. Nabhan, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Alan Penn, Attorney at Law, Orefield: Fifty-Year Member Award
Michael J. Piosa, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph M. Reibman, Reibman & Reibman, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Eric R. Strauss, Worth Magee & Fisher PC, Allentown: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his many years of extensive work and assistance to the PBA Legislative Department and his extraordinary contributions in the passage of the Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act.
Adrian J. Wasko, Adrian J Wasko Attorney at Law, Allentown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Leonard N. Zito, Florio Perrucci Steinhardt Cappelli Tipton & Taylor LLC, Bethlehem: Fifty-Year Member Award
Luzerne County
Richard G. Dudinyak, Freeland: Fifty-Year Member Award
C. Stephen Gurdin, Wilkes Barre: Fifty-Year Member Award
Jennifer Menichini, Joyce Carmody & Moran PC, Pittston: PBA Special Achievement Award to the PBA Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition Committee — for their extraordinary work successfully converting the annual YLD Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition to a virtual format as a result of the pandemic.
Martin J. Meyer. Fellerman & Ciarimboli Law PC, Kingston: Fifty-Year Member Award:
Joseph J. Musto, Duryea: Fifty-Year Member Award
McKean County
Judge John H. Yoder, Smethport: Fifty-Year Member Award
Mercer County
Judge John C. Reed, Mercer County Court of Common Pleas, Sharpsville: Fifty-Year Member Award
Montgomery County
David L. Allebach, Yergey Daylor Allebach Scheffey Picardi, Pottstown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Charles J. Bloom, Stevens & Lee PC, King of Prussia: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert G. Bricker, Landis Hunsberger Gingrich & Weik LLP, Souderton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Jennifer L. Ellis, King of Prussia: PBA Special Achievement Award — for her dedication, leadership and tireless efforts on behalf of the PBA Solo and Small Firm Section. She embraced the many challenges presented by the pandemic and worked to develop a series of Lunchtime Learning virtual presentations for PBA members.
Marshal Granor, Granor & Granor PC, Horsham: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his tireless enthusiasm and exemplary leadership of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, initiating outreach to all new section members to encourage their involvement and establishing new committees to focus on section work.
Donald K. Joseph, Elkins Park: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Bernard A. Moore, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Ronald H. Sherr, Sherr Law Group LLP, Norristown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Jay Elliott Shor, Shor & Levin PC, Willow Grove: Fifty-Year Member Award
Stewart M. Weintraub, Chamberlain Hrdlicka White Williams & Aughtry, West Conshohocken: Fifty-Year Member Award
Northampton County
Paul C. Hensel, Nazareth: Fifty-Year Member Award
George K. Keenan, King Spry Herman Freund & Faul LLC, Bethlehem: Fifty-Year Member Award
Theodore R. Lewis, Lewis & Walters, Easton: Fifty-Year Member Award
Constantine M. Vasiliadis, Kolb Vasiliadis Florenz & Recchiuti LLC, Bethlehem: Fifty-Year Member Award
Philadelphia County
Edward L. Baxter, Cozen O'Connor: Fifty-Year Member Award
Edward Blumstein, Edward Blumstein PC: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph C. Bright, Cozen O'Connor: Fifty-Year Member Award
Judge Matthew David Carrafiello, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas: Fifty-Year Member Award
Jane Leslie Dalton, Duane Morris LLP: Fifty-Year Member Award
Jonathan A. Grode, Green and Spiegel LLC: PBA Special Achievement Award to the PBA Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition Committee — for their extraordinary work successfully converting the annual YLD Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition to a virtual format as a result of the pandemic.
Daniel Q. Harrington, Cozen O'Connor: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his longtime service and dedication on behalf of the PBA Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee serving as co-vice chair and then chair of the committee, particularly his steadfast leadership and commitment to furthering the mission of the committee.
F. Warren Jacoby, Cozen O'Connor: Fifty-Year Member Award
Paul W. Kaufman, U.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania: PBA Special Achievement Award to the PBA Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition Committee — for their extraordinary work successfully converting the annual YLD Statewide High School Mock Trial Competition to a virtual format as a result of the pandemic.
Alexander Kerr, McCarter & English LLP: Fifty-Year Member Award
John F Ledwith, Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin: Fifty-Year Member Award
John F. Meigs, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP: Fifty-Year Member Award
Tobey Oxholm, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity: PBA Special Achievement Award — for his steadfast dedication and efforts promoting pardons across the commonwealth, conducting numerous trainings and helping many clients directly while advocating for changes in the pardon process that have effectively opened up what was once a relatively closed system.
Howard D. Scher, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC: Fifty-Year Member Award
Joseph A. Torregrossa, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit: Fifty-Year Member Award
Somerset County
James B. Yelovich, Stoystown: Fifty-Year Member Award
Venango County
William D. Wilson, Wilson Thompson & Cisek LLC, Franklin: Fifty-Year Member Award
Washington County
Mark F. Geary, Washington: Fifty-Year Member Award
Donald D. Saxton, Law Offices of Donald D Saxton Jr. PC, Washington: Fifty-Year Member Award
David E. Tungate, McMurray: Fifty-Year Member Award
Wayne County
Nicholas A. Barna, Honesdale: Fifty-Year Member Award
Westmoreland County
James R. Antoniono, DeBernardo Antoniono McCabe & Davis PC, Greensburg: PBA President’s Award — for of his dedication and outstanding leadership in shepherding the development of the updated PBA Strategic Plan.
Richard A. Bruni, Lower Burrell: Fifty-Year Member Award
John M. Campfield, Campfield & Ferraro, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
James Falcon, Youngwood: Fifty-Year Member Award
George A. Kotjarapoglus, George A. Kotjarapoglus & Associates, Murrysville: Fifty-Year Member Award
Leslie John Mlakar, Avolio Law Group LLC, Greensburg: Fifty-Year Member Award
Dennis S. Shilobod, Latrobe: Fifty-Year Member Award
Out of State
Judge Kent H. Albright, Manakin-Sabot, Va.: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert P. Barbarowicz, Dentons US LLP, Los Angeles, Calif.: Fifty-Year Member Award
Kenneth F. Dornbush, Steubenville, Ohio: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert J. McDonnell, Ocean City, N.J.: Fifty-Year Member Award
Robert G. Sable, Hilton Head Island, S.C.: Fifty-Year Member Award
Paul J. Schneider, Bonita Springs, Fla.: 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 of legal services; and serve the lawyer members of the state’s largest organized bar association.