Vol. XXXVII, No. 5 By DAN DELANEY Lion's Eye staff writer DRD5002@psu.edu Dr. Edward S. J. Tomezsko will end an extremely successful career at Penn State Delaware County in a few months. After almost 20 years as campus executive officer, he will be retiring into what he hopes is a life of travel and adventure. Tomezsko invited a questioner in after a knock on his door, a knock that arrrived a little early to the appointment. A bit preoccupied, he asked the writer to sit at the end of a conference table while he finished a bit of work. After initial introductions, the conversation turned to the beginning of his career. : In 1986, after working in the cen- tral administration at University Park, Tomezsko had applied for the position of CEO at Delaware County along with only one other competitor, and got the job. Jumping right into a huge PSU fund drive, he was faced with an immediate decision: He could start a fund drive for the campus or lay the grass roots for support later in his career. He chose the latter, and with great success. He considers that his crowning achievement at Delco. Tomezsko's fund-raising plan accu- mulated approximately $8 million between 1996 and 2002. Another accomplish- ment was inter- twined Tomezsko leaves a lasting legacy as Delco’s CEO the campus with the surrounding community. After realizing how many people confused Penn State Delco with Delaware County Community College, Tomezsko formed a tight bond with Dick Decosmo, Tomezsko’s counterpart at DCCC. Tomezsko admits to being a "risk taker." He likes to take well-thought- out risks and claims that’s been the key to his successful career. He acknowledges that all those risks wouldn't have been possible without a great management team. When he talks about what made his career Delco so enjoyable, he immediately mentions the students. He's loved working with the SGA and will miss being able to say "hello" to all the students as he makes his way to the administration office. It appears he'll miss working with Penn State as a whole, also. "Penn State gives you freedom do to do what's right," Tomezsko said. He notes that the feeling of Penn State pride has increased immensely since the start of his tenure, as well as the whole multicultural aspect on campus. The latter achievement was not intentional, he says. "We just wanted to make people feel comfortable," he said. As for plans after his career, he intends to get an open-water sailing license in the Virgin Islands, write children's books, travel and work with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. As for advice was to his successor, Photo by Dan Delaney Dr. Ed Tomezsko, campus CEO at Penn State Delco for nearly 20 years, will sail through the Virgin Islands during his impending retirement. “Be comfortable with the stu- dents; make Penn State a greater presence in the Delaware Valley," Tomezsko said. "And, oh yeah, make more money." During the interview, was revealed that anyone can submit a review to the dean after meeting the candidates to succeed Tomezsko. If you meet a campus CEO candidate and express your opinion, you could strongly influence the history of Penn State. Nearing the end of the interview, Tomezsko was to sum up his experi- ence here at Delco in one sentence. "I loved teaching chemistry, and I loved the reputation of Penn State Delco in the community," he said. What seemed like 15 minutes to the interviewer was an hour, and after capturing the moment through the lens of a camera, they shook hands and left his office. Then, Tomezsko immediately jumped right back into his work. Come May, that will all change. _ match on campus last week. he has this to offer: Get a job ® Employers and prospective INICITY FE employees tried to make a 1iN LL JE Paged Gerry's Column..........cc.eeeceneeeeneennn.. Page 2 Around Campus Briefly.................... Page 4 Word Search........c.ccoreeerernssnncene.... Page 4 Entertainment...................cu...........Page 5 EQIOTIAL.......coconnncrnivinsinnssscsnsinnncnsss POSE 6B Women’s Luncheon............cccocen... Page 7 Five Quick Questions.............cceo..o..Page 7 §
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