On Tuesday, September 22, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. Johnson College held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony celebrating its new Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) Building.

Among those in attendance were:

• State Representative Ken Smith
• Lackawanna County Commissioner A.J. Munchak
• Mr. Edward Zygmunt ‘74 of U.S. Representative Christopher Carney’s Office
• Ms. Cathy Wechsler of U.S. Representative Paul Kanjorski’s Office
• Mr. Mark Seitzinger of Mayor Chris Doherty’s Office 

Ann L. Pipinski, Ed.D., President and CEO, welcomed the crowd and expressed, “Our students believe in the quality, hands-on education provided by our dedicated faculty to give them marketable skills for the workforce.” With 238 incoming students – the largest freshman class to date – total enrollment for Johnson College has reached 405 full-time students.

Johnson College’s HVAC program is a result of established industry demand. Ground was broken for the building in November 2007 and many Johnson College Alumni worked on the project. 2009 marks the first year for the program, which is aimed at providing students with the skills needed for entry-level positions in the installing, repairing and troubleshooting various heating and cooling equipment.

The first HVAC class exceeded its enrollment goal of 10 and currently has 18 registered students. “There is an industry need and we are proud to be here responding to that need,” explained Dominick Carachilo, Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Chairman of the Board, Donald Kalina of Highland Associates applauded the efforts of the Board and the dedication of the students. Explaining the HVAC program, Adam Turner, HVAC Department Chairperson, touched on what the students will learn and stressed the importance of hands-on education. Additionally, Kevin Coolican, Class of 1985, spoke about working on the HVAC Building project as an alumnus.

Student Walter Wood, Dickson City, shared why he chose to be part of the inaugural Johnson College HVAC class. Worried about job security, Wood decided to go back to school. He was impressed by the College’s hands-on learning approach and has always had an interest in HVAC. He stated, “Some people are here because they did lose their jobs. Others were just fed up with dead-end jobs. Many came directly from high school. It may have taken awhile for me to get here, but I know I’ve made the right choice.”

At the close of the ceremony, all of the HVAC students were asked to join the day’s speakers and helped perform the ceremonial ribbon cutting. Guests were then able to tour the facilities and speak to students, faculty, and staff about the HVAC Building and program.

Pictured: Johnson College HVAC Class of 2011; Adam Turner, HVAC Department Chair; Johnson College; Dominick Carachilo, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Johnson College; Donald Kalina, Chairman of the Board, Johnson College and Partner, Highland Associates; Dr. Ann L. Pipinski, President and CEO, Johnson College; Kevin Coolican ‘85, L.R. Costanzo Construction Services

HVAC student Walter Wood ’11 of Dickson City shares why he chose Johnson College.

Kevin Coolican ’85 speaks about working on the new Johnson College HVAC Building as an Alumnus.

From Left to Right: Board Member David Boniello ’84, Simplex Industries; Board Member Deborah Milliron, Milliron Associates; State Representative Ken Smith; Paul Caruso, Simplex Industries

From Left to Right: Kevin Coolican ’85, L.R. Costanzo Construction Services; Edward Zygmunt ’74, U.S. Representative Christopher Carney’s Office