Staff and Expertise
Heather Fennessey, PE – Director of PennTAP
Larry Grunden – Food Processing
Don LeGoullon – Advanced IT/e-Business
Tim Kerchinski – Energy and Environment
Ralene Molina-Kreiser – Energy and Environment
Bill Paletski – Energy and Environment, Safety
John Pletcher – Wood Processing Industry, Energy and Environment
Roger Price – Energy and Environment
Mark Toda – Technology and Product Commercialization, Energy and Environment
Donna Yale – Advanced IT/e-Business
Heather Fennessey, PE
PennTAP
119 Innovation Blvd.
University Park PA 16802
814-863-4293
heatherf@psu.edu
Director
Heather Fennessey, PE, is the director of PennTAP. Her expertise and interests include tech businesses, renewable energy, energy efficiency, engineering, overall business efficiency, pollution prevention, and worker health and safety. She has helped hundreds of small businesses in Pennsylvania to improve operations and receive environmental grants and low-interest loans.
Heather is also the director the Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the Pennsylvania Clean Technology Resource Center.
Heather has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Penn State, a professional engineer license in Pennsylvania in environmental engineering, and many years of experience in pollution prevention, energy efficiency, and environmental compliance. Prior to coming to Penn State, Heather worked with the military and NASA to solve joint pollution prevention projects. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in energy and mineral engineering, with an option in environmental health and safety engineering, at Penn State.
Denise Bechdel 
PennTAP
119 Innovation Blvd.
University Park PA 16802
814-863-4293
lpg11@psu.edu
Team Lead for Energy and Environment
Denise Bechdel provides environmental consulting assistance to small and midsize businesses of all sectors throughout Pennsylvania. She performs on-site pollution prevention and energy efficiency assessments, assists with regulatory compliance issues, and performs feasibility studies for alternative energy projects. She has assisted more than 504 small to midsize businesses and has performed 209 on-site assessments to improve environmental compliance, reduce energy consumption and associated costs, decrease pollution created and related costs, and improve worker health and safety since she joined Penn State in 2002.
Denise holds an associate degree in environmental technology from the Pennsylvania College of Technology and a bachelor's degree in environmental resource management from Penn State. Prior to becoming an environmental consultant for the Penn State team in 2002, Denise was employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the waste management department for two years, all of which gives her an unusual depth of experience that benefits her clients.
To that end, three of Denise’s clients were national Energy Star® for Small Business award winners in 2006. Two of her clients received the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence: one in 2007 and one in 2008. Since 2005, eighty-three (83) of Denise’s clients applied for and were awarded over $1.95 million in federal and state grants with matching funds of $2.98 million in owner investment for the pollution prevention, energy efficiency, and renewable energy projects in their respective small businesses savings.
Furthermore, in 2010, Denise received her certification from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEEs) as a Renewable Energy Professional (REP), and in 2009 she received her certification from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEEs) as a Certified Energy Auditor (CEA). AEE's certification programs are recognized by government agencies such as the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as by Fortune 1000 corporations, utilities, and energy service companies. In 2007, she received certification from the National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP) as a Registered Environmental Property Assessor (REPA). In 2005, she received certification from the National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP) as a Registered Environmental Manager (REM). This certification is one of the most respected credentials in the global environmental community and is recognized by many U.S. agencies, state governments, ministries of several foreign countries, and the private sector. Denise is also certified as a Hazardous Waste Operations Specialist.
Larry Grunden
PennTAP
Penn State Harrisburg
323 Church Hall
777 W. Harrisburg Pike
Middletown PA 17057
717-948-6523
lpg11@psu.edu
Product Development
Product/Process Troubleshooting
New Business Development
Larry Grunden is a senior technical specialist with PennTAP. He provides technical assistance to small and midsize food-processing firms of all product sectors across Pennsylvania. His assistance includes hands-on troubleshooting, regulatory/safety/technical information, training, and referrals to other resources.
Larry has more than thirty years of food industry experience, developing a variety of confectionery and packaged convenience foods, as well as improving product/process productivity, with Hershey Foods and Kraft Foods. He has a strong background in product development from concept through production and market launch, and manufacturing support, for a wide variety of food products. He has also played key strategic roles in the development and launch of new businesses, and business acquisitions. More recently, as a consultant, Larry has provided technical support to management, research and development, marketing, and sales.
Prior to joining PennTAP, Larry was a technical consultant with Crystals International Inc. He has a BS and MS in food science from Penn State and a PhD in food science from Cornell University.
Donald LeGoullon 
PennTAP
180 Basher Road
Cranberry PA 16319-2602
814-882-2449
donl@psu.edu
e-Business Strategies and Website Evaluation/Design
Internet/Intranet/Extranet Use and Implementation
Software and Hardware Needs Assessments
Donald LeGoullon is a senior e-business consultant with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP). He provides technical assistance to organizations and businesses in northwestern Pennsylvania.
Donald's background includes more than thirty years of IT development work in several large manufacturing corporations, the banking industry, and a small-medium manufacturing company. Previous responsibilities include Web development, extensive EDI experience; disaster/recovery, security, systems programming; managing a help desk; and custom programming on numerous platforms. Donald has experience with a number of EDI translators and VANS, HTML, COBOL, and the AS/400. His areas of expertise include e-business initiatives, website search engine optimization, EDI, and disaster/recovery planning.
Tim Kerchinski is a grants and contracts manager for PennTAP. His activities include managing federal and state grant projects, as well as contracts and customer relationships with private sector companies.
Tim has been at Penn State since 1999, joining PennTAP in 2010. Prior to joining PennTAP, he concentrated his efforts on cultivating clients for Penn State Outreach through strategic, national corporate partnerships and assisting with strategic development and sales management for the Client Development Office. Tim is also an adjunct faculty instructor in marketing at Penn State's University Park campus.
Prior to joining the University, Tim had an eighteen-year career as an environmental project engineer and sales manager, working with large electric utility companies in the South (Atlanta, Dallas, and New Orleans) and on hazardous waste remediation projects for Fortune 500 companies in the northeastern part of the United States (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, and Maryland). Tim was involved in a successful entrepreneurial start-up company in Dallas and helped Delmarva Power and Light Company start, develop, and eventually sell (at a profit) a waste management company in Pennsylvania.
Tim earned his bachelor's in environmental science and technology at Slippery Rock University and his MBA at Penn State.
Tim can be reached at 814-865-4388 or txk128@outreach.psu.edu.
Ralene Molina-Kreiser
PennTAP
The Pennsylvania State University
The 329 Building, Suite 416
University Park PA 16802
814-574-0813
rxm174@psu.edu
Ralene Molina-Kreiser, a senior technical specialist with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP), is based in State College, Pennsylvania, and provides technical assistance and information to help businesses in the center third of Pennsylvania. Assistance offered includes:
Environmental Compliance Assessments
Air, Wastewater, and Solid Waste Management
Safety Audits for Regulatory Compliance
Environmental Management Systems/ISO 14000
Pollution Prevention and Pollution Control
Lean and Clean Enterprise Methodologies, including training and implementation
Environmental Permitting
Chemical Safety
LEED assistance (Green Associate)
Energy Efficiency Assessments and Access to Energy Consulting Services
Grant Opportunities and Application Assistance
Ralene has worked in EHS positions in manufacturing and laboratory settings for more than twenty years. She received her bachelor's degree in environmental resource management and master's degree in environmental pollution control, both from Penn State.
Bill Paletski, PE CSP 
PennTAP
2809 Saucon Valley Road
Center Valley PA 18034
610-349-8121
wtp102@psu.edu
Environmental and Safety Assessments
Pollution Prevention and Pollution Control
Regulatory Compliance and Permitting Assistance
Air, Water, Wastewater, and Solid Waste Management Assistance
Energy Assessments and Thermography
Data Analyses and Statistical Process Control
Bill Paletski is a senior technical specialist with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP). He has more than 26 years of environmental and occupational safety experience in the public and private sectors, including five years with professional engineering consulting firms. He has helped companies with environmental assessments, controls, permitting (EPA and DEP), management systems, ISO 14001, safety (OSHA) compliance and assessments, ISO 18001, quantitative data analyses, statistical process control, and DOT-required training.
Bill has a bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from Wilkes College and a master of engineering degree in environmental pollution control from Penn State.
Bill is a registered professional engineer (PE) in Pennsylvania and a Board Certified Safety Professional (CSP). He is also a Certified Level III Thermographer and an Authorized OSHA Outreach Instructor for the 10- and 30-hour course for General Industry and Construction. He has several publications in the areas of composting and environmental research and has presented papers and professional research in several dozen environmental, safety, and adult education conferences throughout the United States, including the University Economic Development Association (UEDA), the PA Water Environment Association, Hendrick Best Practices for Adult Learners Conference, and National Biocycle Conferences. He has also been the recipient of the University Economic Development Association Project-of-the-Year award on three occasions. To date, Bill has developed and conducted hundreds of educational and training courses for industrial and commercial companies in the areas of occupational safety and health and environmental compliance.
John Pletcher 
PennTAP
The Pennsylvania State University
313 Forest Resources Lab
University Park PA 16802
814-863-6393
jep13@psu.edu
Wood Technology
Adhesives, Finishing, and Wood Waste/Residue Issues
Process Improvements, Equipment Selection
Shop Floor Troubleshooting
John Pletcher is a forest products technical specialist with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP), addressing the technical needs of the forest products industry. He has filled this role since July 1998, when PennTAP began to offer specialized assistance to the forest products community.
Prior to joining PennTAP, John was contracted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a two-year pilot project to provide one-on-one technical assistance to the secondary wood products industry. The project was so successful that it was expanded from the southwestern portion of the state to the entire Commonwealth.
John has more than twenty-one years of experience in the secondary portion of the industry, from lumber drying through finished wood products. He has assisted numerous companies with process improvements, yield improvements, adhesive and finishing issues, and residue/by-product recycling challenges, resulting in millions of dollars in economic impact.
John earned an associate degree in forestry and a bachelor's degree in forest products from Penn State and is currently pursuing a master's degree in wood science. In his spare time he enjoys outdoor activities with his family and designing and building audio speakers, and has built a garden railroad in their backyard.
Roger Price 
PennTAP
Penn State McKeesport
4000 University Drive
McKeesport PA 15132
412-889-5821
rogerprice@psu.edu
Pollution Prevention and Pollution Control
Environmental Compliance Assessments
Environmental Management Systems/ISO 14000
Air, Wastewater, and Solid Waste Management
Environmental Assessments
Process Improvements, Equipment Selection
Process-Cost-Saving Evaluations
Regulatory Compliance and Permitting Assistance
Energy Efficiency Assessments and Access to Energy Consulting Services
Electrotechnolgies for Improving Air Quality
Roger Price, a senior technical specialist with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP), is based at the McKeesport campus of Penn State. He provides technical assistance and information to help resolve specific technical questions or needs of businesses in southwestern Pennsylvania. Roger's areas of focus and technical assistance expertise are in pollution prevention, environmental compliance, and energy efficiency. His position also represents a partnership between the Electrotechnology Applications Center (ETAC) and PennTAP to help manufacturers in western Pennsylvania evaluate electric heating, drying, and curing technologies that will increase the productivity, improve the energy efficiency, and reduce the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes.
Roger has more than 30 years of experience as a practicing professional engineer. He is a recognized expert in the pollution prevention approach for identifying manufacturing process and procedure changes to improve industrial competitiveness, save energy, and reduce environmental emissions through process optimization. Roger has performed more than 150 industrial facility assessments for energy efficiency and pollution prevention opportunities, environmental management system performance, and environmental compliance. He has also conducted more than 170 professional training sessions on these subjects.
In 1991 Roger was appointed to serve on an advisory committee for the President's Commission on Environmental Quality (PCEQ), concerning its Pollution Prevention Demonstration Project. He is founder and co-chair of the Industry Pollution Prevention Roundtable for Southwest Pennsylvania. For twelve years Roger managed a statewide pollution prevention technical assistance program that was a 1992 regional winner (Region III) of the U.S. EPA's Administrator's Award. Prior to that, as corporate environmental specialist, he participated in the development of corporate-wide environmental management systems.
Roger is a registered professional engineer. He has a bachelor's degree in engineering from Cornell University and a master's degree in sanitary engineering from Penn State.
Mark Toda 
PennTAP
Hanover Industrial Estates
75 Young Street
Wilkes-Barre PA 18706
570-819-8973
mtoda@psu.edu
Mechanical Analysis and Stress Analysis
Materials Testing
Electronics Packaging
Product Development
Mark Toda has served the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) as a senior technical specialist in northeastern Pennsylvania for more than 20 years. He has assisted numerous businesses with the technical issues facing them and has worked with a variety of resources, both within the University and without, in developing potential solutions.
Mark's technical background includes experience in engineering mechanics and finite element analysis. He previously served as manager of Packaging Design Analysis at IBM Corporation, providing mechanical analysis support to electronics packaging development engineering. He holds a bachelor's degree in bioengineering from Syracuse University and a master's degree in theoretical and applied mechanics from Cornell University.
Mark assists companies in a variety of technical areas and has experience in new product development, manufacturing process analysis, energy assessment, and entrepreneurship. He also has an understanding of the patenting process and has assisted entrepreneurs and start-up companies with various technical and business issues related to commercializing new products. He has a particular interest in linking industry with University resources and research expertise.
Mark works closely with the Ben Franklin Partnership Program, the Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Centers, and the Small Business Development Centers. He also works with other Penn State Outreach offices, including Continuing Education, Cooperative Extension, and the Penn State campuses in northeastern Pennsylvania. He maintains close working relationships with government agencies, such as the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance and the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission.
Donna Yale 
PennTAP
Towanda PA 18848
570-596-3585
dyale@psu.edu
e-Business Strategies, Website SEO/Evaluation/Design,
Internet/Intranet/Extranet Use and Implementation,
Software and Hardware Needs Assessments
Donna Yale is a senior e-Business consultant with the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP), working out of the Towanda, Pennsylvania, area. Donna provides technical assistance to small and midsize organizations and businesses across Pennsylvania, in all industry sectors, by providing hands-on technical assistance, information, and referrals to other resources and programs.
Donna’s background includes more than thirty years of IT development experience with several large corporations as well as the experience she has obtained working with small businesses while at PennTAP. Previous responsibilities include Web development, EDI, RFID, and many programming languages and databases, such as Visual Basic, HTML, Access, and SQL. She is also fluent in Microsoft applications – Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to name a few.
Donna has a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Mansfield University. She is currently pursuing her master's of education in adult education and a Distance Education Certificate both through Penn State University’s World Campus.
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