Penn State Greater Allegheny hosted its spring commencement at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 5, in Wunderely Gymnasium. Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter presided as diplomas were conferred to 33 individuals receiving baccalaureate and associate degrees. The keynote speaker was John Lydon, chief executive officer (CEO) at the Auberle and Pauline Auberle Foundation.
Lydon has served as the CEO at the foundation in McKeesport since 2004. Auberle is a nonprofit social agency serving over 2,000 at-risk children and families in eight southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Many Penn State Greater Allegheny have interned at Auberle. Lydon has been involved with the nonprofit for more than 20 years as a volunteer, board member and board chair.
Prior to working at Auberle, Lydon practiced law in the Pittsburgh area and was founder and president of the Lydon and Schubert law firm. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh?s School of Law.
Since serving as the CEO at Auberle, Lydon has transitioned the agency from a heavily residential organization to 16 diverse program areas; renovated existing facilities and designed and built new $2 million and $1 million facilities, and increased development revenue from $300 thousand per year to over $1 million per year annually.
Under his direction, the agency received a variety of awards and recognitions such as the Wishart Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management and the 2008 Top Ten Performer in the Nation by the national Alliance for Children and Families.
Lydon received his juris doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh and recently completed an Executive Leadership program with the University of Michigan School of Business and Social Work.
Lydon serves on a variety of organizations and boards in the region including the Greater Pittsburgh Nonprofit Partnership and The Tropman Fund Research Committee of The Forbes Funds.