June 29, 2023 — Reading Area Community College (RACC) was honored at a gala at Kraras Hall in Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Wyomissing on Thursday, June 29. Accepting the award on behalf of RACC was RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney.

Each year, Centro Hispano Daniel Torres recognizes an institution, organization or individual who makes a positive impact at the center and in Reading’s Latino community with its Amigo Award. RACC was selected as the 2023 Amigo Award winner and honored at the Amigo Award Gala.

“I am deeply grateful for the recognition that this award represents, and I would like to thank everyone at RACC for their tireless dedication to our students. Every day, they provide a supportive and nurturing environment that enables our students to thrive. It is their commitment to helping students achieve their dreams that helps to transform the lives within our community,” says Dr. Susan Looney.

 In addition to the award ceremony, the dinner featured keynote speaker, Mr. Richard C. Harwood, renowned speaker, author and president and founder of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, will be our keynote speaker for the evening.

Centro Hispano Daniel Torres’ mission is to support the acculturation of the local Latino population through collaborative initiatives with core programs that include a senior center, social services referrals, college scholarships and guidance for high school students, peer-to-peer training for parents, and after-school mentoring.

Reading, PA – Chairman of the Board for the Foundation for Reading Area Community College (RACC), Gary Moyer, and Executive Director of the Foundation for RACC, Anthony (Tony) DeMarco, recently welcomed five new members to the Foundation Board. The Foundation for RACC has a long history of strong community support; having tremendous impact on student success within the region. In 2022, the foundation was recognized as an Outstanding Foundation by the Berks County Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Alex Goodman, Sharon White, Daniel Laws, Sandra Focht and Peter Rowley were all elected unanimously to serve the Foundation and have provided superb leadership during their first months with the Foundation for RACC.

"The Foundation for RACC continues to build a powerful board befitting the largest institute of higher education in Berks County," says Tony DeMarco. "We are thrilled to bring on such influential leaders who will advocate for our college.

Alex Goodman serves as the Wieland-Heyco human resources director at the Reading location. She attended Skidmore College and received her MBA from Alvernia University. She has returned to the Foundation Board after a brief departure to pursue a position out of the area. Alex served on the 50th Anniversary Committee, which managed one of the most successful nonprofit events in Berks County history. She is currently a member of the Miller Center Advisory Council, and believes in RACC's core values and mission in building a stronger community through education.

Sharon White and her husband Brad, are longtime leaders of the John Paul II Center for Special Learning. Sharon was a longstanding member of the John Paul II Gala Committee, which is one of the finest nonprofit events in the region. Sharon has been an active participant of the RACC Golf Tournament, and is looking forward to help fundraise for the Foundation. Sharon is a respected speech therapist who has counseled many students in our region.

Daniel Laws is the founder, president and CEO of DaBrian Marketing, one of Reading's leading digital marketing and digital analytics companies. Daniel is always looking to help the students of Reading succeed. He takes his role as a community leader and a voice of diversity in Berks County very seriously. Currently, Daniel is one of three co-chairs of the Digital Analytics Association's (DAA) Philadelphia Chapter. He is a member of the Forbes Agency Council and is a member of the local Vistage group. Daniel is very involved in Berks County youth sports where his children are active participants.

Sandra Focht, has her Masters of Science in Biology and is a retired college educator. She is a local philanthropist who believes strongly in the mission of the Foundation for Reading Area Community College. Sandra has been active in the RACC Golf Tournament and Miller Center for the Arts events, and has developed a strong relationship with RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney. Sandra's husband, Michael Focht, is the retired president of Tenet Healthcare Corporation.

Peter Rowley is the senior vice president, commercial banking regional manager for Tompkins Community Bank. He is a graduate of Syracuse University and served as an associate vice president at M&T Bank before joining Tompkins. Pete was named a 2022 40 Under 40 honoree by Lehigh Valley Business Journal. Pete is an established community leader who has served such notable non-profit organizations such as Prospectus Berco, the United Way, Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading & Berks County, Leadership Council at Alvernia University and the John Paul II Center for Special Education. He lives in Sinking Spring with his wife, Rachel and twin sons, Connor and Lucas.

The Foundation for Reading Area Community College was created to raise, invest and manage private funds for the benefit of the college. The Foundation supports RACC's mission to build communities of learning to encourage educational growth by providing scholarship funding for all students with demonstrated financial need and for emerging initiatives that serve to further enhance the college's programs and facilities. To learn more about the Foundation for Reading Area Community College, visit racc.edu/about-racc/foundation or call Tony DeMarco at 610.607.6251.

June 7, 2023 — Reading Area Community College (RACC) has been awarded $300,000 from the Neag Foundation to support nursing student scholarships.

Over the next two years, the award will be used to fund scholarships to students enrolled in the nursing (RN) and practical nursing (LPN) programs in the most impactful way possible.

“Having worked as a nurse for 30 years, Carole Neag was a passionate advocate for the nursing community WHO supported the RACC for many years. The Neag Foundation is delighted that Carole’s legacy will live on through the nursing students at RACC who are following in her footsteps providing compassionate and skilled healthcare services to our community,“ says Neag Foundation Board Chair, Sally Reis Renzulli.

“Ray and Carole Neag are among the most significant leaders in the history of Reading Area Community College. This remarkable gift from the Neag Foundation continues that incredible legacy,” says Anthony DeMarco, executive director of the Foundation for RACC. “Carole Neag has always been a passionate advocate for nurses, having personally served for years as an emergency and maternity nurse during her career. This grant will allow dozens of those students who aspire to a career in nursing to achieve their academic dreams.”

Nursing continues to be the largest profession in healthcare, with RACC educating students with clinical training at regional affiliates such as Reading Hospital Systems, Penn State Heath St. Joseph, Berks Heim Nursing and Rehabilitation, Laurel Center Genesis HealthCare and Phoebe Berks Healthcare Center.

Susan Looney, president of Reading Area Community College, says, “This award will immediately benefit our nursing students who are highly prepared and ready to enter the regional healthcare workforce.”

The NEAG Foundation supports education, healthcare, and the arts through Ray and Carol Neag’s visionary philanthropy. Reading Among their many educational and charitable donations, they are well known in Berks County for their contributions to the Caron in South Heidelberg Township, the Neag Planetarium in Reading, and the Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center.

Reading Area Community College is an accredited, comprehensive, open-enrollment education institution that provides associate degree and certificate programs with ten programs offered fully online; workforce and career-focused training; transitional coursework; personal enrichment programs and public service activities. Sponsored by Berks County, the college provides affordable access to meet identified community educational needs.

Photo caption: 
(L-R): RACC VP College Advancement and Executive Director of the Foundation for RACC, Tony DeMarco, RACC President, Dr. Susan Looney, Carolyn Holleran, Carole Neag and, RACC Dean of Health Professions, Dr. Stacia Visgarda.

The League for Innovation in the Community College is an international organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment.

The League’s Innovation of the Year Awards were devised as a way to recognize significant innovations at board and alliance member colleges. These innovations reflect significant achievements and the continuing renewal of the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the League was founded.

The award honors faculty, staff, and administrators who have created and implemented innovative programs, practices, partnerships, policies, and activities that improve the institution’s ability to serve students and the community. This year, the winners from Reading Area Community College are:

• Carol Bean-Ritter, professor, social sciences/human services
• Joey Flamm Costello, instructor, communications, arts and humanities
• Linda Cuesta, information center/events manager
• Craig Fenn, professor, STEM
• Sarah Hess, manager, Foundation for RACC
• Margie Kerbel, professor, foundational studies
• Jane Mahoney, enrollment services coordinator/communications specialist 
• Anh “Emmie” Nguyen, associate professor, business division 
• David Pennypacker, library technology and access specialist
• Megan Schappell, house manager and box office coordinator, Miller Center for the Arts
• Sandra Strause, executive administrative assistant to the president 
• David Sweeley, dean of assessment, research and planning
• Judy Vecchio, manager, training and workforce development

Ordering your books for your summer classes.

If you have financial aid, you can now use it to order your textbooks on-line through the Barnes and Noble RACC Bookstore. Textbooks will be shipped to your home at no charge as the physical store is closed.

Click here to order your text books

• Click on TEXTBOOKS
• Click on FIND TEXTBOOKS
• Choose SUMMER for the term 
• Enter each course that you are registered for and it will indicate what books you need
• Add items to your cart and then proceed to checkout
• Create an account if you do not have one
• Choose financial aid in the payment step

To check to see how much financial aid you have for books, log into myRACC and click on Self-Service. Then click on My Bookstore to see available funds.