Gary Drapek '80 will be named the Penn State Worthington Scranton Alumni Society's 2008 Alumnus of the Year at a campus reception in his honor on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Mr. Drapek is president and chief executive officer for United Way of Lackawanna County. He joined the United Way of Lackawanna County in 1987 as vice president of marketing and public relations, a position he held for 12 years. He also served as vice president of communications for Condron & Company, Scranton, before returning to the United Way in August, 2002.
In April, 2003, he was presented with the "Restoring Pride in Scranton" award by Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty for his civic and professional work in the City of Scranton. In 2008, he received the Lackawanna County Bar Association's Community Service Award.
He is the author of three published works focusing on effective communication techniques: Ignite Business - Train Your Sights on Specific Objectives; Advanced Preparation: Key to Effective Crisis Management; and, Ingenuity and Planning Important on Limited Ad Budget.
He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in 1980 from Penn State University and currently serves on the boards of the Scranton Counseling Center, Lackawanna-Susquehanna Mental Health/Mental Retardation Agency, Scranton Tomorrow and The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, as well as serving on The Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organizations Standards of Ethics Committee, Johnson College President's Advisory Circle and the Governor's Advisory Board of Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts.
Mr. Drapek is also chairman of the Board of the United Way of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, a trustee of the McNulty Charitable Trust and a past president of All Saints Academy's Parent Teacher Organization.
He resides in Scranton with his wife, Susan and daughter, Laura Elizabeth.
The Penn State Worthington Scranton Alumni Society will honor Mr. Drapek as its Alumnus of the Year, with a special reception in his honor on Feb. 17, in the K. Bruce Sherbine Lounge in Penn State Worthington Scranton's Study Learning Center. For more information, or to RSVP, call 963-2536. A Feb. 19 snow date has also been set.
