BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Meet The Board
Thomas A. Tupitza, Esq.,
Board Chair
Thomas A. Tupitza, Esq.,
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Chair of the Executive Committee
Member of the Governance Committee
Thomas A. Tupitza, Esq. is a Senior Shareholder Attorney at Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, P.C., an Erie-based law firm with offices in Pittsburgh and Jamestown, New York. He served as President of the firm for nineteen years. He joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees in 2020.
A graduate of Harvard Law School and Westminster College, Atty. Tupitza advises clients in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors on finance, real estate, and governance matters. A past president of the Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers, he is active as bond counsel in tax-exempt financing transactions and is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New York. He is an elected member of the American Law Institute, a member of the Northwest Pennsylvania Business Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and a licensed consultant for the Standards of Excellence®: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector.
Atty. Tupitza is a current board member of Infinite Erie, the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, the Jefferson Educational Society of Erie, and Westminster College, where he is a past board chair. He has also chaired the boards of UPMC Hamot, the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, the Erie City Mission, Northwestern Legal Services, VisitErie, and the Erie County Historical Society, and has served on the boards of the Hamot Health Foundation, United Way of Erie County, The Nonprofit Partnership, UPMC, the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, the Warner Theatre Preservation Trust, and the Foundation for Erie’s Public Schools.
Karinna Vernaza, Ph.D.
Board Vice Chair
Karinna Vernaza, Ph.D.
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Vice Chair of the Executive Committee
Chair of the Governance Committee
Member of the Audit & Finance Committee
Member of the Erie Women’s Fund
Karinna Vernaza, Ph.D., a native of Panama City, Panama, serves as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Business and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Gannon University. She joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees in 2022. An accomplished scholar, Dr. Vernaza has authored more than 45 peer‑reviewed publications focused on high‑strain deformation of materials and engineering education. Her recent work emphasizes systemic strategies that strengthen the retention and advancement of STEM faculty and students, along with data‑driven academic interventions that enhance student success. During her tenure at Gannon, she has secured more than $4 million in grant funding to support research, academic initiatives, and innovation. As Dean, Dr. Vernaza has led academic development, space design, and operational planning for the Institute of Health and Cyber Knowledge (I‑Hack) and the Gannon Makerspace—both critical components of Gannon’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, which also includes the Small Business Development Center and the Northwest PA Beehive Gannon Node.
Dr. Vernaza earned her Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering Systems from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. She began her career as a Ship Manager at Braswell Shipyards in Panama before pursuing graduate studies. Awarded the Project Latin America 2000 Graduate Fellowship—funded by the Kellogg Institute, the Coca‑Cola Company, and the University of Notre Dame—she went on to earn both her master’s and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame.
Deeply engaged in the Erie community, Dr. Vernaza serves as an Erie Ambassador, is a member of the Board of Directors of the ExpERIEnce Children’s Museum, and serves on the Advisory Board for PSNERGY, LLC. She is an active volunteer with the Society of Women Engineers, mentors young women pursuing STEM careers, and contributes her expertise as a reviewer for multiple professional organizations.
James R. Walczak, Esq.,
Board Secretary
James R. Walczak, Esq.,
Secretary of the Board of Trustees
Secretary of the Executive Committee
Chair of the Impact Investing Committee
Member of the Investment Committee
James R. Walczak, Esq., Partner of MacDonald Illig Jones and Britton, LLP, joined The Erie Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2018.
Atty. Walczak, who concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate governance, business transactions and finance, and creditors’ rights, earned a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Master of Laws (Taxation) from Georgetown University Law Center. He also obtained a Master of Arts from University of Denver and his Juris Doctorate from University of Denver College of Law.
Atty. Walczak acts as general counsel for several business, nonprofit and governmental organizations, providing legal advice on corporate, transactional and tax matters. Atty. Walczak is listed in the Bond Buyer Municipal Market Place Guide and regularly provides tax advice and board counsel tax opinions with respect to tax-exempt financing transactions.
Atty. Walczak has been involved in several community initiatives, both in a legal and non-legal capacity. He was instrumental in the development of Jerry Uht Baseball Park in downtown Erie and on the Erie Bayfront, the U.S. Brig Niagara Maritime Museum, the Bayfront Convention Center, the Erie Bicentennial Tower, and the Blasco Public Library. He is a former chair and member of the Board of Directors of the Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority and served as Chairperson of the Governor’s Commission on the U.S. Brig Niagara. He has also served a wide variety of other community organizations in several capacities.
Marcus S. Atkinson
Marcus S. Atkinson
Chair of the Helping Today Committee
In 2019, Marcus S. Atkinson, Principal at M. Atkinson & Associates Consulting, and Founder/CEO of The Publix Voice Media LLC, joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees.
A native of Erie and a graduate of Strong Vincent High School, Mr. Atkinson spent over a decade in Atlanta, GA, where he earned a degree in Business from Clayton State University. There he immersed himself in political and community organizations, learning the necessity of bridging disparaging gaps that exist in communities between local government, school districts and businesses. As a result, he brings his experience and expertise to his current roles in supporting businesses and organizations within and outside the community. Most recently, he served as executive director of ServErie.
In service to Erie, Mr. Atkinson also serves board chair for Bayfront NATO/Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Center, a member of the Hamot Health Foundation Board of Corporators, and board member for Crime Victim Center (CVC) and Erie Center for Arts and Technology (ECAT).
Lauren Bauer
CIMA®, CPFA®
Lauren Bauer
Chair of the Shaping Tomorrow Committee
Member of the Investment Committee
Member of the Impact Investing Committee
Member of the Erie Women’s Fund
Lauren Bauer, CIMA®, CPFA® was recently promoted to First Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor, Senior Retirement Benefits Consultant at Pfeffer/Stockard/Cacchione/Bauer Group, through Merrill Lynch. She provides strategic guidance when she works with individuals and companies who need assistance with planning and investing to reach retirement and financial goals.
Bauer shares her expertise as a volunteer across numerous boards including The Erie Community Foundation Professional Advisor Council, United Way Young Leaders’ Society, and UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor. In 2023, she served as the Steering Committee Chair for The Erie Women’s Fund. In 2024, she led the Erie Women’s Fund as Chair and spearheaded the Above & Beyond Campaign, creating a million-dollar endowment for the Erie Women’s Fund when an anonymous donor created a dollar-for-dollar match challenge. She joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees in 2025.
A graduate of the University of Dayton, she earned her CIMA (Certified Investment Management Analyst) designation from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Bauer’s achievements are reflected in her recognition on several prestigious lists, including the 2024 Forbes “Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list, the Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list for both 2024 and 2023, and the 2024 “Top Women of Excellence” list published by the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA).
Kathleen Brugger
CPA
Kathleen Brugger
Member of the Finance and Audit Committee
Member of the Helping Today Committee
Member of the Impact Investing Committee
With more than 20 years of experience, Kathleen Brugger, CPA, is the Controller at the family-owned Brugger Funeral Homes & Crematory, LLP, where she manages the operational expenses, organizational data, and financial matters of the business.
A distinguished graduate of Penn State University, Brugger earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting with the highest honors, followed by the completion of her CPA certification. She began her career in 1993 as a Staff Accountant at KPMG Peat Marwick in Pittsburgh before returning to Erie to join Brown, Schwab, Bergquist & Company. In 1996, she transitioned to Lord Corporation as an Internal Auditor, advancing to Senior Financial Analyst—a position she held until 2003, when she joined the family business.
In addition to her role with The Erie Community Foundation, which began in 2025, Brugger has been a Trustee at Marquette Savings Bank since 2020, where she also chairs the IT Committee. Brugger has extensive volunteer experience with several nonprofits, including leading technology education programs for seniors, with her most recent community involvement extends to the Erie Humane Society, where she became a Board Member in 2023 and assumed the role of Treasurer in 2025.
With a goal of creating life-sustaining jobs in the community, Brugger has worked closely with The Erie Community Foundation and the Ben Frankling Technology Partners to provide funding for innovative companies in Erie, Pennsylvania through the Hartman Innovation Fund.
Annē L. DiPillo
Annē L. DiPillo
Chair of the Inclusive Philanthropy Committee
Member of the Executive Committee
Member of Emerging Erie
Member of the Erie Women’s Fund
Annē L. DiPillo, a North East native, currently serves as Director of Marketing for Red Letter Hospitality. She joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees in 2022.
She graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a minor in Entrepreneurship. As Director of Marketing, she is responsible for advertising and communications for The Cork 1794 and The Skunk & Goat Tavern. She coordinates all social media platforms, website and menu development, advertising campaigns, public relations initiatives, nurturing relationships with local businesses, and community engagement.
Ms. DiPillo is a member of the Athena Circle of Trust, the Erie Women’s Fund, Emerging Erie, Young Erie Professionals, Hamot Health Foundation Corporator, Perry Square Alliance Board Member, a 2019 graduate of Jefferson Civic Leadership Academy, 40 under 40 recipient, and a constant cheerleader to the Erie Community. She has worked extremely hard on rooting herself in the Erie community to do her part in energizing and growing the city.
C. Bruce Kern II
C. Bruce Kern II
Member of the Impact Investing Committee
Member of the Helping Today Committee
C. Bruce Kern II joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees in 2026. He currently serves as President of Curtze Food Service, a family-owned wholesale distributor serving restaurants, health care facilities, and hospitality organizations throughout the region. He has been with Curtze for more than 40 years, holding roles in sales, purchasing, and general management. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan.
Bruce has a long history of civic leadership, having served on numerous local and regional boards, including the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, Manufacturer & Business Association, Marquette Savings Bank, the Commonwealth Foundation, the Business Advisory Council of Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, VisitErie, the Erie County Historical Society and the International Foodservice Distributors Association. He previously served as board chair of WQLN, the Erie Philharmonic, and UniPro Foodservice.
Bruce is also a member of the Rotary Club of Erie and YPO (Young Presidents Organization) Pittsburgh. He and his wife, Bonnie, have four adult children and ten grandchildren.
Charles G. Knight, III, CPA
Charles G. Knight III, CPA, CVA,
Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee.
Member of the Shaping Tomorrow Committee
Charles G. Knight III, CPA, CVA, founding partner and Principal at Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh & Company, P.C., joined The Erie Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2018.
Since the firm’s inception through 2008, Mr. Knight was the principal in charge of the Firm’s accounting and auditing services. On November 3, 2008, the Firm named him managing principal, a position he held until December 2024. Mr. Knight continues to serve clients as a principal with the Firm.
A graduate of McDowell High School, Mr. Knight earned his B.S. degree in Accounting from Gannon University. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1984 and a Certified Valuation Analyst in 1999.
In addition to working several years in private industry as a controller, Mr. Knight has more than 30 years of experience in public practice. Professionally, Mr. Knight is a member of the American and Pennsylvania Institutes of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.
Mr. Knight is a past Director of the Board of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership and a past trustee of Mercyhurst University, where he served as the chair of the Committee on Budget and Finance. He was also a member of the University’s Executive Committee and its Committee on Trusteeship. In service to our community, Mr. Knight was a founding board member of the new chapter of Smiles for a Lifetime and is past treasurer and member of the United Way of Erie County Board of Directors. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees for Marquette Savings Bank and served on the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee for the Kahkwa Club.
Dr. Rich McCarty
Rev. Dr. Richard W. McCarty
Member of the Helping Today Committee
Member of the Inclusive Philanthropy Committee
The Rev. Dr. Richard W. McCarty serves as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Mercyhurst University, where he is the institution’s chief academic officer and a tenured professor of Religious Studies. He has served Mercyhurst for 17 years in roles that include faculty member, Faculty Senate President, Dean of Faculty, and Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs before being appointed Provost in 2024.
Rich is a nationally published scholar and frequently invited lecturer whose work explores religion, ethics, and contemporary culture. In the Erie community, he co-founded the Greater Erie Alliance for Equality, helping advance education and equality initiatives, and played a key leadership role in the creation of the LGBT Fund at The Erie Community Foundation. In recognition of this work, he received The Erie Community Foundation’s Spirit of Philanthropy Award in 2024 and joined the Foundation’s board in 2026. Ordained in the United Church of Christ, Rich also serves on the pastoral team at Community United Church in Erie.
Sarah Hagen McWilliams
Sarah Hagen McWilliams
Member of the Governance Committee
Member of the Shaping Tomorrow Committee
Member of the Impact Investing Committee
Sarah Hagen McWilliams, community volunteer and philanthropist, joined The Erie Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2018.
Ms. McWilliams graduated with a B.A. in Art History from Wittenberg University in 1988. She went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and worked for several years in a clinical capacity with adult survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Ohio.
Over the years, Ms. McWilliams has served on many boards including Preservation Bath, Alleghany Mountain String Project, Bath County Arts Association, Community Foundation for Rockbridge, Bath & Alleghany, Alleghany Highlands Free Clinic, Safehome Womens’ Shelter, Bath County Historical Society, and T.O.T.S. Preschool.
Currently Ms. McWilliams serves on the boards of Wittenberg University, Bath Community Hospital, Garth Newel Music Center, Erie CORE Advisory Board, and Bath County Behavioral Health Coalition.
Timothy G. NeCastro
Timothy G. NeCastro
Member of the Executive Committee
Member of the Shaping Tomorrow Committee
In 2024, Timothy G. NeCastro joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees.
NeCastro is the president and CEO of Erie Insurance (ERIE), an auto, home, business and life insurance company based in Erie, Pennsylvania. It operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia, has more than seven million policies in force, and is the largest employer and only Fortune 500 company in Erie County.
NeCastro joined ERIE in 1996, starting a career that has spanned finance, services and sales. In 2014, NeCastro led ERIE’s entry into its 12th state, Kentucky, and he was appointed president and CEO in 2016. Prior to joining ERIE, NeCastro worked for The Plastek Group in Erie as director of finance, and as senior manager at accounting firm Ernst & Young.
An Erie native, NeCastro is a graduate of Cathedral Preparatory School and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Gannon University. He is the founding board president of the Erie Downtown Development Corporation, which is transforming the downtown core of Erie through real estate development. He also serves as board president of the Mazzini Charitable Foundation; on the executive committee of the board for the Erie Community Foundation; and as board chairman for Infinite Erie, a coalition that is working to create more than $1 billion in transformational change throughout Erie County. Additionally, he is a board member for Team Pennsylvania and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association; treasurer and council member for The Pennsylvania Society; and is on the advisory council for the Robert Irvine Foundation.
Along with his work on local revitalization efforts, Tim and his wife, Lisa, are also avid supporters of charitable causes. They led the capital campaign to renovate and expand the expERIEnce Children’s Museum in 2023, helping to raise $18.5 million for the project. The couple is currently serving as co-chairs for United Way of Erie County’s “Uniting for Education” endowment campaign to support the organization’s Community Schools model, a strategy to break down barriers that low-income students face and to set them up for future success.
Robin Scheppner
Robin Scheppner
Member of the Shaping Tomorrow Committee
Member of the Inclusive Philanthropy Committee
Member of the Erie Women’s Fund
Robin Scheppner, an Erie native, is the President of American Tinning & Galvanizing (ATG). Under her leadership, the company has doubled its workforce, invested millions of dollars in infrastructure and equipment, earned prestigious aerospace certification, and consistently enjoyed positive sales growth.
Ms. Scheppner holds several degrees and credentials, including a BFA from Denison University, teaching credentials from Cleveland State University and the University of Utah, and an associate degree in Building Construction from Salt Lake Community College. Before her position at ATG, she taught art at inner-city junior high schools in the Cleveland Public School System, Salt Lake City, and in Naples, Florida. Ms. Scheppner became licensed in insurance and mutual fund sales and opened the first office of Ameriprise Financial Services in Naples. She also has high-rise construction management experience working as a designer and project manager for a high-end developer in FL.
In service to her community, Ms. Scheppner has been involved in various service and benevolent organizations throughout her varied work experiences. Since returning to Erie, she joined the Board of United Way of Erie County, as well as their Community Impact Committee, Endowment Campaign Committee and is a co-founder of Women United for Community Schools. Early on, she joined the Erie Women’s Fund of The Erie Community Foundation and served as their Steering Chair for three years and advised various other ECF committees. In 2022, she advance to the Board of Trustees for ECF. Additionally, she was a panel advisor to five Athena Powerlink recipients for over six years and served on Mayor Joe Schember’s Business Council for the length of his tenure. She is a member of Wayside Presbyterian Church, Rotary and a frequent volunteer at many charitable organization events.
Dave Tullio
David M. Tullio
Immediate Past Chair
Member of the Executive Committee
Member of the Governance Committee
David M. Tullio, President and CEO of Custom Engineering Company and Lamjen, Inc., located in Erie, PA, and Venango Machine Company, Wattsburg, PA., joined The Erie Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees in 2017.
Mr. Tullio earned his B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and received his MBA from the Behrend College of Penn State University. For over 35 years, Mr. Tullio has worked in various management positions within the manufacturing industry and assumed his current position at Custom Engineering in 1997.
Mr. Tullio has spent much of his career actively involved in economic and workforce development in the Erie region. He formerly served on the boards of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, the Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership, the Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, and the Enterprise Development Center of Erie County. He is a past chair and board member of the Manufacturer and Business Association, and former member of Northwest PA Workforce Investment Board.
Gwendolyn White
Gwendolyn White
Member, Shaping Tomorrow Committee
Member, Inclusive Philanthropy Committee
Member, Erie Women’s Fund
Gwendolyn White retired as Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at ERIE Insurance after nearly 40 years of successful service. Throughout her career and retirement, she has been a widely respected civic leader, serving in numerous board and leadership roles across the region.
Her past service includes board leadership with United Way of Erie County, Primary Health Care (Community Health Net), Mercy Center for Women, American Cancer Society, Bayfront NATO, and the Erie County Convention Center Authority, where she currently serves as Board Chair. She has also held leadership roles with PA Humanities, and the Edinboro University (PennWest) Foundation Board. Gwen served as the Erie Women’s Fund Steering Committee Chairperson and on the Foundation’s Advisory Board and Grants Review committees. She joined The Erie Community Foundation Board of Trustees in 2026.
Gwen has received numerous honors for her community impact, including the Tocqueville Award, Martin Luther King Community Service Award, Louis J. Tullio Community Service Award, and the Women Making History Award. A breast cancer survivor and lifelong advocate, she remains deeply engaged in efforts that strengthen equity, education, arts and culture, and community well-being. She is most proud of her son and her three grandchildren.