Board of DIrectors

SCCLT is run by an amazing set of volunteer board and committee members, and a small, dedicated staff. Learn more about who we are below:
STAFF VOLUNTEERS

Board of Directors

UB Bakker is an immigrant and naturalized citizen, who has contributed years of service to area nonprofits such as the State College Kiwanis Club, Global Connections, SCCLT’s Outreach and Development Committee, Campus and Community in Unity (CCU), Elks Lodge #1600, Leadership Centre County, Taproot Kitchen, and the Centre County United Way, to name just a few. As a dedicated member of the State College Kiwanis Club he worked closely with the Penn-State-based Circle K organization on its many charitable activities, including
Special Olympics.

Suzanne Bruening is a graduate of State College Area High School and holds two degrees from Penn State. She works with autistic individuals in the community as well as teaches art at a local pre-K and kindergarten program. Recently, she has become a volunteer with the Friends and Farmers Coop. Suzanne became a Land Trust homeowner in 2012. Her interests include baking, gardening, and art making.

David Brown is a member of the State College Borough Council. He and his wife Laura have been borough residents for over 35 years, working in town and raising a family here. Brown retired from his clinical practice as a psychiatrist in 2014 and won election to the Borough Council in 2015.

Derek Canova: Derek grew up in Centre County and is a resident of the State College Borough. Derek has been a real estate agent with Kissinger Bigatel and Brower (KBB) for 16 years. He has served on various boards and committees such as the Centre County Affordable Housing Coalition (CCAHC) and the Centre County Housing Cabinet. Derek is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Centre County. Derek currently serves as a board member for the Centre County Farmland Trust and ACRES. In addition to working as a realtor and serving on many boards and committees, Derek is a ski and snowboard instructor at Tussey Mountain. Most importantly Derek is the proud father of an awesome 12-year old son!

Joe Cortazzo came to State College as a student in 1994 and earned two degrees from Penn State. Today, he is a leader in IT support at Penn State's Teaching and Learning with Technology office. Joe became a SCCLT homeowner in 2009 with his wife and two young daughters. Interests include fly fishing.

Polly Dunn is a public representative appointed by Borough Council. She has worked and volunteered with community organizations, including the State College Friends School and Global Connections. She and her husband, Jim ,have lived in their house for over 30 years and are still considered one of the newbies on the block.

Vicki Fong (President) is a community volunteer who worked on affordable housing and community development initiatives through the State College Redevelopment Authority. A retired communications manager at Penn State, she and her husband Greg have lived in their home for nearly 30 years. They enjoy travel, music, art, and two shelter cats.

Eric Haffner (Vice President) is a lifelong resident of State College, graduating from State High and Penn State. He currently is employed at Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU). Eric and his wife, Ester, met during his Peace Corps Service in the Philippines, and they became SCCLT homeowners in 2016. He enjoys gardening, bird watching, and history.

Jay Hummer (Treasurer) has over thirty years of experience in real estate lending. He currently is Commercial Bank Director, Senior Vice President at National Penn Bank in State College. Jay has served in various roles within the Centre County United Way. He is married to a fellow Penn State graduate, and they have a son and a daughter.

Peter Kemper is a public representative appointed in 2020 by Borough Council. He and his wife, Laura, have lived happily in State College for 20 years, and their daughter and granddaughter live locally as well. Peter recently retired from his career in health policy research and analysis, which included a decade at Penn State.

Iyun Osagie (Secretary) is an Emeritus Faculty of English and African Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. She did a three-year stint as Professor of English in the School of Writing, Literature, and Film at Oregon State University and has recently returned to her permanent home in State College, where she has lived since 1992. Her writings and publications have focused on African American and African literatures and drama. As a Penn State and State College community member, she has served in various capacities, among other things, as President of the Forum on Black Affairs, has chaired the annual Martin Luther King banquet, and also written and produced a play at the downtown State Theater.

Jennifer Stahl has been an SCCLT homeowner for 2 years, and a member of the SCCLTcommunity since 2016. She graduated from high school in Centre County and attended PSU as the first generation to graduate from college in her family. Her daughter is graduating from State High this June. Jennifer experienced homelessness throughout her childhood and early adulthood, working through a multitude of voucher and apartment programs before purchasing her own land trust house, and she believes this experience brings a unique and necessary perspective to the SCCLT board.

Lorie Waters is a State College native who returned to the area with her husband, Joel, 6.5 years ago for his job with Penn State. Lorie and her husband have enjoyed home ownership through the Land Trust for the past 6 years. As a child she spent hours designing house plans and reading design magazines, switched gears for college and got a B.S. in Nutrition from Penn State, and these days is a stay at home mom to two daughters, ages 4 and 6. Housing, real estate, and design have always held a place in Lorie’s heart, and she looks forward to further expanding her knowledge and passions through serving on the SCCLT board.

SCCLT is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with open membership and a democratically elected board of trustees.