Newsmakers for March 12 [Reading Eagle, Pa.]

Mar. 12—The Loomis Co.

Thomas R. Cleary has joined The Loomis Co., a national insurance brokerage firm headquartered in Wyomissing, in the property & casualty division. Cleary will be a resort producer and also handle Hard-to-Place insurance risks.

Prior to The Loomis Co., Cleary was a senior vice president, hospitality practice leader at Sihle Insurance group, and previously vice president, national accounts for Wells Fargo Insurance, focusing on underwriting, negotiations and policy review.

Cleary graduated from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and devoted five years to engineering operations for Hyatt Resorts in Orlando, Aruba and Tampa. His understanding of the inner workings of large resorts, both domestic and international, affords a unique perspective that assists in working for The Loomis Company.

Kutztown University

Kutztown University alumnus Dr. Carl J. Sheperis '89 has been named the university's vice provost and dean of graduate studies. Sheperis has been a professor for more than 22 years, including 12 years dedicated to leadership and administration. Sheperis begins at KU May 8.

Sheperis has extensive experience in pediatric and family mental health and has served in numerous leadership roles, including dean of the College of Education and Human Development for Texas A&M University-San Antonio from 2019-22.

As vice provost and dean of graduate studies, Sheperis will be responsible for providing strategic vision and leadership for graduate and extended learning; leading development and enhancement of programs and services that meet the needs of students and employers; promoting excellence in graduate research and creative activity; developing opportunities for graduate assistantships and scholarships; providing oversight and leadership for graduate recruiting and increasing student enrollment in graduate and extended programs; and supporting excellence in instruction by providing opportunities, in collaboration with other units, for professional development, training, and assessment.

A native of Northeast Pennsylvania, Sheperis attended KU as a first-generation college student and graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He earned a Master of Science in education from Duquesne in 1994 and a Ph.D. in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida in 2001.

In his role as dean at Texas A&M San Antonio, Sheperis served as the chief academic officer for the college.

Prior to A&M, Sheperis served as interim president and CEO for the National Board for Certified Counselors and Affiliates (2018-19) and as chairman and associate professor for the Department of Counseling and Special Populations at Lamar University for four years (2012-16). He was the director of doctoral programs at Walden University from 2009-11 and spent 10 years in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations at Mississippi State University.

RKL LLP

Lisa Enders, CPA, MST, was recently named to the newly created position of tax innovation leader at RKL LLP.

In this role, Enders focuses on driving efficiency across the Tax Services Group, whether through software implementation or process improvements. Her work also supports RKL's broader strategic goals related to innovation and excellence, and helps to mitigate issues and identify opportunities in key areas such as service delivery, cross-functional collaboration and firm-wide procedures.

Enders has been with RKL since 2007, most recently as a tax senior manager. She holds a bachelor's in accounting from Messiah University and a master's in taxation from Villanova University. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and a 2016 graduate of Leadership Lancaster. Enders lives in Lititz with her husband.

Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley

Meghan Baumer has been promoted to the position of director of strategic initiatives for the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley. Baumer joined the Volunteer Center staff in 2018 as agency liaison & program support to help the Volunteer Center broaden its outreach in the community and refine and further develop our programs.

Baumer is at the center of all the Volunteer Center programs, initiatives and events and provides a solid foundation and plan for the Volunteer Center to execute its work. From complex research and evaluation opportunities in assessing the capacity in our nonprofit sector to re-thinking and improving our educational programs and offerings, Baumer plays an active role in our strategic planning and direction.

She has her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and environmental studies from Connecticut College and her masters in social ecology from University of California Irvine. Baumer also is engaged by Cornell University by the Department of Natural Resources providing critical support; coordination of workshops and ongoing research to move many initiatives forward for the University. She has provided skills-based volunteer assistance by creating a new website for a Lehigh Valley nonprofit and is an active member of a Parent Teacher Organization.

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