Amazing Berks Alumni

A college’s or university’s alumni can say a lot about what the school has to offer in the way of both education and future life possibilities. Here, we introduce you to five from Berks County’s institutions of higher learning.

Dr. George Fiore 

Kutztown Area School District Superintendent

By Lisa Mitchell

Kutztown Area School District Superintendent Dr. George Fiore credits his diverse career in education to his roots at Kutztown University (KU).

“I started college not knowing what I wanted to be when I grew up,” says Fiore. 

His professors provided inspiration and showed he could be a teacher, a coach, a mentor.

“I not only learned who I was as a person, but I also learned how I can impact others in the classroom,” he says. “I’m so grateful for that experience. It was so impactful.”

At KU, Fiore found he was challenged to grow.

“The class sizes were small, so we were able to have really rich discussions,” he says. “I really enjoyed the community of Kutztown, too. It’s not just coursework; it’s also the environment. There were so many things for us to do at school and in the community.”

Fiore said everyone was so welcoming in Kutztown, on campus and off. There were opportunities to hang out, to study, to engage in positive recreation and to contribute to the local community. For example, he tutored Kutztown Middle Schoolers while a KU student.

“Now, here I am returned as superintendent of the same place where I was tutoring as a 20-year-old. I really credit them for where I am today,” says Fiore. 

He graduated from KU in May 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with a concentration in secondary social studies and a minor in political science. Later, he earned a master’s in classroom technology from Wilkes University in 2003 and a doctorate in educational leadership from Immaculata University in 2014.

Fiore taught social studies at Wilson High School from 2000 to 2005. Then he became Wilson’s director of instructional technology, followed by high school assistant principal and then junior high school principal. In 2010, he was the founding headmaster of the Downingtown STEM Academy before returning to Wilson in 2012 to serve as high school principal until 2016, at which time he became Kutztown’s superintendent.

The diversity of his career has given him great perspective on the way to support students and teachers, whether with instructional, curriculum or technology concerns, says Fiore.

Enjoying being able to watch students grow, graduation is his favorite day.

“I get to see students who may have started out with great strengths or areas of growth...culminate that day after 13 years of education. It’s so fulfilling,” says Fiore. “In many jobs, you don’t get to see the final product or reward. Here, we get to see it every year.”

Fiore continues his involvement at KU. Since 2015, he has been teaching in the secondary education department for the principal certification program and the doctorate program. As an adjunct professor, he teaches one or two courses a semester as needed.

“It’s been fun. I really enjoy it,” he says. “Being a superintendent, my classroom is different, but I still miss teaching.”  

Offering advice for anyone considering higher education after high school, Fiore says KU is an excellent choice. 

“It really has the small-town feel, small class sizes, but a wide variety of experience you get at a major campus…The professors care. The administration is supportive. You can get a pathway to a career,” says Fiore. “I’d have to say, 18 years later, I never thought I’d be sitting here as superintendent, but I look back, and those four years at Kutztown were really impactful.”  

Tara Simmons

Owner, All Abilities Fitness Center

contributed by Alvernia University

The ideal of “knowledge joined with love” is at the core of Alvernia University’s mission. The concept, developed by Saint Bonaventure, inspires members of the Franciscan community, regardless of their academic discipline or field of study, to use what they know and learn to transform the world and the lives of the people around them.

Exemplifying this call is Alvernia graduate Tara Simmons, who has always felt a need to stand up for those who don’t quite fit in. But it wasn’t until she worked part-time with Easter Seals that she first began to envision a path toward helping families and children with special needs. Later, while working in schools with special needs children, Simmons noticed there were no fitness centers in the Berks County area that truly fulfilled her students’ unique needs. 

“I realized that I could put my experience with mental and physical disabilities together with my love for helping others, with an academic experience of leadership — and make a difference for my community in such an amazing way.” 

Already a certified occupational therapy assistant, Simmons returned to college, earning back-to-back degrees from Alvernia University — a bachelor’s degree in healthcare science and a master’s degree in leadership. Through her Master of Arts in Leadership coursework, Simmons focused on opening an adapted fitness gym for children, engaging community partners to learn first-hand about best business practices. 

“So many small business owners were willing to sit down and talk to me about how they began and what I could expect,” says Simmons. “I was able to get valuable lessons from everyone who took the time to meet with me.”

The result is Simmons’ All Abilities Fitness Center, founded in Exeter Township to provide a safe and inclusive environment for people with varying disabilities to feel comfortable and empowered to improve their physical fitness and social bonds — while also meeting a variety of sensory needs. It has quickly become a safe haven for children and their parents who otherwise had limited opportunity for inclusivity. Programs are individualized for various needs such as physical conditioning, adapted workout equipment and sensory areas to enhance each participant’s ability to succeed.

“I was taught early on that people are innately good,” says Simmons. “This has provided the foundation for my passion to work with those in need of someone to advocate for them. Meeting people, and listening to how they have overcome difficulties and being a small, tiny part of their lives continues to shape the person I am. More than anything, being able to help other people is at the base of everything I do.”

Simmons plans to return to Alvernia to pursue her Ph.D. in Leadership. The program is designed to help professionals, like Simmons, to contribute to the knowledge of leadership and function as agents of change in contemporary and diverse societies.

Peter J. Rio III 

Director of Logistics, Translogistics Inc.

contributed by Penn State Berks

Peter Rio lives life in the fast lane. As Director of Logistics at Translogistics Inc., moving freight in a timely manner and using resources efficiently are crucial in Rio’s line of work. These principles have also been a critical component to his own success. 

As a senior at Twin Valley High School, Rio took advantage of an opportunity that most high school students miss: he began his college career at Penn State Berks through the Dual Enrollment Program, allowing him to complete the first year of his college career at no cost to him.

After graduating from high school in 2006, Rio enrolled in the college’s B.S. in Business degree program with the Individualized Option, while also completing an associate's degree in Mechanical Engineering. He explained that the option allowed him to focus his coursework on his area of interest: supply chain and logistics. In 2009, he graduated with both a bachelor’s and associate's degree.

“The Penn State name is known everywhere, and I was excited to be able to earn my degree at Penn State Berks,” Rio explains, adding that attending Berks gave him the flexibility to continue working while attending college.

Rio credits the Career Services Office with helping him to secure an internship at Carpenter Technology, which led to a full-time position as an analyst in the logistics and supply chain department right after graduation. Rio spent three years there before joining Translogistics, a transportation management firm based in Birdsboro, where he has worked for the last seven years. At age 29, he is a member of the senior management team.

“If you take the time as a student to go to the career days and career fairs, you will be so far ahead of your competition,” comments Rio, who stays in contact with the Career Services staff and returns to campus for internship presentations and career days – now as an employer rather than a prospective employee. There are currently four Penn State Berks interns working at Translogistics.

In addition, Rio serves on the college’s Business Advisory Board and works with professors on issues related to business and supply chain logistics. 

Rio was so impressed with the educational opportunities at Penn State Berks that he returned to earn his M.B.A., graduating in 2017 as part of the first cohort to complete the program. The M.B.A. is offered at Berks through Penn State Great Valley.

When asked how Penn State Berks has helped to prepare him for the future, he says, “The quality of the education and diversity of courses helped to build a broad skill set that prepared me for real-world situations. Working with other students in a team was also very helpful, as the business world is all about working with others.”

He adds that the Berks campus provides incredible value with the Dual Enrollment program, the Career Services Office, and the strength of the alumni network.

Rio resides in Mohnton with his wife, Brittany, and their two dogs and two cats.

Ben Franco

Owner, winedown café and winebar

by Nancy J. McCann

Winedown café and winebar in West Reading is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. A decade of promoting conversation among friends, neighbors and lovers — sans loud music. The café offers the kind of atmosphere where people gather, relax with a chilled glass of rosé in hand, and actually talk. No leaning in and yelling at each other, trying to be heard over the blaring sound system or multiple TVs. The only leaning in going on at winedown is the whispering of sweet nothings meant exclusively for your date sitting across the table. It’s the expert blending of good conversation and good wine. The perfect vintage. 

The brain behind this prosperous restaurant venture is owner Ben Franco, a 2006 graduate of Albright College. Franco pursued his business degree after being caught in the downsizing of the area’s diminishing manufacturing industry. “The accelerated degree program was perfect for me.I looked to Albright to get my business degree fast, and to do it as a non-traditional student was very appealing. Some of my professors are customers now,” Franco says with a smile. 

“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit within me; I just never knew my outlet for it.” After extensive marketing research and business plan refinement, skills learned and honed at Albright, Franco was able to secure financing and to launch winedown café and winebar in 2008.

“We were the new kid on the block,” says Franco, “located between some established restaurants during a time when West Reading was just beginning its renaissance. We grew slowly. We fill a niche — we’re there for people who don’t want to see multiple TV screens and don’t want to hear blaring, loud music — and they really like what we’re doing. It’s for people who want to focus on their friend or their significant other, or just chat with the bartender.”

Wine education has been an integral element of Franco’s journey to success. He’s attended the Wine School of Philadelphia and achieved the rank of Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, the eminent authority of all things pertaining to beverage service. His technique for choosing wine? “It’s just what’s good at the point in time when I’m tasting. And at a decent price that I can offer to the customer. I have to put my palate into the position of all the customers that are coming in. I might not necessarily like it, but I understand that my job as a sommelier is to understand that this wine is a quality wine at a good price.”

Franco’s sommelier tip of the month? A rosé from Provence, France, called Minuty. “We’ve done a good job introducing Berks County to rosés and to really appreciate them,” Franco says with pride. 

In 2014, Franco expanded his enterprise to include a complementary concept next door: a whiskey bar. Dinner is served in both venues, from small plates to full entrees. “We source good ingredients like delicious cheeses from Italy and France. 

“For the most part, one out of two restaurants fails within the first two years,” says Franco. “We’ve been open 10 years, so I’m happy to buck the trend. I’m proud that we’ve weathered the storm and actually become a viable place.”

Chris Celmer

Assistant Superintendent Reading School District

contributed by Reading Area Community College

Chris Celmer started his Reading Area Community College (RACC) journey as a student, but RACC provided him with much more than an associate’s degree. “Going to RACC was the best decision I ever made,” explains Celmer. “It was a turning point in my life and put me on track for long term success,” says Chris.

Chris was drawn to RACC for the economic perspective and the ease of being able to juggle his full-time job and course load. He enrolled in RACC as a Business Management major. He continued his education at Alvernia University, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and later got his master’s degree at Wilkes University. Chris credits RACC for laying the groundwork for his success. He says, “The foundation that I was given at RACC in the business division allowed me to have a successful journey in school and in the working world.”

While working in a prospering manufacturing position, Chris was given the opportunity to teach an adult education course at RACC. Teaching the program helped him to transition his career to work full-time in education. “I realized that education was going to be my gateway to attaining my career goals, and RACC is where I found my passion for leadership and for education,” he says. Chris segued to a position at the Berks County Intermediate Unit, which ultimately led him to where he is today, Assistant Superintendent at Reading School District. 

Chris attributes his success to the guidance he received from professors Dr. Sandy Kern and Mary Lou Kline. At RACC, both Sandy and Mary Lou were his go-to professors not only for guidance in his studies, but also for counsel with his career.“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the two of them,” he asserts. “They both had a phenomenal impact on my life.” Chris stayed in contact with Dr. Kern while on a Programming Advisory Board in the Business Division at RACC. And recently, Dr. Kern asked Chris to teach an Operation Management course. “To keep in contact with Sandy over the years has been a real blessing, and now being able to come back to RACC to teach under her is very exciting,” he says.

As an administrator in the public school system, Chris feels that RACC is a phenomenal option for students. He believes the bigger universities lack the personal interaction that RACC offers. “The faculty and staff want to do what’s right by their students, especially those coming out of high school that need more guidance and support,” he says. Chris’s recommendation to attend RACC comes both professionally and personally, since his daughter Rayanna is starting classes in the Early Childhood program next year. “I would absolutely recommend RACC to anyone if they are looking at furthering their education.”