Meet The Event Planners:
Back Row (left to right): Michael Quinteros, Chad Halvonik, James Lee, and Sean Rafferty
Front Row (left to right): Joseph Doughty, Tara Petruzillo (Peer Mentor), Kristen Fisher, Courtney Troutman, and Jennifer McKee
Front Row (left to right): Joseph Doughty, Tara Petruzillo (Peer Mentor), Kristen Fisher, Courtney Troutman, and Jennifer McKee
All Event Planners have a complete background check and training including:
PA Police Background Check
PA Child Abuse History Clearance
Penn State's Building A Safe Penn State Mandated Reporter Training
PA Police Background Check
PA Child Abuse History Clearance
Penn State's Building A Safe Penn State Mandated Reporter Training
Chad Halvonik is from Reading, PA and he is a Recreation, Park, Tourism, and Management (RPTM) major with PGA Golf Management. In his free time he likes to play golf, basketball, and pretty much any other sport. He also enjoys going to the beach, exercising, and trying different restaurants. The reason the Penn State Golf Courses sparked Chad’s interest is because as a PGM student, he has a passion for the game of golf and enjoys teaching the game, especially to junior players. In addition, he has spent lots of time at the golf courses over the past several years, and has a great deal of respect for Joe Hughes. One of the roles that fit Chad well is that of a creative visionary. Especially in the golf setting, where he has experience working in different types of instructional settings, he can bring some unique ideas to the table that can help make the event interesting. Another role he is comfortable in is the communicator role. Speaking within groups or in front of groups of people is something Chad has had to do before, and he has no problem with this role. Two strengths he brings to the table are his background in golf instruction and teaching, as well as his strong work ethic and dedication to the group’s success.
Courtney Troutman is from Millerstown, PA and she is a Recreation, Park, Tourism, and Management (RPTM) major with an outdoor recreation option. She is also pursuing a focus study on environmental interpretation. In her free time she enjoys birding, hiking, and kayaking. Courtney was interested in this special event and agency because she does not have much experience playing golf and wants to learn more about the game and Penn State’s golf courses. She feels comfortable with the roles of Communicator, Creative Visionary, and Recorder. Courtney is a detail oriented person and enjoys using her creativity to problem solve and plan events.
James Lee is from Philadelphia, PA and he is a Recreation, Park, Tourism, and Management (RPTM) major with Commercial option. In his free time he likes to hang out with friends, go to the gym, play sports, and watch TV shows. Since he is interested in sports, this special and agency seemed like the perfect fit for his interest. Also he has never tried golfing before and thought that this would be a good experience for him. He is most comfortable with the creative visionary role. He is the type of person to think out of the box and he is also kind of creative. Two strengths he brings to the teams are getting along with people well and he is very responsible. This makes it easier to work with him and trust him that he would get his assignment completed on time. He believes that good communication is key. Also he believes that getting to know one another will benefit the team as well.
Jennifer McKee is from Pittsburgh, PA and she is a Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management (RPTM) major with the commercial recreation option. She is also pursuing a business minor. In her free time she likes to travel, attend concerts, and watch movies. She is interested in this event because it seems like it involves a large teaching component and many creative programs could be implemented at the event. She is interested in working with the agency because it is a very well-established agency that hosts hundreds of events a year and she believes that she would like to pursue a future career with an agency that is similar to this agency. She feels most comfortable in the roles of a creative visionary or a communicator in groups because she believes she is creative and a good communicator. Two skills that she brings to the team are a background in event planning and teaching. She has experience planning summer camps, children’s programs, and large events (like the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta). She has a background in teaching through implementing classes and workshops at her summer jobs and through being a counselor at outdoor school.
Joseph Doughty is from Paramus, NJ and he is Recreation, Park, Tourism, and Management (RPTM) major with the option of PGA Golf Management. In his free time he likes to hang out with his friends, watch TV, work out and play golf. As an aspiring PGA Professional, Joe has a passion for the golf industry and to have the chance to gain experience while in the classroom setting would be really beneficial to him and his group mates. The roles that Joe feels most comfortable with are: Organizer, Communicator and a Resource Person. Joe also has experience with running events at golf courses through the internships he has been on. Also, Joe is very personable with people and will provide a very welcoming environment to all patrons to the special event.
Kristen Fisher is from Sparta, NJ and she is a Environmental Resource Management (ERM). She is a RPTM minor student and also has minors in Watersheds & Water Resources and Environmental Soil Science. In her free time she likes to read, swim, bike, and ski. She recently began mountain biking this year and is falling in love with it. Her all time favorite sport is skiing because she gets to spend time outside in beautiful mountains and slide down really fast. She works for PSU Intercollegiate Athletics as a swim instructor and also works as a ski instructor over winter breaks. She was interested in the PSU Golf Course event because it involved teaching others a new sport. The PSU Golf Course event included a new sport for Kristen as her golf experience is very limited. Kristen feels most comfortable as an Organizer when working with the group. She likes the ideas to come from everyone and help see that all the tasks get done. Kristen brings skills as an excellent communicator and public speaker to the team as well as being good at spacing out tasks appropriately.
Michael Quinteros is from Springfield, Virginia and he is a Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management (RPTM) major with an option in Professional Golf Management. On his spare time he likes to work out at the school gyms and play various sports with his friends. Since he is a Professional Golf Management student being able to participate in a program related to his option sparked a lot of interest and something he will be able to do well. The roles he feels most comfortable with are being the communicator. Since having prior connections with Joe Hughes in the past he believes that he can contribute strongly with staying in contact with him. Michael is also very creative and hardworking. He likes to expand on ideas and will always be there for the team.
Sean Rafferty is from Broomall, PA and he is marketing major. He is also pursuing a minor in Recreation, Park, Tourism, and Management (RPTM). In his free time he likes to watch all Philadelphia sports teams and hang out with his roommate. He is also involved in THON and really likes spending time with his THON Finance friends. He decided that this event and agency looked interesting because, although he is not the best, Sean still likes to golf when the weather gets nicer. He also has 2 nephews and a niece and so considers himself good with kids, making this event a great option! In a group, he feels most comfortable with the communicator and organizer roles. His strengths are that he has good ideas for different plans and is comfortable talking to people such as donors and people he may not know as well.
Tara Petruzillo is from Long Island, NY and she is a Recreation, Park, Tourism, and Management (RPTM) major with the option of PGA Golf Management. She is also pursuing a minor in Communications and a Concentration in Business. In her free time she likes to golf, play tennis, and hangout with friends and family. She has a passion for golf. Since golf is a passion of hers, the Golfing event at the Penn State Golf Courses would be a great way to further her knowledge of the game. Tara is the peer mentor for this group. She is well organized and would like everything to be perfect for the day of the event. She pays attention to detail and likes to make sure everything is set and ready.