Geraldine Wenkel Mellace (1957) 

Geraldine W. Mellace (Wenkel) is a lifelong Springfield/Morton resident. She fondly remembers her Springfield High School years during the mid-fifties where she played girls basketball all four years, worked on the high school yearbook, and was head majorette. Having lost her father at the young age of 6, her earliest memories from elementary school was that she was always surrounded by teachers who took a special interest in her success. High School was no different as the school became the hub of her activities.

Wanting to stay close by her home to care for her mother, upon graduation her first job was as a secretary for the Bell Telephone Company. Soon after she was employed at D.H. Wallack Stock Brokers as a secretary. Her employer recognized her potential and informed her that Herzog Heine Geduld Inc. of the New York Stock Exchange opened an office in Philadelphia. She took employment with Herzog Heine Geduld Inc. as a secretary rising to treasurer. She prepared for the New York Stock Exchange license and Municipal licenses to become a stock trader. Prior to her retirement she rose in rank to Principal Market Maker and then as the Philadelphia branch office manager. She credits her high school education as what helped her develop a work ethic and determination to succeed.

Her retirement travels have taken her all over the world to Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Hawaii, and Germany. She resides in Morton with her husband.
 

Scott H. Kozin, MD (1978) 

Scott Kozin graduated from Duke University in 1982 with a degree in computer science. Medical School was completed at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia, followed by orthopedic residency at Albert Einstein Medical Center. A Fellowship was completed in 1992 at the Mayo Clinic, focusing on hand and microvascular surgery.

Dr. Kozin initially cared for adults and children until the year 2000, when he devoted his practice and research to children at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia. Since that time, Dr. Kozin has been an advocate for improving the lives of children via research, education, and patient care.

He is currently Chief of Staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia. He has published over 100 peer review papers, mainly on the care of children with various diagnoses including brachial plexus injury, spinal cord injury, and congenital differences. He routinely travels to developing countries to operate on children in need. Dr. Kozin received the Weiland Metal by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2010, which honors a hand surgeon/scientist who has contributed a body of research that advances the field. Dr. Kozin was president of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand 2014. He implemented the Touching Hands Project to foster hand care around the globe with a focus on developing and underserved countries. The mission statement reads “Creating opportunities for hand specialists to give back their knowledge and expertise to the global community.” The augural mission to Haiti occurred in 2014 and additional missions to other countries are scheduled for 2015 and beyond.

Dr. Kozin is also a devoted husband and father to his two children, Bryan and Samantha. During his leisure time, he enjoys travel, food, and mountain biking.
 

Marc Kozin (1979) 

Marc Kozin received his B.A. with Distinction, Magna Cum Laude, in Economics from Duke University in 1983. He was awarded an M.B.A. with Distinction from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1987. He is a career strategy consultant, having served as President of L.E.K. Consulting’s North American practice from 1997 to 2012. Currently, he is a Senior Advisor with L.E.K. He began his career at L.E.K. in 1987 by helping establish the Boston office. He has over 30 years of experience in corporate and business unit strategy consulting, merger and acquisition advisory services, and value management. In addition to his U.S. responsibilities, Mr. Kozin played a vital role in the global operations of L.E.K. across 20 offices.

Mr. Kozin led the development of L.E.K.’s industry leading life science strategic planning practice. He has assisted biopharmaceutical leaders with issues such as business plan development, acquisition opportunities and target screening, licensing and joint ventures, portfolio optimization, product planning and commercialization, and domestic and global marketing strategies. In 2002, he was named one of the 25 most influential consultants by Consulting magazine.

Mr. Kozin has served as a director of UFP Technologies since 2006. He has been on the Board of several companies including CrunchTime! Information Systems, Inc., Endocyte, Dyax, OvaScience, and AdvizeX., as well as DukeEngage, a non-profit organization at Duke University. He was also on the Board of Governors at New England Medical Center for several years.

He lives in Concord, MA with Donna, his wife of 30 years. They have three children, ages 27, 24 and 22.
 

Judith Bachman (1973) 

Judith received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware. She earned her graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was the recipient of the Dean’s award given in recognition of her outstanding scholarship and excellent leadership skills. She is a doctoral candidate in the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School MBA/Ph.D. program with a focus in Health Care Finance and Organizational Dynamics. She is currently Chief Operating Officer of the Fox Chase Cancer Center and Jeanes Hospital. In this combined role, she manages an operating budget of $650 million and over 4,500 full time employees. As part of the financial turnaround Ms. Bachman lead efforts at Fox Chase to reduce operating expenses by $35 million in her first year and $30 million in her second year. Some of the programs she implemented help increase revenues for outpatient treatments and diagnostic services by 25 percent and increased surgical capacity by 15 percent.

Prior to joining Fox Chase Ms. Bachman was the Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives for Thomas Jefferson University and Health System. She has also served as Senior Partner and Managing Director of Computer Science Corporation’s (CSC) Clinical Consulting Practice. Prior to the sale of her original firm, American Practice Management (APM), to CSC, Ms. Bachman was a partner and Managing Director of APM for over eight years.  During her tenure with APM, Ms. Bachman utilized her twenty-plus year career in the management of health systems and often acted as an interim COO at client organizations. Prior to joining APM in 1992, Ms. Bachman spent four years at Saint Vincent Health System as Chief Nursing Officer, later becoming Senior Vice President for their 580-bed institution in the six-hospital regional system. While at Saint Vincent, she restructured management, instituted performance improvement programs, built a new clinical tower housing critical care units, labor and deliver and OB suites, and implemented a paperless computerized medical records and imaging system.

Ms. Bachman speaks nationally on clinical redesign, work restructuring and organizational development issues. She received a National Healthcare Marketing Executive Award for her work with patient satisfaction and the measurement of service gap perceptions. She has been a member of the adjunct faculty of the University of Pennsylvania and has served as a Johnson & Johnson Wharton Fellow and past member of the Fellowship Board of Trustees. Ms. Bachman remains active with the Wharton School Executive training programs, as well as other professional organizations.
 

Erlinda Ardao (SHS Faculty 1968-2003) 

Ms. Ardao taught and coached at Springfield High School from 1968-2003. She taught Health and Physical Education for 15 years and then taught General Psychology, The Family Class and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. She also ran support groups for students at risk until 2003.  She was instrumental in developing the Peer Facilitator and Student Assistance Programs; both programs to support students at risk.

She was awarded The Sportsmanship Award two years in a row; given by the Women’s Basketball Referees. The Springfield Girls Basketball Team, under her coaching, was the first SHS basketball team to reach the State Tournament in 42 years. They reached the State Tournament 4 years in a row.

She created the first Gay Straight Alliance Support Group at SHS. In 1995, she and Janice Pinto from Lower Merion High School, created the first non-profit group to create safe space for LGBTQ youth and their allies in Delaware County. This group still functions today. She was awarded The Pennsylvania State Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Award both in 2001 & 2002 for this work.