Giordano elected to certification trusteeship

The Honorable Emil Giordano (retired), a member of law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., and co-chair of its Litigation Practice Group, was elected to the Board of Trustees of the Center for Guardianship Certification, effective Jan. 1.

Incorporated in 1997, the Center for Guardianship Certification (CGC) was created to enhance the quality of guardianship services by developing and administering a comprehensive national guardian certification program. It aims to provide and maintain every professional guardian with the appropriate and necessary credentials. The CGC’s Board of Trustees meets four times a year, with the final meeting traditionally taking place at the National Guardianship Association conference in October.

Judge Giordano served as a presiding judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County, Third Judicial District, from 2004 through 2018. He was Northampton County’s first administrative judge of the Orphans’ County Division, overseeing estates and trusts of the county, and was named to the Statewide Orphans’ Court Task Force, an organization charged with implementing changes to Orphans Court. He was the first judge in Pennsylvania to institute guardianship certification requirements for the protection of senior citizens.

He is an arbitrator and mediator certified through Harvard Law School Negotiation Institute in Advanced Mediation. He is a fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators; is affiliated with the American Arbitration Association (AAA) Mediation; has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (NADN) as a Diplomate Member for mediation; and has been selected to serve as an arbitrator and mediator to the Judicial Roster, Real Estate, and Pennsylvania at Large ADR Panels of Distinguished Neutrals for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution.

The judge is a member of the Board of Directors for the Notre Dame CYO, and of the Board of Governors for Saint Thomas More Society; and is the Northampton County Bar Association Wills and Trusts Committee Lecturer. In 2005, he was the first judicial recipient of the Lehigh Valley Crime Victims Council Award for Outstanding Commitment to Victims’ Rights. On Jan. 1, 2020, Judge Giordano was designated Vice-Chair of the statewide Orphans’ Court Procedural Rules Committee by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

He earned a J.D. in 1985 from Villanova University School of Law and a B.A. from Moravian College in 1982. He was an adjunct professor for Moravian College undergraduate classes. Born in Brooklyn to Italian immigrant parents, Judge Giordano was the first in his family to attend high school. He is a graduate of Bethlehem Catholic HS, which presented him with its Distinguished Graduate Award.

Shanker to serve state for second term

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center’s executive director, Adrian Shanker, has been appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to serve a second two year term on the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs. First appointed in 2018, he was co-chair of the commission’s health committee. He was sworn-in Nov. 20 by Sari Stevens, Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth.

The Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ Affairs, the first of its kind in the nation. was established by executive order from Governor Tom Wolf in August 2018. Its goal is to advise the Governor and state agencies regarding policies, programs, and legislation that impact LGBTQ communities and to serve as a resourceful intermediary between LGBTQ communities and state government. It is composed of appointed commissioners from across the Commonwealth, each acting as a representative and advocate for LGBTQ communities.

Skee assists in charity drive at Grove City

Grove City College student Jonathan Skee, of Bethlehem, and colleague entrepreneurs, raised a record amount for charity recently. The college’s nationally recognized approach to Entrepreneurship education was the model for their eCommerce course. The programs teach about the essential components of a successful online enterprise. Students created companies that made and marketed a variety of products and enjoyed varied levels of success.

Yerger on Alvernia prize-winning journal board

Bethlehem native Alison Yerger assisted Alvernia University with earning its third consecutive honor from the International English honor society Sigma Tau Delta. The university’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter received a third place $300 prize for their journal, Zephyrus. The 2018 and 2019 editions of the publication both received second place.

for placing third out of over 900 chapters across the globe.

For the 2021 edition, the editorial board has settled on “Regeneration” as the theme. It is encouraging all forms of artistic submissions for the spring semester in hopes of continuing their winning streak.

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