INDUCtee Bios

2020 Inductee Bios

Jen Carfagno
  • 1994 PVHS Graduate – member of the Girls Track 4X800-meter relay team that qualified for the state championship track meet
  • 1998 Penn State graduate
  • 1998 Hired by the Weather Channel as a Travel Analyst for Outlook and hosted Weekend View
  • Co-host of Weather Channel’s AMHQ
  • Point person for Weather Channel’s tactical operations with the National Weather Service
  • Leader of weather camps around the country
  • 2019 Inducted into Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center’s Meteorologist Hall of Fame for coverage of Groundhog Day
Jim Melwert
  • District-qualifying swimmer
  • All-State Honorable Mention for Water Polo
  • 1993 Graduate of PVHS
  • 2001 Hired at KYW Newsradio and worked up to Suburban Bureau Chief (only third person to hold this position in station’s history)
  • Covered stories such as conviction/sentencing of Bill Cosby and former attorney general Kathleen Kane, 2016 Democratic/Republican national conventions, Penn State Football Coach Joe Paterno’s funeral, Hurricanes Sandy and Irene.
  • 2012 Participated in Ironman Lake Placid competition
  • 2016 Donated right kidney to aunt
  • Won numerous awards from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and the Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association (PAPBA), including a first-place award from PAPBA for an hour-long special on his kidney donation to his aunt
  • Host for the Gift of Life’s Living Donor Recognition Ceremony
  • Swim coach for Team Philly’s Donate Life US Transplant Games
  • Honored as “Male Athlete of the Year” for Team Philly’s Donate Life US Transplant Games
Scott Fuhrman
  • 1984 Began teaching career at Perkiomen Valley High School
  • Taught Physical Education, Driver’s Ed and Health
  • Also served as Assistant to the Principal at the High School and Middle Schools
  • 1998 Led PVHS Football Team to its first-ever championship and district playoff appearance
  • Named Coach of the Year
  • Summit Award for Most Influential Person
  • Coached in the Montgomery County All-Star football game
  • Sports broadcaster for WPAZ and the PCTV Network
Meghan O’Donnell-Patton
  • 1981 National Honor Society Secretary
  • 1981 Senior Class President
  • 1981 Graduate Perkiomen Valley High School
  • 1984 President, Delta Zeta Sorority, Shippensburg University
  • 1985 Grace Mason Lundy Award, Delta Zeta Sorority
  • 1985 Graduate of Shippensburg University, BSBA Personnel and Industrial Relations
  • 1994 Graduate of Villanova University, MS Human Organizational Science, Human Resource Development
  • 2004 CHRO Abington Memorial Hospital
  • 2007 Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year
  • 2007 Adjunct Professor, St. Joseph’s University Masters – Strategic Human Resource Management Program
  • 2007-2015 Eastern School of Arts and Technology, Board Member
  • 2007 and 2015 American Society of Healthcare Human Resource Administration Annual Conference Presenter
  • 2008 Vice President of HR and CHRO Abington Health
  • 2008 Diversity Champion Award, Abington Health
  • 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 National Baldridge Examiner
  • 2011-2013 Manna on Main Street, HR Committee Member
  • 2014 Baldrige Fellow, Malcolm Baldridge Organization, NIST
  • 2015 Senior Vice President of HR and ACHRO Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health
  • 2020 Member, The Forum of Executive Women
  • 2021 Board Member, For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation
Michael Hirsch
  • 2006 Graduate of PVHS
  • 2006 Led PVHS Lacrosse Team to Penn Valley League Championship
  • 2006 Pottstown Mercury’s Player of the Year
  • Two-time First Team PVLL selection and earned All-ESPSLA honors as a junior and senior
  • 2006 Named to the Under Armour all-American team and played in the inaugural All-America Lacrosse Classic
  • Two-time First Team All-Patriot League selection and named on the USILA All American team
  • 2010 & 2011 Earned the Naval Academy’s Coach Wilis P. Bilderback Award for Most Outstanding Defensive Player
  • 2011 Graduate of the United States Naval Academy
  • Graduated from the Navy Nuclear Power School and Navy Nuclear Prototype Training
  • 2013-2016 Served aboard the nuclear-powered fast attack submarine, U.S.S. Albuquerque (SSN 706) and held multiple division officer roles
  • Served as Nuclear Programs Officer for the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at Arizona State University, where he mentored over 100 students to become Navy and Marine Corps officers

2019 Inductee Bios

Lisa (Thompson) Angleson
  • 1981 District I AA Champion in 100-meter hurdles
  • 1982 District I AA Champion in 100-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash, 300-meter hurdles and 400-meter relay
  • 1982 PIAA Track & Field State Champion in 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles
  • 1983 PIAA Track & Field State Champion in 100-meter dash and 300-meter hurdles (set state record)
  • 1983 District I AA Champion in 100-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash, 300-meter hurdles and 200-meter dash
  • Four-time Bux-Mont League Champion
  • 1983 Dannehower Award Winner
  • 1983 Graduated from Perkiomen Valley High School
  • 1987 Commissioned from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as a Quartermaster Branch Officer with a bachelor’s degree in science
  • Held various positions within the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve, training soldiers for deployment overseas for operations in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan
  • Received a Master of Public Administration from the University of Alaska
  • Received the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal and Air Assault Badge
Charlie Kramer
  • ·1982 Named Head Wrestling Coach for PVHS
  • Led team to 258 wins during his tenure through 2007
  • 1984 Named District I “Coach of the Year”
  • 1986 Led District I Championship Team
  • 1986 Named District I “Coach of the Year”
  • 1986 Received the “Outstanding Young Educator and Coach” Award from the Skippack-Perkiomen Jaycees
  • 1988 Led District I Championship Team
  • 1988 Named District I “Coach of the Year”
  • 1990 Led District I Championship Team
  • 1990 Named District I “Coach of the Year”
  • 1994 Led Tournament Team Champions in the Central Springfield Invitational in Springfield, MA
  • 1998 Led Tournament Team Champions in the Peru Invitational Tournament in Peru, NY
  • 1998 Received the Norristown Times Herald Nelson Stratton “Coach of the Year” Award
  • 2003 Pioneer Athletic Conference Community Service Award
  • 2009 Southeastern Pennsylvania Wrestling Regional Hall of Fame Inductee
  • Raised tens of thousands of dollars for the less fortunate through team fundraisers
  • Coached the team in 10 seasons of “Wrestling with Reading” to help elementary school readers in the district
Dr. Joseph DeSimone
  • 1982 PVHS Graduate
  • 1986 Ursinus College Graduate
  • 1990 Earned Ph.D. in chemistry at Virginia Tech/Joined University of North Carolina faculty
  • 2000 Oliver Max Gardner Award from the University of North Carolina
  • 2002 Wallace H. Carothers Award from the Delaware Section of the American Chemical Society
  • 2002 Engineering Excellence Award by DuPont
  •  2002 John Scott Award presented by the Board of Directors of City Trusts, Philadelphia, given to “the most deserving” men and women whose inventions have contributed in some outstanding way to the “comfort, welfare and happiness” of mankind
  • 2002 Co-founded Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions to commercialize a fully bioabsorbable, drug-eluting stent
  • 2004 Co-founded Liquidia Technologies based on PRINT (Particle Replication in Non-Wetting Templates) technology
  • 2005 American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention
  • 2007 Collaboration Success Award from the Council for Chemical Research
  • 2008 Tar Heel of the Year by the Raleigh News & Observer
  • 2008 Awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize
  • 2009 National Institute of Health Director’s Pioneer Award and the North Carolina Award (highest honor the State of North Carolina can bestow to recognize notable achievements of North Carolinians in the fields of Literature, Science, the Fine Arts and Public Service)
  • 2010 American Association for the Advancement of Science Mentor Award in recognition of his efforts to advance diversity in the chemistry PhD workforce
  • 2012 Walston Chubb Award for Innovation, presented by Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, to honor and promote creativity in science and engineering
  • 2013 Launched Carbon, where he made scientific breakthroughs in the areas of green chemistry, medical devices, and nanotechnology
  • Earned U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award
  • 2014 Industrial Research Institute Medal and the American Chemical Society Kathryn C. Hach Award for Entrepreneurial Success
  • 2015 Recipient of the Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine and the Dickson Prize from Carnegie Mellon University
  • 2016 Awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama
  • 2017 Awarded the 22nd Annual Heinz Award in Technology, the Economy and Employment
  • 2018 Awarded the National Academy of Sciences Award for Convergent Science
  • Author of over 350 scientific publications and named an inventor on nearly 200 issued patents
  • Elected to all three U.S. National Academies – the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering
Thomas J. Keenan
  • Began teaching career in Schwenksville Union School District in 1959
  • Air Force veteran who served in Korea and Japan
  • Served as high school social studies teacher and department chairperson
  • Consistently commended for his rapport with students and his ability to engage them in the subject area
  • Served as advisor to Pep Club, Junior and Senior Class, Presidential Classroom for Young Americans
  • Voted “Favorite Teacher” by many senior classes
  • Supported students outside the classroom by attending events and activities
  • Stadium named in his honor

2018 Inductee Bios

Joanne (Kehs) Conte
  • 1982 Perkiomen Valley High School Graduate (Third in Class)
  • 10-time Track PIAA State Champion 
  • 8-time PIAA Team State Champion (4 Years for Cross Country/4 Years Track & Field)
  • PIAA State Record-Holder for 30 Years in the 800M Run
  • First Female to Win the Dannehower Scholar-Athlete Award
  • World Record Holder and NCAA Division 1 National Champion (Villanova University 1985 Indoor 4 X 800 Relay)
  • 5-time NCAA Indoor Track & Field All-American
  • 6-time Big East Indoor Track & Field Champion
  • 7-time Big East Team Champion
  • Big East All-Academic Team
  • Big East Conference Female Scholar Athlete of the Year – 1986
  • Villanova Student Athlete of the Year – 1986
  • Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
  • Summa Cum Laude Graduate with 3.91 GPA
  • Villanova Varsity Club Hall of Fame Member – 1996
Dr. Franklin Manley
  • Teacher, Coach and Administrator in Perkiomen Valley School District for 42 Years
  • 1970 – Perkiomen Valley High School Principal
  • Oversaw the jointure between Schwenksville and Collegeville-Trappe High Schools
  • Founder of the Pioneer Athletic Conference
  • Heavily Involved with Perkiomen Valley School District Facilities Expansion 
  • Located Site for Perkiomen Valley Middle School West
  • President of the Bux-Mont Athletic League
  • President of the Montgomery County School Principals Association
  • Member of the Pennsylvania State Association of Principals, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
  • Assistant to the Superintendent for Perkiomen Valley Schools
David Roberts
  • 2007 PVHS Graduate
  • 2004 AA State Medalist- Bronze 
  • 2005-07 Three Time AAAA State Champion 
  • 2007 District Champions 
  • 2004-2006 District One Champion
  • 2005-07 All American Diving 
  • 2007 All American Swimming
  • 2007 Mercury Swimmer Diver of the Year
  • 2007 Summit Award for Career Achievement
Mary Fenstermacher
  • 1954 Schwenksville High School Graduate
  • 1974-1998 Perkiomen Valley high School PE Teacher, Field Hockey Coach
  • 1985 District One Champion in Field Hockey
  • 1987 PIAA AA State Champion in Field Hockey
  • 1994 PAC 10 Champion in Field Hockey
William Neill
  • 1977 PVHS Graduate
  • National Honor Society Member
  • 1975, 1976 All Bux-Mont 1st Team
  • 1976 PA All State Selection
  • 1977 PA State Wrestling Champion
  • 1984 Inducted into the PA Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • 1981 University of Pittsburgh All American Defensive End 
  • 1981 All Big East Defensive End
  • 1981 NFL 5th Round Draft Pick – New York Giants
  • 1981 NFL All Rookie 1st Team DL
  • 1981 New York Giants Rookie of the Year
  • 1984 Played Nose Tackle for the Green Bay Packers
Jacqueline Trankle
  • 1970-1972 Skippack Elementary Cafeteria Aide
  • 1972-2012 Perkiomen Valley High School Secretary and Cafeteria Aide
  • 1972-2015 Athletic Event Worker
  • Devoted Mentor to Perkiomen Valley Students, Staff and Community
William Fretz
  • Football Coach at Collegeville-Trappe High School with championships in 1957, 1958 and 1960
  • 1959 Coach of Championship Baseball Team in the Inter-County Baseball League
  • 1960 – Named Man of the Year by Skip-Perk Junior Chamber of Commerce
  • 1971-1993 First Athletic Director of Perkiomen Valley High School 
  • 1971 Head Coach of North Montgomery County All-Star Team
  • Assisted with the creation of the Pioneer Athletic Conference
Steven Rich
  • 2007 PVHS Graduate
  • 2006-07 Band President
  • 2014 Pulitzer Prize for public service
  • 2014 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for domestic print
  • 2014 Gerald Loeb Award for large newspapers
  • 2014 American Society of News Editors Award for local accountability reporting
  • 2014 GEN Data Journalism Award for best data-driven investigation
  • 2015 George Polk Award for national reporting
  • 2015 Associated Press Sports Editors Award for investigative reporting
  • 2015 Sigma Delta Chi Award for public service
  • 2016 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting
  • 2016 George Polk Award for medical reporting
  • 2016 Sigma Delta Chi Award for investigative reporting
  • 2017 Peabody Award
  • 2017 Associated Press Sports Editors Award for explanatory reporting
  • 2017 Sigma Delta Chi Award for investigative reporting
Grant Wiley
  • 1998 Defensive Player Of the Year – Times Herald
  • 1999 PVHS Graduate
  • 1999 Pennsylvania Big 33 Team
  • 1999 Player of the Year – PCTV 
  • 1999 Football MVP – PAC 10
  • 1999 Offensive Player Of The Year – Times Herald 
  • 1999 Player of The Year – Pottstown Mercury
  • 1999 Prep Star All-American
  • 2000 Big East Rookie of the Year While Playing for West Virginia University
  • 2000 2nd Team Freshman All-American
  • 2003 Consensus All-American
  • 2003 Bronko Nagurski Award Finalist (Best Defensive Player in College Football)
  • 2004 Signed with Minnesota Vikings as a Free Agent