Harrison College Board of Trustees

As the culinary division of Harrison College, The Chef's Academy is governed by the Harrison College Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is responsible for the oversight of Harrison College. The Trustees adopt rules, regulations, and policies governing the College. They review and approve the long-range plan, annual institutional effectiveness, and the College's mission statement. The Trustees have authority over curricula, facilities, degree conferment, and ensure compliance with all regulatory agencies that have jurisdiction over the College. The five-member Board meets four times per year.

Board of Trustees - Biographies

Dennis Sponsel

Denny Sponsel purchased RJE Business Interiors in 2000 with over 30 years of experience in the furniture industry. RJE is a contract office furniture dealership representing over 100 lines of furniture and office accessories, the primary vendor being Knoll and Knoll Studio. For the past eight years, RJE has been providing design services, consultations, sales, expertise, exemplary customer service and furniture for the business community located throughout central Indiana. In addition, RJE also offers warehousing and storage services, reconfiguration, and removal of existing furniture, furniture restoration and 24-hr on-call emergency service to all of its customers.

Denny is a native of Indianapolis and attended IUPUI School of Business. Denny and his wife of 25 years, Cathy, reside in Greenwood and have four children and four grandchildren. Interests include business, community, history, family and sports of all kinds.

Career Highlights:

Serves on the United Way of Central Indiana Board, 2007 Campaign Co-Chair
Sits on the Community Board for the IUPUI Library and the IUPUI School of Informatics Advisory Board
Member of Board of Directors-Indianapolis Marion County Public Library
Sits on the IUPUI/Purdue School of Engineering and Technology Dean's Industrial Advisory Council
Works on the Catholic Community Foundation Development Committee
Board of Trustees for the Mother Theodore Catholic Community Academies
Serves on the Board of Directors for Indianapolis Downtown, Inc.
Sits on the Rotary Club of Indianapolis Board, Program and Membership Committees

Paul Eberhardt

Paul C. Eberhardt retired after spending twenty-one years working for Bryant & Stratton Institute as the Vice President of Human Resources/Personal Administration. During his tenure there Paul was responsible for training, benefits design, implementation and personal administration for over 900 employees throughout ten different locations.

Mr. Eberhardt received the Army Commendation Medal for service at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he did work for the Army Prison which held 1,000 inmates. During this time period Mr. Eberhardt was an U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant, Finance Officer.

Mr. Eberhardt currently resides in Clarence, New York, which is just outside of Buffalo with his wife of 43 years Mary Joan Coleman Eberhardt. Mr. Eberhardt was blessed to have four wonderful children and six grandchildren. Mr. Eberhardt was also fortunate enough to be a part of the Distinguished Military Graduate Commissioned, 2nd Lieutenant U.S. Army Finance Corporation.

Career Highlights:

Extension Catholic Day Mission Volunteer St. Agnes parish Detroit, Michigan
Assistant Corporate Chairman Catholic Charities Buffalo, N.Y.
Member of Board of Directors Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo

Kimberly Blanchet

Kimberly W. Blanchet is an associate in Barnes & Thornburg LLP's Indianapolis office and focuses her practice in the Governmental Services and Finance Department. Ms. Blanchet graduated from Indiana University- Bloomington in 1994 with a degree in Business-Marketing. In 1998, she received her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Indiana University-Indianapolis.

Ms. Blanchet has worked on a variety of financings involving counties, cities, towns, regional water and sewer districts, hospitals, and school corporations. In addition to acting as bond counsel, she has participated in public finance transactions in other capacities, including underwriter's counsel and issuer's counsel.

Ms. Blanchet has four children and a wonderful husband, who reside in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ms. Blanchet enjoys running, teaching step interval classes and reading. Her family is also very active within their church, St. Thomas Aquinas and Mr. Blanchet is heavily involved in her children's activities and sports.

Career Highlights:

Member of the Indiana Municipal Lawyers Association
Member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers
Member of the Indiana State Bar Associates
Admitted to practice law in the state of Indiana, U.S. Districts Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana

Ken Konesco

Kenneth J. Konesco was the President and CEO of Harrison College from December 1986 until March 2010 and is currently the Cheif Executive Officer of Educational Management Corporation. Harrison College has 14 locations in Indiana with an enrollment of approximately 5,800 students.

Prior to being President, Ken was employed by Bryant & Stratton Business College in Buffalo, New York for 15 years in various capacities including admissions representative, teacher, dean, and managing director of five campuses having in excess of 7,000 students.

Ken received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Central Missouri and his master's degree in education from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.

Ken resides in Indianapolis with Mary Ellen, his wife of 39 years. Ken and Mary Ellen have three children, Jason, Marc, and Jennifer. In addition, they have two daughter-in-laws, one son-in-law, and six grandchildren.

Career highlights:

Former commissioner with the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools and served as chairman of the board from 1999-2000.
Served as the president for five years and board member for the Indiana Association of Private Career Schools.
Appointed by Governor Bayh to serve as a commissioner for the Commission on Proprietary Education, a position he still holds to this day
Former board member on the Indiana Association of Private Career Schools, Rotary Club of Indianapolis and Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools
Board member for Old National Bank-Indianapolis Region and Legatus, a Catholic group of CEOs.

Craig Pfannenstiehl

Craig Pfannenstiehl is President of Bay State College, a regionally accredited two and four year college in Boston. He spearheaded the reorganization of the college management team; initiated and managed the development of the College's first fully integrated strategic plan, developed the school's strategy for online course offerings, and oversaw its transition into the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

Mr. Pfannenstiehl directed the conversion of Bay State College from a not-for-profit business entity to a for-profit business corporation in 2005. He serves as a voting member on the College's Board of Trustees as well as the Board of Bay State's parent company, Bay State Education Corporation.

In 2005, he founded Educor Capital Partners, LLC in Boston. Mr. Pfannenstiehl started Educor Capital Partners to assist private equity firms and strategic buyers in developing proprietary deal flow solely within the education space. Mr. Pfannenstiehl is also President of Educor, Inc., a management firm focused on its affiliates in the for-profit, post-secondary sector including Bay State College and Harrison College, a nationally accredited institution with 14 locations and online programs. He Chairs the Board of Trustees for Harrison College and serves on its Executive Team.

Prior to Educor Capital Partners and Educor, Inc., Mr. Pfannenstiehl was at State Street Capital, the investment banking arm of State Street Bank, working in Mergers & Acquisitions.

Career Highlights:

Earned CFA in 1998
Master of Business Administration from Boston University in 1998
Currently sits on the Executive Fundraising Committee of Noble & Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts
Treasurer on Board of Directors for MAB Community Services, also on Executive Committee and a Chair for the Finance Committee
Member of the Boston Security Analysts Society

Peggy Welch

Peggy Welch is a practicing nurse in the Bloomington Hospital cancer unit. She and her husband, Judge David Welch, are active members of Sherwood Oaks Christian Church. They have one son, David.

Peggy serves as state representative for the citizens of Indiana House District 60, which encompasses portions of Monroe, Greene, and Brown Counties. She was first elected in 1998. She has continuously served on the House Ways & Means Committee and is currently the Vice Chair of the Budget Subcommittee of the House Ways & Means Committee. Peggy also serves as the Vice Chair of the House Public Health Committee and as a member of the Indiana House Family, Children, & Human Affairs Committee.

She earned her BS from Mississippi College and ASN from Ivy Tech. She is active on the Indiana State Nurses Association, Women's Legislative Network, and the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. Peggy has been honored over the years by numerous organizations for her work on issues impacting safety, senior citizens, military personnel, home health and small businesses. She is a frequent speaker at schools, civic clubs, and associations.