Michael T. Mondak speaks: 40 til 40 day 9

It’s the ninth day of this 40 til 40 series of blog entries leading up to my 40th birthday on July 10, about anything and everything relevant to the number 40.

In the last entry I took you on a ride in the time machine back to the year 1940.  Today I will talk about the 40 most influential people in my life, not counting immediate or extended family members.

Dr. Melissa Ann Eaton:  She’s my longtime bestie.  We met in February 2006 after a girl I gave a red balloon to had suggested I give a balloon to her.  So I gave Dr. Eaton a baby blue balloon after I introduced myself to her.  Little did I know that baby blue balloon started a long running friendship.

Mary Ellen McKendry:  She was the head of the Hermitage Parks and Recreation department when I started handing out helium balloons to the children at the Hermitage Arts Festival.

Eric Bombeck:  The pitcher for the Covenant Speed/Power who discovered me in early June 2015 when I started calling church softball games.  This discovery led to me being hired as a studio producer for WPIC-AM and WLLF-FM mainly for high school sports coverage for three years.

Elizabeth Grace Izenas:  When I was a student at Penn State Shenango, she was the director of university relations.

Paula Leeds:  My high school French teacher.

Dr. Fred Leeds:  The chancellor of Penn State Shenango when I was a student.

Dr. Jane A. Williams:  She was the director of support services at Penn State Shenango when I was a student.  Tragically, just four months after I graduated, she contracted a brain tumor that took her life in May 2012.

Jerry Piccirilli:  The owner of Kraynak’s who led the charge to have me selected as the 2023 City of Hermitage Holiday Light Parade grand marshal.

Amy Geisinger:  She was the head librarian of the Community Library of the Shenango Valley who was willing to partner with the folks at St. Anthony’s Point/St. Michael’s Harbour Transition Adulthood Program by allowing me to do community job assessments there.

Ken Gargaro:  He was a visiting professor of humanities at Robert Morris University when he cast me in the role of Sheriff Jim Deakin in the Colonial Theatre production of Footloose in February 2004.

Robert Dubs:  He was a fellow cast member in Footloose who first dubbed me “Jeopardy! Mike”.

Jenna Sue Kolling:  My sidekick in high school.

Lanny Frattare:  My mentor.  He taught me that 85% of any broadcast’s success is determined before it goes on the air, which is why preparation is the key.  But he is also the main reason why I am a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.

Alex Trebek:  The longtime host of Jeopardy! who was one of those major influences on me when it came to hosting events.  I first saw him in action outside of being a viewer in 2004 when I attended a taping of that year’s college championship in Pittsburgh.

Brian Smith:  The manager of Dunham’s who gave me my big break in employment in 2009 when he hired me to work there in May 2009.  Initially I was planning to stay until after my college graduation, but I stayed until March 2017.

Cheryl Varner:  My favorite colleague of all time.  When we met working together at Dunham’s, we clicked instantly.

Bob Greenburg:  The station manager for WPIC-AM and WLLF-FM who hired me as a studio producer for high school sports thanks to Eric Bombeck.  I stayed in that role for three years mainly to supplement my income from Dunham’s and later ServiceSource.

Recharde Johnson:  The human resource manager at ServiceSource who hired me to work in Boyers starting in April 2017 (my assignment began in October 2017).

Dianna Stewart:  My favorite colleague from my time at ServiceSource.  She was the one who dubbed me “Flower” in a manner similar to the legendary Marc-Andre Fleury, the three time Stanley Cup champion goaltender with that same nickname.

Cassie Reed:  My favorite colleague from Sharon Regional Health System.  Years prior to this, we had met in September 1999 as students at Hickory High School and clicked instantly thanks to our mutual rooting interest in Penn State football.  She was the one who warned me that I would get addicted to attending Nittany Lions football games at Beaver Stadium.

Wanda Atcheson:  My favorite colleague from Diehl Automotive Grove City.  She would often be the first person to come into the office at the beginning of each day with the money and sales slips.

Juley Alford:  My favorite colleague from Inspiritec.  We had actually met as students at Penn State Shenango many years prior.

Ann Marie Pierce:  She was the special education teacher at Delahunty Middle School who convinced me to become a Hickory Hornet in May 1996.

David Orrico:  My favorite teacher of all time in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Pamela Lipkins:  My favorite teacher of all time, not just in the commonwealth of Virginia.  In her classroom at James Hurst Elementary School in Portsmouth, I was one of the top performing students.

Randy Fyock:  My golf coach at Penn State Shenango.  He gave me the best golf advice I ever received, that every shot must have a purpose.

Tony DeMartinis:  He was the grand knight who in 2009 made me a part of the Knights of Columbus.

Mario Lemieux:  He was the main reason why I am a Pittsburgh Penguins fan.

Joe Paterno:  He was the main reason why I have a rooting interest in Penn State football.

Nick Cerroni:  My favorite colleague at the Community Library of the Shenango Valley.  What an awesome Jeopardy! player he was.

Christina Long:  She was the founder of the Transition Adulthood Program at St. Anthony’s Point/St. Michael’s Harbour who literally saved my college career from being lost.

Vanna White:  My childhood celebrity crush.  I would not have learned my letters without her.

Dick Clark:  He was the perfect excuse to stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, a tradition that continues today with Ryan Seacrest.

Cheri Manners:  The director of the drama department at Hickory High School who cast me in the Senior Class play.

Vera Lartz:  She was the maternal grandmother of my ex-girlfriend who initially convinced me to transfer from Robert Morris University to Penn State Shenango.

Myron Cope:  He was the main reason why I am a member of Steeler Nation.

Vicki Lingner:  We first met at the 2009 Hermitage Arts Festival and she was the reason why my duties as The Balloon Man expanded to include Buhl Day since 2013.

Sean Zippie:  The co-founder of Zipelly who has been one of my neighbors.

Ryan Zippie:  He is also a part of the Zipelly team, another neighbor, and my longtime adjudicator for my game show events.

Craig Campbell:  My longtime announcer for my game show events.