SHIPPENSBURG, Tuesday, Nov. 29 — Two new members recently joined Shippensburg University’s Council of Trustees.

Shippensburg alumnus and local business leader Gene Herritt and student Neely Spence were recently confirmed as new members of the council.  Herritt will serve a six-year term and Spence, a senior, will serve until she graduates in May, 2012. Trustees are named to the council through an appointment from the governor and confirmed by the state Senate.

Herritt, a long-time supporter of the university who is honored by the appointment, said “If I can be useful for the university in any way, I will do my best to help,”

Gene Herritt

Herritt is a sales executive at Forney Packages Inc. but his close ties to the university go back to 1972 when he earned his masters in education from Shippensburg. He was a member of the board of directors of the Shippensburg University Alumni Association from 2001 to 2007, including serving as president in 2006-2007.

Herritt, who is also an adjunct professor of marketing at the university since 2004,  is looking forward to serving as a trustee. “I’m still learning my way and learning about the issues. I’m impressed with the group of people that I’ve met. There are good people sitting on the council and I look forward to working with them.”

Herritt graduated from Clarion University in 1969 with a degree in education and later served as a teacher in both the Mifflin County School District and the Shippensburg Area School District. He also worked for the 3M Company as a sales representative and then later as a sales executive for The Beistle Company.

He is also active in numerous community and civic organizations. He is on the board of directors of Adams Electric Cooperative, where he served as president from 1993 to 2007, and on board of directors of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association from 2003 and for which he is the current chair.

Other current for former memberships include the board of directors Mid-Atlantic Cooperative Services, the board of directors of the Cumberland Valley School of Music, Shippensburg Public Library board of trustees and the executive board of the Chambersburg Community Theatre. He is also a District Deputy Grand Master 3^rd Masonic District Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania F&AM.

Neely Spence

Spence, who is majoring in human communications studies with a coaching minor, is one of the university’s most outstanding and honored athletes having won numerous national running championships as well as awards for her sportsmanship.

“Most people know me as an athlete, this gives people a chance to know me in a different way,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to really learn about our campus issues and have a chance to join in such an influential group.” She added that trustees have been very welcoming and helpful in guiding her. “It’s such an honor,” she said.

Earlier this month, Spence was named the 2011 USTFCCCA Division II Cross Country Female Athlete of the Year, the second time she has won this prestigious award. It followed her recent second consecutive Division II national cross country championship. She ended her collegiate cross country career as a two-time Division II national champion, three-time Division II All-American, four-time NCAA Atlantic Region champion and a four-time PSAC champion.

During her career, she has won multiple Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference titles in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. In addition, she has earned numerous awards including the 2010 Division II Women’s NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Award Winner.

She also represented the United States three times, including in international competitions, most recently this past October at the XVI Pan American Games this past October. Earlier this year, she was one of three student-athletes in the entire country to be included in NCAA president Mark Emmert’s State of the NCAA address. She has also become a highly visible national spokesman for D-II athletics as part of an NCAA informational campaign. She was recently featured in an NCAA video in connection with her program at Shippensburg to encourage young students to become involved with running.