Saint Francis University welcomes new board members
Saint Francis University has announced the election of four new members to its Board of Trustees for four-year terms beginning this fall.
The new members are Fr. Zachary Burns, T.O.R. of Colleyville, TX; Wayne Dedrick, of Palm Coast, FL; Jonathan Gleason of Johnstown, PA of Mark Harabedian of Mendham, NJ. The members begin a four-year term that may be renewed. Their roles include approving budgets and strategic plans and monitoring University operations.
About the New Trustees
Fr. Zachary Burns, T.O.R., ’12 (Colleyville, TX) has served as a Parochial Vicar at Good Shepherd Catholic Community since June 2020. He grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education from Saint Francis University in 2012. He worked as a teacher in his hometown school district for one year before entering formation with the Franciscans of the Third Order Regular.
Fr. Zachary professed his first vows with his TOR community in May 2015 and was ordained to the priesthood in July 2020. In addition to his vocation, he loves Taco Bell, baseball, longboarding, and running really long distances.
Mr. Wayne Dedrick (Palm Coast, FL) currently serves as the Managing Director and Regional Manager at Truist Investment Services, Inc. In this role, he assists in leading a team of 90 financial advisors in the North Florida Market, providing wealth management guidance and advice to bank clients and prospects. Before his current position, he served as an Executive Director and Regional Sales Manager at UBS for 12 years, where he was responsible for overseeing the wealth management business in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. During his time at UBS, he also led a group of 70 specialized consultants. Before UBS, he worked as a director at Merrill Lynch for 16 years, managing a team of 12 finance managers focusing on tailored lending solutions for wealth management clients.
Outside of work, he enjoys working out, playing golf, reading, and spending time with his family and friends. He graduated from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics in 1982 and later completed his MBA in Finance and Economics at Seton Hall University in 1989.
Mr. Jonathan Gleason (Johnstown, PA) is a seasoned commercial insurance professional who brings decades of expertise to the industry. He began his career in 1993 at the Gleason Agency, Inc., his family’s business, where he gained valuable experience in insurance, risk management, and business services. His dedication and knowledge have made him a trusted advisor for a wide range of clients.
Mr. Gleason is an alumnus of Florida State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Risk Management/Insurance. Over the years, he has actively contributed to his community through various leadership roles, including positions on the Westmont Borough Council, West Hills Regional Police Commission, and Westmont Recreation Commission. He has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees, the Performance Improvement Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Patient Safety Committee for Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.
Currently, he lends his expertise as a board member for the John P. Murtha Cambria County Airport Authority.
He spent five years in the Philadelphia area before moving back to his hometown of Johnstown, PA, where he currently resides with his wife, Helene, and their two children.
Mr. Mark Harabedian ’82 (Mendham, NJ) is the Vice President of CAST Lighting, a landscape lighting manufacturer with distribution throughout the U.S. and Canada.
As a senior financial executive, Mr. Harabedian has over 40 years of experience growing and managing domestic, privately held businesses. He has a strong track record in operational leadership and deep business acumen, having led successful restructuring and optimization initiatives and executed M&A transactions across multiple industries.
His career began with KPMG, focusing on providing audit and tax services. From there, he served as Controller of the Journal of Commerce, a division of Knight Ridder Publishing Company, as Vice President of the U.S. division of The Economist Group Magazine, and as Vice President/CFO of Aquarius Supply, a distributor of landscape products in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.
Mr. Harabedian earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Saint Francis University in 1982, holds an MBA from Moravian University, and is a licensed CPA. Additionally, he received his Certified Financial Planning Certificate from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2015.
He is married to Susan (Kirkpatrick), who graduated from the Saint Francis University Physician Assistant program in 1982.They reside in Mendham, New Jersey, with three grown children and seven grandchildren.
Governance at Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University is sponsored by the Franciscans of the Third Order Regular and governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of both laypeople and Franciscans. Learn more about University Leadership.