City of Reading Skyline

The following is an excerpt from the Winter 2019 issue of the 媚娘直播 magazine and is part of the #FlynnFriday series that celebrates President Tom Flynn for his 14 years of transformational leadership. 

At the end of June, Tom Flynn will step down after 14 years as president of 媚娘直播, completing the longest tenure of any 媚娘直播 president. His impact has been far-reaching, extending beyond the 媚娘直播 campus and spreading widely throughout Reading and Berks County. Here, several community leaders recall what he has meant to them and to the region. 


Khalid Mumin, Superintendent of the Reading School District 

Khalid Mumin met Tom Flynn when Mumin was interviewing to become superintendent of the Reading School District, a position he has held since 2014. They have collaborated on several projects, including the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program, which covers full tuition at 媚娘直播 for top high-school graduates from a school district where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

鈥淭om is golden. For me personally, he鈥檚 a confidant because he鈥檚 been around and understands the landscape here in Reading. I鈥檓 able to speak with him about anything.

鈥淗e gets it. What the 鈥榠t鈥 is, is he gets it that his job is all about students being able to achieve success upon graduation. He was one of the first partners in my ear pledging his support for the Reading School District. It鈥檚 all about ensuring that they have access to success, so they can put their fingerprints in the sand of this thing we call society.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no smoke and mirrors with Tom. He鈥檚 not one to gloat in the limelight and pound his chest. He is just a great man, all the way around鈥攁 dignified, humble, down-to earth person. I trust him, and he鈥檚 my friend.鈥



Ginny Hand, Retired former director, 媚娘直播鈥檚 Holleran Center for Community Engagement; former chief of staff for Reading Mayor Tom McMahon

A couple of years ago, Ginny and her husband, Terry, were driving home after a trip to Baltimore to see the Army-Navy football game. Army won, after 14 straight years of losses, and Terry, a West Point grad, was thrilled. On the drive home, Ginny got an email from Tom Flynn, telling her to tell Terry how happy he was for him.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just the thoughtfulness of doing that,鈥 Ginny says. 鈥淭hat kind of thoughtfulness permeates Tom鈥檚 life.鈥

鈥淚 was on the inauguration committee for Tom Flynn. I was there to represent the community. He wanted to have community be there at his inauguration. I think that鈥檚 a telling thing right there鈥攖hat there was outreach immediately.

鈥淭om truly opened up 媚娘直播鈥檚 front door to the community. There were children in the 6th grade who had no idea what a college was. He would bring them on campus. They would meet someone from the Reading Symphony. Or a soccer player. Or go trick-or-treating in the dormitory. Those kinds of things happened under Tom鈥檚 watch.

鈥淭he campus is just sparkling, and you can feel that sparkle with the people. He brought hope that education is within people鈥檚 reach.鈥


Peter Barbey, President and CEO, Reading Eagle Company

As president and CEO of the Reading Eagle Company Peter Barbey heads up a news operation whose origin story starts in the last years of the 18th century. The Reading Eagle鈥檚 roots in the community, in other words, run deep, as does Barbey鈥檚 appreciation for what Tom Flynn has meant to it.

鈥淭om is guided by a personal philosophy that鈥檚 built around the Franciscan ethic, and that informs him and has caused him to steer 媚娘直播 in a very specific way. It鈥檚 not just about educating young people, but also about integrating 媚娘直播 into the community. The extra dimension he added was leaning in to the community, listening to the community, and seeing the opportunities in the community.

鈥淎 lot of Tom鈥檚 success is based on his personality and his ability to use it to get a good result. That in and of itself is a tough act to follow. It鈥檚 not a template kind of job description. He has built 媚娘直播 not just into a modern university, but also as an element in the community where it resides.鈥


Tammy White, President, United Way of Berks County

After nearly 30 years with the United Way of Berks County鈥攊ncluding the last nine as president鈥擳ammy White understands the value of strong leadership in addressing the challenges the region faces.

鈥淭om Flynn has always been one of those leaders you could count on,鈥 she says. 鈥淲hen you meet Tom, you don鈥檛 forget him. He has this great presence. He has this great voice. When he talks, you can鈥檛 help but listen because he has such command.

鈥淭om has embraced the community and recognized that 媚娘直播 had a role鈥攁nd I would even say a calling鈥攖o support the community. I think he always looked at how 媚娘直播 could be a strong community citizen. Nothing is too big or too little for 媚娘直播 to consider. Tom looks at challenges from the perspective of, what can 媚娘直播 do to make this better? He鈥檚 a collaborator. He wants to understand how 媚娘直播 can add value.

鈥淭om has been a visionary. He has brought that vision to life. And he brings the community along with that vision. He will be missed.鈥


Mike Ehlerman, Chairman, Berks County Convention Center Authority

Mike Ehlerman is the retired president of Reading-based Yuasa Battery and is the current chairman of the Berks County Convention Center Authority. Ehlerman is a past board chair of 媚娘直播, and he and his wife are generous donors.

鈥淚 always had a soft spot for the college,鈥 he says. 鈥淭om has always spent a great deal of his time with the outside community. I think that community engagement has had a lot to do with the general success and acceptance of 媚娘直播 today.

鈥淭om鈥檚 a hard worker. He鈥檚 dedicated. He is very strong in favor of the Franciscan values. He has a mind that鈥檚 always searching, looking for a way to grow and to do things better. And he gives of his time very profusely. When you find someone who has fire in his gut and is doing everything he can to grow an institution, you look up to him and you try to support him.

鈥淗e鈥檚 just a dynamo. You don鈥檛 find many people who have the intellect and desire that this man has.鈥


Mary Agnew, Senior vice president and chief nursing officer Tower Health

Mary Agnew met Tom Flynn about six years ago, when she started working at Reading Hospital and Tom was on the board of directors. She found him to be welcoming, supportive, and passionate in his concern for people.

鈥淲e clicked immediately,鈥 she says, 鈥渂ecause he is at heart a nurse.鈥 媚娘直播鈥檚 three nursing programs鈥攁t the bachelor鈥檚, master鈥檚, and doctoral levels鈥攈elp meet the demand for quality nurses.

鈥淭om is a great big bear of a man. Incredibly welcoming. So eloquent. A very deep thinker. He鈥檚 a kindred spirit and a true friend of nursing. He understands our profession and has been a shameless promoter. And he has lived his whole life as someone who has championed social justice. He has lived the values of 媚娘直播 every day.

鈥淭om just really had a vision. He saw what 媚娘直播 could be. He breathed life into it. He crystallized it. He brought it to the forefront of everyone鈥檚 attention. 媚娘直播 has become an anchor institution under Tom鈥檚 direction and guidance and tender loving care.鈥


Doug Tieman, President and CEO, Caron Treatment Centers

Alvernia has a strong relationship with Caron Treatment Centers, which help those seeking to overcome drug and alcohol addictions. Undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for careers with Caron (and other addiction treatment organizations), and the university鈥檚 Collegiate Recovery House supports 媚娘直播 students in recovery.

鈥淭om is effective at asking questions and uncovering needs,鈥 says Doug Tieman, Caron鈥檚 president and CEO. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a real gift.鈥

鈥淭om鈥檚 ability to intuitively know the right thing to do has resonated with all of those who are part of the greater 媚娘直播 family. That鈥檚 really a remarkable gift. He has excelled not only at running 媚娘直播, but at using 媚娘直播 as a catalyst and vehicle for meeting other community needs.

鈥淲e asked him to be on our board of trustees because he brought global thinking, he was terrific at understanding nonprofits, and he was terrific at understanding strategic planning and vision. He is warm, friendly, caring, thoughtful. He鈥檚 a great guy. He鈥檚 a superb leader. These are going to be big shoes to fill.鈥

-by Richard Bader

Tom Flynn with ladies of the RCSP
Salute to Tom Flynn
Alvernia celebrates President Tom Flynn for his transformative tenure as the leader of the university. Share in the celebration by supporting the Reading Collegiate Scholars Program, the initiative he created to provide talented and deserving students from Reading an opportunity to succeed and graduate with a life-changing college degree.