Controller Bios

Today we begin our extended Luzerne County Controller coverage. We begin with bios submitted by the candidates pursuant to our questionnaire. The order in which they are presented has been selected by the UNIVAC 3000.

Edd Brominski

1980/1983 Luzerne County Commissioner.... Balanced the budget each year ( I was Chairman the last 3 of those 4 years). Married to my first wife Dee (only wife) for 48 years. Two Children Ed Jr. and Lynn. Two Grandsons, Randy and Scott Salus. I taught for 15 years, was Mayor of Swoyersville for 4 years, worked in Insurance sales and management for 8 years , was the Director of the Assessement office in the county for 7 1/2 years, and worked as a medical prescriptions sales person for 5 years. Retired in 2005.

Walter Griffith

My name is Walter L. Griffith JR. and I am currently 54 years old and a lifelong resident of Luzerne County. I currently own and manage my own Auto Repair business and have done so very successfully since 1989. I am also very active in managing an organization that is responsible to submit a budget and balance our books each year, as well as organize and facilitate the operation of an organization that covers 4 states.

I currently have been very active in Wilkes-Barre City Government, as well as Luzerne County Government, and have been very active in the daily operations of these governments for the taxpayers of the City and County and have made much progress in being sure that our elected officials are held accountable to “us” the taxpayers.

I am running as your County Controller and have demonstrated time and time again my desire to represent each and every taxpayer and citizen in Luzerne County by my constant asking of the “tough questions” of your elected officials and will continue to do this on your behalf if elected as your County Controller in 2009.

I represented “YOU” the taxpayers when the County Commissioners were going to plunge the County into more debt with regard to the 16 million dollar loan and was successful in representing “YOU” by having that amount reduced to only 5.6 Million.

I also was at the meetings to represent “YOU” when the Debit Card issue was happening and the feel the Controller should have known about this long before the people were swindled out of thousands of dollars.

I was at the courthouse when 21^st Century Appraisals were doing our appraisals in a very shoddy and haphazard way that has cost the taxpayers of this County thousands of dollars.

I was at the Courthouse when the Salary Board was not functioning according to the law of the County Code as well and was very instrumental in helping your elected officials cut spending by my information.

My background politically is very simple…I am not related to any one in Luzerne County that works in the courthouse and I will not bankrupt my moral or ethic character to get elected to any position in government.

Alice Coffman

EDUCATION:

• Hazleton Senior High School, 1984
• Penn State Hazleton Campus, May 1986. Associates Degree in Business Administration

• Bloomsburg University, Magna Cum Laude, December 1992, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majoring in Accounting.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

• Self-employed CPA, dba Coffman & Associates, located in Conyngham, PA since July 1996, specializing in small business and individual accounting and tax matters. Served as auditor for the Luzerne County Children’s Home and United Charities in West Hazleton, PA.
• Parente Randolph, Hazleton, PA; auditor of financial statements of both profit and non-profit entities and pension funds, spring of 1994.
• Deloitte & Touche, Fogelsville, PA; auditor of financial statements for profit entities and the Pennsylvania State University system, December 1992.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:

• None, this is my first time entering the political arena.

PERSONAL:

• Married August 25, 1990.
• No children, nine siblings, one deceased due to MS August 2008, twenty-six nieces/nephews, 10 great nieces/nephews, Parents both deceased.

Bob Sypniewski

DID NOT RESPOND

Bob Morgan

Bob Morgan is a lifelong resident of Luzerne County, born and raised in Kingston and currently residing in Fairview Township with his wife and two children.

He is a graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School and King's College where he received a B.A. in Government. While a student at King's he served an internship in the Washington office of Congressman Frank Harrison.

After graduation, Bob began a career in the financial services industry, beginning his career with Prudential Investments, one of the leading managers of retirement plans in the country. During his time at Prudential he served first as a Marketing Representative supporting the firm's regional pension sales representatives. In 1991, he began managing client relationships for a number of client's of the firm, eventually becoming an Account Executive with responsibilty for a team of service representatives who handled day to day operations for large corporate retirement plans with assets of over $750 million. Bob was also responsible for presenting semi-annual reports in face to face meetings with the Chief Financial Officers and pension trust committees of his team's plans.

In 1998, he joined Smith Barney as a Financial Consultant working with individuals managing their personal assets. During this time he managed a number of corporate 401(k) plans in the local community as well. At Smith Barney he attained the titles of Retirment Plan Consultant and Financial Planning Consultant. In 2006, Bob joined PNC Investments as a Senior Financial Consultant, earning the title of Assistant Vice President in 2007.

Bob has also served as Past President of the Friendly Sons of Greater Wilkes-Barre, served as Past Chair of the Awards Committee, and has served as a charter member of the committee for the organization's annual charity golf tournament. He is currently serving his 8th consecutive term, 13th in total, as Treasurer of the Friendly Sons. He is also a Past President, and past member of the Board of Trustees of the Wyoming Valley Serra Club. He and his wife have served as Chairpersons and sponsors of the Wyoming Valley March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction in 2007 and 2008.

Nanda Palissery

I am 43 years old. I was raised in South Wilkes-Barre and Hanover Township. I attended Middle/High school were at Wyoming Valley West.

I graduated from high school in 1983. I have a sister and two brothers. My father taught at Luzerne County Community College from 1967 through 2000. He died last November. My mom, who lives in Shavertown teaches at LCCC also.

I attended LCCC for two years, and then transferred on to Texas A&M University, where I graduated in 1989 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I worked for Westinghouse as an HVAC engineer and began law school at Temple University School of Law in 1990.

I graduated from law school in 1994. During the last 2 years of law school, I taught full time at LCCC in the areas of calculus, physics and laser technology. I opened my private practice in 1994 and have a general practice, with the bulk of my practice being criminal defense and civil litigation.

I am married since 1992, live in Dallas and have 3 beautiful girls 14, 13 and 10. They all attend Dallas school district schools.

My wife and I owned the Exit 6 bar in Luzerne for 5 years and ran it successfully until we sold it in
2006.