The Service to the Flock Award

PAISBOA's Service to the Flock Award, instituted in 2021, recognizes a member who has demonstrated excellence in their service to the PAISBOA flock. Through their exemplary professionalism and achievements, they have supported their colleagues while advancing the mission and goals of PAISBOA.

Recipients will have met a number of the following criteria:

• They excel in the fulfillment of their PAISBOA leadership role and responsibilities, frequently exceeding expectations;
• They demonstrate initiative, creativity, and resourcefulness in their work;
• They are directly responsible for improvements in the ways they do their work and manage their areas of responsibility, and share those improvements with the membership;
• They exhibit the highest standards of professionalism, commitment, and accountability to their profession, their community, and the Association;
• They demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of colleagues by supporting their needs and professional development, and contributing significantly to the development of a positive, respectful Association environment;
• They exhibit and promote commitment to PAISBOA’s core values (Community, Diversity, Integrity, Transparency, and Loyalty), mission (PAISBOA brings together a diverse array of independent school and higher education business and operations professionals to create a community committed to collaboration for the betterment of all members), and purpose (PAISBOA is a collaborative network of independent school and university professionals, corporate partners, and advocates dedicated to saving time and money, offering useful products and resources, and creating a diverse community of finance and operations professionals to lead PreK-12 and Higher Education Institutions.

The Service to the Flock Award is presented at the Annual Meeting. Nominations are solicited from the membership.

2022 Honoree: Pete Crippen, Director, Maintenance Department, Overbrook School for the Blind.

Pete Crippen (pictured with PAISBOA Board Chair Carolyn Hapeman) has always excelled in being a leader within the PAISBOA community. He is a longtime member of the PAISBOA Plant Managers Steering Committee, has always strongly supported PAISBOA programming within the Plant Managers affinity group, is a dedicated proponent of the Purchasing Consortium, and has mentored many of his fellow Plant and Facilities Operations managers over the years. “I consider Pete a real superhero because he has helped all of us in some way that made a difference in what we do, and he’s always been a great resource,” said Bob Meals, Director of Physical Plant and Security at Shipley School. “People like Pete are hard to find, and his dedication contributes to our success. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us!”

Pete has always been a model of composure and kindness in his duties, and in the community of facilities directors. His deportment and presence in any meeting always adds something positive to the group. If you want to learn about something, Pete is there to help. He is incredibly experienced and enthusiastic about serving the school community at the Overbrook School for the Blind and within the greater PAISBOA region.

“Pete Crippen is the professional's professional,” said Tom McDaniel of Friends’ Central School, another longtime Steering Committee member. “He’s the type of committed and dedicated leader that is the template for leadership in facilities management and more. He is approachable and accessible for all in our association. His consistent legacy as a hard-working, candid, and passionate PAISBOA professional is unmatched.”

2021 Honoree: Tom Devine, Business Manager, Merion Mercy Academy

Tom has served as Secretary of the PAISBOA Board and Services Corporation since 2015. He has also been a member of the Data Survey “Gurus” since 2016, and has chaired the Nominating Committee, helping steer the direction of the Board, for the past several years.

Tom served as CFO at Merion Mercy Academy from 2011 to 2021. His past experiences include a variety of financial, safety and operations positions in the trucking business for Matlack and Rollins Environmental Services. He then served as Controller for Data Voice Networks, Inc. Tom earned his BA degree from St. Joseph’s University and MBA from Louisiana State University

Recipients of the Service to the Flock Award

MORE ABOUT PAISBOA's AWARDS