Banquet to honor 3 local educators

Awards are given from three departments.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Local educators Susan Leone, William Mullane and Toni DiMargio will be honored at Youngstown State University's Beeghly College of Education second annual Alumni Awards Banquet.
The banquet at 6:30 p.m. May 13 in the BCOE McKay Auditorium honors those who represent the three BCOE departments -- Counseling, Teacher Education and Educational Administration Research and Foundations -- and are selected based on outstanding contributions to their profession.
"It is with a great sense of accomplishment that we are able to honor outstanding educators and counselors in our community who have received their degrees at," said Phillip Ginnetti, dean of the 2,500-student college.
Tickets for the banquet are available for $40 per person or $300 for a table of eight. More information can be obtained by calling Cheryl Massek in the dean's office at (330) 941-3215.
Susan Leone
Leone of Austintown, who is being honored by Teacher Education, received a bachelor's degree in education in 1972 and master's degree in education with a reading specialty in 1989 from YSU.
She has been a language arts instructional consultant at the Mahoning County Educational Service Center for seven years. However, the bulk of her career was spent teaching grades two through eight in Catholic Diocese of Youngstown schools. In addition, she has taught undergraduate and graduate reading courses at YSU for the past 13 years.
Leone, who earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Akron in 1994, has been Mahoning County director of the Ohio Reads program for the past three years. She has also served as Mahoning Valley Council International Reading Association local president and has been the Ohio IRA's area seven state representative for eight years.
Toni DiMargio
Counseling Department honoree Toni DiMargio of Canfield, who serves as supervising counselor and chief executive for Churchill Counseling Services, received her bachelor's degree in business administration in 1988 and master's degree in counseling in 1992 from YSU.
After moving back to Ohio from California in 1976, where she worked for the University of California at Berkeley Alumni Association for six years, DiMargio completed her first degree and decided to continue her studies to go into counseling. She was able to put both degrees to work by opening her own counseling practice in 1995. Now, she has 30 employees at the two locations of Churchill Counseling Services in Trumbull and Mahoning counties.
She cites the "Tour de Mill Creek Park," created by herself and a friend in 1983, as one of her most significant community contributions. The event, which continued for 10 years, involved a 15-mile bike ride through Mill Creek Park to raise funds for Tod Children's Hospital.
William Mullane
An educator and arts administrator for 25 years, William Mullane has been selected by Educational Administration, Research and Foundations as the department's honoree. He received his master's of science degree in educational administration from YSU in 1989 and has completed post-master's work at the university.
Mullane of Warren is principal of Warren G. Harding High School. He started his career in 1978 as a puppeteer for the district's summer recreation programs.
Mullane has an extensive history of involvement in the region's arts community. He is on the Trumbull Art Gallery's board of directors and has served as panelist and chairman for the Ohio Arts Council Visual Arts and Crafts Panel.