Most Penn State students have probably seen Pat Romano in and around Happy Valley throughout their college careers.

Whether he’s slinging cheesesteaks on a gameday in Beaver Stadium, providing home-like hospitality at the We Are Inn, or catering a Penn State Athletics NIL or THON event, Romano makes a daily effort to connect with students to ensure they are a part of the same Penn State community that’s so special to him.

Romano grew up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, but spent a lot of time in Centre County at his family’s hunting and fishing lodge. A Penn State sports fan since his youth and a blue and white follower from the beginning, Romano said the university’s “black shoes, basic blues” mindset has been a part of him for his whole life.

“That whole logic resonates very well with blue-collar people. It’s been in my family since before me,” Romano said. “Penn State means hard work, success, and joy.”

Now, Romano is using his Penn State World Campus degree, real-world business experience, and blue-collar, community roots to campaign for a seat on the Board of Trustees.

With experience in roles like board of supervisors seats, alumni society board of director positions, and more, Romano is familiar with public-facing work and knows there’s a lot to be done to guarantee accountability and transparency while making effective progress.

The Board of Trustees, Romano said, lacks those characteristics because only nine of the 36 seats are elected positions.

“On the Rush Township board, there’s three of us there. If something goes wrong, there’s three people sitting there that everyone’s going to come after,” Romano said. “But when you have 36 people, not so much. They’re only going after the nine that are elected.”

Still, Romano is excited about the opportunity to build a relationship with the Penn State community on the board and make headway at the university despite challenges for elected trustees.

Alumni-elected trustees, he said, “have no teeth to do anything,” and it’s Romano’s goal to change that from an operational standpoint.

“We promise [alumni] in our platforms that we’re going to do these things, and if you aren’t somebody who goes in and really tries to make a difference, the 27 [unelected Board of Trustees members] can sit back and chuckle behind the curtain and make sure it doesn’t get done so that you’re out of the way in the next election when all of the alumni blame you.”

Furthermore, Romano wants to uplift truth and liability in his potential work on the board to make certain Penn Staters know exactly how Penn State functions.

For Romano, it’s situations like Barry Fenchak’s that provoke his skepticism about the board’s transparency and dedication to its constituents.

“It’s really just a weaponized mechanism to get rid of people who tell everyone what’s really going on,” Romano said. “That’s not fair. That’s not what we should be doing or who we are as trustees or alumni.”

Regardless, Romano knows his role in current students’ Penn State experiences is unique from other candidates and something he takes pride in.

If it’s hosting a formal for a Penn State student organization at the We Are Inn or including a film student in one of his productions, Romano’s involvement is what he thinks makes him stand out on the ballot.

“It’s a little disappointing with 17 candidates coming in, some of them haven’t been back to University Park in 30 years, and all of a sudden, they pop up and take a bunch of pictures and go home and act like they’ve been here all year long,” Romano said. “That’s a shame. We need more people with their finger on the pulse of the community — talking to alumni, talking to students — which I do.”

Students and alumni can find Romano at nearly every football, hockey, volleyball, basketball, and wrestling event on top of his involvement in local government. With his “finger on the pulse of the community,” Romano aims to boost accountability, transparency, and constant Penn State pride.

“I want to be one of the doers, one of the movers — somebody to get this going forward,” he said.

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Editor’s note: Romano’s interview is one of a multi-part series aiming to feature alumni running for open seats on the Board of Trustees. Onward State does not, and will not, endorse any candidate(s) in this election. Check out our site to read more about the remaining candidates vying for spots on the board throughout this year’s election cycle.