Two Elected to Allegheny College Board of Trustees

Nov. 5, 2012 – The Allegheny College Board of Trustees has added two new members: John F. Sutphen of Syracuse, N.Y., and Lawrence M. Thompson of Fort Myers, Fla.

Sutphen is the co-general counsel and secretary for O’Brien & Gere Limited, an engineering and project delivery company with more than 850 employees across the United States. Before joining O’Brien & Gere in 1996, Sutphen worked for the law firm of MacKenzie Smith Lewis Michell & Hughes.

A 1978 graduate of Allegheny, Sutphen and representatives from O’Brien & Gere have done career-based presentations and panel discussions at Allegheny; offered summer internships for students; recruited Allegheny graduates for jobs; and offered a scholarship for rising juniors who plan to pursue careers in environmental geology at Allegheny. Sutphen has hosted alumni events in the Syracuse region and served in leadership roles for the college’s Annual Giving office. In addition, he established the Allegheny College New York Scholarship, an endowed scholarship for prospective students from the central New York area.

Sutphen and his wife, Jamie Sansone Sutphen, a 1979 Allegheny graduate, have two daughters: Christina, who graduated from Allegheny in 2009, and Liz, who is in the master of music program at the Juilliard School.

Lawrence Thompson retired as vice chairman of Sovereign Bank in Wyomissing, Pa., in 2007. Beginning in 1986, he held various senior and executive positions at Sovereign Bank, including general counsel, chief operating officer and president of consumer finance.

His career in banking began at Penn Savings Bank, a predecessor of Sovereign, where he was general counsel and secretary. Earlier in his career, he was employed by the Office of General Counsel of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue in Harrisburg. He also was a trial lawyer for Allison and Pyfer in Lancaster, Pa.

Thompson has served as a volunteer for a number of community organizations. A 1974 Allegheny graduate, he has been a member of the campaign committee of the Alpha Chapter Sesquicentennial Campaign at Allegheny College for the past year.

He and his wife, Sally, are directors of the Seatreat Foundation and the parents of two children: Jennifer Meller and Marshall.