Williamson College to Honor 4 Alumni at Annual Banquet
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Williamson College of Business Administration will present this year’s Outstanding Alumni Awards on Oct. 4 in Williamson Hall at Youngstown State University.
The reception and buffet will begin at 5:45 p.m., followed by the award program at 7 p.m.
Recipients of 2024 WCBA Outstanding Alumni Awards include Ryan Day, chief financial officer of Hynes Industries; Bill Vennetti, partner at Packer Thomas; Heather Chunn, vice president of operations and human resources for the Youngstown State University Foundation; and Nicole DeCenso, finance expert in loan accounting with PNC Bank.
Outstanding Alumnus
Day, who graduated from YSU in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, joined Hynes in 2017. A Mahoning Valley native and certified public accountant, Day has served in senior corporate accounting leadership roles with local, regional and national manufacturers since 2008. Prior to 2008, his career extended over a decade in public accounting, with many years in leadership positions with local firms where he concentrated on tax and auditing functions.
Day gives back to the community through his volunteer board of directors roles, serving as chair for the Ohio Living Lake Vista, the Mahoning Valley Manufacturers Coalition and as part of YSU WCBA’s Planning Committee.
He lives in Cortland with his wife, Susan, and stepson, Graham, a 2023 WCBA graduate. He is responsible for the intern program at Hynes and is receptive to invitations to meet and present to YSU students who are studying to become accounting professionals.
Outstanding Alumnus
Vennetti, a 1996 YSU graduate and Leadership Mahoning Valley alum, is a CPA and partner with Packer Thomas in Canfield. With a career spanning 28 years at Packer Thomas, he has established himself as a trusted adviser and strategic partner to his clients, offering expertise in accounting, tax planning and financial management.
Vennetti has dedicated his career to helping individuals and businesses navigate the complexities of finance. His approach to financial stewardship is rooted in a deep understanding of his clients’ unique needs and goals. He prides himself on delivering personalized service that goes beyond the numbers, building long-lasting relationships based on mutual trust and respect.
In addition to his professional achievements, Vennetti is the treasurer of Youngstown Wolves Den Scholarship Fund and a member of the Four Square Club. He lives in Canfield with his wife, Cassie, and children Matthew, Anna and Noah.
Outstanding Master of Business Administration Alumna
Chunn, a 1998 YSU graduate with a BSBA in marketing, began her career in sales and customer service with manufacturing company Bliss Technologies, and then held a similar role with Reynolds & Reynolds, an automotive retail technology and digitization company.
Chunn returned to YSU and graduated with an MBA in 2003. While pursuing her MBA, she became a graduate assistant in YSU’s Office of Marketing and Communications where she researched, planned and implemented media buying strategies.
At the YSU Foundation, Chunn has held the position of vice president of operations and human resources since 2015. She also served as a limited-service instructor for the WCBA.
Chunn serves on the boards of Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence and the Tressel Institute for Leadership & Teamwork. She also is a board member and treasurer for Boardman High School boys cross country and track.
She serves as a member of Junior League of Mahoning Valley and its Capstone Advisory Committee, Society for Human Resource Management Western Reserve Chapter and the Strong Girls, Strong Women committee. She is also an active Boardman High School swim team booster.
Originally from Newton Falls, Chunn lives in Poland with her husband, Paul McFadden. She has two children, Aiden and Emma, and two stepsons, Connor and Colten.
Outstanding Recent Alumna
DeCenso, a Youngstown native who graduated from Chaney High School in 2008, earned her BSBA from YSU in 2015. While attending the WCBA, she joined Beta Alpha Psi and served as the president of the Kappa Xi Chapter in 2015. She also served as the OSCPA campus ambassador and the Becker campus ambassador prior to graduation.
DeCenso accepted a full-time position as a finance expert within loan accounting at PNC Bank in August 2024. Formerly, she worked at First National Bank for more than 10 years, holding various positions within finance, operations and information technology.
Since graduating from YSU, DeCenso has started a family with her husband, Michael Arnaut. She is now a mother of two children, Michael and Marlee. While building her family and her career, DeCenso has volunteered when possible, continuously returned to the WCBA and served as a regional alumni representative for Beta Alpha Psi in 2022-2023.
To attend the 2024 Outstanding Alumni Awards, email ysu.edu/alumnibanquet by Sept. 20. For more information, call 330 941 3064.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
