Dr. Chelcie Costabile

Connellsville Area High School  – 2001

Dr. Chelcie Costabile was an outstanding student and athlete at Connellsville Area High School, excelling in cross country, basketball, and track. She went on to graduate at the top of her class from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, followed by an internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic and a cardiology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Today, Dr. Costabile serves as a cardiologist at UPMC McKeesport and Director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at UPMC East, where she also leads cardiology offices in Murrysville, Monroeville, McKeesport, and Latrobe. A Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, she is recognized for her excellence in cardiovascular medicine and leadership in advancing heart health, building clinical programs, and providing exceptional patient care.

Through perseverance, compassion, and leadership, Dr. Costabile continues to inspire others in the medical field. She is also a devoted wife and proud mother of three children.

William Etling

Connellsville High School – 1950

Bill Etling has dedicated his life to service—both to his country and to his community. He served in the U.S. Army as a Sergeant during the Berlin Crisis of the 1960s as part of the 2nd Armored Tank Division in Germany. For more than 60 years, Bill has also served the youth of our area as a Scout Leader, guiding generations of young people into becoming hardworking, productive citizens. Among the many Scouts he has mentored, more than 70 have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Bill has been active with Troop 163, Pack 164, Troop 162, and Troop 150, which meets at Pennsville Baptist Church, where he is a member.

Professionally, Bill worked as a substation electrician for West Penn Power and served more than twenty years as Chairman of the Pleasant Valley Water Authority. Beyond these roles, he has contributed to the community through membership in the American Legion, the South Connellsville Rod and Gun Club, and by supporting local food banks and prayer chains. His lifetime of service has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Order of the Arrow, National Camping Award, Pedro Award by Boy’s Life, Scoutmaster Job Well Done Recognition, and the District Merit Award. He also received formal commendations from State Representative Ryan Warner, State Senator Pat Toomey, and President Bill Clinton.

Bill is married to his wife Patricia. Together, they have a son, Bill, and a daughter, Brenda. They are the proud grandparents of six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Michael Giobbi

Connellsville Area High School  – 1975

Michael Giobbi is a husband, father, grandfather, and practicing Catholic who has devoted his personal and professional life to servant leadership and mentoring others. After graduating from Connellsville Area High School, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Penn State University. He went on to build a remarkable forty-five–year career with the Armstrong Group of Companies, beginning as a Cable System Technician in Armstrong’s Fay-West systems and rising to serve as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Armstrong’s corporate office. In this role, he led innovation, engineering, network architecture, network design, and strategic teams that transformed the company’s technology footprint. Michael spearheaded Armstrong’s broadband network design and deployment, launching Zoom Cable Internet in 1997 and extending broadband access to K–12 schools, colleges, and universities, beginning with the Connellsville Area School District. This model became the foundation for broadband deployment across Armstrong’s five-state service area. He guided teams in developing pioneering products and services including cable telephony, digital and streaming video, business services, and fiber-to-the-home technologies. He also served as a member of CableLabs DOCSIS and Packet Cable technology and certification boards, helping to shape industry standards.

Robert G. Hankle

Connellsville Area High School  – 1967

Robert G. Hankle launched his career as a freelance trombonist in Pittsburgh while attending Duquesne University and later moved to New York City, where he became a highly regarded performer. His career has included recordings, television, Broadway, and performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Radio City, and Madison Square Garden. He has played with legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick,

Cher, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., The Temptations, The Four Tops, and The Manhattan Transfer, as well as in Broadway productions including Grease, Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Ragtime.

An award-winning soloist and educator, Hankle has performed internationally at the Montreux Jazz Festival and with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. He has received honors such as the Pearl Keck Mozart Award and Down Beat Magazine’s “Best Brass Player” Scholarship. In addition, he has held Instructional/Performance Positions at: Duquesne University, Pitt, Berklee School of Music, Princeton, and the Manhattan School of Music, while also serving 27 years as a high school band director in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Kevin Harrison

Connellsville Area High School – 1972

Kevin Harrison was a three-sport athlete at CAHS, excelling as a starter in football and lettering in both wrestling and track. He went on to play football at the University of Utah, where he earned a BFA in 1979. Kevin returned home to Connellsville and built a remarkable career in athletics, broadcasting, and community service. From 1980-1997, he was the Sports Director of WCVI Radio, becoming known as the “voice of the Falcons,” and in 1984, he began a 35-year career coaching Connellsville football.

In addition to his work in sports, Kevin served on the Highlands Hospital Board of Directors and the Connellsville Recreation Board, and in 1996 he was honored as the Connellsville Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Citizen. He has also been the longtime Voice of the John Woodruff Race since its inception in 1982 and has covered local sports for the Uniontown Herald Standard since 2001. Kevin and his wife Kimberly have been happily married for 22 years.

Mark Heck

Connellsville Area High School  – 1980

Mark Heck qualified for the state wrestling championships his senior year and later became a major financial contributor to the new CAHS Wrestling facility. After earning his nursing license from the Washington School of Nursing, he pursued business ventures that grew into remarkable success. Nearly four decades ago, he founded Mark-it Services, a transportation and logistics company specializing in cold chain supply solutions. Today, the company has expanded to 57 locations across the U.S. and serves as the leading vendor for refrigerated transportation management for U.S. railroads and steamship lines.

Heck co-developed Reefer-Watch, the nation’s top tracking solution for global reefer carriers, and built multiple proprietary systems that are used worldwide to track and manage cargo containers. Beyond logistics, he owns several major container yards, operates farming operations across five states totaling more than 15,000 acres, and runs multiple businesses under Xpedition Enterprises, including ventures in archery, apparel, real estate, and media production. He is also the longtime co-host of The Given Right TV show on the Discovery and Sportsman Channels.

Richard C. Pifer

Connellsville Area High School – 1997

Richard C. Pifer, a 1997 Connellsville Area High School graduate and member of the National Honor Society, excelled both academically and athletically. He was a two-year member of the football team and a three-year member of the wrestling team, earning recognition as a three-time Powerade Tournament place winner, three-time Tool City tournament place winner (including the 1997 championship), and the 1997 WPIAL Champion. Rich also represented CAHS at the WPIAL Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. His wrestling continued at the collegiate level, where he was a three-time collegiate wrestling letterman and a New York State Collegiate Placewinner.

In addition to wrestling, Rick won the 1997 Jousting Championship at West Point and later became the 2001 Brigade Open Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and went on to serve as a Captain in the U.S. Army Intelligence. He was deployed to three countries in the support of the War on Terrorism and in 2002 received the Army Award for Maintenance Excellence.

Following his military service, Rick built a successful nineteen-year career in food manufacturing leadership, most recently serving as “Chief Supply Chain Officer” at Real Good Foods. He and his wife, Megan, reside with their two daughters, Ava and Ashlyn.

Dane Shultz

Connellsville Area High School  – 1974

Dane Shultz earned the Eagle Scout Award in 1971 and was active at CAHS in music, athletics, and service, participating in multiple bands, the Pit Orchestra, and junior varsity tennis while representing the school in PMEA District and Regional State Bands. He went on to earn a degree in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1978 and a Master of Arts in Music Education in 1982.

Dane devoted his career to music education, serving as Band Director and Instrumental Teacher in Liberty County, DuBois, and Allegheny-Clarion School Districts before returning to Connellsville as CAHS Band Director in 1988. He later taught at the elementary level until his retirement in 2016 and continues to serve as Assistant Marching Band Director and Woodwind Instructor for the University Marching Band. Over the years, his bands consistently achieved top ratings at festivals, including an “all time first” and superior ratings when it performed at a PMEA Festival. He also served as conductor or arranger for 26 CAHS musicals and remained an active performer throughout his career.

Dane and his wife Deborah reside in Bullskin Township, where they enjoy family life with their children Brenna, David, Brittany, and Cody, and grandchildren Aurora, Leanna, Imogen, and Mason.