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Natalie Toma Hired To Lead The Blair Center

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce that Natalie Toma has been hired as the College’s Director of the Blair Center.

Toma, a native of Altoona, has over 20 years of experience in higher education, including working in four different positions over a span of 15 years at Harrisburg Area Community College.

“So far, my time at Pennsylvania Highlands has been nothing short of amazing,” Toma stated. “I have never worked in a place where the people have been so welcoming and offering to help me get settled in. The Blair Center team is full of hard workers that are committed to helping students achieve their academic and career goals, and I am excited to be a part of it.”

Toma holds an associate degree in hospitality management from Harrisburg Area Community College, a bachelor’s degree in occupational studies from Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan, and a master’s in health & wellness coaching from Maryland University of Integrated Health. She is a proud first-generation college graduate.

Prior to Penn Highlands, Toma served as an Admissions Counselor, Healthcare Specialist, Enrollment Manager, and Director of Admissions at Harrisburg from 2005 to 2020. She was then a Workforce Coordinator at Shippensburg University from March 2020 to January 2022 before relocating back to the area and becoming a Health & Wellness Adjunct Instructor at Penn State Altoona.

Toma said one of her main goals is to bring more awareness to the local community that Penn Highlands is a place where students can earn a quality education.

“I really want to show people that we’re here,” Toma stated. “We want to have Penn Highlands be Altoona’s college. To do this, we must get involved with initiatives in the area and show people how much we care about everyone and what is happening in our area. I believe we have the dedicated resources and staff to do this.”

Natalie Toma standing outside the College’s Blair Center (September 2023).