Pitsco Chief Executive Officer Dr. Harvey Dean has announced the promotion of Lisa Paterni to President of Pitsco Education and Stephan Turnipseed to President of LEGO® Education. Pitsco, a privately held education company headquartered in Pittsburg, Kansas, is a national leader in the development of curriculum, equipment, and supplies used in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, from kindergarten to careers.

“Lisa and Stephan have each been responsible for championing the growth, management, and development strategies of Pitsco and LEGO Education during the past 14 years,” Dean said. “They are consummate leaders who exemplify the highest level of integrity and professionalism.”

Paterni, most recently the executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been with the company for nearly 15 years. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s-Colgan High School and holds bachelor and master’s degrees in Business Administration from Pittsburg State University. Prior to joining Pitsco, she worked for NPC International as Director of Property Management and Financial Analysis.

Paterni is an adjunct lecturer in the PSU College of Business and is a member of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board, the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Education Blueprint Association, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. She and her husband, George, have four children and reside in Pittsburg.

Turnipseed has been with Pitsco for more than 16 years and most recently served as vice president for sales. After serving six years in the U.S. Air Force, he earned a degree in Electrical Engineering from Auburn University. He worked in the oil business for 15 years and authored two books and numerous articles on oilfield completion practices and equipment. He is a former board member and president of the National Tourette Syndrome Association and currently serves on the boards of F1 in Schools (U.S. and international) and LEGO Education North America.

During his time with Pitsco, Turnipseed has handled acquisitions and conducted general oversight of the international business including the ASE division in Canada. He and his wife, Joyce, have one son and reside in Fitzpatrick, Alabama.

Most recently, Pitsco developed the TETRIX™ Robotic Design System, which has been adopted by the national FIRST Tech Challenge competition; the LEGO Education NXT Brick is used in the national FIRST LEGO League competition. The company’s new Star Academy Program™ earned a National Dropout Prevention Center Crystal Star Program Award of Excellence in Dropout Recovery, Intervention, and Prevention in November 2008 and is implemented in four states. Pitsco Education curriculum labs have been established in more than 4,000 schools across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and its catalog division offers more than 3,500 STEM products, of which nearly 1,000 are proprietary.

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