CATA Board of Directors
Mark Parfitt, Chairman – Patton Township
Mark Parfitt joined the CATA Board of Directors in 2016 as the representative from Patton Township.
Mark is the founder of Mark Parfitt Consulting, a management and marketing company based in State College. Prior to launching his own business, Mark spent nearly a decade in strategic marketing for higher education, including the rebranding and repositioning of SUNY Adirondack near Lake George, NY, and the development of a nationwide talent acquisition marketing strategy for job openings at Penn State’s 24 campuses across Pennsylvania. His work has been recognized as the recipient of multiple industry awards, including a Mark of Excellence award from the American Marketing Association.
Mark earned a Master of Business Administration from the State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College, a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Saint Francis University, and an Associate in Specialized Business in Business Administration–Management & Marketing from South Hills School of Business & Technology.
Mark grew up in the Centre Region and currently lives near the Wildernest development in Patton Township. The countless events and activities, first-class resources, and strong economy are all reasons he enjoys living, working, and volunteering in the State College area.
Joseph L. Davidson, Vice-Chairman – College Township
Joe Davidson has served on the CATA Board of Directors as the representative from College Township since 1997. He was nominated by a former College Township Council Member who thought Mr. Davidson was well-qualified for the position, having been a part-time Campus LOOP bus driver. He still holds his Commercial Driver's License with passenger and air brake endorsements.
Mr. Davidson has over forty-five years of retail business, management, and some finance experience. He currently serves as the Centre County Recorder of Deeds. He is a lifelong Centre Region resident and a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Business Administration.
Joe lives in the same home in Harris Acres in College Township that’s been in his family for over fifty years. He lives there with his wife, Wendy, and their son Hayden. In his spare time, Joe enjoys collecting and operating Lionel toy trains and is a muscle car enthusiast. He also serves as an active member and past Chief of the Boalsburg Fire Company and as Chartered Organization Representative for Boy Scout Troop 31 in State College.
Rob DeMayo – Ferguson Township
Rob DeMayo joined the CATA Board of Directors in 2024 and serves as the representative from Ferguson Township.
Mr. DeMayo is the Vice President of Operations, Venue Services, at Transportation Management Services. He is an accomplished operations and transport senior leader with a successful track record of developing short and long-term strategies, managing a large workforce across multiple venues and locations, producing detailed plans, and delivering in fast paced environments for multifaceted projects in the US and around the globe. His background includes work on Olympics and Paralympics, FIFA World Cups, and Commonwealth Games, amongst others. Prior to joining TMS, Rob served for nearly a decade as the Director of Transportation Services at Penn State University.
Mr. DeMayo is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Centre County and currently volunteers with the organization in support of the community. Originally from the Washington D.C. area, he moved to the region with his wife and children in 2014.
Margy Boal – Harris Township
Ms. Boal serves on the CATA Board of Directors as the representative from Harris Township.
She has over 30 years of diverse business experience, primarily in the financial services industry, retiring as a Senior Vice President with Citizens Bank. Her experience includes strategic planning, facility utilization, human resources, staff development, and daily operations. She has held many managerial/leadership roles with a background in a results-oriented service/sales culture, responsible for achieving customer and employee satisfaction, profitable growth, expense control, and employee development. She also has over ten years’ experience in a research and development environment, managing functions that include oversight for facility management, high-level sponsor events, and staff training and development. Ms. Boal is currently employed with Penn State University in major event planning.
Ms. Boal has served on multiple boards in the Centre Region including: former vice chair of the Central PA Chapter of SCORE; former board member of the Centre County United Way and Chair of the Funds Distribution Panel, where she was awarded the Leon T. Kneebone award for outstanding volunteerism; former board member of the Centre County Youth Service Bureau and Pennsylvania Centre Stage; as well as a 20-year veteran volunteer for Special Olympics. Ms. Boal also served on the board of directors for the Citizens Financial Group (CFG) Charitable Foundation, which administered $5 Million in annual giving across the CFG franchise.
A lifelong resident of Centre County, Ms. Boal is a resident of Harris Township.
Lon Beck - State College Borough
Lon Beck joined the CATA Board of Directors in 2022 as the representative from the Borough of State College.
Lon is a native of Ohio and a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College. He has worked in the field of transportation planning for both the seven-county Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency and the consulting firm of Dalton Dalton Little and Newport. Upon its formation in 1976, Lon joined The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, where he gained experience in numerous areas of transit operations. From 1983 through 2009 he owned and operated a motor coach tour business based in the Cleveland area.
Having a life-long interest in public transportation, Lon has observed transit operations in more than two hundred cities. Attracted to State College by the area’s natural beauty, the amenities of a university town, and the varied transit services provided by CATA, he has been a resident of Foxdale Village since 2013.
