Alumna Shelly Tolo plans Pennsylvania Governor’s Inauguration Ball

After graduating from Messiah, Shelly (Johnston) Tolo ’90 followed her heart through various career paths that brought her into the world of event planning, eventually landing her an award-winning company, TOLO Events. In the last four years, her company has won six Emerald City Applause Awards for various aspects of event planning including best nonprofit event, production, design/décor and logistics. What was Tolo’s latest big assignment? Plan Pennsylvania Governor-elect Tom Corbett’s Inaugural Ball.

Planning the Ball
On January 18, over 4,000 guests gathered at the State Farm Show Complex for an evening of musical entertainment, dancing and sampling regional specialties from the Commonwealth in celebration of Governor Corbett’s inauguration. Prior to the event, Tolo’s job was to plan the perfect evening in only two months. By  “having Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays all wrapped into that time frame, we had to be really strategic in the planning,” she said.  (more…)

On May 12 Messiah College publicly launched its Centennial Campaign—a $40 million fundraising effort to construct the Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts and to raise funds for student-focused initiatives and scholarship endowments.

At a dinner and program with trustees and community friends of the college, Messiah President Kim Phipps announced that the College has raised more than $30.7 million towards the campaign’s $40 million goal.

“I believe that there is no better time in our history, and no better way to honor the courage and vision of our founders, than through the initiation and successful completion of the Centennial Campaign,” said Phipps. “This comprehensive, $40 million fundraising initiative, inaugurated during Messiah’s Centennial year, will enable the College to fulfill a long-awaited dream and promise of a new worship and performing arts center.”

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