New Officers Begin Terms for KU Council of Trustees

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The Kutztown University Council of Trustees has new officers serving in leadership roles for the next two years, as approved at its June meeting. Kevin Harden Jr. '07, Esq., will serve as chair; Phillips Armstrong '71 will serve as vice chair; and Sandy Green will serve as secretary.

The 11-member KU Council of Trustees sets broad policy and direction for Kutztown University of Pennsylvania with the assistance of the university president.

Kevin Harden Jr. '07, Esq., joined the KU Council of Trustees in 2020. He currently serves as chair, after completing terms as secretary in 2024 and vice chair in 2026.

Harden practices law in Philadelphia, Pa. at Harden Crichton, P.C., a firm he founded in 2026 with fellow trial lawyer Troy R. Crichton, Esq. Prior to founding Harden Crichton, Harden was a partner with Ross Feller Casey LLP. Over the course of his career, Harden has worked tirelessly to rebuild the lives of families impacted by catastrophic events. He has worked on a series of significant cases, including as second-chair trial counsel in a record-setting $9.6 million verdict in a Berks County medical malpractice case (the highest personal injury verdict in Berks County history). He was also a member of the team that exonerated Terrance Lewis, a Philadelphia man who served more than 21 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In June 2020, Harden won a then-record-breaking $6.25 million settlement for Lewis, the highest non-DNA exoneration resolution in Pennsylvania history at the time.

Overall, Harden has assisted in the recovery of more than $100 million for individuals and families impacted by the negligence of others and corporations and governments in wrongful death, medical malpractice, premises liability, gun violence, birth injury, civil rights and product liability cases.

Early in his career, Harden worked in the white collar and commercial litigation practice groups of national law firm Eckert Seamans Cherin and Mellott, LLC. While there, he represented corporations and their executives in sensitive government investigations and business litigation. Harden defended matters involving numerous federal and state investigative agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities Exchange Commission, the Office of Foreign Asset Control, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office and numerous other state and municipal investigative and regulatory agencies.

As lead counsel, Harden has tried more than 25 trials to jury verdict and numerous bench trials in both state and federal courts. He has represented corporations in professional malpractice, breach of contract, consumer rights, real estate, civil rights, product liability, construction, whistleblower, medical malpractice, class action and mass tort litigation.

Harden began his career as a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. He is originally from West Philadelphia and attended Philadelphia public schools. He graduated from Kutztown University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Paralegal Studies with a minor in Political Science. After Kutztown, he attended the Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Harden has been recognized as "Outstanding Young Lawyer" by the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia, "Best of the Bar" for Personal Injury Litigation by the Philadelphia Business Journal, a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" by the Legal Intelligencer, "Community Hero" by non-profit Uplift Solutions, "40 Under 40" by City and State PA, "Friend of the Year" by the Urban Affairs Coalition, the "Amber Racine Award" from the Pennsylvania Association of Justice, the "Haddon, McClellan and Richardson Alumni Award" from the Temple University Beasley School of Law Black Law Student Association and the "Black Rose Award" from Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Harden is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the founder of West Philadelphia Taekwondo and Sport Karate – a martial arts studio in the neighborhood where he began practicing Taekwondo more than 25 years ago. He has served in leadership positions within numerous professional associations and nonprofit organizations, including the Barristers' Association of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Public Interest Law Center, the Urban Affairs Coalition, the Pennsylvania Police Reform Working Group, the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts and the Defender Association of Philadelphia.

Harden resides in the West Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia and is the proud father of two girls – Sasha and Lynnex.

One of the first things that Phillips Armstrong '71 learned in life was the importance of a strong work ethic and a dedication to making a difference in the community. His mother was his first teacher; and those important and early life lessons motivated Armstrong to choose a path that improved the lives of others.

Armstrong joined the KU Council of Trustees in 2020. He currently serves as vice chair of the council, after completing a term as secretary in 2026.

Armstrong found his first passion for public service in education. He graduated from Kutztown University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and a minor in social studies and obtained his master's degree in education in 1975. He settled in Whitehall Township, where he taught social studies for more than 40 years.

Armstrong brought creativity and innovation to the classroom, ensuring that his students were always provided with real-world experiences, cutting-edge lessons and that they learned skills critical to their success as adults. His students continue to express their gratitude to him to this day.

Armstrong also served as the girls' basketball coach at Whitehall, where he fought to ensure that the school provided equal access to equipment and training facilities. He is a member of the Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame and the Whitehall High School Hall of Fame.

Armstrong's quality in the classroom earned him praise and respect from his peers. During his time in the Whitehall School District, he rose to be chair of the Social Studies Department. He was also selected to serve as the Secondary Education Chairperson for the Middle States Council on Social Studies, where he worked to develop a standardized exam for social studies.

Armstrong's retirement from education led him to his next venture in public service, when he was appointed to the Whitehall Board of Commissioners. He moved quickly to bring civility and common sense to the board and was elected by his peers to be board president.

His leadership produced a reduction in the local garbage tax, and he held the line on all other forms of taxation in Whitehall. The township has a capital plan to replace needed emergency services equipment, a fully funded police pension system.

Armstrong remains an active member of his community. He serves as the executive director of The County Executives of America, the first vice president of the National Association of Regional Councils and the treasurer of the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. He also is a member of the Whitehall Lion's Club.

Armstrong continues to reside in Whitehall Township with his wife, Annette. He has five grandchildren – Jake, Elizabeth, Ava, Olivia and Savanna. His children have inherited both his hard work and desire to make a difference.

His daughter, Katie, is a Penn State graduate with an MBA from Saint Joseph's University, currently working as a technology department manager at Vanguard Corporation. She also teaches online courses at two local colleges. His daughter, Jessica, graduated from Bloomsburg University, and together with her husband, Jake, founded the successful company, Mathway. His son, Phillips Jr., attended Temple University and Colorado State University. He now owns 11 restaurants in Colorado and is a competitive skier, ranked fifth in the master's division internationally.

Sandy Green began her service on the KU Council of Trustees in 2023. She currently serves as secretary of the council.

Born on a farm in Maxatawny Township, Green is a lifelong resident of the Kutztown area. She served as mayor of the Borough of Kutztown for 12 years, was the first female ever to hold that position and was the former vice president of Kutztown Community Partnership. Green was presented the Kutztown University President’s Medal in December 2017, the first female recipient and the first non-KU alumnus to receive the medal.

Part of her mission as mayor was to be a liaison between the borough and the university, to create positive town-and-gown relations that benefit the entire community. Green is a regular fixture on campus, attending most events and annually riding a shuttle bus on Move-In Day to welcome families to the community and answer questions.

During her tenure, the borough achieved Main Street status with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. She served on the board of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust Board.

Green also serves the university as its community liaison and government relations assistant, where she acts as a liaison between Kutztown University, Kutztown Community Partnership, Kutztown Borough, Maxatawny Township, various community/business organizations and the public.

Dennis A. Giorno '94 concluded his two-year term as chair of the KU Council of Trustees in June 2026 and will continue to serve on the executive committee as the outgoing chair. Giorno is a partner in the firm of Malady and Wooten, Inc., Harrisburg, focusing on governmental and public affairs.

To learn more about the KU Council of Trustees, visit their website.