MONACA, Pa. — Penn State alumnus Jamie Orlando will deliver the commencement address at Penn State Beaver’s spring 2026 graduation ceremony on May 8.
Orlando, vice president of market development for the clinical group at Life Science Connect, graduated from Penn State Behrend in 1997 with a degree in plastics engineering technology.
After earning his degree, Orlando joined Rubbermaid as a product design engineer where he said he worked alongside 11 other Penn Staters.
Orlando eventually moved back to Pennsylvania to join a German engineering firm, Draeger, in Pittsburgh, where he spent 12 years and transitioned from engineering into project and people management. He credits good leadership at Draeger for recognizing his potential and investing in his development.
While still working in engineering, Orlando began exploring real estate and entrepreneurship. He and his wife purchased a franchise with three Pittsburgh-area stores, prompting him to leave the corporate world in 2012. His wife handled accounting, drawing on her background, while he focused on people management, marketing and sales.
The couple eventually sold the business, and Orlando returned to corporate work in 2017.
While working in a consulting role in project management, Orlando said he realized the organization had a need for marketing support, and he volunteered to help. That led to a full-time marketing position, where he expanded into sales and became active in the American Marketing Association. He was eventually elected president of the organization.
Orlando developed an interest in branding and “became enthralled with social media” and how it works and how strategy can impact a business.
He became particularly intrigued by how one Colorado store’s online engagement created a feedback loop that boosted visibility. That curiosity led him to LinkedIn, where he began applying personal branding principles to his own professional presence. As his expertise grew, he started consulting for corporate clients.
Orlando — who has been a regular contributor to student networking events at Penn State Beaver — said he enjoys connecting with students and finds it rewarding to help them think about their futures.
Orlando’s appearance at Penn State Beaver continues a personal tradition of giving back to universities, something he said he values deeply as he reflects on the opportunities that shaped his own career.