Portrait of Jonathan Kukta

Jonathan A. Kukta

Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President for Finance and Business/Treasurer

Jonathan Kukta was appointed as Special Assistant to Finance and Business for the Commonwealth Campuses at Penn State in July 2022. As the Special Assistant to Finance and Business, Jonathan is the liaison between the Finance and Business leadership team and the Directors of Business Services for the commonwealth campuses. This a critical role in communicating necessary Finance and Business strategic initiatives to the Directors of Business Services for the 20 commonwealth campuses. This appointment runs concurrently with his role as the Director of Business Services for Schuylkill Campus.

Jonathan joined Penn State in 2002 as Manager of Housing and Food Services at Penn State Berks. In 2006, he was promoted to Assistant Director of Housing and Food Services at Penn State Berks and Penn State Schuylkill. In 2007, he became the Director of Housing and Food Services for Penn State Hazleton, Penn State Schuylkill, Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Penn State Scranton. In, 2017, he assumed the Director of Housing and Food Services position at Penn State Berks, Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Lehigh Valley.

In 2021, he was appointed the Director of Business Services at Penn State Schuylkill, in this role he is responsible for facilities, operations, information technology, telecommunications, risk management, sustainability, emergency management, conference services, community outreach and serves as the liaison to University Police and Public Safety (UPPS), Housing and Food Services (HFS) and Barnes and Noble.

Jonathan has also served as an Adjunct Faculty member since 2008 teaching courses in Human Resources, Marketing and Hospitality Facility Operations and Design. He has also served as a guest writer for On-Campus Hospitality Magazine.

Kukta holds a Master of Business Administration from Alvernia University and a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from Penn State University.

Jonathan has been involved with the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) for twenty years and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the East Region. In 2020 he was awarded the association's Rising Star Award which represents 250 colleges and universities in thirteen U.S. States and Canada. At Penn State Kukta has received the 2011 Finance and Business, Quality Service/Quality People Leadership Award, the 2013 Finance and Business, Quality Service/Quality People Coaching and Mentoring Award, 2015 the Penn State Hazleton Student Government Association Service to Student Award, 2017 HFS William H. Reiber Outstaing Management Award and the 2017 Penn State Schuylkill Outstanding Alum Award.

In his community, Kukta serves on the Orwigsburg Planning and Zoning Board, the Greater Schuylkill Haven Area Business Association, the Schuylkill Haven, Island Park Commission and is a volunteer at the Orwigsburg Public Library.