Spotlight: Dan Spencer

Dan Spencer is the emergency management coordinator for the northeast region of Pennsylvania, which includes, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley campuses. He is also responsible for tasks at University Park, including partnering with Intercollegiate Athletics and most recently, the COVID-19 Operations Control Center. 

“I like the variety of all the different ways I get to serve Penn State and all the people I've met and worked with,” Spencer said. “Nothing encapsulates this better than working football game day operations. From the early planning stages all the way through the end of the season - there are a million moving parts and it's truly fascinating to see it all come together to create a game day experience that is second to none.” 

Before joining Penn State, Spencer served as deputy director of Emergency Management with the Clearfield County Department of Public Safety. In that role, Spencer’s niches at the county level included radiological and HAZMAT planning and response; wilderness search and rescue; and lead planner for the county and its 60 municipalities, eight public school districts, and four correctional facilities. 

In his free time, Spencer enjoys spending time with is wife and children.  

“I like to say that I'm a year-round coach, whether it's baseball, softball, basketball, or football - the sports season never ends,” Spencer said.  

Spencer also enjoys carpentry, trout fishing, hunting, playing guitar and fantasy football. 

“​Like most folks in Pennsylvania, I've spent my entire life being a Penn State fan and enjoying the outdoors. While I've traveled all about this amazing country, I've yet to find a place whose natural beauty compares to central Pennsylvania. Of course, I haven't been to Wyoming or Alaska...yet,” Spencer said.