Meet The Staff Behind The Pageant
The current team directing the Miss Teen, Miss, and Mrs. Pennsylvania International Pageant has been doing so since 2004. They also directed the International Pageants in NY from 2008-2015, OH from 2010-2012, and NJ from 2009-2017. Stability is important when you look for a system in which to compete. You get that continuity and solid foundation with Pennsylvania International. Let's meet our principle staff:
Jodi Cessna, director of the Mrs., Miss, and Miss Teen Pennsylvania International Pageants, has been involved in the Mrs. International system since 1996. She was the 1st runner-up to Mrs. Ohio International in 1996 and to Mrs. Pennsylvania International in 2000 before becoming Mrs. Pennsylvania International in 2003. She has been married to Scott Cessna since 1989 and they have two daughters. Jodi was honored with the Director-of-the-Year award at the 2008 Mrs. International Pageant and at the 2013 and 2017 Miss Teen & Miss International Pageant. She was recently selected as one of The Pageant Planet's Top 10 State Pageant Directors in ANY system. Jodi has been the executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation since 1998. She is board member of the Leadership Blair County Alumni Association, and was awarded a Leadership Blair County Fellow in 2004. She is a Past President of the Rotary Club of Altoona, a former Assistant Governor in Area 11 of District 7360 and was awarded the Four Avenues of Service Award in 2006. Jodi is also a member of the Western Pennsylvania Advisory Council of M&T Bank and has received numerous community service and public speaking awards. Jodi and Scott own and operate ALTO Associates LLC, a full-service event planning and production company. Visit them online at www.alto-associates.com.
E-Mail: jcessna@papageants.com
Scott Cessna is the Chief Financial Officer of the Park Home family of companies. Involved in the pageant industry all his adult life, Scott has served as an Auditor, Judge, and Producer in both the Miss America Organization and the International Pageants and was named 2008 Director of the Year in the Mrs. International Pageant and the 2013 and 2017 Miss Teen & Miss International Pageant. He is Chairman of the Board of AMTRAN and was the 2007 Recipient of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce Servant Leadership Award. A 10-year veteran of the United States Air Force, Scott has been married to his wife Jodi since 1989 and they have 2 daughters, Samantha and Kristin.
E-Mail: scessna@papageants.com
Samantha serves as the Emcee and Stage Manager of the PA International Pageants. Outside of pageantry, she is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and a minor in History. Samantha works as a full time substitute teacher.
Debi Swarner serves as Judges Chairperson for the NJ and PA International Pageants. She serves as Associate Director of the Career Center at Dickinson College in Carlisle. She formerly served as the Executive Director of the Miss Penn State Scholarship Pageant and was a former member of the Miss Pennsylvania (America) state pageant board.
Amanda Leber serves as Director of Marketing and Social Media for the PA International Pageants. Amanda is a liason between potential contestants and the pageant staff leading our efforts in recruiting both in person at events around the state and utilizing our extensive online presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. She is available to any potential contestant to answer questions about competing in the Pennsylvania International Pageants. She serves as the orgainzation's Social Media Director. Amanda is a Graduate of Slippery Rock University with a degree in Elementary Education. She was crowned Miss Pennsylvania International 2014 and returned to capture the title of Mrs. Pennsylvania International 2017. She earned a Top 10 finish at the Mrs. International 2017 pageant in Charleston, WV. Amanda has been married to her husband Chris since 2015. They reside in Pittsburgh.
E-mail: aleber@papageants.com