Campus
Mercy in Action
Board of Trustee John Kepner Awarded 2026 Honorary Degree
John C.S. Kepner, JD was awarded an Honorary Degree at the 2026 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony.
John has long supported initiatives aligned with GMercyU’s Mercy values, particularly those focused on diversity and social justice. During law school, he worked at Newark and Camden Legal Services, later joining a Philadelphia law firm where he helped staff at an after-hours poverty law office in West Philadelphia. John developed a health law practice, representing multiple Catholic hospital clients. After 22 years as a lawyer, John immersed himself in the healthcare field, providing strategic business development consulting services for healthcare organizations and holding leadership roles at University of Pennsylvania Health System and Redeemer Health.
John and his wife, Mimi, both served long tenures on the board of Episcopal Community Services, each holding the role of president at different times. He served on several other non-profit boards, including Health Spark Foundation, which supports racial and social equity causes and safety net organizations. John served on GMercyU’s Board of Trustees for nine years through June 2025, providing wisdom and guidance during a time of significant change at the University. When he learned that too many college students, including some at GMercyU, struggled with food and housing insecurity, he helped establish the College Student Basic Needs Program, which brought together GMercyU, Montgomery County Community College, and Manna on Main Street to expand on-campus access to healthy food options and provide affordable housing grants for students in need.
That initiative led to the formation of the Resilient Students Network, a nonprofit tax-exempt organization which John continues to serve as Board Chair. Resilient Students Network brings GMercyU together with five non-profit community organizations to support students experiencing food and/or housing insecurity at six college campuses across Montgomery County.
These initiatives were instrumental in expanding GMercyU’s own Catherine’s Cupboard. What started as grab and go shelf-stable food accessible under a stairwell at our old Mission House has grown into a multi-location resource offering fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable food and other necessities, including baby care and personal care products, gas cards, and emergency funding for our student community. John and Mimi, who live nearby, regularly volunteer at Catherine’s Cupboard.
John is also a co-founder and co-producer of the Race to Social Justice, an educational podcast series that covers racial and social justice issues, including some which address the five Critical Concerns of our Mercy Sisters: the Earth, Immigration, Anti-Racism, Non-Violence and Women.
John earned his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.
John and his wife, Mimi, both served long tenures on the board of Episcopal Community Services, each holding the role of president at different times. He served on several other non-profit boards, including Health Spark Foundation, which supports racial and social equity causes and safety net organizations. John served on GMercyU’s Board of Trustees for nine years through June 2025, providing wisdom and guidance during a time of significant change at the University. When he learned that too many college students, including some at GMercyU, struggled with food and housing insecurity, he helped establish the College Student Basic Needs Program, which brought together GMercyU, Montgomery County Community College, and Manna on Main Street to expand on-campus access to healthy food options and provide affordable housing grants for students in need.
That initiative led to the formation of the Resilient Students Network, a nonprofit tax-exempt organization which John continues to serve as Board Chair. Resilient Students Network brings GMercyU together with five non-profit community organizations to support students experiencing food and/or housing insecurity at six college campuses across Montgomery County.
These initiatives were instrumental in expanding GMercyU’s own Catherine’s Cupboard. What started as grab and go shelf-stable food accessible under a stairwell at our old Mission House has grown into a multi-location resource offering fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable food and other necessities, including baby care and personal care products, gas cards, and emergency funding for our student community. John and Mimi, who live nearby, regularly volunteer at Catherine’s Cupboard.
John is also a co-founder and co-producer of the Race to Social Justice, an educational podcast series that covers racial and social justice issues, including some which address the five Critical Concerns of our Mercy Sisters: the Earth, Immigration, Anti-Racism, Non-Violence and Women.
John earned his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.