Josh Klingerman '21 and The Dunn Group Create New Student Scholarship

For Josh Klingerman ’21, Bloomsburg has always been home.

Born and raised in Bloomsburg, Josh chose to stay close to home when he enrolled at Bloomsburg University in 2000. Although heavily recruited by colleges across the region as one of northeastern Pennsylvania's top high school quarterbacks, an in-home visit from legendary Huskies Head Football Coach Danny Hale and Offensive Coordinator Jim Monos convinced him that he could build something special right in his hometown.

More than two decades later, Josh is helping future Huskies do the same.

Working with the leadership of The Dunn Group, where he serves as a Commercial Insurance Advisor, Josh recently helped establish a new scholarship through the Bloomsburg University Foundation. Over the next four years, The Dunn Group have established a scholarship to support students pursuing degrees in Professional Sales at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, with preference given to student-athletes participating in football, wrestling, or baseball.

"As a proud Bloomsburg University alumnus and former student-athlete, I know firsthand the impact that higher education, mentorship, and athletics can have on shaping future leaders," Josh said. "This scholarship is our way of investing in students who are working hard both in the classroom and in competition."

For Josh, the scholarship is deeply personal.

His own journey at Bloomsburg helped shape not only his career, but also his approach to leadership, teamwork, and service.

As a member of the Huskies football team from 2000 to 2003, Josh was part of one of the most successful eras in program history, helping the team capture four PSAC championships. While his college playing career didn't unfold exactly as he had envisioned, the experience taught him lessons that continue to influence his life today.

"Winning trumps all," Josh said. "We had the right pieces in place to be very successful, and I was happy to be part of that. I never quit. I was always prepared when and if my number was called, thanks to the guidance and mentorship of my coaches and the values instilled in me by my parents."

Those lessons extended far beyond the football field.

"I came to Bloomsburg for football, but I stayed because of the relationships," Josh said.

Among the most influential were Hale and Monos, whose mentorship helped shape the way Josh approaches both his professional career and his role as a coach today.

"Being a coach is a rewarding experience," Josh said. "So much of what I've done both in my professional career and as a coach, I learned from Danny Hale and Jim Monos. From leadership and how I treat the people I work with and the athletes I coach, I learned from the best."

Today, Josh and his wife, Jackie (Zinn) Klingerman, whom he met while both were students at Bloomsburg, are raising their three children—JD, Gavin, and Sadie—in the same community they have always called home. Josh serves as an assistant varsity coach for both the football and baseball programs at Bloomsburg Area High School, continuing to mentor young people and pass along the lessons he learned as a student-athlete.

Professionally, Josh built a successful career in sales and marketing, first serving as Sales Manager for Bold Gold Media Group before joining The Dunn Group in 2014. Today, as a Commercial Insurance Advisor, he partners with business owners and organizational leaders to develop insurance, risk management, and employee benefits strategies tailored to their unique needs. The Dunn Group—a full-service insurance, employee benefits, and financial services firm with more than 250 years of combined experience through the merger of Henry Dunn, Inc. and Swan & Sons-Morss—has built its reputation on personalized service, strategic expertise, and long-term client relationships.

Those same values are what are led Josh to approaching company leaders Henry, Hank, and Bryant Dunn about establishing a scholarship at Bloomsburg.

"To me, this was a no-brainer," Josh said. "We've worked with the BU Foundation for years, and we know what they have done for our community and our students. They are the gold standard among foundations within the PASSHE system."

The decision to give was also influenced by Josh's own return to Bloomsburg. After changing majors late in his college career, he left just a few credits shy of earning his degree. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he found himself reflecting on unfinished goals and decided it was time to complete what he had started.

In 2021, he returned to Bloomsburg and earned his bachelor's degree.

"I was raised to never quit," he said. "And I couldn't imagine not continuing that winning trend I'd been a part of at Bloomsburg. It was also a great opportunity for me to show my kids and my family the importance of finishing what you start."

Today, through this new scholarship, Josh and The Dunn Group are helping ensure that future students have the same opportunities to learn, grow, compete, and succeed that made such a lasting impact on his own life.

"We believe in supporting the communities and institutions that help develop the next generation of professionals," Josh said. "We are honored to partner with Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg to help create opportunities for deserving students."