For immediate release
October 18, 2022
Contact: Jackie Herbstritt
Email: jackie@communityedcenter.com
Phone: 814-781-3437
Leadership Elk & Cameron Experiences Tourism & Environment
The Community Education Center’s Leadership Elk & Cameron program (LEC) completed its monthly session on Tourism and the Environment. Participants began by exploring and learning about the East Branch Dam. Army Corps of Engineers’ park ranger, Erik Gore, discussed the purpose of the dam, the repairs that were recently completed, and provided a couple demonstrations on routine testing and maintenance. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission provided a brief presentation on their hatcheries and conservation efforts and released 6,000 lake trout into the lake.
Following the visit to the dam, the class travelled to the Straub Brewery Visitor’s Center and Taproom for a tour and lunch, sponsored by the Stackpole-Hall Foundation. Participants learned about the history of the brewery, its expansion of products over the years, the addition of the taproom and gift shop, and how the site is a busy stop for many tourists.
The session wrapped up with an extensive walking tour of Emporium, led by Josh Zucal, marketing director for Cameron County. Participants visited and met with dozens of local entrepreneurs and business owners and discussed the revitalization efforts throughout downtown. One participant commented, “the amount of work and relationship building and time the people of Emporium dedicate to each other and their town is so impressive.”
This year’s participants are: Rachel Barrett, self-sponsored; Tyler Cuneo, Horizon Technologies; Cortney Fritz, Gasbarre Products; Shannon Gittermann, Domtar; Jodi Guisto, Northern PA Regional College; Joe Jacob, Boys & Girls Club of St. Marys; Katie Lenze, North Central Regional Planning; Bryan Linton, Dickinson Center; Kasey McClain, Elk County Housing Authority; Jesse Schreiber, St. Marys Area High School; Brandon Smith, CNB Bank; Nikki Delhunty, Kinetic by Windstream, Andy Urmann, Amphenol; Seth Weible, APG Sintered Metals; Jennifer Wonderly, Northwest Bank.
The goals of Leadership Elk & Cameron are to increase community awareness and understanding, provide opportunities for collaborative leadership and relationship building, and to foster and promote civic readiness. A small group community improvement project is one component of the Leadership program. The objective of the community improvement experience is to provide participants with an opportunity to learn how to make a direct and visible impact in their communities through service to a community need, organization or agency.
More information on the Leadership program can be found at http://www.communityedcenter.com, or by contacting the CEC at (814) 781-3437.
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Photo attached: The Leadership Elk & Cameron program visited the East Branch Dam on October 12th. L to R: Kasey McClain, Jennifer Wonderly, Rachel Barrett, Katie Lenze, Kate Brock, Cortney Fritz, Erik Gore, Bryan Linton, Tyler Cuneo, Jodi Guisto, Jesse Schreiber, Brandon Smith, Any Urmann, Joe Jacob, and Seth Weible