Governing Boards

The Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board (WDB) is the governing body of the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation (CPWDC), dba Advance Central PA, which serves the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Area. The largest geographically of the twenty-two workforce development areas in the Commonwealth, Advance Central PA encompasses the counties of Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union.

group of young professionals in a meeting

Local Elected Officials

The Local Elected Official (LEO) Board consists of one County Commissioner from each of our nine counties. The LEO Board provides oversight of Advance Central PA, ensuring fiscal accountability and fulfilling the crucial role of identifying and appointing the most qualified individuals to serve as members of the WDB.

In order to facilitate collaboration, the LEO Board meets quarterly in conjunction with the WDB.

*Local Elected Official Board Member

Centre County

Amber Concepcion
Steven Dershem*
Mark Higgins

Clinton County

Angela Harding*
James Russo
Jeff Snyder

Columbia County

Dean Brewer
Randy Karschner
David Kovach*

Lycoming County

Scott Metzger
Tony Mussare
Mark Mussina*

Mifflin County

Kevin Kodish
Robert Postal*
Mark Sunderland

Montour County

Rebecca Dressler*
Trevor Finn
Scott Lynn

Northumberland County

Meghan Beck
Joe Klebon*
Samuel Schiccatano

Snyder County

Adam Ewig
Joe Kantz
Chuck Steininger*

Union County

Preston Boop
Jeff Reber
Stacy Richards*

Workforce Development Board

WDB members represent private sector, organized labor, educational institutions, government agencies, economic development, community organizations, and organizations that offer services through the PA CareerLink^®.

These prominent leaders are appointed by the Local Elected Official (LEO) Board to offer their insight and assist in creating a strong workforce. The strength of the Central Pennsylvania WDB is its ability to transform innovative and creative ideas into workforce solutions that support economic growth.

Top priorities of the Central Pennsylvania WDB:

Identifying workforce issues
Understanding industry needs and aligning resources
Securing resources to address local priorities
Advocating for the importance of workforce policy
Increasing workplace readiness and foundational skills
Promoting life-long learning and skill development
Guiding investments in training initiatives
Offering PA CareerLink^®services that meet the workforce needs of employers
Positioning the Central PA CareerLink^® as the premiere place for job seekers to find employment and for businesses to find qualified talent and workforce solutions

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Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Board of Directors and Affiliations

Chairperson

Michele Foust

Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc.

Vice Chairperson

Vacant

Treasurer

Jim Stopper

Evangelical Community Hospital

Immediate Past Chairperson

Dave Zartman

Zartman Construction

Directors

Jay Alexander

Wayne Township Landfill

Talia Beatty

UPMC

Beth Gilmore

Kish Bank

Bruce Jones

Bureau of Workforce Partnership & Operations

Zollie Rayner

AFSCME Labor Union

Steve Stumbris

Bucknell University Small Business Development Center

Jamie Aurand

Lock Haven Rehabilitation & Senior Living

Kenneth Chappell

Lycoming and Tioga County Assistance Offices

Dean Girton

Girton Manufacturing Company

Keith Koppenhaver

International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE Local 66)

Jonathan Ritter

Playworld

Susan Swartz

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Jenna Witherite

Central Intermediate Unit 10

Jim Beamer

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW Local 812)

Misty Dion

Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living of NCPA

Jonah Howe

PPL Electric Utilities

Lynn Kuhns

Apex Homes of PA, LLC

Stephanie Servose

Geisinger Health System

Todd Taylor

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology

Standing Committees

Advance Central PA’s standing committees are permanent or semi-permanent bodies with specific responsibilities specializing in particular subject matter areas:

Executive Committee
Led by the WDB Chair and comprised of members from each of the other Standing Committees plus the LEO Board Chair, the WDB Vice-Chair, and WDB Past-Chair, the Executive Committee convenes to strategize and make decisions in lieu of full quarterly WDB meetings.

Governance Committee
Responsible for the integrity and oversight of compliance with statutory governance requirements, the Governance Committee includes volunteers from the WDB and LEO Board who implement a strategic approach to recruiting WDB members for LEO consideration.

Audit Finance Committee
Comprised of WDB and LEO Board members, and led by the WDB Treasurer, the Audit Finance Committee focuses on ensuring the fiscal and budgetary controls are operating efficiently and effectively and is responsible for approving the audit.

Policy & Performance Committee
Responsible for oversight of PA CareerLink^® plans and chartering, implementation of policies and procedures, and strategy to meet performance metrics; the WDB members of the Policy & Performance Committee are always seeking ways to continuously improve program delivery and operations.

EARN Committee
Comprised of WDB members and each of the County Assistance Office directors from across the region, the EARN Committee oversees the EARN program design and evaluates performance to ensure the offerings are family-centric and impactful.

Youth Committee
Comprised of WDB members, and other volunteers from youth-serving organizations across the region, the Youth Committee is responsible for oversight of Youth programming, recommending program providers, and sharing relevant issues and trends helpful to the overall mission of serving young people.

2024 Public Meeting Schedule

Meetings may shift to virtual or be cancelled with notice posted here at least 24 hours prior.
For questions regarding any meeting, please email hello@AdvanceCentralPA.org.