Town & Gown
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Toward a Creative Community: Erica Quinn of 3 Dots
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Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith sat down with Quinn via Zoom to discuss the types of programming that are available at 3 Dots Downtown, funding for the organization, and what it hopes to accomplish in State College.
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Switching Gears: David Pencek Reflects on Leaving a Well-Established Journalism Career in Mid-Life to Become a Lutheran Pastor
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Edited by Vilma Shu These past two years with the pandemic, we have all been jolted out of our comfort zone, leading us to ask the big questions about what matters and what is worth doing. It is not surprising that many people are now rethinking their careers. Sometimes in life, we put our dreams…
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Ezra Nanes Brings a Passion for Fairness, Justice and Equity to His Role as Mayor of State College
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Ezra Nanes will be sworn in as the 11th mayor of State College on Monday, to serve a four-year term. Nanes was elected with more than 3,100 votes on Nov. 2. As mayor, Nanes hopes to strengthen the relationship between the State College Borough Council, Penn State, and members of the local community. Nanes is…
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A Mission of Caring: Cheryl White Leads Centre Volunteers in Medicine as It Grows into a New, Larger Home
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Centre Volunteers in Medicine is a free medical and dental clinic, providing access to primary and preventive medical and dental care for individuals living in Centre County and those working in Centre County who live in surrounding counties that do not have a free clinic or programs to meet their needs. As executive director of CVIM, Cheryl White is…
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Creating Servant Leaders: Zach Barton and Leadership Centre County Help Participants Make a Difference in Their Community
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Zach Barton took the helm as executive director of Leadership Centre County in June 2020, in the middle of a pandemic. He succeeded Georgia Abbey, who had been in the role for two decades. Barton is a 2018 graduate of the Leadership program, a community leadership development organization with the mission to educate participants about…
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State Department Veteran Bob Persiko Leads the All-Volunteer Global Connections in Working to Build Bridges Across Cultures
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Robert Persiko spent the better part of his career helping foster connections with people from around the world, and in retirement, he’s continuing to bring cultures together.
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As President of State College NAACP, Lorraine Jones Works to Foster Conversation and Commitment That Brings Positive Change
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This interview appears in the April 2021 issue of Town&Gown. Now with more than 2,200 units and branches, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country. As the largest civil rights organization in the nation, its mission…
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Acting from the Heart: Shana Mark of Encompass Health Nittany Valley Aims to Be a Servant Leader
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Shana Mark joined Encompass Health Nittany Valley as director of business development in August 2020 and, among other things, has played a key role in the hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She serves as coordinator of the hospital’s COVID vaccine clinic.
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Lunch with Mimi: Trish Fulvio Finds Her Dream Job as the New Executive Director of Pink Zone
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Trish Fulvio, a generational Penn State alumna, is back in town from the Philadelphia area as the new executive director for Pink Zone. Fulvio tells Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith about how breast cancer has touched her life personally, her experience working as an executive director for several regional and national non-profit organizations, and her…
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Lunch with Mimi: Fritz Smith and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau Work to Make Centre County ‘a 365-Day-a-Year Destination,’ but Pandemic Has Hit Travel Sector Hard
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Fritz Smith is optimistic that after the pandemic, Centre County will be stronger than ever, and once again will become a destination of choice for leisure travelers, as well as a popular place to hold meetings and sporting events.