Kennedy Running for Reelection as Centre County Treasurer

Colleen Kennedy will run for a second term as Centre County treasurer, she announced on Friday.

Kennedy, a Democrat, was first elected as county treasurer in 2019 and succeeded Richard Fornicola, who chose not to pursue a sixth term. In a statement, she said she hopes to continue her efforts to fairly serve Centre County residents.

“I do not take for granted the trust that county residents placed in me when I was elected in 2019, and I will work to continue earning that trust,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy serves as the head of the county’s treasurer’s office, which receives and disburses funds as prescribed by the controller and the commissioners. The office also works in tandem with county departments to organize the receipt and disbursement of county funds while distributing payroll for approximately 550 county employees.

Achievements from Kennedy’s inaugural term include implementing Centre County’s first online dog licensing system, increasing accessibility to commonly used forms and expanding payment options accepted by the treasurer’s office. Currently, she is working to develop an online portal that would streamline filing and payment processes for Centre County’s hotel room tax, which funds community projects and activities through the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, according to a statement.

As interest rates increased in recent years, Kennedy helped transfer county investments into safer, higher-yield instruments that boosted interest earnings by approximately 500% over the previous year, according to a statement. Kennedy, a member of the county’s Retirement Board, also endorsed contracting with an investment manager for the county employees’ retirement fund — a move that is expected to save Centre County thousands of dollars for “years to come.”

Before becoming Centre County’s treasurer, Kennedy worked as an accountant for a local manufacturing company. Her career has also included employment as an accounting clerk, a government auditor and a treasurer for nonprofit organizations.

Kennedy said she has enjoyed her work as county treasurer and looks forward to continuing to serve Centre County.

“I came into office with the intention of ‘serving gladly,’ an idea that has affected every aspect of my work—whether it’s issuing dog licenses, helping nonprofits understand small games of chance rules, or being a responsible caretaker of the county’s financial resources,” said Kennedy, a State College resident. “It’s a genuine pleasure to be able to use my skills in service to the Centre County community.”

The municipal primary election is May 16. Candidates can circulate and file nomination petitions starting on Feb. 14.

Following her announcement on Friday, Kennedy is the latest county official to state intentions to run for reelection this year. She joins a long list of incumbents, including Commissioners Mark Higgins and Amber Concepcion, Register of Wills Christine Millinder, Coroner Scott A. Sayers, Recorder of Deeds Joseph Davidson, Controller Jason Moser, Prothonotary Jeremy Breon and Sheriff Bryan Sampsel.

Only two challengers so far have publicly launched campaigns for countywide positions: Marie Librizzi is running for commissioner and Robert Zeigler is running for recorder of deeds.