On May 21, 2026, Valley Youth House held its 2026 Annual Meeting at the Lehigh Country Club in Allentown, PA. The event brought together board members, staff and community partners to reflect on the past year and share plans for what’s ahead.

The meeting opened with the Nominating Committee report by Kevin Greene, Nominating Chair with the election of Officers of the Board of Directors, and a welcome for new members joining the Agency’s Board of Governors.

The following individuals have been elected as new Board members:

Board of Directors:

• Officers:
• Chair, Maura E. Topper, President & CEO of CrossAmerica Partners
• Vice-Chair, Adrienne Bonser, Global Head of Equity Risk, Vanguard
• Treasurer, John T. Yurconic, President, The Yurconic Agency
• Secretary, Scott A. Gray, Former President & CEO of Clincierge
• Ad-Hoc Members:
• Thomas R. Ike, Executive Vice President, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
• Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing, Communications and Consumer Experience Officer, Jefferson Health
• Tom Salvaggio, CEO, CAI

.
Board of Governors – Central PA:

• Chair:
• Tammy Derk, Vice President, Children’s Service Line at Penn State Health
• Members:
• Lauren Fenner, CPA, Audit Principal, BrownPlus
• Jeremy B. Wigginton, MD, MBA, FAAFP, Chief Medical Officer, Capital Blue Cross

.

Board of Governors – Lehigh Valley:

• Chair & Vice-Chair:
• Anne Baum, Chair, and Founder, Vision Accomplished, LLC
• Adam McMahon, Vice Chair, Market President for Lehigh Valley and Northeastern PA at Truist Commercial Community Bank
• Members:
• Lawrence Corcoran, Executive Business Lead, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
• Kim Custer, Retired, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
• Vicki Doulé, Lehigh Valley Executive & Vice President, Community Impact & Market Development, Capital Blue Cross
• Jodi Frankelli, Ed.D. Chief Pupil Services Officer, Bethlehem Area School District
• Michelle Gaynor, Managing Partner, Klunk & Millan
• Erin Ludwig, Executive Director, Community Engagement, Marketing & Communications, Jefferson
• Rachel K. McDevitt, Vice President, Human Resources, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
• Lindsey Parks, Executive Director, Grant Development & Institutional Advancement, Allentown School District
• Blake Ritchey, HR Business Partner, Victaulic
• Michael G. Starner, Senior Business Development & Government Affairs Manager, Service Electric Cable TV & Communications
• Ray J. Starner, Retired, Morgan Stanley

.

Board of Governors – Southeast PA:

• Chair and Vice Chair:
• Julie Bartl, Chair, President, Johnson Kendall Johnson
• Eric Ritter, Vice Chair, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking, Citizens Bank
• Members:
• James W. Hoolehan, PA, President of Penntex Construction
• Kevin Greene, Chief Operating Officer, Faces International
• Daniel E. McGuire, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

.

The following are outgoing Board of Directors members:

• Mike Gausling, Outgoing Treasurer, Founder, One Putt Ventures
• Kevin Greene, Outgoing Nominating Committee Chair, Chief Operating Officer, Marketing & Development, Faces International
• Adrienne Bonser, Outgoing Southeast Board of Governors Chair, Global Head of Equity Risk, The Vanguard Group, Inc.
• Kathryn M. Brown, CFPⓇ, ChFCⓇ , CAP®,  Outgoing Lehigh Valley Board of Governors Chair,  Founder and Principal, Morton Brown Family Wealth, LLC
• Patricia A. Higgins,  Outgoing Central Region Board of Governors Chair, Senior Vice President, Health Care Delivery, Capital Blue Cross

.

The following are outgoing Board of Governors members:

• Cynthia Y. Mota, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Centro Multi-Services
• Michael Rice, Retired, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Follett Products, LLC
• Catherine Collis, Vice President, Platform Strategy, Publicis Health Media
• Laurie Hackett, Retired, Air Products

 

Valley Youth House leadership and Board members presented a comprehensive program, highlighting the agency’s 2025 financial report and previewing an exciting lineup of upcoming events including the 8th Annual Southeast Golf Tournament presented by Holt Logistics, 41st Annual John E. Walson, Jr. Memorial Golf & Pickleball Tournament presented by Service Electric Cable TV & Communications and CAI, 2nd Annual Central Golf Tournament presented by Capital Blue Cross, and the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo slated for Fall 2026. Gratitude was also expressed for the community support received through third-party events like the Teddy Bear Toss at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Fanatics Global Volunteer Day, Vans of the Lehigh Valley Mall, and the National Alliance for Medicaid in Education Conference Committee.

Attendees were also given a snapshot of the agency’s 2025 program outcomes, illustrating the scope and impact of services provided across the region.

In honor of the country’s 250th anniversary, this year’s program was titled, “The Road to Independence.” The title mirrors the core mission of Valley Youth House to guide and support vulnerable young people as they navigate their own individual journeys toward stability and self-sufficiency.

Bringing this theme to life, guests heard inspiring remarks from three youth speakers, Angelize, Roseylee, and Aniya, who shared their unique stories of finding their own roads to independence with the support and guidance of Valley Youth House staff.

In a fitting conclusion to the event, the Mission Impact Award was presented to all three of these courageous young speakers.

For more pictures from the event, please view our photo album. Use download PIN 1140 when prompted.