CCEDC Board of Directors & Staff
The backbone of the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation are our Board of Directors and staff, who keep our organization strong and operating according to the bylaws of our organization. They are our leaders and decision makers, who are responsible for our tremendous growth over the years in both membership and in the programs and services we offer.
CCEDC Executive Board of Directors:
PATRICK REILLY
President
Mauch Chunk Trust
RONALD TIRPAK
Vice President
Independent Business Owner
JARED MC EVOY
Secretary
Miers Insurance
BARBARA GREEN
Treasurer
Blue Mountain Resort
CCEDC Board of Directors:
MARSHALL WALTERS
Architectural Polymers
JOE RUSSO
PenTeleData
GIRVIN JANICKI
Walmart
MARK SVERCHEK
Spott-Sverchek Insurance Agency
JOHN NESPOLI
St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus / Palmerton Campus
TERRENCE J. PURCELL
Lehigh Valley Health Network
WAYNE NOTHSTEIN
Carbon County Board of Commissioners
MAUREEN DONOVAN
Lehigh Carbon Community College
JANE GEORGE
PPL Electric Utilities
MARLYN KISSNER
Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
SAMUEL HELLEN
Pocono Counties Workforce Development Area
CCEDC Staff
KYLIE ADAMS-WEISS, Senior Vice President
Kylie Adams-Weiss is the Senior Vice President of the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development.
Kylie comes to the Chamber with a background in fine arts, sales and development, and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Her passion is found in connecting the communities she loves with opportunities for economic and cultural growth; with almost a decade working in special events, Kylie thrives most when she is working to create community collaboration and engagement for local businesses and residents.
After beginning at the Chamber in July 2019, Kylie worked as the Marketing & Events Coordinator for the Allentown Chamber & Downtown Allentown Business Association. In November 2019, Kylie transitioned into her role in the Affiliated Chambers, utilizing her experience to work with communities and businesses Lehigh and Northampton County, and in 2021, Kylie took put her passion for design and marketing to work as she moved into the role of Director of Marketing & Design for the Affiliated Chambers team, overseeing the design and marketing initiatives for the 9 Affiliated Chambers and (eventually) Easton and Allentown initiatives. Now, in 2024, Kylie has embraced the opportunity to bring her passions home - as a Palmerton resident, she is excited to spearhead the great initiatives of the Carbon Chamber, supporting the businesses and communities that make up our strong county!
In her free time, Kylie practices what she preaches! She can be found around Carbon and the Lehigh Valley, supporting our members and enjoying all that makes our region great! She's happiest in her kitchen, her art studio, kayaking on the Lehigh River or hanging with the people (and pets) that she loves.
BRENDA SACCO, Director of Economic Development
Brenda Sacco is the director of economic development for the CCEDC. In her position, Brenda is dedicated to supporting the growth and development of existing businesses, attracting new businesses and industries, creating and retaining family-sustaining jobs and enhancing the quality of life in Carbon County. She also administrates state-funded PIDA loans as well as two in-house, low-interest loan programs along with the Carbon County Industrial Development Authority. Brenda serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the NEPA Alliance and the Multimodal Transportation Organization (MPO) Policy Committee. Brenda is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School and Drexel University. She earned a degree in Accounting and Finance from the LeBow College of Business. Brenda began her financial career in 1994 in New York, New York at Credit Lyonnais as a Financial Analyst. She later joined Lehman Brother’s where she worked as Vice President for 8 years, with her main concentration in the Equity Markets. Moving back to Pennsylvania, Brenda joined First National Community Bank and worked as Vice President for over 3 years and was recently the Deputy Director of Finance and Operations for over 6 years and the Director for the Department of Planning and Economic Development at Lackawanna County for 4 years. She has over 25 years of experience in financial services, including finance, investments, accounting, audit, strategic planning, profitability analysis, administration, project management, budgeting, forecasting, sales, marketing and economic and community development. Brenda has obtained several licenses over the course of her career including, General Securities Representative (Series 7, 66 and 31), PA Life and Health Insurance and a Pennsylvania Real Estate Salesperson License. She also served as the Executive Director of the Lackawanna County Redevelopment Authority and the Lackawanna County Planning Commission and was a Board member of MetroAction, the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board, Lackawanna County Land Bank, Lackawanna County Workforce Development Board, Lackawanna County Industrial Development Authority Board, Penn’s Northeast, NEPA Alliance, PennDOT Technical and Coordinating Committees, and was the Vice President of the Veterans Resource Coalition of NEPA. She resides in Dunmore with her children, husband and four dogs.
LINDA REX, Administrative Assistant
E-MAIL LINDA | Call CCEDC Office- 610-379-5000
Linda Rex is the administrative assistant for the CCEDC and has been with the organization since 2013. In her position, Linda works directly with members and the general public providing information, event assistance, and program administration. She is also the program coordinator for Leadership Carbon and works directly with the students, instructors, and various organizations involved in the program. In addition, Linda coordinates the “First Step” Program for Carbon County through Wilkes University Small Business Development Center allowing business owners and future entrepreneurs to receive free business consulting at the CCEDC office.
JESSICA O'DONNELL-GOWER, EVP of Affiliated Chambers for The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corp.
Jessica O’Donnell-Gower is the executive vice president of Affiliated Chambers for The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, a top ten Chamber in the Nation, and the Carbon Chamber & Economic Corporation. Jessica began her nine-year tenure with the Chamber in February 2014, playing an integral role in leading several of the Chamber’s partnerships and mergers to support its regionalization strategy, including Emmaus Main Street Partners, Whitehall Area Chamber, and most recently, the Nazareth Area Chamber. The efforts of Jessica, her team, and volunteer board members prove that the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber is not just a Chamber of Commerce, but also a Chamber of Communities. Jessica and her team of four work with the East Penn, Greater Bath Area, Greater Northern Lehigh Area, Hellertown-Lower Saucon, Nazareth Area, Northampton Area, Southern Lehigh, Western Lehigh, and Whitehall Area Chambers of Commerce, along with the Emmaus Main Street Partners and the Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation. Jessica strives to carry out the Chamber’s mission of improving the economy and quality of life throughout the entire Lehigh Valley by connecting key business and community leaders across her Affiliated Chambers footprint. Originally from Carbon County, Jessica received a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from East Stroudsburg University and her Master’s Degree at Cedar Crest College. Her most recent accomplishment included being named one of the Lehigh Valley Business’ 2021 “Forty Under 40” and Lehigh Valley Business’ 2021 “Women of Influence.” She was also awarded an official key to the Borough of Hellertown at their 2019 Saucon Valley Community Center Annual Dinner for her leadership and advancements in the Hellertown-Lower Saucon area. In 2015, Pennsylvania State Representative Justin Simmons invited Jessica to Harrisburg to recognize and acknowledge her for her impact in the Borough of Emmaus.