Meet the Candidates for Council 

At our June 22nd Annual Meeting, we will vote for new Council Members.  Each serves a two-year term and provides leadership for committees. 

Barbara Diamant: Barbara has previously served on Council and was instrumental in initiating our first Signature Project underwriting the cost of higher education for women in the early childhood education field. She recently won the Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Stephanie Hnatiw: She has a long and varied career in community service. She is the youngest person to ever sit on the board of directors of United Way. Stephanie has been board member of Quilts for Kids, a national organization where volunteer quilters transform fabric into patchwork quilts that comfort children. She has served on the Advisory Board of the Montgomery County Child Care Resource Developers.  She has served as Co-Chair of the black-tie fund raising dinner dance for Mercy Learning Center and also on the board of the Voloshky Performing Dance Academy. In recognition of some of her efforts, Stephanie received the C. David Goff Memorial Award from the YMCA of Philadelphia and Vicinity, Abington Branch, for Outstanding Example and Performance in the Advancement of Fundraising. She has been a successful grant writer to start a senior services program as well as breast health education to women living in the Bethlehem Housing Authority and Allentown Housing Authority properties. 

Valerie Lane: Graduated from Texas A & M. She moved to Allentown in 1990 with her husband and two children. She has always been involved in the community and was an elected member of the Parkland School District board for 8 years (1995-2003). For 12 years (1995-2007) Valerie was the Director of Community Service and Civic Engagement at Muhlenberg College. While in this position her office received the Allentown Human Relations Commission Award for their work connecting the College and the local community. They were also recognized by other agencies including 6th Street Shelter and Jefferson Elementary School in Allentown. Most recently Valerie lived in Germany where her husband had an international assignment. Returning to the area she is looking to use her energy in volunteer work. The WLI project with Central School is of great interest to her and she believes that her past work in fostering volunteer and community partners will make her an asset to this project. 

Kim Perry: Kim holds a master's degree in education administration. She has taught grades 2-3 for ten years. While raising her three children, she was very active in their schools. She has volunteered in food banks, tutored high school and college students, and led church youth groups. She currently serves on the advisory board of the Children's Home of Easton and tutors at the Fowler Literacy Center at ProJeCt of Easton. She has tutored teens and adults in English and math to earn their GEDs. She is a member of the Society of the Arts at the Allentown Art Museum where she volunteers and trains to give children and adult tours. Kim is currently learning Spanish and taking an interior design course at NYU.