On Topic

Mark Higgins might be the least surprised person in Centre County about the development boom along the Benner Pike on the way to Bellefonte. “I was telling people seven or nine years ago, Bellefonte is the next hotspot,” says Higgins, who is now chairman of the Centre County Board of Commissioners. “And virtually everybody said…

As he walks the halls of the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, Bob Smith presides over perhaps the most diverse place on Penn State’s University Park campus. For Smith, director of the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Development, which operates Pasquerilla and Eisenhower Chapel, that diversity is a source of pride—and hope—in a world where respecting differences…

Tyler Gum applies a trusted litmus test while leading the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg. “If your barometer is ‘Can you explain what you’re doing or what you’re going to do to a Gold Star Family [who lost a loved one during military service] and feel good about it,’ then that passes the test,” says…

As the founding conductor of The Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, Douglas Meyer had to focus on much more than making beautiful music. Meyer spent twenty-two years seeking suitable places to rehearse and perform in Centre County. The chamber orchestra’s plight is familiar among performing arts organizations in the region. “It occurred to me that I wasn’t…

Even with 100,000-plus people packing Beaver Stadium on home football Saturdays this fall, Dana Crouse should be easy enough to spot. Chances are, you’ll find her leaning out a second-floor window of the press box from time to time, listening to the crowd. As the director of marketing and fan experience for Penn State football,…

As president and general manager of the State College Spikes, Scott Walker says his philosophy starts with “yes.” “It’s always been one of our main objectives to just do the right thing,” he says.  Walker, who’s been with the Spikes since December 2008, said “yes” to Coaches vs. Cancer of Penn State, which he serves as…

Pamela Snyder Etters sees art as a source of empowerment for anyone who interacts with it. “You’re providing the tools, and they are the ones that are running with it,” says Etters, the new executive director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts. Succeeding Rick Bryant, who retired in January after leading the organization…

Celesta Powell works in human service, which helps explain why she keeps so busy. “I work until the human is served,” she says. “And the human is never served.” You’ll see the fruits of her latest effort to serve humankind on the streets and in the sky above State College on July 4. As the…

Centre Safe 24-Hour Hotline: 814-234-5050 Jennifer Pencek wanted to be a journalist from the time she joined her school’s newspaper club in fifth grade. But while she made that dream a reality after college, she never felt like she’d fully found her calling. “I love writing. I still do freelance writing,” she says, noting that…

From his time on the basketball court at Penn State to his work as a counselor, to his two decades as a State College school administrator, Curtis Johnson has spent the better part of his life helping people achieve goals. Now, with the encouragement of others, he’s achieved a significant career milestone of his own…