The Bedford County Development Association adds new members to its board every year. These new faces bring fresh ideas and unique perspectives.
New members serving on the 2018 board include Brandi Hershey, Esquire, Law Office of Brandi J. Hershey; Lester Meck, retired educator and president of Saxton Borough Council; Marcia O’Rear, owner of StelTek Graphics; and Brian Pachtman, vice president of Reed, Wertz and Roadman.
Brandi Hershey brings a broad range of local insights and experiences to the board. She has worked with the Bedford Sunrise Rotary (past president), the Bedford County Bar Association (past president), Personal Solutions, Downtown Bedford, Inc., the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and Bedford County Pink Ribbon Fund. She served as a Prosecutor for 11 years in Blair and Bedford Counties. In 2010, she founded the Law Office of Brandi Hershey where she is engaged in general civil practice of law.
For Lester Meck, the work of BCDA should be focused on recruiting and growing businesses. “We need to continue to develop our workforce so that we can offer businesses an educated, dependable and productive workforce,” he noted. “My vison of success relies heavily on providing a skilled and trained workforce. We also need community buy-in.”
Marcia O’Rear’s vision for BCDA is the continuous improvement of the quality of life in the county by encouraging economic development. “New growth and sustaining our current world class companies are vitally important. We also need to preserve our wonderful natural resources and history,” she said.
O’Rear understands that there are hundreds of complicated details and intricacies in economic development. “Our projects can be filled with countless hours full of nerve-wracking details and sleepless nights,” she noted. O’Rear is eager bring in new business through the sale of the large pad-ready site in Business Park II.
Brian Pachtman brings a diverse background to the board including work with Backroads, a boutique travel company. Offering high-end international travel opportunities, Backroads enabled Pachtman to visit over 30 countries. He trained employees, designed new adventure travel trips and oversaw the quality of customer experience. He has an MBA from Babson College and was owner/operator of Ruya Sports in Boulder, CO prior to moving to the county.
“BCDA brings together government, business and the general community in a positive way. I want to help continue this,” he noted. “Jobs play a major role, of course, but parks and recreation, community events, and entrepreneurship incentives must all be combined to increase the draw of Bedford County as a whole.”