February 16, 2021
The Community Giving Foundation recently welcomed five new board members to its Board of Directors.
Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver
A lifelong resident of Northumberland County, Rep. Culver has lived her life in service to her community. After graduating from Shikellamy High School and earning a political science degree from Bloomsburg University, Rep. Culver began her career as a staff leader in the office of former state Rep. Merle Phillips. She has served as representative of Pennsylvania’s 108th Legislative District for over 10 years.
Rep. Culver has worked throughout her years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to promote fiscal responsibility, early childhood education, job/business growth and support for Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry. Through her position on the House Appropriations Committee, she plays a key role in allocating Pennsylvania’s budget for the fiscal year and ensuring these important programs get the funding they need. Rep. Culver currently lives in Rockefeller Township with her husband and son. The family is active at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Sunbury.
“I am incredibly excited by this opportunity to support the community I love so much. Having grown up, received my education, and raised my family here, it has always been important to me to give something back to the place that has given so much to me. I feel the Foundation is passionately dedicated to supporting our local area, and I hope my work with them helps to make this an even better place to live, learn, work, and raise a family.”
Mr. Thomas Kapelewski
Mr. Kapelewski has held various positions at SEIKISUI KYDEX in Bloomsburg and is currently the Facilities Manager. He attended Penn State University receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering. He has extensive knowledge in 5S, Kaizen, and manufacturing process improvement technologies.
Mr. Kapelewski is a board member of the following local programs and organizations: Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg; Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce (member and past chairperson); Columbia-Montour Chamber Foundation (chairperson); MADE in Central PA; Central Columbia High School 339 and Technology boards; Vo-Tech Perkins. He is also a board member with several Penn State organizations. Mr. Kapelewski resides with his wife in the Lightstreet area. They have two sons.
“I fully appreciate the opportunity to be a part of such a worthwhile, regional Foundation. I look forward to working with the board and staff to disseminate funding to many programs and organizations to enhance our local communities.”
Mrs. Marissa Marshall Golla, Esq., CELA
Mrs. Marshall Golla is a founding partner at Kreisher Marshall & Associates, LLC in Bloomsburg who specializes in all areas of elder law. She is one of only 66 certified elder law attorneys (CELA) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a distinction earned from the National Elder Law Foundation as authorized by the PA Supreme Court. A native of Indiana, she obtained her BA from Purdue University and later obtained her JD from Western Michigan University – Cooley Law School.
Mrs. Marshall Golla is a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Columbia-Montour Bar Association, and is an accredited attorney with the Department of Veterans Affairs. She serves on the Elder Law Council of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Elder Law Section, and is a co-editor for the Elder Law Section newsletter. Mrs. Marshall Golla is a regular presenter for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute continuing education programs. Additionally, she is actively involved with Bloomsburg Kiwanis Club. Mrs. Marshall Golla resides in Orangeville with her husband and daughter.
“As a board member with the Community Giving Foundation, I look forward to giving back to the community that has welcomed me with open arms and witnessing first-hand how lives are changed through the generous spirit of our community and its residents.”
Mr. Harry Mathias
Mr. Mathias retired in 2019 after 35 years at Central Columbia School District as a teacher, administrator and coach, including the last 19 as superintendent. He has since formed a private consulting firm to assist school districts and other entities with leadership development skills. This work includes professional development for regional superintendents, business administrators and curriculum specialists. Additionally, Mr. Mathias works with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association doing legislative advocacy with legislators and regional school districts. He also teaches graduate classes for Delaware Valley University and assisted the Columbia County Commissioners by overseeing their COVID-19 CARES Block grant program.
As a dedicated community advocate, Mr. Mathias previously served as chair of the Foundation of the Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce and as President of the United Way of Columbia-Montour County. He has developed and led fundraising activities for the Central Columbia Educational Foundation. With his family, Mr. Mathias recently formed a charitable foundation in memory of his father – a former teacher and coach in the Warrior Run School District. He also served on the boards of the Columbia Alliance for Economic Growth, Workforce Investment Board, and Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Mathias lives in Columbia County with his wife and son.
“I am excited to serve on the Community Giving Foundation Board to continue a legacy of giving, modeled to me by my parents, to the people and organizations of this region.”
Mrs. Angela Motto, MBA
Mrs. Motto is the Director of Investment and Endowment Operations at Bucknell University. Having grown up in Northumberland and graduating from Shikellamy High School, she chose to stay local to pursue her higher education, earning her Bachelors in Business Administration from Susquehanna University and MBA from Penn State. Following a career in corporate commercial banking, Mrs. Motto turned to higher education serving Susquehanna University for a few years before realizing her passion for investing. She took a leap of faith, dedicating personal time to pursue her securities license and joined forces with a local RIA to build a Financial Planning Firm. In 2015, Mrs. Motto was awarded an opportunity to work for the Endowment at Bucknell University. Aspiring to always improve, she completed her Certification in Performance Measurements designation from the CFA Institute in 2018.
Mrs. Motto currently sits on the Advisory Board for the YMCA at the Miller Center, powered by Evangelical and Geisinger; serves as Board President for Technology advantage, Inc.; and is a former SUN Board Member for Junior Achievement of Central Pennsylvania and Committee Chair for the Evangelical Community Hospital Gala. She serves on both the Audit and Human Resources committees at the Community Giving Foundation. Mrs. Motto is extremely passionate about sustainability and healthy living and carries this passion throughout her service for the University and in her family life. She resides in Lewisburg with her husband and two children.
About the Foundation
The Foundation Board of Directors is a diverse group of individuals that broadly reflects the geographic footprint of the Foundation’s service area, which includes Columbia, Lower-Luzerne, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties. In addition to the five new board members, the board is represented by: Nancy Marr, chair; John Kurelja, Ed.D., vice-chair; John Thompson, treasurer; Jeff Cerminaro, secretary; Robert Albertson, O.D.; Richard Cashman; Julie Eriksson; Peggy Fullmer; Michael Goresh; Jeff Hollenbach; Greg Martz; Connie Tressler; and Wendy Tripoli.
Community Giving Foundation manages nearly 300 charitable funds and makes grant investments throughout the region to improve the quality of life in the Central Susquehanna area.