limelight Awards and achievements

Mercer County community and economic development leaders celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Penn-Northwest Development Corporation at the organization’s recent annual meeting. The organization, formed to address the loss of manufacturing jobs in the region, has participated in more than 400 projects that have brought nearly $1 billion in investment to the county.

Past board chairmen James Feeney, Richard Werner, Joseph George, Richard Stevenson, Stephen Gurgovits, Randy Coleman, William Perrine and Kenneth Faulconbridge were honored at the celebration. The event also recognized the following members, all of whom have been with Penn-Northwest since its inception: Charles Bestwick; Black, Bashor & Porsch; First National Bank; JFS Wealth Advisors; Mercer County Board of Commissioners; Northwest Pennsylvania Cooperation Council; PNC Bank; Rien Construction; and Thiel College.

Also at the meeting, members elected officers for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Faulconbridge, of Northwest Savings Bank, was named chairman of the board. Vice chairs are Lew Kachulis of Gilbert’s Risk Solutions and Mercer County Commissioner Ken Ammann. Robert Wilson of Penn Ohio Metals was elected secretary, John Mastrian of Strimbu Memorial Fund was named treasurer and Tony Zucco of Penn Power was elected assistant secretary-treasurer.

Thomas Evan Green, an attorney at Akron labor and employment law firm Kastner Westman & Wilkins, and a native of McDonald, was recently appointed to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association Board of Directors. Green earned a bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University and graduated magna cum laude from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.