Our Downtown Sunbury Team
Jody Ocker, Sunbury’s Revitalization, Inc
Derrick Backer, City Administrator
Christi Emel, Fulton Bank
Aimee Buehner, Bowen Agency Realtors
Melissa Rowse, Degenstein Community Library
Betsy Kramer, SEDA-COG
Ted Strosser, Strosser/Baer Architects
Edwin Santana, downtown business/property owner
Brianna Apfelbaum Kula, Degenstein Foundations
Kevin Moll, property investor/developer
Downtown Sunbury Selected for Regional Community Revitalization Initiative
Sunbury is one of ten Pennsylvania communities officially selected to participate in Blueprint Communities ® , a place-based revitalization initiative created by FHLBank Pittsburgh (FHLBank) and administered by Pennsylvania Downtown Center (PDC). The initiative provides training and resources to help local leaders create sustainable and thriving communities.
FHLBank’s Blueprint Communities initiative supports communities across Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia to:
– Establish a clear vision and holistic community plan,
– Grow local leaders and enhance collaboration, and
– Attract public and private investments to achieve the community’s vision and goals.
Our Downtown Sunbury Team will create a strategy for comprehensive revitalization that focuses on enhancing the quality of life for residents by building up community assets, engaging residents, improving local housing and attracting new businesses and jobs.
Pennsylvania Downtown Center is excited to lead the Blueprint Communities teams through
their journey of community revitalization in the next few years. For so many of these towns and cities, the timing of this initiative is ideal, and
will be a catalyst to move their community forward. Long-term transformational change takes
committed local leaders like these with a desire to make lasting decisions that impact the community for generations into the future.
I think this is very exciting for the city and I look forward to putting energy into our involvement. Whatever we can do to help to make this instrumental for the benefit of the city.
I’m excited to be part of this team because I believe Sunbury has all the ingredients to have a thriving downtown: walkability, grocery store, health services, entertainment, and recreation. We just need people willing to work together to make real progress. We have that on this team and in the community. The program will give us training, technical assistance, support, and access to resources. I can’t wait to get started!
I am very excited to be part of this program and to be selected to be part of this team of leaders. I am invested in Sunbury personally as I am a resident and through business as I work here as well. I want to see Sunbury get the positive attention it deserves. I feel this program and our group along with the support from the community we can get things done and see great progress.
The city is excited to be a part of this process with Sunbury’s Revitalization, Inc., Bowen Agency Realtors, SEDA-Cog, and its other community partners to help create a more thriving community. This is a team effort and no one person, or organization, can do this alone. We are proud of the strides our community is making and this is another step forward to creating a more sustainable Sunbury for future generations.
I am honored to represent SEDA-COG as we set forth in this collaborative endeavor and am filled with excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead.