The work of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC would not be possible without the support of our Board Members and Investors. Every month get to know one of our Chamber Board Members in our “Chamber Board Monthly Spotlight” series.
Our September Chamber Board Member Spotlight features Dr. Linda Fedrizzi-Williams, President of Central Penn College. Linda has been with Central Penn College for 7 years and is the college’s 10th president. Before her appointment as president on June 18, 2018, she served as interim president for nine months, and vice president for academic affairs and provost since July 2016.
How long have you been active with the Chamber and how long have you been a Chamber board member? I have been an active participant since I moved to Pennsylvania seven years ago. I’ve made many friends and met many accomplished people I admire and appreciate here, thanks to the Chamber. I am fairly new to the board and have only served for 9 months.
What do you like most about being a chamber member? I enjoy talking to business leaders one-on-one and seeing what they need, what they are witnessing in the workforce, and how we can help them meet their educational and workforce needs.
Why did you become a board member? We always encourage our students to dream big, do more and be more, and I wanted to lead by example and elevate my involvement in this impactful organization. We do virtually anything for our students to help them succeed, and I believe my Chamber membership is a key link in the direct pipeline to success we are building for our students and their future employers.
What do you like most about being a board member? Relationships are everything. I enjoy and appreciate the networking events, the lunches, the elected officials’ breakfasts, and the Chamber’s coverage of our new programs, professors, and community events.
What do you think people should know about the Chamber? The Chamber is far more than a cheerleader for the region. The networking opportunities and information-sharing are invaluable, as is the hands-on problem-solving you do. You help new businesses and fight to keep businesses here and the community working. With nearly a full one-half of our students identifying as BIPOC, I especially appreciate the Chamber’s work in partnerships to address disparities faced by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, Minority Business Enterprises, and Women Business Enterprises.
What do you want people to know about Central Penn College?
Central Penn College has operated successfully for 142 years as a conveniently located, high-quality source of relevant, career-focused education that mirrors the local marketplace. First launched as a business school in the 1880s, Central Penn has grown and adapted to the evolving economy, expanding its offerings in recent decades to include associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees along with certificates and diploma offerings. In recent years, our students have gained particular success in the fields of business management, marketing and entrepreneurship, along with healthcare, to include medical assisting, phlebotomy and surgical technology. A recent Alumni Survey revealed that 90.5 percent of our graduates are either working in their chosen field of study or continuing their education, which is a report card we are very proud to show. We have also adapted to the post-pandemic world and maximized convenience for nontraditional students by offering many courses online, in-person and in hybrid formats.
Any other information you would like people to know? I am a New York native, wife to Glen, mom to two sons, Luke and Jake, and a spoiled Weimaraner named Oakley. We are all massive NY Giants fans.
We love the Delaware beaches and often spend our time together in the stands at City Island, cheering on the Central Penn Knights. My doctoral dissertation was on female college presidents and how they attain work-life integration (because “balance” is far from an accurate picture of all the strands we need to weave together as working moms.)
