Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. Reorganizes, Seeks Community Involvement

LOCK HAVEN, PA – For over two decades, Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. has been focused on improving and advancing the downtown business district and supporting businesses that make Lock Haven thrive. Initiatives include the Hometown Hero Banner Program, holiday events, the Best of Clinton County, Small Business Saturday, business open houses, supporting LHJams and many other initiatives.

2020 has brought change, including new leadership and new board members. After serving his third term as president, Bob Rolley has stepped back to board membership to, in part, focus on the Cultural Center project at the Masonic Temple, while Marie Vilello has joined the nonprofit as downtown manager.
Taking over the board presidency is Angela Harding, Clinton County Commissioner.

“If you are from Clinton County, you know Marie. She served as the Clinton County prothonotary for two terms and has been an active member of the community as a business owner and volunteer. She can often be seen walking her dogs on the dike levee or attending events throughout the county. Marie brings an abundance of energy, a positive attitude, and strong love of her community to the position,” Harding said.

Vilello has lived in Lock Haven all of her life and currently lives in the city with her husband, Rick, her daughter Sara, and her two dogs.

“I genuinely believe that everything happens for a reason and I feel like I am exactly where I am supposed to be,” Vilello said. “I am home and I cannot wait to make positive change and work with local businesses, and other stakeholders to continue the exciting changes and help our downtown be the best it can be.”

As the Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. Board of Directors began reorganizing, the City of Lock Haven was busy adapting to restrictions placed on the city due to COVID-19. Shortly after Marie accepted the new job, she and Harding met with City Manager Greg Wilson, Director of Community Life Kasey Campbell and City Planner Abbey Roberts. The City and Downtown Lock Haven forged a partnership to work together with the goal of making Lock Haven a destination where residents and visitors want “live, work, and play.” Part of that collaboration and partnership began with the City’s Pedestrian Mall on Friday and Saturday nights while communicating with businesses, gathering feedback, formulating surveys, and working to improve the City’s concept to support merchants and attract residents and visitors downtown.

The board has also added new members since Vilello’s hiring including: Michelle Crowell, Leslie Clukey, Gabriel Caprio, Hanna Stover, Justin Houser, and Carley Anderson.

In addition, the board has re-established working committees.

“In order to accomplish the ideas and goals that we all have for our community, we need involvement from residents and stakeholders,” Harding said. “By breaking the focus areas up into groups, we can all be working independently towards the same goal and using our areas of interest and expertise to make big things happen in shorter amounts of time.”

There are three committees and three subcommittees as follows:

• Promotion Committee: Selling the image and promise of Main Street to all prospects. Marketing the district’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, new businesses, and visitors, an effective promotion strategy forges a positive image through advertising, retail promotional activity, special events, and marketing campaigns carried out by local volunteers.

• Design Committee: Get Main Street into top physical shape. Capitalizing on its best assets— such as historic buildings and public areas. An inviting atmosphere created through window displays, parking areas, signs, sidewalks, streetlights, and landscaping conveys a visual message about what Main Street is and what it has to offer.

– Hometown Hero Banner Committee – Organizes, promotes, and implements the banner program.

– Athletic Banner Committee – Organizes, promotes, and implements the banner program.

• Economic Restructuring Committee: Finds a new purpose for Main Street’s enterprises. By helping existing downtown businesses expand and recruiting new ones to respond to today’s market, help convert unused space into productive property and sharpen the competitiveness of business enterprises.

– Merchant’s Committee – Comprised of merchants and community members that provide vital feedback as to the needs of the business district and what help they need to increase exposure and revenue.

All of the committees will establish goals and initiatives that align with the mission and vision of the Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. Committees will also work together on projects and collaborate on bigger projects.

Committee members do not need to live in city limits. They only need to have a desire to make the Lock Haven business district and Main Street the best it can be, Harding said.

Committees will begin meeting in September. Meeting times and locations after the initial meeting will be at the discretion of each committee and will vary depending on the tasks at hand.

“We are excited about the makeup of the new board and feel a sense of renewed energy. We would love for our community to rally behind us and help us move forward. Please consider joining our team and offering your talents so that Downtown Lock Haven becomes the place that everyone wants to visit and every town aspires to be” said Vilello.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the solution, ask questions, and/or join a Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. committee, contact Vilello at dlhmanager@lockhaven.org or by calling 570.748.1576.

Downtown Lock Haven receives support and collaborates with the City of Lock Haven, Lock Haven University, Penn State Small Business Development, Clinton County Economic Partnership, and Clinton County Government.