2023 Annual Meeting & Educational Workshop

The 2023 PA Route 6 Annual Meeting & Educational Workshop was held in Corry, PA, October 5-6.

Bringing Communities Together to Strengthen and Celebrate Pennsylvania’s Scenic Route 6 Corridor!

Each year, PA Route 6 Alliance brings community leaders and tourism professionals from across the 11-county PA Route 6 Heritage Region together in its “Heritage Community of the Year” for two full days of learning, networking, and celebrating Pennsylvania’s scenic Route 6.

Highlights from the 2023 Annual Meeting & Educational Workshop

The 2023 Annual Meeting & Educational Workshop was October 5-6 in the Heritage Community of Corry, PA, where we had two action-packed days of fun and learning. The theme was “Act, Attract, and Adapt” and featured a variety of talented guest speakers, networking opportunities, a walking tour of Downtown Corry, and a farm-to-table dinner at 3 Pillarz Farm!

The Annual Meeting on Friday, October 6th.

Friday’s Annual Meeting was held at Fork and Barrrel Restaurant in Corry where we conducted a board meeting, presented an update on all of the great things that PA Route 6 Alliance is doing across the Route 6 Corridor, and enjoyed a Keynote from Jeff Siegler of Revitalize, or Die. During the board meeting led by Board President Dan Glotz, we recognized Linda Devlin, executive director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, for her years of service on the PA Route 6 Board and contributions to this region. Ms. Devlin has announced she will be retiring in early 2024. We also elected three new board members: Jean Ruhf (executive director of the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau), Casey Ferry (executive director of the Warren County Visitors Bureau), and Connor Vecellio (Northcentral Regional Planning Office).

(Photo: from left to right, Candace Hillyard, Linda Devlin, and Dan Glotz.)

The PA Route 6 presentation was delivered by Candace Hillyard, executive director of the Alliance, and included information about marketing and tourism promotion throughout the corridor, bicycle tourism, the PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail, Artisan Trail, Facade Program updates, and more. (The 2023 Annual Report can be viewed in full by clicking here.) Attendees also viewed a video about the impact of facade improvements in our communities. We were pleased to share some of the touching and inspiring stories told by the awardees of facade grants in the Great Lakes Region.

Following the video and PA Route 6 presentation, Jen Danifo of the PA Humanties discussed the importance of the Community Heart & Soul Program in our communities. We currently have four communities within the PA Route 6 Corridor implementing the Community Heart & Soul Program: Tidioute, Youngsville, Carbondale, and Wyoming County. Representatives from each community presented on their progress over the past year of implementing this program in their resective communities. The PA Heart & Soul Program began in 2015, when PA Humanities Council partnered with Community Heart & Soul (formerly the Orton Family Foundation) to bring their field-tested model to Pennsylvania communities. This proven process empowers people to shape the future of their communities by creating a shared sense of belonging and ultimately strengthening social, cultural, and economic vibrancy.

At this year’s Annual Meeting, we also announced that two new communities along PA Route 6 will also join this program, Port Allegany in McKean County and Mansfield in Tioga County! Congratulations, and we look forward to seeing the wonderful impact this program will have in your communities.

(Photos, from left: Candace Hillyard discusses Route 6 accomplishments, attendees watch the facade video, and Jen Danifo discusses the Community Heart & Soul Program in Pennsylvania.)

(Photo: Jeff Seigler of Revitalize, or Die gives a keynote on civic apathy and how to revitalize communities.)

Jeff Siegler was the keynote speaker for the Annual Meeting. Siegler is a writer, speaker, and consultant concerned with the powerful role place plays in our lives. He is the founder of the civic pride consulting firm, Revitalize, or Die. After obtaining his Masters in Urban Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University, Jeff went to work on Main Street, first as a downtown manager and later as the Ohio Main Street State Coordinator. Jeff and his wife Amber and their four kids call Pittsburgh home. Jeff presented on “Civic Pride & Civic Apathy.”

Following the keynote was the presentation of the annual “Do 6” Awards to honor individuals, businesses, and organizations across Route 6 who have contributed to their communities and local areas in meaningful and exceptional ways.

(Click here to read about our 2023 “Do 6” Award Winners!)

2023 Educational Workshop

The Educational Workshop was held at Relevant Church, an adaptive reuse project, in Corry on Thursday, October 5th. Attendees were treated to a full list of fascinating guest speakers including: Melinda Meyer (Preservation Erie), Bill Callahan (PA Historical and Museum Commission), Tim NeCastro (President and CEO, Erie Insurance), Tina Mengine (Erie County Redevelopment Authority), Daria Devlin (Health Foundation), and Charles Gray (Impact Corry), Sam Pearson (WalkWorks/PA Downtown Center), Brad Gleason (Gannon University), Matthew Platz (Corry Higher Ed Council), Abbi Peters (PA Wilds Center), and Sean Fedorko (Radius CoWork).

(Photos, left to right: Melinda Meyer; Daria Devlin, Charles Gray, and Tina Mengine; Sean Fedorko and Abbi Peters; Betsy Grinder from Your Daily Serving prepared the lunch for the Educational Workshop.)

Following the workshop, attendees departed on a walking tour of Downtown Corry led by Cherie Dickey of the Corry Area Chamber of Commerce. The walking tour ended at Before the Barrel Distillery where attendees were treated to some moonshine tasting.

(Photos left to right: Cherie Dickey of the Corry Area Chamber of Commerce leads the walking tour. A quick stop at Before the Barrel Distillery, a member of the PA Route 6 Artisan Trail, concluded the tour.)

Later in the evening on Thursday, attendees were treated to fantastic eats served up by Betsy Grinder of Your Daily Serving as we hosted a farm-to-table dinner at 3 Pillarz Farm.

The farm-to-table dinner at 3 Pillarz Farm was a great place to network and make new friends and connections. Fun was had by all!

Special thanks to our planning committee for making this an awesome event!

Chuck Gray, Executive Director of Impact Corry
Wendy Neckers, Painted Finch Gallery, Inc and Corry Downtown Business Association
Melinda Meyers, Preservation Erie
Christine Temple, VisitErie
Candace Hillyard, Executive Director of PA Route 6 Alliance
Ralph Scherder, Assistant at PA Route 6 Alliance

Any questions or for more information about future events, please contact us at info@paroute6.com or call 814-435-7706. Also subscribe to our newsletter for updates and news about PA Route 6.