2025 Educational Workshop, Annual Meeting & "DO 6" Awards
Each year, PA Route 6 Alliance brings community leaders and tourism professionals 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.
2025 Educational Workshop, Annual Meeting, & “Do 6” Awards
Inform. Inspire. Innovate. Strengthening Communities Together.
Over 100 statewide leaders, business owners, and stakeholders gathered in Kane, Pennsylvania, on September 10–11 for the PA Route 6 Alliance 2025 Educational Workshop, Annual Meeting, and “Do 6” Awards Program.
The event kicked off at the Wilds Sonshine Factory with a dynamic Educational Workshop featuring speakers including Anne Ryan, Deputy Secretary of the PA Office of Tourism; Karl Blischke and Sarah Merritt from the PA Council on the Arts; Kaitie Burger, Executive Director of the PA Office of Tourism; Rustin Lippincott, Executive Director of the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau; and Kate Kennedy Executive Director of the Kane Area Development Center, alongside local artists Jody Aiello of Aiello Metal Works, Sara Aiello of Sara Aiello Studio, and Andrea and Joe Lanich of Laughing Owl Press. Workshop sessions covered tourism, arts and culture, community development, wayfinding, and more.
Attendees toured the Wilds Sonshine Factory, explored the Lumber Heritage Trail, and enjoyed a trolley tour of The Star in the Forest, highlighting Kane’s extensive and innovative community projects.
The evening concluded with the Annual Meeting, which featured a year-in-review, special recognition of PA Heart & Soul Communities, and the “Do 6” Awards, honoring outstanding individuals, organizations, and communities that exemplify the Alliance’s mission to protect, preserve, and promote the scenic, cultural, historic, and recreational resources of PA Route 6.
Each year, six awards are presented. This year, the Heritage Leadership Award was presented to Michelle Gray of the Warren County Historical Society (Warren County), Heritage Partnership Award to Grey Towers Heritage Association (Pike County), Artisan of the Year Award to Blossoms & Blooms Boutique (Crawford County), Heritage Tourism Award to Lynn Hall (McKean County), Heritage Community of the Year Award to Coudersport (Potter County), and the Lifetime Achievement Award to Jean Ruhf (Wyoming County) of the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau.
A Networking Reception followed, providing opportunities for collaboration and connection.
The second day workshop was held at Six&Kane and focused on volunteerism, downtown revitalization, and adaptive reuse of buildings, featuring speakers Kate Kennedy, Executive Director of the Kane Area Development Center; Julie Fitzpatrick, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Downtown Center; Mark Burke, founder of MYNDDSET; and Joel Morrison of the West Penn Energy Fund. The Old Spaces, New Energy playbook was unveiled with enthusiastic participation from the attendees. Leaders enjoyed touring the PA Wilds Media Lab and learned about the process behind Kane’s new wayfinding signage. The two-day event wrapped up with a hike and bicycle ride on the Knox and Kane Rail Trail.
2025 “DO 6” AWARD WINNERS
The PA Route 6 Alliance recognizes individuals, groups, projects and communities that exemplify and advance the Alliance’s mission of protecting, preserving and promoting the scenic, cultural, historic and recreational resources across the 11-county corridor of PA Route 6. Awards in the following categories are presented at the PA Route 6 Annual Meeting and “Do 6” Awards Program.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Jean Ruhf, Wyoming County, PA
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a person or agency who exemplifies outstanding leadership and advances our mission through heritage development.
HERITAGE PARTNERSHIP AWARD
Grey Towers Heritage Association, Milford, PA
Presented to a group, person or organization that has demonstrated excellence in historic preservation, cultural preservation, interpretation, and/or education through cross-corridor thinking and interagency cooperation.
HERITAGE COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR
Coundersport, Potter County, PA
Presented to the designated Heritage Community, which is embracing their Heritage Tourism Work Plans and implementing worthwhile projects and showing impacts and results
ARTISAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Blossoms & Blooms Boutique, Linesville, PA
Presented to an artist or artisan group that exemplifies the goals of the PA Route 6 Artisan Trail program showing regional thinking and cooperation while promoting the arts along the corridor.
HERITAGE LEADERSHIP AWARD
Michelle Gray – Warren County Historical Society, Warren, PA
Presented to a person(s), business or organization for meaningful contributions and/or through partnerships, by enriching our communities through landscape initiatives or historic preservation.
HERITAGE TOURISM AWARD
Lynn Hall, Port Allegany, McKean County, PA
The Heritage Tourism Award is presented to a business or project that furthers economic and tourism development while respecting the heritage and cultural resources of the PA Route 6 Corridor.
2025 SPONSORS
PA Route 6 Alliance thanks our generous sponsors for helping us make this event a success!
2025 Planning Committee Members:
Kate Kennedy
Executive Director, Kane Area Development Center
Rustin Lippincott
Executive Director, Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau
Debbie Deane
Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau
Candace Hillyard
Executive Director, PA Route 6 Alliance
Rachel Courtney
Program Manager, PA Route 6 Alliance
Design Team of
Old Spaces, New Energy: The Power of Adaptive Reuse
Joel Morrison
Fund Administrator, West Penn Energy Fund
Barb Robuck
Director of Marketing, West Penn Energy Fund
Mark T. Burke
Founder & Lead Experience Designer, MYNDDSET
Kristi Krott
Project Manager, Six&Kane
John Cleland
SPARKS – Kane, PA
Stephanie Distler
Brick Block – Johnsonburg, PA
Will Hunt
Director of Potter County Planning
Kate Kennedy
Executive Director, Kane Area Development Center
Candace Hillyard
Executive Director, PA Route 6 Alliance
Rachel Courtney
Program Manager, PA Route 6 Alliance
EVENT SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
FUNDING PARTNERS
