Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy appointed Chair of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s Board of Directors

Allentown, PA July 18, 2018 – Dr. Joseph Roy, Superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, will serve as Chair of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley (UWGLV) Board of Directors beginning July 2018. In his role as Board Chair, Dr. Roy will volunteer his leadership and expertise to help UWGLV create opportunities to improve the health, safety and education of everyone in Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties.
 
“At United Way, we are intimately involved in addressing poverty, hunger, access to health care and safe, affordable housing. In my role as Superintendent, I see the direct impact of these social issues on our young people,” said Dr. Roy. “We want students to grow up with equitable opportunities. United Way creates those opportunities and makes them accessible to a larger range of students.”
 
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley raises money and invests in programs to achieve three bold goals: increase the number of third-graders reading on grade level, decrease the number of food insecure residents and increase the number of seniors whose basic needs are met at home.
 
“Eighty percent of our program investments support education,” remarked David Lewis, President, UWGLV. “As we embark on the next century of service in the Greater Lehigh Valley, Dr. Roy’s leadership will be instrumental in our work to transform the educational landscape of the Greater Lehigh Valley.”
 
Dr. Roy leads the sixth largest school district in Pennsylvania, serving 13,700 students throughout 22 schools. He serves on the boards of several Lehigh Valley nonprofits including the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, the Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District and the Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board. The 2017 Superintendent of the Year for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dr. Roy served as UWGLV Board Vice Chair from 2016 to 2018 and describes United Way as a “thought leader” in the Lehigh Valley.
 
Dr. Roy is joined by Vice Chair Joanne Raphael who is Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of PPL Corporation. In addition to leading PPL’s legal department, Raphael is responsible for the company’s government relations, corporate communications and philanthropy functions. She also serves on the board of the PPL Foundation.
 
“This year, United Way will invest $13.5 million into programs throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley – the largest investment in the organization’s history. In this new role, I look forward to working with staff and volunteers to keep that momentum moving in the right direction and impacting the lives of thousands of local children, families and seniors in need,” said Raphael.
 
UWGLV also welcomes two new members to the Board of Directors: Marilee Falco of Agili and Allan Chen of Muhlenberg College.
 
A Certified Financial Planner, principal and financial strategist at Agili, Falco is responsible for client financial strategy and council, comprehensive financial planning and investment management. She serves as President of Women United, a UWGLV affinity group, and holds leadership roles on the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board and Women’s Giving Circle of Good Shepherd Rehabilitation.
As Chief Information Officer for Muhlenberg College, Chen manages the development and long-term strategic role of technology across all of campus. Chen is a Fellow with the CLIR Leading Change Institute, and a graduate of both the Leadership and the Learning Technology Programs of the EDUCAUSE Institute.
All appointments are effective July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020.