BETHLEHEM, Pa. — LINC, a nonprofit organization committed to fostering welcoming and inclusive workplaces and communities, announced the appointment of four existing board members to leadership roles on its Board of Directors Executive Committee: Marci Lesko, board chair, Scott Blair, vice chair, Joané Hockenbury, secretary, and Edwin Taliaferro, treasurer. These four professionals embody LINC’s mission to create an environment where everyone relocating to the Lehigh Valley feels like they belong. They join LINC President, Katelyn Mack, Executive Board Member ex-oficio Oldrich Foucek, III, and Orville Trout, co-chair of LINC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, in executive leadership roles.

“Together, this accomplished team brings a wealth of experience, dedication, and diverse perspectives to guide our organization forward,” said LINC’s president, Katelyn Mack. “Their collective leadership will strengthen our commitment to creating an inviting community for all those moving to the Lehigh Valley.

Marci Lesko, incoming CEO of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, has been appointed board chair. As chair, Lesko is responsible for guiding the board in fulfilling its governance duties and advancing LINC’s mission. Lesko has worked at United Way since 2006, having previously served as the organization’s Vice President of Community Impact, Executive Vice President, Chief Impact Officer and Corporate Secretary. She was appointed Chief Operating Officer by the Board of Directors in 2023 and will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer starting in June 2024.

In addition to being a proud member of United Way Tocqueville Society and long-time member of United Way Women United, Lesko serves on several boards and is affiliated with many community improvement efforts such as the Lehigh County Suicide Prevention Coalition, as Board Chair for Pennsylvania’s Family Support Alliance, as Chair of LINC, as Board Chair of Enduring Keys, Inc., and as a committee chair of the Concourse Club of Palmerton. Lesko has won several distinguished awards for her work, including the Human Relations Commission (2005), The Donley Award for Children’s Advocacy (2016), Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Take the Lead Award (2017), Community Achievement Award/Woman of Influence Award from Lehigh Valley Business (2018), the PBS39 Fred Rogers Good Neighbor Award (2018) and led United Way to receive the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center Community Leadership Award (2021).

Scott Blair, senior director for diversity, equity and inclusion at B. Braun Medical Inc., is the board’s vice chair and co-chair of LINC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. As vice chair, Blair supports the chair in fulfilling her duties and assuming responsibilities in her absence. He previously worked as associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at DeSales University, chief diversity officer at Northampton Community College and director of student diversity & inclusion initiatives at the State University of New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry. A former Commissioner for the Pennsylvania Governor’s Commission on Latino Affairs and Board member with the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Blair is an active member with the AdvaMed Inclusion & Diversity practitioners community and serves as a Board member for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Joané Hockenbury has been appointed as board secretary. Hockenbury worked at Just Born, Inc. for over two decades, most recently serving as Chief Human Resources Officer.

Hockenbury, who retired earlier this year is an active community member. She has served on LINC’s board since 2022 and is a member of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s board and the Dementia Friendly Lehigh Valley Steering Committee. She also sits on the advisory boards of Cedar Crest College and Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School. She previously served as president of the Society of Human Resource Management Lehigh Valley and Dream Come True.

Edwin Taliaferro, vice president of internal audit services at Lehigh Valley Health Network, will continue his service as board treasurer. He is a financial professional who has been performing financial and operational oversight for more than four decades. Taliaferro previously held positions at HD Vest Financial Services, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Hospital for Special Surgery, Jefferson Wells, RCN, McGraw-Hill, Gitano Group, CBS, AT&T and Ernst & Young (EY). He and his wife Nilda also received LINC services upon their relocation to the Lehigh Valley in 2017.

Taliaferro has sat on LINC’s board since 2021. He previously served on the Forum for Ethics in the Workplace board at DeSales University and Thea’s Star of Hope.

Meet LINC’s full Board of Directors by visiting www.linc-lv.org/about-us/board-of-directors/.

From The Valley Ledger, May 23, 2024