About LEADS - LEADS

About LEADS

Our Philosophy

Each spring city lampposts are adorned with flower baskets, and each fall they’re decorated with holiday wreaths and garlands. LEADS conducts a variety of fundraisers to pay for these programs, and, since we’re a volunteer organization, virtually all contributions go directly to these costs.

As the LEADS footprint has grown, so have our expenses. Annual expenditures for the flower basket program now total $30,000. Our “Adopt-A-Basket” donations go toward the flowers, leaving another $20,000 for watering. And, when the city recently installed new light poles, we outfitted them with custom-made brackets at a cost of $40,000. We receive no assistance from the city or the county, relying completely upon private contributions.

Board of Directors

Joel Henry

President

Joel is general manager of BUiLDiNG CHARACTER and started working with LEADS in 2015 as the watering contractor taking care of the flower baskets each day. He joined the board in 2017 and was elected Vice President in 2018 and begins his first term as President in 2019. Originally from Baltimore, Joel and his wife Shawna and four children live in the city’s Stadium District.

Emanuella Parveris

Vice President

Emanuella is a Senior Buyer and Head of Marketing and Social Media for Savemart Inc. and owned Nick’s Pizza on North Queen Street from 1998 to 2008. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and has volunteered as social media manager for LEADS since 2014 and with other organizations. She joined the board in 2018 and begins her first term as Vice President in 2019. She lives in East Hempfield Township.

Christopher Stetler

Treasurer

Chris a Senior Tax Accountant at Trout, Ebersole and Groff and studied Collision Repair Technology at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology before pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Millersville University where he graduated in 2011. Chris and his wife Michelle and children Riley and Gavin live in West Hempfield Township.

Shaun Frankel

Secretary

Shaun is graduate of Manheim Township High School and is a member of various nonprofit boards. He joined LEADS in 2019.

Wyatt Behringer

Wyatt is a Communications & Policy Strategist for the City of Lancaster. He was previously the Marketing & Communications Manager for the city’s Office of Promotion. Wyatt is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College and lives in the city.

Marty Hulse

Marty is owner of BUiLDiNG CHARACTER (est. 2007) and Madcap & Co. (est. 2015), two retail stores on the 300 Block of North Queen Street in downtown Lancaster. For 20 years he was an editor and designer at newspapers in Lancaster, York and Dover, DE. He joined the LEADS board in 2012 and served as its president from 2015-2018. A Lancaster native and alumni of the School District of Lancaster, Marty lives in Lancaster Township.

Bruce Martin

Bruce retired from Lancaster County Domestic Relations after 29 years of service. In addition to serving on the LEADS board, he is a board member of the Lancaster Central Market trust and served on the boards of the AIDS Community Alliance and Domestic Relations Association of PA.

The LEADS Mission

To support the economic vitality of downtown Lancaster through beautification initiatives that will attract visitors, residents, and businesses.

Who Are We

In 2000, a group of savvy volunteers got together, creating a grassroots effort to beautify downtown Lancaster. The goal: make the city a more attractive place to visit, shop, and live. Then, as now, we are a completely volunteer organization.

How You Can Help

If you care about the beauty of downtown Lancaster and appreciate the difference the LEADS initiatives make, you can help by participating in one of our many initiatives. Check out the Adopt-A–Basket, Water-A-Block, Light-A-Pole, and Make-A-Contribution links to learn more.

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