About SGP

Bob is the publisher of The Lock Haven Express community newspaper serving all of Clinton and parts of Centre and Lycoming Counties in Central Pennsylvania, as well as the publisher of The Williamsport Sun-Gazette. He joined The Express in 2002 after a 20-year career as a writer, editor and executive news editor at the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, a sister newspaper to The Express, where he now also serves as publisher.

Bob earned an associate degree in journalism from Penn College predecessor Williamsport Area Community College in 1983, meanwhile working as a newspaper delivery truck driver at the Sun-Gazette. Bob is a past president of Downtown Lock Haven Inc.; co-chair of Riverfest recreation fundraiser (1996-present); a member of the Woodward Township Recreation Committee; co-founder and adviser for The Student Express newspaper at Central Mountain High School; a member and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Lock Haven; a member of the Chamber Committee of the Clinton County Economic Partnership; board member and secretary for the Keystone Central Foundation. Bob has been a recreational boater on the river since 1977.

Eve joined the SGP Board of Directors in 2021 after returning to the area from Oregon. She grew up in Lycoming County and loves exploring the diverse outdoor recreation opportunities the Commonwealth has to offer. In 2016 she served as an AmeriCorps member and worked with SGP on trail projects and River Towns. She currently works for the PA Department of Agriculture as the Executive Policy Specialist and previously worked for Lycoming County as their Natural Resource Planner. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a Master’s in Community and Regional Planning, and earned her Bachelor’s in Environmental Planning from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Jason joined the SGP Board of Directors in 2016, and is the President and a Partner with Penn Strategies. He is an alumnus of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics. Prior to joining Penn Strategies, Jason was a top aide to Representative Steve Cappelli and worked for Impact Advertising, a national marketing and public relations firm.

Carrie Pauling is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in English. Her 20-year career has revolved around communications in one form or another; on the editorial staff of Highlights for Children magazine; writing and producing radio ads; marketing in cable ad sales and healthcare industries. She has worked as a freelance writer for the last 13 years, writing feature articles, website content, and business communications. Most recently, Carrie was named News Director of NorthcentralPa.com, a regional online news site, where she is tasked with growing quantity, scope, and quality of news coverage for their expanding readership. Carrie spends a fair amount of time gazing at, paddling in, and biking nearby the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, where her family has a river lot. Once the snowflakes start flying, she trades in the paddle for ski poles and volunteers at Ski Sawmill as a ski patroller.

Kyle moved to the area after graduating from Penn State University with a Master of Health Administration. He currently works at UPMC in North Central Pa. as a Special Projects Manager in Radiology and Perioperative Services. Prior to attending Penn State, he served 5 years of active duty in the Coast Guard on two ships, one in Portsmouth, Virginia and the other in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Kyle is an active volunteer at the Lewisburg Children’s Museum where he also serves as the Board Treasurer. Kyle joined the SGP because of his desire to work with and around water – from his time in the Coast Guard and his undergrad degree in Civil Engineering specializing in Environmental engineering.

Pam is the AVP/Financial Solutions Center Manager at First Commonwealth Bank in Danville. After a career in journalism in her early years, Pam has been involving in banking for 15+ years. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, PA and a master’s degree in communication studies from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA. Pam is a member of the Lewisburg Sunrise Rotary Club, board member for the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and the Lewisburg Alumni Association, serving as newsletter editor, and serves on the Membership and Engagement Committee for the Central PA Chamber of Commerce. In the past she has been involved in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lycoming County, Junior Achievement, and the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. As a native of the Central Susquehanna Valley, Pam joined SGP because she sees it as a catalyst to help boon economic development and recreational activities throughout the region. Pam enjoys walking and hiking with friends, and is looking forward to kayaking out on the river this paddling season.

Growing up on an old farmstead in Greensburg, PA and being greatly influenced by his father’s uncle who shared their home, John has long been an outdoors and recreational person. He was surrounded by National Geographic magazines and books supplied by his great uncle who also took John on local walks. John later became athletic through swimming, ice hockey, biking, hiking and kayaking. Before completing a 27-year Army career, he worked for the PSU Athletic department.

Having joined SGP in 2022, Bill brings 40+ years of experience in development and planning roles with the Town of Bloomsburg and Columbia County to the SGP board of directors. He holds degrees in Political Science and City and Regional Planning respectively, and he is also certified in four areas of planning education by the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute. Additionally, Bill is a founding member and past president of the Bloomsburg Historic Preservation Society and has been involved with many preservation and restoration efforts, including the application for Bloomsburg’s spot on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as the authentic restoration of the landmark Bloomsburg Town Fountain.

Michael Wiley is a Lawyer with McCormick Law Firm, a Law Firm in Williamsport Pennsylvania. He specialized in Land Use and Zoning Law, Municipal Law, and Real Estate Law, graduating from Dickinson College, B.A., in 1989 and Vermont Law School, J.D., in 1993. Michael has served on the SGP Board of Directors since 2018.

Mr. Walls is a professional planner who served as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for the Lycoming County Planning Commission for 37 years and as Department Head for the Planning and Community Development, Zoning and GIS for over ten years. Due to his planning leadership, Lycoming County has gained statewide and national recognition for excellence in planning and progressive environmental initiatives. Mr. Walls wrote visionary policies in the early 1970s for the wise use, protection and better utilization of the Susquehanna River. His persistent work toward that vision led like-minded leaders to form the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership in 2001. In 2012, Jerry was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Planners’ College of Fellows. Fellows of the AICP are honored in recognition of their achievements as an individual, elevating the Fellow before the public, and the profession, as a model planner who has made significant contributions to planning, and to society. Fellowship is granted to those planners who have been members of the AICP and who have achieved excellence in professional practice, teaching and mentoring, research, public and community service and leadership.

Erica Shames is the emeritus founder and publisher of Susquehanna Life magazine, Central Pennsylvania’s original lifestyle publication. She started the magazine, which attracted subscribers nationwide, in 1993 to highlight the “positive aspects of life” in 27 PA counties. The magazine celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018 and in December 2020, Shames shut down the business to pursue other interests. Erica was recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business by PA’s Department of Community and Economic Development, and was featured on WVIA-TV’s Northeast PA Business Journal recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs. She was host to WVIA-TV’s State of PA television show, viewed by 194,000 people weekly. Erica received national recognition when she was named to Folio’s 2016 class of Top Women in Media, honoring a select group of women hand-picked by the Folio team to represent the best and brightest magazine entrepreneurs nationwide. In 2018 and 2019, Susquehanna Life magazine was awarded Honorable Mention in Folio’s prestigious Eddie and Ozzie national magazine awards.

Erica has been a Focus Central PA Ambassador to represent Central PA as a great place to start or grow a business. She is the Volunteer-Editor of The Green Dragon Foundation’s annual report and serves on the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership’s Communications committee. Erica is a graduate of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce Leadership Susquehanna Valley and frequently is invited to talk to service groups, students and businesspeople about the life of an entrepreneur. She has served as a Mentor for Susquehanna University’s Internship Program, and as an Advisor to students interested in careers in magazine publishing and writing. She speaks at Susquehanna University’s Public Relations Society of America Week, to classes at the Sigmund Weis School of Business and she taught at class for Bucknell University’s Arts Entrepreneurship Program. In 2013, Erica co-founded the Women’s Professional Partnership and was the founder and convener, in conjunction with Bucknell University, of the Empowering Our Region through Mentoring and Leadership Conference in 2015. In Fall 2016, Erica was Susquehanna University’s first Professional-in-Residence, for which she taught a course on magazine publishing. In 2018 Shames expanded her business with the launch of the Susquehanna Life Custom Publishing Division. The entity leveraged Susquehanna Life magazine’s high-quality reputation for creating award-winning graphic design and content to create print and digital communications pieces—ranging from magazines, guides and brochures to corporate profiles, newsletters and brochures—for businesses and organizations. Currently, Shames works as a freelance communicator for clients that include WVIA, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre-based PBS affiliate.

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a Masters of Regional Planning, Richard Koch developed a career as a professional planner, working for 42 years with Gannett Fleming, Inc. Engineers & Planners in Camp Hill, PA. Over the course of his position, Richard performed extensive work for communities throughout the Susquehanna River Basin including COWAMP studies (water quality management) for the West Branch and main stem of the Susquehanna River and planning studies for many local counties, boroughs, and townships. Now retired, Richard hopes to contribute his lifetime of professional experience to SGP. Other professional affiliations include the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Jessica Martin is the managing editor for Geisinger’s Department of Marketing and Communications. Now a resident of Danville, Jessica moved to Pennsylvania in 2015 from Ohio, where she edited elementary and middle school science textbooks for McGraw-Hill publishing company. From working in a medical journal office to assisting with writing and editing a bird-related newsletter, Jessica’s interests have always been in science and communication—and in communicating scientific concepts to the public.

Jessica earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management (wildlife biology) at the University of Tennessee – Martin and a master’s degree in journalism (with a science writing focus) at the University of Missouri. With an abiding interest in birds, bugs and protecting natural areas, she hopes to contribute to SGP and by extension the lovely Susquehanna Valley, her adopted home.