Downtown Shenandoah, Inc.

Karen A. Kenderdine has more than 35 years of experience in the field of trusts and estates.   She is a graduate of the National Trust School and the National Graduate Trust School at Northwestern University, the Pennsylvania Bankers Association Central Atlantic School of Trust at Bucknell University, the Cannon Financial Institute Advanced Administration of Estates and Trust, and attended the Philadelphia Institute for Paralegal Training for Federal Estate and Gift Tax Law.  She has earned the designation of Certified Trust Financial Advisor.

Ms. Kenderdine’s responsibilities include the management of trust clients’ financial, investment and personal needs, as well as, the design and implementation of their estate and gift plans.

Ms. Kenderdine serves on the following boards:  Avenues (founded as UCP in 1952) (Treasurer)
Schuylkill Economic Development Corp (SEDCO) Vice Chair
Downtown Shenandoah Inc. (President)
Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board (Chair)
Schuylkill United Way
Schuylkill Elder Abuse Prevention
Alliance Inc. (SEAPA) (Treasurer)
Northeast Pa, Manufactures & Employers Council, Inc. (Chair)
Northeast Pa. Manufacturers & Employers Association (Treasurer)
Servants to All
Penn State Schuylkill Advisory Board
St. Joseph’s Center Finance
Committee and Past President of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Patrick M. Jones is chancellor of Penn State Schuylkill, and professor of music, where he serves as the chief executive officer and principal academic leader responsible for academic programs; research; community engagement; strategic planning; budgeting; faculty and staff development; philanthropy; and alumni relations.

Prior to Penn State, he served in a variety of academic and administrative roles at Drexel, Syracuse, and Boston Universities.

In addition to his academic career, he served in uniform for thirty years, including twelve years at the Pentagon as Chief of Air National Guard Bands. He was responsible for units across the country and a worldwide mission that included diplomatic outreach globally and troop entertainment in deployed locations throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa.

Patrick and his wife Karen Weiss Jones, director of development at Penn State Abington, are both native Pennsylvanians and proud members of the Penn State family.

Darlene J. Robbins is president of the Northeast PA Manufacturers & Employers Association (MAEA) and Council (MAEC), which is the 501c(3) non-profit affiliate of MAEA. Darlene assists companies with employment and workforce development, economic development, and regulatory compliance issues with increased focus on advocacy representation. She is an active legislative advocate and a former board member of the National Association of Manufacturers, former chairperson of the Board of Allied Associations and past board member of the Employers Association of America. Robbins served on Governor Corbett’s Manufacturing Advisory Council, as well as 12 other local, state and national boards. Under her leadership, NEPA MAEC was formed in 2006. It’s their mission to provide programs needed to develop a qualified workforce most notably the YES Northeast program addressing employability skills.

Boards and Committees

Allied Association Group – Board (former Chair)
Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Pocono Region Advisory Board
Big Impact Group of Schuylkill County – Board
Board of Governors DSI’s Center for Education, Business and Art - CEBA
 Employer Association of America – Board(Former)
Governor’s Manufacturing Advisory Council (Former)
Kings College Engineering Committee
Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board
Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board – Executive Committee
Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board Performance & Eval – Chair
Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment By-Laws Committee
Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Planning & Development Committee
NAM – Board (former)
NAM – Research & Development Credit Coalition
NAM – Tax Relief Coalition
NAM – Intellectual Property
Northeast PA Manufacturers & Employers Council, President
PADCO – Pottsville Area Downtown Corp.
PADCO Strategic Planning Committee
Pennsylvania Foundation for Free Enterprise Education Board
Penn State Schuylkill Advisory Board
Penn State Academic Affairs Committee
Penn State Development Committee
Penn State Lion Launch Advisory Council
Penn State Lion Launch Business Plan Competition Judge
Schuylkill County Bicentennial Fundraising Committee - Co-Chair (Former)
Schuylkill County Youth Summit Advisory Committee
Schuylkill County Youth Summit Finance Committee
SKIP – Schuylkill Keep It Pretty Board
Schuylkill Technology Centers Participatory Planning Committee
Senator Dave Argall Advisory Council

Brad is a fourth-generation funeral director in the family’s business, the Oravitz Home for Funerals Inc, in Shenandoah.  A 2002 graduate from North Schuylkill High School he went on to earn his degree in Mortuary Science/Funeral Directing from Northampton Community College in 2005.  Bradley is President of the Northern Schuylkill Rotary Club, a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Polish American Fire Company and several other civic organizations. Brad enjoys hunting, golfing, and spending time outdoors.  He and his wife Jacqueline live in Ringtown, Pa and have 1 daughter, Isabella.

Renee Buchanan, a Schuylkill County native,  is the community outreach director for The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce. She is very active in the community and volunteers for local nonprofit organizations including Schuylkill County’s VISION, Alzheimer’s Association, Healthy Shenandoah, Lehigh Valley Hospital – Schuylkill, Downtown Shenandoah, Inc., and Polish American Fire Company.