Month: April 2025

CARLISLE (April 28, 2025) Central Penn Business Journal has selected Julie Germany, President of the Carlisle-based Army Heritage Center Foundation, as a 2025 Women of Influence honoree.

Germany leads the Army Heritage Center Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving soldier stories and promoting the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center. She previously served on the foundation’s Board of Advisors for several years before joining the team in 2023. Germany is also involved in the Carlisle, Pennsylvania community, serving on the Downtown Carlisle Association’s promotions committee. In 2008, Germany was honored as a Rising Star by Campaigns and Elections Magazine, and in 2015 she was awarded the “40 Under 40” award by the American Association of Political Consultants. As long-time supporters of animal rescue and as volunteers at their local no-kill animal shelter, Germany and her husband have fostered more than 100 cats and particularly welcome senior hospice cats and cats with disabilities into their family.

“I am so proud to have roots in the Central Pennsylvania community,” said Germany. “Historic Carlisle and its military community have captured my heart since my family first moved here almost three decades ago. It is an honor to serve in a capacity where I can now give back to both.”

The Army Heritage Center Foundation raises funding and awareness for the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle and helps it fulfill its mission while also fostering the public’s awareness of Army history and cultivating a civic and cultural environment that invests in the preservation of soldier stories. On June 14th, the foundation will host its annual dinner, celebrating 250 years of Army history by highlighting the stories and service of local soldiers whose actions impacted the course of history.

The Women of Influence distinction honors high-achieving women for their career accomplishments. These women are selected based on their professional experience, community involvement and commitment to mentoring.

The honorees were selected by a panel of judges comprised of previous years’ Circle of Excellence recipients and by the editors of Central Penn Business Journal.

“The 2025 Women of Influence are inspiring leaders who have made significant contributions to Central Pennsylvania and beyond. They are high-achieving role models who mentor and encourage future generations to pursue their own paths and ambitions,” said Suzanne Fischer-Huettner, managing director of BridgeTower Media/Central Penn Business Journal. “We are also so pleased to recognize the Circle of Excellence honorees, who are trailblazers, who aren’t afraid to face adversity and stand up for what they believe. They know the value of helping other women see something special in themselves, something they might not have known was there. Our Women to Watch are impressive young leaders making their mark in the community. We at Central Penn Business Journal are pleased to honor these transformational women.”

This year’s Women of Influence will be honored June 25 at a celebration at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel, 4650 Lindle Road. Registration and networking begin at 5 p.m. followed by dinner and the awards program starting at 6 p.m. The hashtag is #CPBJevents.

Attendance is limited. This event will sell out. Sponsors and honorees receive priority. There are various sponsorship levels available which include the right to use the event logo, multimedia marketing, a table to share with co-workers, family members and guests at the event, and much more. Tables are only available with sponsorship. To secure a sponsorship, contact Suzanne Fischer-Huettner at shuettner@bridgetowermedia.com.

Honorees will be profiled in a magazine that will be distributed to all winners and attendees at the awards celebration. It will also be found at CPBJ.com and inserted into the July 4 issue of Central Penn Business Journal.

The Presenting Sponsor is Brown Plus. The Awards Sponsor is UPMC. The Supporting Sponsor is JMA Resources, Inc. The Celebration Sponsor is WellSpan Health. For more information and updated sponsorship information about Central Penn Business Journal’s 2025 Women of Influence, visit cpbj.com/event/women-of-influence/.

The Army Heritage Center Foundation (armyheritage.org) is a charitable organization separate from the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center.  As a private, nonprofit, non-Federal entity, AHCF is not affiliated with the Department of Defense and has no governmental status.

 

2025 Women of Influence

Brenda M. Alton, Ph.D., UPMC Central PA/Brenda Alton Ministries

Sara C. Arndt, Saxton & Stump

Dara C. Bachman, Fulton Bank

Candice Neff Barnett, Pennian Bank

Evon L. Bergey, Landis Communities

Heidi Bowie, Highmark

Deborah Bowman, CPA, SHRM-CP, Brown Plus

Michele Christensen, Donegal Insurance Group

Tara M. Davis, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank

Kirsten T. Deeds, RKL LLP

Terese DeLaPlaine, Hamilton Health Center Inc.

Gretchen Duda, MBA, CFP®, Advent Partners

Sue Engels, JMA Resources, Inc.

Diana M. Escalante, Color & Culture

Jennifer Esser, KPMG

Julie Germany, Army Heritage Center Foundation

Jodi L. Heffner, Barry Isett & Associates Inc.

Amma Johnson, Penn State Harrisburg

Alicia LaFrance, Aetna, a CVS Health Company

Kate Martin, Conte Wealth Advisors

Nicole McCartan, The Peyton Walker Foundation

Alice Rose Muldrow, DOCEO OFFICE SOLUTIONS LLC

Ashley Nahodil, Members 1st Federal Credit Union

Rachel Quinn, Penn Waste

Erica Rawls, Keller Williams of Central PA

Donna L. Robinson, Clinic for Special Children

Emily Roman, Boyer & Ritter LLC

Natasha Romero, Donegal Mutual Insurance Company

Rebecca M. Shanaman, Esq., Barley Snyder

Lynn Stickler, Members 1st Federal Credit Union

Taura Thompson, Simon Lever LLC

Carrie Traeger, RDG Companies

Kimberly Kreider Umble, Lebanon Family Health Services

Kristin Warfel, Graham Packaging

Heather Woodbridge, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts

Shea A. Zwerver, Flagger Force

2025 Circle of Excellence

Gladys Brown Gutrieuille, The Stevens & Lee Companies

Tracy Pawelski, Tracy Pawelski LLC

Karen Roland, Members 1st Federal Credit Union

Donna Roper, McConkey Insurance & Benefits

Stephanie Schreyer, Cargas Systems

2025 Women to Watch

Taylor Baublitz, Pennsylvania State Education Association

Brittany Guiles, KWCPA

Rebekah Harriger, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Emily Lazar Kreider, The Hershey Company

Sarah Malinsky, Royal Square Development & Construction

Yumi McClellan, JMA Resources, Inc.

Alycia Paulus, Conte Wealth Advisors

Katelyn E. Rohrbaugh, Esq., Barley Snyder

CARLISLE, Pa. –The Army Heritage Center Foundation (AHCF) in Carlisle is now embarking on an expansion of its immersive military training, thanks to a generous endowment from Nancy and Bob Gessner, daughter and son-in-law of the late Colonel Donald Esper of Carlisle, PA.

The Colonel Donald Esper Endowment will fund a greater number of Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Staff Rides, a mandatory Army commissioning requirement that immerses ROTC cadets in the experience of important turning points in military history. By visiting the actual scene of these historical events, participants learn about the terrain, tactics, and leadership decisions that shaped the outcomes. Cadets who participate in the AHCF program will experience the lessons of Gettysburg.

The Colonel Donald Esper Endowment / AHCF ROTC Staff Ride Program is the legacy of a local military hero who passed away in 2023 after an impressive 34 years of service.

Colonel Esper enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 and served in combat in the Pacific during World War II. He received his Army commission as an Armor Second Lieutenant in April 1951. He served with the 11th Armored Cavalry at Ft. Carson, Colorado, the 66th Tank Battalion in post-War West Germany, the 82nd Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, the 7th Infantry Division in South Korea, the 25th Infantry Division in South Vietnam, and as Battalion Commander of the 1st of the 33rd Armored Battalion in Gelnhausen, West Germany. While in command, the Battalion won the U.S. Army Europe Tank Gunnery Championship.

He also attended service schools at Fort Knox, Fort Leavenworth, and the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks. His final tour of duty was as Garrison Commander at Carlisle Barracks.

ROTC was an important part of Colonel Esper’s legacy. After World War II, he earned a degree in Business Administration at Xavier University, where he was an ROTC cadet. Later in his career, Colonel Esper earned a Master’s Degree while teaching ROTC at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York.

He and his wife Zetta Ann raised three children and were stationed all over the world until finally settling in Carlisle in 1975.  Esper retired in 1980 after 34 years of military service, then worked for 10 additional years for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

After leaving PEMA, Esper was active with his family, in St. Patrick’s Church in Carlisle and the Carlisle Rotary Club.

The Esper Endowment is one of the gifts that helps to power the work of the AHCF, the nonprofit that supports the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) and their ever-growing education and community engagement efforts.

“Bob and I are so pleased to have worked with AHCF to create this endowment honoring my dad,” said Nancy Gessner. “AHCF will be faithful and responsible stewards of my dad’s legacy.  The endowment fund is the perfect confluence of AHCF’s expertise with ROTC Staff rides and my dad’s passion for bringing the events at Gettysburg to life along with his background as an ROTC cadet at Xavier University and as a teacher of ROTC cadets at Canisius University.”

In March, NEWSWEEK readers chose USAHEC as one of the “Top 10 Free Museums” in the U.S.  Many activities that will be open to the public are being offered this year in conjunction with the 250^th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

“The Army Heritage Center Foundation is overjoyed with the Esper family’s generous gift, which will have a large and lasting impact on the education of up-and-coming leaders,” said AHCF Board Chairman Robert DeSousa, Esq., a 28-year veteran of the Army National Guard who served during the Iraq War and held the post of State Judge Advocate. “New recruits bring new energy, enthusiasm, and insights that inspire us to carry on our mission to preserve and share American history and the stories of our Soldiers with our nation.”

Foundation President Julie Germany also applauded the Gessners’ generosity. “Colonel Esper’s legacy lives on in the cadets who will walk through our doors and shape the future of our nation,” said Germany. “Our foundation is looking forward to offering a greater number of staff rides and helping to fund the future of USAHEC and honor those who have served and sacrificed.”

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About the Army Heritage Center Foundation

 The Army Heritage Center Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that is honored to advance the mission of USAHEC, one of the nation’s premier sites dedicated to preserving and honoring the experiences and memories of those who served in the U.S. Army. USAHEC memorializes the lives and lived experiences of our soldiers in photographs, artifacts, books and more.  The Army Heritage Center Foundation (armyheritage.org) is a charitable organization separate from the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center.  As a private, nonprofit, non-Federal entity, AHCF is not affiliated with the Department of Defense and has no governmental status.