ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Allentown Parknership, an independent non-profit organization devoted to enhancing Allentown’s parks and recreation programs, has welcomed six additional community members to its volunteer board of directors that will establish the strategic priorities and provide essential oversight and perspective for the organization.

The six new board members are:

Luis Acevedo is manager at R.J. Walker in Nazareth. He is president of East Side Memorial Little League and an executive board member for Star Community Health. He is a former vice president of the Puertorrican Culture Preservation in Allentown.

Judge J. Brian Johnson, who will serve as chair of the governance committee, is currently the president judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He was elected judge of that Court in 2003, began his term in January 2004, and has served in the Civil, Family and Orphan’s Court Divisions since that time. He has served as president judge since January 2021. He has been a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association since 1984 and was an attorney at several firms from 1983-2003.

Rick Kern, who will serve as treasurer and chair of the finance committee, retired in 2022 as a senior vice president with Truist after over 40 years in banking. He serves on the boards of Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation (treasurer and chair of finance and investment committee) and the Children’s Dyslexia Center of the Lehigh Valley (treasurer). He has also served on boards at First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, Sights for Hope, Boys & Girls Club of Allentown, Minsi Trails Council and State Theatre.

Anais Martinez has over a decade of professional experience in program coordination and community engagement initiatives that foster education, conservation and positive change. Her volunteer commitments include Lehigh Gap Nature Center, where as a fellow she led environmental education and conservation efforts, and work with the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River Basin and the Hispanic Access Foundation.

Janet Roth, who will serve as secretary, is chief executive officer of the Harry C. Trexler Trust, where she has worked for over 32 years. Her volunteer board service includes Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, Catholic Foundation of Northeast Pennsylvania, Allentown Rotary Foundation Board. She has also volunteered with United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley Impact Council, Lehigh Valley Regional Homelessness Advisory Board, Meals on Wheels, Wildlands Conservancy and Girls on the Run.

Mandy Tolino is director of parks and recreation for the City of Allentown. Leading a team of 65 dedicated professionals, she oversees a broad spectrum of services, including cultural and special events, recreation programming, park maintenance, sustainability initiatives, urban forestry and a municipal golf course. With a focus on equitable access and creating diverse recreational opportunities, she is committed to ensuring Allentown’s parks remain vibrant and inclusive spaces for all.

The six board members join Simon Moore, who became the Chair of the Board in September 2024, and Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and Don Bernhart, who were charter board members during The Allentown Parknership’s formation.

More detailed information about each board member is available at allentownparknership.org/news/

“We are excited and appreciative of the wide range of talents, perspectives, experiences, opinions and community connections of our board members as we begin our first full year of operation in 2025,” said Moore. “Just as important as their skills, our board members care deeply about the role that parks and recreation have in improving the lives of residents.“

The Allentown Parknership is currently conducting a search for a highly qualified executive director. The board expansion also follows a landmark gift of $500,000 from the Rider-Pool Foundation toward the establishment of an endowment aimed at improving parks in distressed neighborhoods within Allentown to better address the health and well-being needs of the residents and to increase access to safe and welcoming parks and green space.

About The Allentown Parknership

The Allentown Parknership was launched in March 2024 to collaborate with the City of Allentown to expand and enhance the city’s parks, playgrounds and recreation programs to meet the community’s varied needs. It will raise money, seek grants and undertake other fundraising activities. Funds will be used to realize the projects and initiatives identified in an upcoming comprehensive plan – a plan that will be developed in partnership with the City and its residents.

The Allentown Parknership builds on the legacy of General Harry C. Trexler, considered by many to be the founder of the Allentown Park System. Since 2019, the Harry C. Trexler Trust has provided guidance, management expertise and funding to bring the Allentown Parknership to life as an independent entity.

More information is available and online donations can be made at www.allentownparknership.org

Information provided to TVL by:
Michael Drabenstott