The judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County are seeking candidates for appointment as trustee of the Trexler Trust to succeed the Reverend Daniel G. Gambet upon the expiration of his second ten year term in May, 2017. Through the capable stewardship of Father Gambet and his four co-trustees, the Trust, created by General Harry C. Trexler at his death in 1933, has continued to grow and is currently a $120 million charitable foundation that annually awards grants to many organizations and programs that serve the citizenry of Lehigh County.
“Father Gambet has served the Trexler Trust with fidelity, wisdom and compassion for the past 20 years,” said President Judge Edward D. Reibman. “His unique perspective, derived from his faith-based training, ecumenical outlook, tolerance and many years as President of DeSales University, has been invaluable. His philanthropic and community knowledge combined with his quick wit and keen sense of humor, which have provided such focus and balance to the Trust, will be difficult to replicate and sorely missed, especially by co-trustees Malcolm J. Gross, Barnet H. Fraenkel, Jamie P. Musselman and L. Charles Marcon. As Father Gambet enjoys his much- deserved retirement, we seek an individual to succeed him who shares his dedication and passion for improving the quality of life in Lehigh County; a person who has developed a broad and deep understanding of the composition and needs of our community, is a careful listener and effective communicator, and is possessed of both the financial acumen and philanthropic boldness to carry on the important work of the Trexler Trust.”
Each of the five trustees of the Trexler Trust spends 400 to 500 hours per year managing and overseeing the investment of the Trust’s assets, evaluating applications and associated financial documents, conducting site visits, determining the recipients of annual grants in accordance with the terms of the Trust which includes distributions to the City of Allentown for the maintenance and improvement of the City’s park system and to the County of Lehigh for improvements to the Trexler Nature Preserve. The trustees are ably assisted in these endeavors, as well as the annual preparation and filing of an account of the trust administration with the Orphans’ Court, by a full time Executive Director and two assistants. Pursuant to the Will of General Trexler, a trustee must be a citizen and permanent resident of Lehigh County and may not be an elected official.
“We are looking for someone who is familiar with the entire community in general and the nonprofit community in particular, someone who can analyze the efficacy of a particular application and also envision the long term collective effect of the grants the Trust awards,” said Judge Reibman. “We look forward to the selection process because we know that Lehigh County is home to a wealth of experienced individuals who are committed to public service and the good of our community.”
To learn more about the Trust, visit its website at www.trexlertrust.org.
Individuals interested in being considered for the trustee vacancy may apply only by submission of the application available on the Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County website at www.lccpa.org/trexlertrust. The deadline for applications is February 17, 2017.
Information Provided By:
Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County
Lehigh County Courthouse | 455 W. Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101
