I am a life-long resident of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania and have been an outdoor enthusiast most of my life, hiking many of our national parks as well as state and local parks. My favorite national park is Yosemite National Park where I’ve hiked several times. My most memorable was my visit in July 2021 with two of my adult children to Alaska to “be with the bear!” Professionally, I work as a Deputy Coroner in our County.  As an older woman, I feel it is important to give back to women of all ages. That’s why I founded a woman-focused hiking group, Lehigh Valley Women of Adventure, in August of this year. This group, which currently has 250 members and is constantly growing, organizes weekly outdoor trail adventures so women can experience what nature has to offer safely and in the company of like-minded women. Our goals can be summed up in our mission statement: “to promote women’s sense of self-worth, their ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others”. I am super excited to see what this amazing group of ladies will do for others in the community as we move forward.  Additionally, I have an amazing partner of twenty-three years, four children, and five grandchildren.