I was born and raised in Venango County, graduated from Franklin Area High School, then earned degrees at Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. I’ve spent my entire life in Venango County, worked and started two businesses here, raised three children here, and enjoy showing my seven grandchildren all that our beautiful county has to offer. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!

I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to leave our beautiful area to be successful. We have the same technology and opportunities as larger cities, but the cost to live here is so much less. You can be successful no matter if you are working remotely for a company outside the area, working for one of our local businesses, or starting your own business. 

Personally, I worked nearly 20 years in a bank’s operations center, and served as General Manager for an IT Company for another 20 years, and am now co-owner of two local businesses: Gibbons Business Solutions, LLC (a local full-service Marketing and Consulting company) and Porch Music Store, both located in Franklin. Our customer reach at GBS is Northwest PA and beyond, so I do travel to many other communities, but not one has ever equaled Venango County for me. 

One of my hobbies is photography, so I take a LOT of photos. I also love nature and to bike, hike and kayak, so you will often find me on our beautiful trails and waterways with friends or some of those grandchildren and my camera, and I hope to get a boat in the future to enjoy the waterways even more. I started taking photos of nature at an early age, and still do today, especially in Venango County. We have a healthy art scene here, like the Transit Art Gallery and Gifts in Oil City where I sell my work, that gives artists and musicians like myself lots of opportunities.  

I am a huge advocate of supporting local businesses, so I love all of the unique shops and eateries within our county and introducing other people to them. Most of our bars and restaurants have entertainment during the summer months, so you can enjoy dinner, drinks, and great entertainment. The Barrow-Civic Theatre is a treasure in downtown Franklin and I love taking my “littles” (grand-children) to shows and musicals. And this is a town that always has something going on. There is never a lack of something to do here!

I’ve had the privilege to serve on the boards of many organizations in my career and am very supportive of our great non-profit organizations, such as the United Way of Venango County, Junior Achievement, Franklin Rotary, Youth Alternatives, both local chambers of commerce (Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce and the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce), and so many more. I love people and volunteering has been a great way for me to meet new friends and potential new customers.

There are so many reasons to consider calling Venango County home. Quality of life, safety, nature, recreational activities, and especially community. You won’t find friendlier people anywhere.  

Three things I am really passionate about (outside of being a grandma) include: Entrepreneurship, supporting local businesses and organizations, and sharing the beauty of Venango County. I am always interested in a good conversation over a cup of coffee wrapped around any of those three topics, so don’t hesitate to reach out.