Paul
W. Heimel of Coudersport is running for re-election as a member of the Potter
County Board of Commissioners, subject to the May 19 Republican Primary
Election.
“I’ve
been proud to be part of a board that has established a solid record and would
like to continue that momentum,” he said. “We work as a team, and the record
reflects that.”
A
lifelong resident of Potter County, Heimel became familiar with the county and
its citizens during a 20-year career with the local newspaper. He broadened his
experience over the next decade in the business world as a corporate
communications manager.
He
was most recently elected chairman of the Pennsylvania State Land Tax Fairness
Coalition. That organization is fighting for school district, county and
township real estate tax relief through higher state reimbursements for state-owned
land.
Soon
after becoming a Potter County Commissioner in 2008, Heimel spearheaded a
concerted effort to improve communications, streamline operations, and save the
county money through websites and newsletters.
In
response to shale gas developments, he has worked with his colleagues to
organize a countywide water protection work group. He has also engaged with
industry leaders, environmental groups, business owners and regulatory agencies
for a broad-based perspective.
Heimel
is vice chairman of the Potter County Criminal Justice Advisory Board. That
organization was singled out last month for the Statewide Best Practices Award,
recognizing the county’s new DUI/Drug Specialty Courts, the innovative new
Women’s Residential Rehabilitation Center, and Re-Entry Services for men who
are nearing their release from the Potter County Jail.
“I
would like the opportunity to continue work on those and some other ongoing
initiatives that our board believes are important to Potter County,” he said.
Among
them are a new program to train local job-seekers with the specific skills that
local employers are looking for; further development of the new Potter County
Veterans Center and Potter County Education Center; innovative approaches to
boost tourism at local and regional levels; stronger partnerships with township
and borough leaders for community development activities, and continued support
of traditional and alternative agriculture.
Heimel
is active in policy development and advocacy for the County Commissioners
Association of Pennsylvania and is the first commissioner from Potter County to
be appointed to a leadership position with the National Association of
Counties, where he’s involved in advocacy for veterans, military service
members, and their families.
After
attending Penn State, he returned home to join the family-owned local
newspaper, where he served as a reporter and editor before being hired as
Adelphia’s corporate communications manager.
“This
unique combination of public advocacy as a journalist, an understanding of the
business world through a corporate management position, and most importantly
more than seven years of experience in the commissioners’ office has prepared
me for another term of service,” Heimel said.
As
for volunteer service, he served for six years as a member of the Coudersport
Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is a member of several civic
organizations and serves on the governing board of the First Presbyterian
Church of Coudersport.
He
and his wife, Lugene, have five grown sons and five grandchildren.
