YCEA Announces Executive Committee Leadership and Welcomes New Board Members

 The York County Economic Alliance (YCEA) is excited to announce changes in Board leadership, to commence in January, along with welcoming five new board members to its Board of Directors. 
 
Continuing as Chair of the Board is Oliver Hoar, who started Hoar Investments in 2018 after a successful career as President and CEO of R.H. Sheppard., Inc. in Hanover, PA.  Oliver also chairs the York County Industrial Development Authority, General Authority of Southcentral Pennsylvania, and Hanover Economic Development Corporation. 
 
Returning to the Executive Committee is Jeff Vermeulen, Chief of Staff, York College of Pennsylvania as Immediate Past Chair, and Bev Mackereth as Economic Initiatives Committee Chair. Joining the Executive Committee will be Laura Buczkowski, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with WellSpan Health as Treasurer; Sara Parrish, President of CampusDoor as Vice-Chair and Secretary. 
 
The YCEA welcomes five new Board members:

• Lauren Days, Owner, Skillet2Plate Soul Bistro and Sara Ellen Event Venue
• Katie Kinsley, Assistant Director, Kinsley Family Office
• Christina McCullough, Director of Business Development, Stewart & Tate Construction 
• Chris Rockey, Senior Vice President, Territory Executive, Northeast Territory, Community Development Banking, PNC Bank 
• Ronesha Willis, Head of People & Culture North America, RHI Magnesita 

 
 
 
Lauren Days is the proud owner of two businesses within York City, Skillet2Plate Soul Bistro and Sara Ellen Event Venue. Lauren is committed to providing spaces in the City that allows families and friends to celebrate, collaborate, entertain and network together. Through her business ventures, Lauren continuously strives to uplift other small business owners by giving them the spotlight at her event venue, using them as a supplier in her restaurant, or hosting a networking event for other small businesses to increase collaboration. Lauren represents the York Business Improvement District Authority (YBIDA) through the Strategic Affiliation with YCEA.
 
 
 
 
Katie Kinsley is a third-generation member of the Kinsley family and is the Assistant Director of the Kinsley Family Office. She has Master’s Degree in Biology from Towson University, and previously worked in clinical research and veterinary medicine. 
Katie currently sits on the boards for the Kinsley Foundation and Kinsley Enterprises, where she contributes to her family’s philanthropic and business initiatives. Katie is also a member of the York County Community Foundation Distribution Committee, and she is passionate about supporting the many community organizations that contribute to a vibrant York County. 
Katie is an animal lover and enjoys being active outdoors with her family. Katie and her husband, Mike, live on a small farm in Glen Rock with their four children. 
 
 
 
Christina McCullough is Director of Business Development with Stewart & Tate Construction where she develops and cultivates relationships with both clients and industry partners, attends conferences and networking events, uncovers potential projects, and develops strategies to position Stewart & Tate as the most qualified General Contractor and Construction Manager for projects based on appropriate scope and market. 
Prior to joining the S&T team, Christina worked for both engineering and architectural firms after spending fifteen years in the hospitality industry. She is passionate about working with people and giving back to the local community. She has served on several boards around Central Pennsylvania, most recently as the President of SMPS (Society of Marketing Professional Services) and Immediate Past Chair for Explore York, a board she served on for nine years. Currently, she serves on the York County Tourism Grant Program Committee, appointed by Explore York. 
 
Chris Rockey began his career with PNC bank in 1999. Today, he serves as Senior Vice President, Territory Executive, Northeast Territory, Community Development Banking. He is responsible for leading a team that provides lending, equity investing, tax credits, philanthropic support, technical assistance, and financial literacy outreach for low to moderate income individuals and/or projects serving this demographic. He is a twice decorated US Navy Combat Veteran. Several other notable awards include the PNC Performance Award, Circle of Excellence and Market All Star. He also received the Pa Statewide Community Action Association Sargent Shriver Community Service Award (2015) and the National Racial Wealth Gap Economic Inclusion Award by the National Minority Community Reinvestment Coalition (2017). 
Chris has a life-long commitment of service to community and country and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Tri-County HDC, LTD, Associated Black Charities and Center for Urban Families. He also received a gubernatorial appointment to serve on the Pa Community Development Bank (2008-2012). Additionally, he serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Greater Maryland PNC Recognizing Emerging Professionals Employee Business Resource Group. 
 
Ronesha Willis loves Human Resources and with over 15 years’ experience, she has (almost) seen it all. She currently serves as Head of People & Culture North America for RHI Magnesita. She leads a team of 18 HR Professionals across US and Mexico. 
Born and raised in York, she appreciates the benefit of a small community feel while working with large, international organizations. She takes pride in being a conduit for business excellence by driving best people strategies. She currently serves as Human Resources Business Partner for RHI Magnesita in York. In her role, she supports Manufacturing operations across US, Canada and Mexico. 
Her favorite part of Human Resources is engagement, which requires a workplace that enables people to bring their authentic self to work. Coming from humble beginnings, Ronesha knows how important it is to support employees in all phases of life and career. With this perspective, she drives practices such as Paid Paternity leave, Diversity & Inclusion, Apprenticeship programs, Development and career paths, and roundtable discussions. Ronesha develops herself with her current Executive Coach and continued education events. 
 
“We are thrilled to welcome our new board members representing a cross section of large and small businesses and industries rich in York County history like manufacturing and development,” said Oliver Hoar, Chair of the Board. “Our Executive Committee leadership continues to strengthen adding Laura and Sara to the committee with their strategic approach to progress and success.”
 
The YCEA expresses sincere gratitude to six individuals concluding their service to the Board of Directors:

• Dr. David Christensen, Chancellor, Penn State York (retired) became a member of the Board of Directors in 2019 and advanced the work of the Economic Action Plan by developing the next generation of a talented workforce in York County. He was an active member of the Governance Committee and chaired the Economics Club series from January 2020-January 2023.
• Rev. Mark Kearse, Pastor Cornerstone Baptist Church became a member of the Board of Directors in 2019 and dedicated his time to advance the Economic Action Plan by creating opportunities for all in our community, has been an avid supporter of the BLOOM Business Empowerment Center, and emceed the Changemaker event. 
• Grace Quartey, CPA, Owner of Grace & Associates became a member of the Board of Directors in 2021 and served as Treasurer and chaired the Finance Committee stewarding the launch of the BLOOM Business Empowerment Center’s loan program and advancement to CDFI designation. She continues to serve as chair of the BLOOM Business Empowerment Center Advisory Board.
• Casey (Kat) Rossum, Owner, Kat Choreography became a member of the Board of Directors in 2022 sharing her passion as a small business owner to advance the mission of the BLOOM Business Empowerment Center which has disbursed $1.6 Million into our community. Together with her three sisters they rocked the stage at the YCEA keynote event, Showcasing YoCo. 
• Jules Tolbert, Downtown Investor became a member of the Board of Directors in 2019 as a representative of the York Business Improvement District Authority, which he chaired in 2021 and 2022, and worked ardently to advance the mission of Downtown Inc to be a driver of economic development and investment.  Jules was a strong supporter and steering committee member of the Economic Action Plan. He is a member, and chaired, the Downtown Development Committee, and has been a vocal advocate for the work of the BLOOM Business Empowerment Center. 
• Ruben Warren, General Manager, Hollywood Casino York became a member of the Board of Directors in 2022 and held the position of Vice-Chair while his work at Hollywood Casino plays a considerable role in the creation of a pipeline of funding disbursed for projects in York County via the state’s Local Share Account (LSA) grant program. 

 
For a complete listing of the Board of Directors, please visit https://www.yceapa.org/who-we-are/board-of-directors/
 
About the YCEA
YCEA drives York County’s economic growth by leveraging the collaboration, resources and expertise needed to create sustainable prosperity. For information on the York County Economic Alliance visit www.yceapa.org.
 
Press Contact:
Katie Mahoney
Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer
717.771.4581
Kmahoney@yceapa.org