CAN DO marked another year during its 58th annual dinner held Tuesday at Genetti Best Western Inn & Suites.

During last month’s annual meeting, the organization’s board of directors elected officers and at-large board members.

CAN DO officers approved for 2014-2015 include: Llewellyn F. Dryfoos III, chairman of the board of directors; Daniel C. Jorgensen, vice chairman; David M. McCarthy, vice chairman; William Magnotta, vice chairman; W. Kevin O’Donnell, president; Dr. John Madden, secretary; Patrick Ward, treasurer; Joseph F. Lettiere, vice president of sales and marketing; Nancy R. Stasko, assistant secretary; and Patricia Gendler, CPA, assistant secretary.

Those elected to the CAN DO Board of Directors as at-large members were: Dorothy Anderson, George Andrews, Donna Barna, Charles Burkhardt, Neal DeAngelo III, Anthony J. Dixon, Esq., Lani Drobnock, Llewellyn F. Dryfoos III,             Peter J. Fagan, Esq., Lisa Finkelstein, John Fletcher, Tim Genetti, William E. Genetti, Martha M. Herron, Daniel C. Jorgensen, Elaine Judd, John Madden, Ph.D, Paul Malone, David M. McCarthy, Rick Morelli, Ken Okrepkie, Jan Pasdon, Maryanne Petrilla, Lonnie Polli, John E. Schwear Jr., Robert Sensky, Esq., Alexander Sloot, Christopher Slusser, Esq., Eugenio Sosa,             Arthur A. Tarone, Carla Thaller, Matt Turowski, Esq., Patrick J. Ward and Joseph Zeller.           

CAN DO’s board of directors also consists of members of organizations who have been involved with CAN DO since its beginning. Educational and municipal representatives, along with students, also serve on the board as non-voting members. The board is made up of nearly 100 volunteers.

The dinner was centered around honoring volunteers, with Dryfoos making remarks to show CAN DO’s appreciation for the hundreds of volunteers throughout the organization’s history.

“Volunteers are the ones who started CAN DO in 1956, when everyone was saying, ‘It can’t be done.’ In the early days, our organization was run entirely by volunteers. In fact, for the first 10 years, there were no staff members … only volunteers. Let’s think for just a moment about the fruit borne by the service of CAN DO volunteers throughout our organization’s history. Humboldt Industrial Park. Valmont Industrial Park. McAdoo Industrial Park. The CAN DO Corporate Center. CAN BE’s Hazleton Innovation Center and the Renaissance Center. Thousands of jobs currently held. Volunteering made all this happen,” he said.

“This success affects our community in many beneficial ways. Obviously, there is the employment factor, with nearly 30,000 direct jobs created in our parks since CAN DO’s founding in 1956, equating to 12,000 residual jobs today. All those jobs lead to money – disposable income – in our community and spending in our community, a benefit to the Hazleton area’s economy as a whole. Volunteers have made this organization as successful as it is, and directly contributed to the economics of Greater Hazleton,” Dryfoos said.

During the dinner, the 2014 Chairman’s Award was presented to Lonnie Polli and the CAN DO 2014 Partner of the Year Award was presented to Penn’s Northeast.

O’Donnell, Dryfoos and Charles Burkhardt, Community Relations Committee chairman and Student Action Committee adviser, also recognized the graduating students of the CAN DO Student Action Committee, which is involved in developing and planning events such as CAN DO Community Christmas and “Operation: CAN DO.”

“These students contribute their time and talents to several noteworthy projects that would not be possible without their assistance,” Burkhardt said. “Through Student Action Committee activities, students learn the importance of volunteering and how to work as a team in support of a common goal.”

Student Action Committee graduates are Nicole Barber, Walker Day, Mary Susan McAndrew, Shannon Sarosky, Hayle Shearer, Arianna Srinivasan and Dan Synoski.

Sponsors for the 58th Annual Dinner were Biros Septic & Drain Cleaning, Arc Electric, Rosenn Jenkins and Greenwald, Penn State Hazleton, PPL Utilities, Mericle Commercial Real Estate, Leib Well Drilling, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Nause Landscaping, MAEA, Borton-Lawson and Miners Bank.