Zach Barton has spent his entire career as a servant leader, mentoring the next generation. After graduating from Penn State, he became a case manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern New Jersey for three years, then joined the Centre County Youth Service Bureau. During six years at the YSB, he was the program director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Centre, Mifflin, and Juniata Counties and then the organization’s development director. In 2020, he became executive director of Leadership Centre County, guiding the organization through the pandemic while keeping true to their mission of educating participants about the needs, available services and opportunities, and issues in our community.

Originally published by Suburban Life Magazine in Philadelphia, PA

From Penn State football to outdoor excursions, and from farm-to-table dining to first-rate shopping, Happy Valley offers the perfect backdrop for a memorable getaway.

Various local legends and theories pertain to the origin of the phrase Happy Valley, though nobody can say for sure how it came to be associated with Penn State University and the surrounding communities. Ed Stoddard believes there is a fairly simple reason why the name has stuck, and it begins with the residents who call the region home.

Tweet #BestBarChamps to cast your vote

It’s Penn State vs everybody — and you can help clinch the championship! Champs Downtown is in the finals for America’s College Bar. Voting ends MONDAY, April 4. You can jump and help declare downtown State College’s iconic bar the winner by tweeting #BestBarChamps to cast a vote or cast seven votes by ordering the Best Bar T-shirt.

Happy Valley’s neighbor, Clearfield County, has tons of grownup experiences to enjoy, from inventive wines to historical finds to adventures that showcase the great outdoors. But when I visited there recently, I kept thinking about how much fun my kids were going to have when I took them with me the next time. As a mom of five teens, I swear by the magic combo of fresh air fun and copious amounts of good food. Here’s five Clearfield adventures on our bucket list.

Writer Teresa Mull started out here in Happy Valley — even growing up in the house that Philipsburg’s founder, Hardman Philips, built — before heading off to Dallas, Texas and Rome, Italy, and jobs in Washington, D.C. and Teton Valley, Idaho. And then, she got homesick.

We talked to her about why she’s made Happy Valley her permanent home, her insider picks for culture and fun, and what every Happy Valley visitor has got to try. Read on!

HVAB, CBICC announce one-time funding to boost agritourism enterprises, provide for visitor-readiness

State College, PA, March 23, 2022 – The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau (HVAB) and the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County (CBICC) today announced a one-time Happy Valley Agventures grant program to help local farms, farm stands and other agricultural businesses become more visitor ready, and enhance the visitor/customer experience through facility improvements.

“People are often surprised to learn that I was not born and raised in Happy Valley,” Matt Maris says. Considering that the high school teacher owns and runs Local Historia, an ode to Happy Valley’s historic past, the surprise is legitimate.

When Hector Cruz visited Happy Valley for the first time — visiting his daughter at Penn State — he didn’t know anyone. He says finding a place to eat was tricky. “Reading a review is just not the same as talking to someone about their favorite places to eat,” he says. “You can’t ask them questions or ask for recommendations.”

This April, Bob Cameron is writing a new chapter in his life. For the past seven years, he’s been the director of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum in Boalsburg, keeping the stories of Happy Valley’s past alive and in living color. Over those years, he worked to revitalize the historic destination, working with more than 600-900 volunteers per year to implement projects ranging from miles of trails to a walking bridge to new gardens and arboriculture.