“How did I land in State College? Boy, that’s a wild story.”

Jeff Brown is the Morning Drive personality at 99.5 The Bus and broadcasting instructor and general manager of CommRadio at Penn State. He’s been in radio all his life, and radio is what introduced him — unintentionally — to his favorite place to live.

Thirty years ago, Lance Shaner and his brother Fred were looking for a new home for their progressive hospitality business. They explored Atlanta, Durham, Chapel Hill and Austin, but it was Happy Valley that caught their eye. “It was hard to beat the quality of life that we saw here,” Lance said.

Prior to joining the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC) as President and CEO in September of 2021, Greg Scott spent 25 years leading large-scale business operations for major universities.

Forty years ago, Greg Woodman spent his tuition money to print Penn State T-shirts to sell at tailgates. It was a move that wasn’t very popular with his parents, but it paid off, big time. In the years that followed he made the cardboard Standup Joe Paterno, the famous “twins poster,” the “Are You a Penn Stater” guidebook, Penn State Football Annuals throughout the ’80s, and a recent retrospective called “Why Penn State: Why the 1980s gave Nittany Lions a common cause, culture and shared values.” We caught up with Greg to hear about what made him fall in love with Happy Valley, and how it’s continued to be such a magical place for him.

Penn State professor Bing Pan is on a mission to expand people’s horizons through the power of travel, and he’s doing it right here in the heart of Pennsylvania. Ask why and he’ll give you both left brained and right brained reasons for living, working and playing in Happy Valley. Short answer: it’s one of the smartest places in the US, and it’s full of energy, creativity and fun.

‘We Are…Penn State’ are four little words that have been ingrained in my life since I was a baby. The common theme of bleeding blue and white as a Penn Stater is something that I have experienced practically since the day I entered this world. Growing up as a Penn State fan prepared me to be an enthusiastic, PSU-loving student and soon to be proud alumni. Check out my Penn State story below if you’re craving all things blue and white.

It makes sense that the director of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts — one of Happy Valley’s signature summer events since 1967 — would be the authority on finding the best arcane, beautiful and story-filled spots in Happy Valley. After all, that’s what Rick Bryant has been doing in his role with The Fest since 1999 — discovering things of interest and beauty, and sharing them with the rest of us.

Lee Anne Jeffries is deeply rooted in Happy Valley. She grew up in the area, went to Penn State and now heads the Downtown State College Improvement, a live, work, and play neighborhood that sparks the creative, the eclectic, and the local. “Happy Valley is home and I care deeply about this town, it’s a special place,” she says.

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.