Find your next adventure here in Happy Valley with the Happy Valley PA GeoTour. It’s a fun way to explore the area, from Downtown State College to off-the-beaten-path destinations you’ve never visited before.
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.