Elissa M. Garofalo

President/Executive Director
610-923-3548 ext. 223
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Elissa joined the D&L staff in January 2000 where her duties include project management, marketing, heritage tourism, byway planning and public-private partnerships that preserve and enhance heritage and cultural resources.
Her career began in 1981 as Jim Thorpe’s Main Street Manager. She has served as a Resource Team Consultant for the National Main Street Center. She was Marketing Manager for Pocono Whitewater & Skirmish and was a co-owner of Blue Mountain Sports in Jim Thorpe until joining the D&L. Economic surveys, integrated marketing and facilitation of innovated partnerships are among the highlights of her work.
Garofalo helped develop two regional revitalization programs, the Corridor Market Towns Initiative and Landmark Towns of Bucks County. She served as editor of “The Stone Coal Way”, spearheaded the development of the D&L’s integrated marketing program, oversees various grant programs, writes funding applications and manages the staff of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. She is a certified ToP™ Facilitator in training.
Elissa is a founder of the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Leadership Carbon Steering Committee, President of Carbon County Partners for Progress and a Guest Lecturer at Kutztown University. She holds a B.S. in Urban & Regional Planning from the Pennsylvania State University and has completed International Economic Development Council (IEDC) courses.
Born and raised in the Scranton, Pennsylvania area, Elissa resides in Jim Thorpe. She is the proud mother of Maggie and Jay Marsden. Her interests include American culture (with a lower case “c”), traveling, cooking, and pretty much all of the outdoor activities you can enjoy along the Lehigh.