ALAN L. JENNINGS
Treasurer
Alan Jennings recently retired after a 40-year stint with the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, 32 of those as its executive director. During his tenure, the agency expanded its annual budget from $500,000 to more than $30 million, from 9 employees to 100. Once totally funded by government, just 20% of the budget today is public funding. The agency's programs and subsidiaries include a regional food bank affiliated with Feeding America, the largest shelter for families with children in northeast Pennsylvania, the rehabilitation and weatherization of the aging housing stock, neighborhood revitalization and projects that help inner-city high school students getting into college. Under his leadership, the agency's advocacy work has broadened access to credit, opened doors to fair housing, fought predatory lending, increased the minimum wage, generated funding for open space preservation and challenged slum landlords.
He and the agency have been cited or quoted in news accounts throughout the world, including Japan, Scotland, Germany, Portugal, France, Canada, Switzerland and on Al Jazeera. They have collected countless awards, from local to national. His local newspaper, part of the Tribune, named him one of the six most effective activists of the 20th century. He most recently received an Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters for his show on WDIY, called The Jennings Report. His book, The Pursuit of Fairness: Fighting for What's Right in a World That's So Wrong (Rocky Rapids Press) was released in December, 2019.
In retirement, he continues to weigh in on the moral challenges of our time, hosting a radio show on the local National Public Radio affiliate, WDIY, writing opinion columns for the local newspaper, participating in issue advocacy such as affordable housing and the campaign to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizen's United case.
Alan has a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he majored in Political Science and minored in Education. He is married to Denise Reynolds; they have three adult daughters and four grandchildren.
Term Expires: April 26th, 2026
He and the agency have been cited or quoted in news accounts throughout the world, including Japan, Scotland, Germany, Portugal, France, Canada, Switzerland and on Al Jazeera. They have collected countless awards, from local to national. His local newspaper, part of the Tribune, named him one of the six most effective activists of the 20th century. He most recently received an Excellence in Broadcasting Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters for his show on WDIY, called The Jennings Report. His book, The Pursuit of Fairness: Fighting for What's Right in a World That's So Wrong (Rocky Rapids Press) was released in December, 2019.
In retirement, he continues to weigh in on the moral challenges of our time, hosting a radio show on the local National Public Radio affiliate, WDIY, writing opinion columns for the local newspaper, participating in issue advocacy such as affordable housing and the campaign to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizen's United case.
Alan has a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he majored in Political Science and minored in Education. He is married to Denise Reynolds; they have three adult daughters and four grandchildren.
Term Expires: April 26th, 2026