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Introducing the Leadership Venango Class of 2022


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Leadership Venango is a nine-month program designed to identify, educate, involve and motivate individuals who desire to become more effective leaders. This is the fourth year of the program and there are 16 people in the class of 2022.

Learn more about the program at leadershipvenango.org.

Class of 2022

Liz Amendola is a graduate of DuBois Business College and manages her own website where she sells handmade goods – E.L.A. Handmades. She is a Be Here Ambassador and a member of the Friends of the Oil City Library group.

Ashleigh Bennett is the Lesson Coordinator and Senior Sales Associate at the Porch Music Store in Franklin. She enjoys building the lesson program and teaching music to the next generation. Ashleigh is also a performing musician and loves enhancing the arts community and developing the entertainment culture of the region.

Brandon Boocks is the Museum Assistant at the Venango Museum of Art, Science and Industry in Oil City where he assists with daily operations, exhibit development, and working with Museum guests and visitors. He has a bachelor’s degree from Point Park University.

Matt Craig is the Training and Development Instructor at Webco Industries where he facilitates a 5 week “boot camp” for new employees that teaches the fundamental skills needed to succeed at Webco. Matt is a graduate of Thiel College and has volunteered with the Venango Teleauction as a cameraperson and with graphics.

Natalie Cubbon is the Projects Coordinator for the Oil Region Library Association where she manages social media and marketing, catalogs materials, coordinates events and more. Natalie loves volunteering for local events and is currently a member of the Oil City Main Street Program Steering Committee and serves as a Be Here Ambassador.

Nick Gammello is an Account Manager at Rossbacher Insurance where his focus is in providing property and casualty insurance. He says it is his goal and responsibility to serve his clients by designing the best possible insurance program for their needs. Nick is also a member of the Franklin Rotary Club and enjoys volunteering at community events.

Ashlee Goodman is a Financial Advisor with Raymond James Financial on First Street in Oil City. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting as well as her Series 66 and 7 licenses. Ashlee serves on the finance committee for Good Hope Lutheran Church and the promotions committee for the Oil City Main Street Program.

Ben Hart is an EMS Specialist with UPMC Prehospital Care where he travels throughout the region. Ben is a member of the Seneca Volunteer Fire Department and enjoys doing educational sessions for schools, churches, and other community groups.

Jarred Heuer is the Executive Director of the Clarion County Economic Development Corporation. Recently, Jarred helped spearhead efforts to strengthen broadband infrastructure in Clarion County, which resulted in award of ARC POWER grant for Clarion County. He is also a member of FLEX and enjoys volunteering at their events.

Akshay Kumbhare is a Quality Engineer at Matric in Seneca. Akshay has a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering. Professionally, he has streamlined production to drastically reduce set-up time for molding and is a Six Sigma Green Belt.

Chris Loll is a Logistics Coordinator at Klapec Trucking Company in Reno where his responsibilities include coordinating inbound and outbound freight to fit the needs of the shipper, receiver, driver, and trucking company. Chris says this requires excellent communication skills. He has also coached and volunteered with many youth sports.

Amariliz Sanchez is a Clerk Typist at Clarion University Venango. She provides administrative support for the Dean and is a past recipient of the Venango Campus Outstanding Staff Member of the Year Award. Amariliz is also a member of FLEX and loves volunteering for local events and cooking traditional Hispanic and Puerto Rican food for the community

Kelly Smerker is the Pharmacy Manager at UPMC Northwest in Seneca. Kelly is a graduate of the LECOM School of Pharmacy and has been with UPMC for 14 years, recently being promoted to the Manager position. She enjoys helping youth in her community by volunteering with the Fryburg Baseball Association.

Megan Weber is a Service Planning Analyst at Komatsu Mining in Franklin. She graduated from Grove City college with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and is working towards her MBA at Gannon University. Megan is a member of Franklin Rotary, FLEX, Grove City MOPS, Grove City Pet Rescue, and serves as a Be Here Ambassador.

Heidi Krug-Whistle is the Administrative Coordinator at Gibbons Business Solutions in Franklin as well as an artist and the owner of WhistleFish Vintage and WhistleFish Creations. Heidi is the creator of the ArtWalk event and is a member of the Oil City Arts Council, Franklin Rotary Club, and Franklin Retail Association.

Devin Zagar is the owner of 7 Foot Productions & Marketing in Oil City. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the College of Wooster, where he was a 4-year varsity athlete. Devin has a Hubspot Digital Marketing and Content Marketing Certifications. He has also volunteered with Meals on Wheels and for Living Streams Ministries.

These bios were also published in the Venango Chamber’s October 2021 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.

Joslyn Dechant


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Joslyn Dechant is a Manager for Medicare Advantage Product Development at John Hopkins Health Plans, and moved back to Franklin in 2020 after living out of the area for two years.

Upon graduating from Franklin High School, Joslyn went on to Clarion University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Business, followed by her MBA. “I’m most proud of putting myself through grad school in order to get a job more aligned with my interests and skillset,” she told us.

After college, she worked in Clarion for eight years, then accepted a job with UPMC Health Plan and moved to Pittsburgh for two years. Due to COVID, she received permanent work from home status and decided to move back to Franklin to be closer to family.

“I enjoy the comfort and affordability of small town living and was excited to get the opportunity to come back to the area,” she said.

At UPMC Health Plan, Joslyn had the opportunity to earn her Six Sigma Green Belt. She has recently accepted a new position as a Manager for Medicare Advantage Product Development at John Hopkins Health Plans and enjoys getting involved with the community now that she’s home.

Some of Josyln’s hobbies include reading, crocheting, yoga, traveling, walking the bike trail, and attending theatre performances, especially at the Barrow-Civic Theatre. She’s a fan of the peacefulness of small town living, and hopes to get more involved from a volunteer standpoint to help support local arts.

“While I don’t work directly out in the community, I enjoy being back in my hometown and close to family. Franklin has a sense of community that isn’t always easy to find elsewhere,” she said. “I’m looking forward to making connections and friends. Working from home has a lot of perks, but it can be isolating and FLEX will help me form relationships with young professionals in the area.”

Welcome back, Joslyn!

FYI Newsletter – October 2021


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For young professionals, by young professionals. This monthly newsletter is published by Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange (FLEX), the young professionals group of the Venango Area Chamber of Commerce.

Click here or the image below for a PDF of the FYI.

Find articles from the FLEX FYI on the Chamber’s blog.

WQLN Back for More Stories from Oil City


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Our Town is a video scrapbook of the people, places, and happenings, as seen through the eyes of its residents.

Community members collect video footage and still photos to showcase their stories and then talk about each of their topics with a WQLN producer in a casual on-camera interview. Oil City was the featured town in 2015 and Franklin in 2017. WQLN is now revisiting many of the communities, including Oil City. On their recent filming in Oil City, they captured 13 stories, including the Oil City Arts Council, FLEX, Oil Valley DISC Golf and Oil City 150.

The final edition of Our Town: More Stories from Oil City will air on WQLN on September 30 at 8 p.m. With a live stream available at www.wqln.org.

This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s September 2021 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.

Professional Development Tip: Stepping Into Leadership


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By Jarred Heuer (Executive Director, Clarion County Economic Development Corporation)

New jobs can be intimidating. Whether you are promoted from within or join a new company, there is always some degree of “agita.” When it involves leadership, that anxiety can multiply and dampen what should be an exciting experience. Though, the early going with a new leadership role has pitfalls, it offers a clean slate and can be an opportunity to generate new momentum and capture its propulsion. Below are a few ideas that have served me well in past roles and continue to do so today.

Vary Your View
Google Maps is one of my favorite tools. Much of its worth is its ability to show both a satellite and street view. No doubt, a user has a much better understanding of a place after having seen both. When it comes to understanding the landscape of a new job, whether that is the job itself or the environment it functions within, seeing the satellite and street view is invaluable.

The satellite view shows you boundaries of your job and the role it plays in the big picture. It helps to contextualize what fits and where, whether that is your company, department, or your job itself. The street view offers you a different perspective, often acting as a motivator or inspirer, which can give better meaning and purpose to your job. Understanding the street view also grants you credibility from your community, since many are often appreciative when leaders take time to get granular.

Varying your view is a great use of time, particularly when done early, as it often serves as an investment for future collaboration.

Lean On Others
New leaders can have the misconception that they must re-invent the wheel to find success. There are certainly instances where shakeups and wakeups are needed, but it is key to understand that if those are instituted erroneously, damage can be exponential. Identifying diverse groups of established leaders, both inside and outside the scope of your role, and initiating mentorship-like relationships is a great step to take.

Actively leaning on others can assist in obtaining that street-level view, while also demonstrating to other leaders that you possess a healthy, assertive quality, which can serve you well in your new role. It shows you are a leader who can come alongside to problem solve without discrediting those who have come before you. This is particularly valuable in a small community.

Cast (and, if necessary, re-cast) Your Vision
A cast vision serves as guiderails for the work you do each day. Inherent with new roles is the uncertainty that the early going may not yield the results you might expect. Or the desired results may be difficult to identify, which can make the early going unsettling. Many jobs don’t have well -defined metrics that measure the productivity of a day, week, etc.

Take, for example, farming. Until a farmer knows the yield of their crop and sells it for a price, it is difficult for the farmer to measure the productivity of a single day. To achieve success, they must understand the vision the growing season and complete the work each day, whether that is plowing, rotating, planting, or harvesting. Here, the cast vision enables the farmer to understand the purpose of each task and what it means for achieving success. Too, it grants the farmer freedom to meet the demands and varying challenges of each day without veering off course.

When a vison is cast and established, it can serve as a litmus test for when new opportunities emerge, or when old practices are studied and considered. It prompts a new leader to ask, “does this task/idea/effort bring me closer to achieving my vision.” Though simple, this question is effective in increasing your capacity, and can help prevent burnout, cynicism, and jadedness.

This article was published in the Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange’s (FLEX) September 2021 edition of the FLEX Your Ideas (FYI) Newsletter.