Born and raised in Oil City, Nicole Novicki now lives in Seneca and works for Venango County Human Services as a System of Care Coordinator.
After graduating from Oil City High School, she attended Clarion University, Venango, where she earned an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice, then went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in psychology from main campus.
Nicole worked in Clarion County at Children and Youth Services for more than eight years, but began her new career with Venango County Human Services in January, and is looking forward to making new connections in her home community.
She’s a mom of three and spends time taking her kids to various activities and being their “biggest cheerleader” at sporting events. She grew up along Oil Creek, and still appreciates the outdoors in our region, where she takes small trips looking for hidden gems.
Also in her free time, Nicole enjoys browsing real estate and checking out all the neat properties (both commercial and residential). Although she’s not able to invest now, she would love to see old buildings and homes in our area be brought back to life.
Nicole will always work in a field where she can help others and plans to continue assisting with service and communication gaps between human services departments, service providers, school districts, and community members.
“I love being part of a close-knit community and being able to serve the area I grew up in,” she said. “There are some large areas of need in our community, but there is also a lot of potential, given the right resources.” Nice to meet you, Nicole, and welcome to FLEX!
Sam Breene, one of our newest members of FLEX, is a Venango County native who has recently returned to the area.
Sam was born and raised in Oil City and attended Oil City schools and The Kiski School in Saltsburg, PA. Upon graduation, he went on to Allegheny College in Meadville.
Currently, Sam is a Senior Staff member for U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly and has recently announced he will be running for Venango County Commissioner. Sam stated, “I hope to be elected so that I can use my professional experience and relationships to better serve this region that I care about deeply.”
In reference to his greatest achievements, Sam said that his career in public service and politics has been rewarding in many ways. He is especially proud to say he was the campaign manager for U.S. Representative Mike Kelly’s victorious re-election campaign, which was hotly contested and drew national attention.
Sam loves the outdoors, including spending time on the river, and all the activities available in our region such as kayaking, hiking, golf, shooting, skiing and ATVing. He said his favorite local spots to eat are the Yellow Dog Lantern Restaurant and Villa Italia Ristorante.
Sam is excited to be spending more time in Venango County and for “the opportunity to contribute to a community with such a special history and in which my personal history is deeply rooted.”
These articles were published in the Future Leaders & Entrepreneurs Exchange’s (FLEX) March 2019 edition of the FLEX Your Ideas (FYI) Newsletter.