Established in 2022
It all started when a few neighbors got together to talk about some things we wanted to see in our community.
About
The New Cumberland Collective is an idea: that neighbors and members of the community can come together to make things happen.
Vision
We want to make New Cumberland stronger and more vibrant through action, creativity, and inclusion.
Mission
Less barriers, more open doors.
More engaged community members.
Better quality of life for all.
Stronger community spirit.
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Community building
Whether it’s getting to know your neighbors or feeling like you’re a part of this place we call home, we create space to connect with the community!
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Arts & Culture
Whether you’re a musician, painter, or creator - or come from a diverse cultural background, we want to amplify your story.
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Civic engagement
We hope to inspire and excite in a way that makes people want to get involved in their own community.
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Tactical urbanism
Tactical Urbanism is a citizen-led approach to neighborhood building using short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions to catalyze long-term change.
Our board
Drew Lawrence, President
Drew is a creative community organizer. He grew up in Hanover, PA and moved to New Cumberland in 2016 with his wife, Blair, and dog, Mabel. Drew graduated from Shippensburg University in 2009 and has worked for a few small ad agencies in Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg before setting out on his own as a creative freelancer in 2021. Drew loves bringing people together using online and offline creative collaboration as a means to foster positive change at a local level. He hopes to inspire others to get involved in their communities, know their neighbors, and get stuff done! In 2023 Drew was elected to New Cumberland Borough Council to advocate for safe streets, community collaboration, and transparent decision making.
Pamela Cullen, Vice President
Pam was raised about two miles from New Cumberland and grew up enjoying much of what the borough had to offer. She then spent nearly two decades away from the area before returning to the area. About eight years ago she settled into a home in New Cumberland that she shares with her wife, son, dog and cat. Pam sees the Collective as a wonderful vehicle for bringing additional cultural events, inclusion, and service to New Cumberland. Her day job is extremely analytical and she appreciates getting to use different parts of her brain through her Collective work. Pam plans to focus her contributions in on the arts (particularly film and music) and community service. New Cumberland is a great town and Pam is honored to help spread that message to all New Cumberland community members and visitors.
Quintin Gause
Quintin grew up in Central Pennsylvania and graduated from Cedar Cliff high school. After graduation, he started a clothing brand which led to traveling and working in Maryland, Colorado, and New Orleans. Through specializing in clothing and creative directing, he has organized and hosted multiple events including fashion shows, music shows, workshops ,as well worked on Disney movie sets. He has also worked directly with small companies and local artists to help grow their business and audience through clothing, branding, and events. He decided to move back to his home town in 2022 to complete his dream: showcase his skills in an area that is filled with his family and friends and truly feels like home. Quintin joined the collective with hopes to bring fresh ideas to the community and using creative and cultural experience to spice up the town!
Jonny Leahan, Secretary
I’ve been crafting stories in some form or another for over 20 years. In journalism, I wrote for outlets like IndieWire, covering independent films and festivals worldwide. As a filmmaker, I served as Executive Producer on the feature Sex Drugs Guns, and a Director on Sky Line – a feature-length science documentary, among other projects. My main focus is as a Creative Director for a New York agency, working with global brands to tell stories with purpose. I moved to central PA from NYC in 2014 in search of a quieter life, and ultimately settled in New Cumberland with my partner Matt. I’ve previously served on the board of NYC’s Paradise Factory and am honored to now be serving on the board of the New Cumberland Collective. Please join us as we work with the community to create a more vibrant and inclusive culture for everyone.
Jon Crum
Jon is a lifelong Pennsylvania resident. After growing up in the middle of south central PA orchards (in a house, of course), I earned a bachelor's degree in Biology from Albright College and a graduate degree in Environmental Science and Management from Duquesne. It was during the latter in which I started gaining a better understanding of how sustainability, diversity, and mobility strengthen communities. For 18 years, I’ve worked at the Federal Highway Administration, specializing in environmental protection, transportation planning, and multi-modal safety. In 2011, my wife and I moved to New Cumberland to start a family. We now have two girls, a dog, a cat, and a lot of great friends, and we appreciate all the town has to offer and its tremendous potential. That potential led me to become more involved in community events and initiatives, such as the development of the community garden as part of New Cumberland revitalization. My interests include safe streets, sustainability, music, arts and culture, which I believe are key to a strong, diverse community.
Skye Leppo
Skye grew up in Harrisburg and enjoyed a childhood that consisted of running around in Riverfront Park, treasured family meals at places like The Gingerbread Man and the OG Neato Burrito, before moving to Philadelphia to study and chase a career as a writer. After multiple gigs in journalism in a few newsrooms around PA, she now works in social media, and returned to Harrisburg in 2020 to be closer to friends and family. After checking out lots of neighborhoods and communities for the right place to put down some roots and become more civically engaged, Skye and her fiancé bought a house in New Cumberland in July 2022 and were immediately energized about the potential to make this awesome borough an even more inclusive and fun place to live.
Sandi Kraybill, Treasurer
After living here for over 40 years & raising two now-adult children in the Borough, the number of committees, associations & programs I have organized and participated in is too numerous to count. I couldn’t be happier to add The New Cumberland Collective to that list. What excites me the most about joining The Collective is working with a group of hard-working, forward-thinking, inclusive people that have no personal agendas and only want the best things for New Cumberland. I would love to see The Collective create a diverse selection of activities, events and places where people of all backgrounds can come together to provide many different opportunities to learn & experience new things.
Zachariah Beaver
Zach grew up in Greencastle, PA. He was fortunate to grow up in a small town with a thriving local DIY music scene, despite the lack of traditional venues, and the experience gave him a passion for curating and organizng community spaces for art and music.
Zach and his wife, Kara, moved to New Cumberland in 2017. He first became aware of the Collective when he performed at a Wind Down concert in Drew's backyard, and from there got involved with planning, booking, and emceeing the Wind Down Concert Series at the West Shore Theatre. After joining the planning committee for the NC Music and Film Festival and getting more involved with the overall work of the Collective, Zach joined the Board of Directors in May of 2023.
Zach believes that participation in music and art are beneficial to both individuals and the community at large. He is passionate about bringing artists and audiences together, providing platforms to newer artists, facilitating education, and bringing diverse artists and experiences to the stage.
co:founders
it takes all kinds for a community to thrive. co:founders are folks who donated to our organization in 2022, when the Collective was born!