From Digital Conversation to Real-World Connection—This One’s Worth Showing Up For
There’s something stirring in Happy Valley—and it’s not just economic development or the next phase of Penn State’s growth. It’s deeper. You can feel it in the questions people are asking. About leadership. About what kind of community we want to build—for ourselves and for the generations coming up behind us.
And while this weekly e-letter has always been a place to connect ideas digitally, next Tuesday, we’re going offline and in person—to sit face-to-face with people who care. Because the conversations that shape a region don’t just happen behind closed doors. They begin in rooms like this.
On Tuesday, April 15, we invite you to join us for something different:
A civic conversation that connects business, community, and possibility.
Not a rally. Not a debate. Just people who care, gathered in one place, to start connecting the dots.
Connecting the Dots: A Community Conversation
📍 3 Dots Downtown
🕠 Tuesday, April 15 | 6:30–8:15 PM
🎤 Panel begins at 7:00 PM | Refreshments provided and parking validated
Why now?
Because all around us, apple carts are being upended—from the local to the national stage. Whether you see Donald Trump as a disruptor or a danger, his rise was a wake-up call: traditional systems aren’t serving everyone. Trust is low. Stakes are high. The federal government feels more like a circus than a steady hand. And yet, across the country, people are reengaging with democracy—not because they were invited, but because they must
That’s the energy we’re tapping into.
And we’re starting where it matters most: right here.
250 years ago, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense wasn’t just a political pamphlet—it was a call to reimagine power. To remind people that decisions don’t belong to kings and elites. They belong to us. That spirit of local ownership, radical engagement, and plainspoken truth is what we need now.
Because the future of our community isn’t something handed down. It’s something we create—together.
🎤 Meet Our Pioneering Panelists
We’re proud to kick off this new civic series with four dynamic leaders who are actively shaping the future of Happy Valley:
- Keri Miller – Executive Director, College Township Industrial Development Authority
A builder of resilient communities, Keri leads initiatives that support local businesses and forge public-private partnerships across Centre County. - Lee Anne Jeffries – Executive Director, Downtown State College Improvement District
Lee Anne champions downtown vibrancy, small business growth, and the economic evolution of the heart of Happy Valley. - Jessica McAllister – Executive Editor, Centre Daily Times
At the helm of the region’s most trusted newsroom, Jessica brings insight into the issues driving conversation—and action—across Central PA. - Erica Quinn – Executive Director, 3 Dots Downtown
As the creative force behind one of State College’s most vibrant civic spaces, Erica connects art, innovation, and community in meaningful, tangible ways.
Moderated by Greg Woodman, this panel will explore the big questions:
Where are we? Where are we going? What kind of Happy Valley are we building—and who gets to shape it?
This is not about solving everything in one night.
It’s about beginning.
It’s about reclaiming the conversation—and doing it with people who care.
Join us Tuesday, April 15 at 3 Dots Downtown.
Feel the room. Meet the changemakers. Share your voice.
Because this isn’t just a conversation—it’s a move toward something better.
And like Paine wrote nearly 250 years ago—maybe it really is just Common Sense.
