Daniel G. Gambet, O.S.F.S.
GOOD NEIGHBOR FOUNDERS AWARD

Father Daniel G. Gambet was ordained a Catholic priest in 1957. He came to Allentown in 1965 as the first Academic Dean of Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales, now DeSales University. In January of 1978 he was appointed President, a post from which he retired in July of 1999. Upon his retirement, he was named President Emeritus by the College’s Board of Trustees.

A classicist by training, Fr. Gambet received his bachelor’s degree from Niagara University, his master’s from Catholic University of America, and his doctorate in Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Fr. Gambet has been active in a large number of local and regional organizations, including PBS39, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities, PPL, National Museum of Industrial History, Boy Scouts of America Minsi Trails Council, and Harry C. Trexler Trust. Currently, he is a trustee of Keystone Nazareth Charitable Foundation.

Fr. Gambet has been honored by many local and regional organizations, most recently by Catholic Charities and Valley Youth House. He has received honorary degrees from Lehigh University, Lafayette, Moravian, and Muhlenberg colleges. He also received the DeSales Medal from DeSales University and the Wallenberg Tribute Award from the Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding at Muhlenberg College.

His leisure interests include reading, travel, aerobic walking, and golf. He hopes to live long enough to have his golf score equal his age.

Joseph J. Roy, Ed.D.

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD FOR ARTS & EDUCATION

Dr. Roy is currently the Superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District, the sixth largest school district in Pennsylvania, serving 13,700 students in 22 schools. Dr. Roy was the 2017 Superintendent of the Year for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Roy serves on the boards of several Lehigh Valley non-profits including the Da Vinci Science Center, the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley, the United Way Board of Directors, the Foundation for the Bethlehem Area School District and the Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Board.

Dr. Roy is the recipient of the 2013 Excellence in Education Award, Lehigh University/University Council for Educational Leadership; the 2011 United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s Community Builder Award; the 2005 National School Public Relations Association’s Outstanding Communicator Award; and the School Library Journal’s 2004 National Administrator of the Year Award.

Dr. Roy received his undergraduate degree from Franklin and Marshall College, his master’s degree from Bucknell University, and his doctoral degree from Lehigh University.

Marci Ronald-Lesko

GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD FOR YOUTH & FAMILY

Marci Ronald-Lesko is a collaborator, facilitator, critical thinker, and agent for systems change. Marci currently serves as the Executive Vice President at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, where she helps to propel the organization to success and to foster community change.

Marci is responsible for leading the $15M organization’s strategy and integration, collective impact community capacity building, and marketing and communications. Marci’s 20-year career in human services have offered experiences in public health, victim services, bullying prevention and intervention, juvenile offender mediation, and education reform. Marci supports and nurtures many community change initiatives across the Lehigh Valley and has offered her expertise and time with several state and national endeavors, notably with United Way Worldwide, the Coalition for Community Schools, and FSG’s Collective Impact Community of Practice and Funder Forum.

Marci is a proud member of Women United and serves on the board for Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley, the Lehigh Valley Launchbox Advisory Council, and the
Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit & Business Partner Council Board. Marci has won three distinguished awards in her community— Human Relations Commission (2005), the Donley Award for Children’s Advocacy (2016) and the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Take the Lead Award (2017). She holds a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and is pursuing a master’s degree at Pennsylvania State University.