2025 Annual Conference
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s 2025 Annual Conference, celebrating 35 years of stewardship, sustainability, and environmental education, will be held on October 15 and 16 at The Nittany Lion Inn, State College, PA.
The conference offers a valuable opportunity for affiliates, volunteers, partners, and supporters to come together, review our past achievements, exchange insights and ideas, and grow collectively.
For sponsorship opportunities, please click here or contact Deb Woolley, dwoolley@keeppabeautiful.org.
Agenda
Additional session details and speakers coming soon! All agenda times and sessions subject to change.Special Keynote Speaker
Dr. Laura Fowler, Penn State School of International Affairs
"Communities from the bottom up: building resilience and sustainability in a time of extraordinary change"
Our keynote speaker, Lara Fowler, has a long background of working closely with communities to find solutions to seemingly intractable problems with not only the environment and natural resources, but also local resilience and economic well-being. In this time of challenge and change, she'll share her thoughts on what we can do to help build sustainable, resilient communities.
Lara draws on 30+ years of experience: as a student researcher, a water policy expert for the State of Oregon, as an attorney, facilitator, and mediator on questions like how to manage flooding in Washington State's second largest river basin, as a law professor, as a researcher, and most recently as Penn State's Chief Sustainability Officer. She draws optimism that local, community-based work is fundamental to finding common values, exploring and implementing solutions, and building more beautiful and resilient communities.
Emcees
• Shannon Reiter, Executive Director, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful• Kelsey DeMerlis, Director, Center for Community Services, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
• Wesley Robinson, Press Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
October 15
2:00-4:00 PM
Guided Tour of The Arboretum at Penn State
Guided tour of The Arboretum at Penn State, sponsored by Keep Centre County Beautiful. We will meet in the hotel lobby at 2PM and walk over together (about 1 mile away). There is also parking at the Arboretum, so feel free to meet us there for the tour start at 2:30PM. Tour will last 90 minutes, rain or shine. Wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable footwear.
5:30-7:30 PM
Coin us for an evening of fun and fashion at The Nittany Lion Inn in State College, PA! Show off your most outrageous recycled sweater in our Ugly Recycled Sweater Contest, a celebration of creativity and sustainability! Prizes will be awarded for the most creative designs by a panel of judges, including special guests Victoria Vespico
Victoria Vespico, Miss Pennsylvania 2025
Victoria Vespico, 25, a native of Shavertown, was crowned Miss Pennsylvania 2025 on June 21st at the Appell Center in York. A proud graduate from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications, she is a Sustainable Development Advocate and Educator, and a three-time children’s book author. She is currently pursuing a Master's in the Art of Education at Wilkes University.
As Miss Pennsylvania, Victoria will travel the state with her community service initiative, "Sustainability Starts With You." Victoria is the Founder and Executive Director of Sustainability Starts With You. She will travel across the Commonwealth empowering and encouraging people to embrace sustainability for future generations. Victoria encourages changing the world through #Simple Changes. Victoria’s mission is to inspire youth to lead with purpose and impact.
She is an author of three children's books introducing young learners to sustainable development concepts in an accessible way. The books are titled "Cows Are More Than Milk," "Bring a Bucket," and "Sustainability Starts With You."
She brings over 20 years of Girl Scouting experience to her mission of inspiring youth to lead with purpose and impact. She is currently part of the Communications team at America250PA, the Pennsylvania Commission for the celebration of the Semiquincentennial of the United States of America.
Victoria will represent Pennsylvania in the Miss America Competition in September where she will bring her advocacy to a national stage.
You can follow her journey @MissAmericaPA and @sustainabilitystartswithyou
October 16
8:00-9:00 AM
9:00-9:15 AM
Shannon Reiter
Shannon Reiter, Executive Director
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Shannon serves as the Executive Director of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Shannon started her career with the organization in 2004 when she joined the staff of PA CleanWays. In 2005, she took on the leadership role and in 2010, led the organization’s merger with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. In 2003, Shannon earned an MPA-Nonprofit Management from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh and has been working to improve communities through her career of over twenty-five years in the nonprofit sector.
Over the past 19 years, Shannon has overseen and facilitated various strategic plans, managed multiple organizational restructurings, and led numerous research initiatives relating to illegal dumping, littering and enforcement. Most recently, Shannon provided direct support to the Governor’s Office and various state agencies in developing Pennsylvania’s first Litter Action Plan (2021), advised on the state’s first anti-litter public education campaign geared at changing behaviors, PA Fights Dirty and jointly orchestrated the just released Litter Enforcement Study Joint Project with Palmetto Pride.
9:15-10:00 AM
What inspires our network? Hear from KPB affiliates with inspiring projects and how these projects improved the lives of not just individuals but entire communities.
• Mike Stettler, Executive Director, Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority
• Chris Barrett, President/CEO, Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
10:00-10:15 AM
10:35-10:45 AM
12:45-1:45 PM
• B1: Textiles Close-up: Second hand markets and Recycling
• B2: Harnassing Solar Energy For Your Community
11:15-11:45 AM
• Dr. Laura Fowler, Penn State School of International Affairs
11:45-12:30 PM
12:30-12:45 PM
12:45-1:45 PM
• Natalie Reece, Westmoreland CleanWays and Recycling Center
B2: Leveraging Corporate Parnterships to Advance Your Mission
• Caily Grube, Executive Director, Allegheny Cleanways
• Michelle Lawler, Development Director, Allegheny Cleanways
• Debra Woolley, Development Representative, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
1:45-2:00 PM
2:00-3:15 PM
Affiliates will dive into a friendly competition inspired by the hit reality TV show Shark Tank. Each team will pitch their most innovative and impactful community improvement ideas to a panel of judges, all vying for a chance to secure grant funding that could bring their vision to life.
3:15-4:00 PM
Shannon Reiter
Shannon Reiter, Executive Director
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Shannon serves as the Executive Director of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Shannon started her career with the organization in 2004 when she joined the staff of PA CleanWays. In 2005, she took on the leadership role and in 2010, led the organization’s merger with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. In 2003, Shannon earned an MPA-Nonprofit Management from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh and has been working to improve communities through her career of over twenty-five years in the nonprofit sector.
Over the past 19 years, Shannon has overseen and facilitated various strategic plans, managed multiple organizational restructurings, and led numerous research initiatives relating to illegal dumping, littering and enforcement. Most recently, Shannon provided direct support to the Governor’s Office and various state agencies in developing Pennsylvania’s first Litter Action Plan (2021), advised on the state’s first anti-litter public education campaign geared at changing behaviors, PA Fights Dirty and jointly orchestrated the just released Litter Enforcement Study Joint Project with Palmetto Pride.
Location and Time details
Click here to register online. Payment options available: online credit card, e-check or invoice to pay later by check.
Cost:
$125.00 per participant
When:
October 15
• 2 - 4 PM Guided tour of the The Arboretum at Penn State.
• 5:30-7:30 PM Reception: Cocktails & Light Hors d'oeuvres
October 16
• 8 - 4 PM Annual Conference, see agenda above
Where:
The Nittany Lion Inn
200 W Park Ave, State College, PA 16803
Room accommodations available at discounted pricing through August 14, 2025. Rooms are limited, book early!
Group Code: KPBS25A
Make reservations by calling 814-865-8500 or click here to book on-line.
Become a Corporate Sponsor
As a 501(c)3, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is dedicated to using its funding to further its mission and support its affiliate network in execution of our programming. Special sponsorship opportunities are necessary to facilitate a successful Annual Conference. We welcome your support as a sponsor, along with your invitation to the Conference.
Thank you for your consideration. For sponsorship opportunities, please click here or contact Deb Woolley, dwoolley@keeppabeautiful.org.
