RIDGWAY – Robert “Bob” Imhof, procurement outreach director at
the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development
Commission, was recently recognized for his work on the Lumber
Heritage Region Project.
Imhof was honored for his many years as project manager and
received a clock with the inscription “Spirit of the Region.”
“I’ve worked on the LHRP as the project manager for 14 years,”
Imhof said, “and now it’s pretty much a stand alone entity; it’s a
501(c)(3) non-profit.”
And it’s beginning to show some rather nice results within the
15 counties that are the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania,
Imhof said.
“The board of directors, all of whom I know very well because
I’ve worked with them all these 14 years in the development of this
PA State Lumber Heritage Region, wanted to honor me and four other
people that have been a significant part in the development of that
project.”
Although Imhof plans to step back from the work, “I probably
will never get completely away from the project for a couple
reasons: people look to me as the resident expert on the subject
and also my own personal interest as it relates to the history and
community development issues. The transition I have gone through
has been from project manager for lumber heritage to project
manager for the PA Wilds. I am still going to have some contact
with both of them.”
Imhof is president of the Heritage Council.
“The Riverfront Project is one of the projects which in many
respects is an outgrowth of both the Lumber Heritage Region Project
and the PA Wilds Project,” Imhof said. “Through those projects, the
contacts Dale Fox as a board member of the PA Downtown Center and I
were able to make, enabled us to take a lot of this vision that the
council has and take it to the level of the people that are
providing funding.”
Imhof said whether it be the Riverfront Project or the Signage
Project that he developed for the signs seen around town – “these
are little things.”
“But these are things that people visiting here appreciate, even
the flower baskets. It’s little touches,” Imhof said.
According to Imhof, Matt Marusiak, community development
specialist, is going to have more of the responsibilities with the
community development program. Imhof will be a consultant.
“I have made several contacts (politically) over the years and
knowing people is part of the game,” Imhof said.
The Riverfront Project is something that was discussed several
years ago.
“I was just doing this crazy thing I do, of visioning, just
talking out loud and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if?,’ and it kept
leading from one point of discussion to another,” Imhof said.
