Longtime President Larry Johnson Retires 6/15/20
Allentown, PA (June 17, 2020) – Community Music School – Lehigh Valley & Berks (CMS) is pleased to announce that Carmen Flosdorf, BB&T now Truist, of Allentown was elected as President of the CMS Board of Directors 2020-21 at the non-profit’s annual meeting on June 15, 2020. Flosdorf replaces longtime president and board member, Lawrence (Larry) T. Johnson, retired, of Kutztown. Johnson retired in June 2020 after serving on the CMS board for 15 years; for nine of those years, he served as President.
Under Johnson’s leadership, Community Music School underwent several major transformations, which most recently included hiring a new School Director in 2015, moving operations from Miller Symphony Hall to 1544 Hamilton Street in 2018, spearheading the successful capital “Campaign for CMS” in 2018-2020, and converting to remote operations and online-only music lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
Johnson’s love of music and non-profit service led him to serve on the Community Music School Board of Directors in 2005, where he served as president from 2010-2012 and 2014-2020. He played the accordion in elementary school but is a better listener than participant. This fact was driven home when his music teacher in middle school told him not to sing with his class. He was relegated to handing out the music which suited him perfectly. A graduate of William Allen High School and University of Scranton, Johnson began a 43-year banking career that included 36 years with Wells Fargo and its predecessor banks and then Univest Bank for 7 years before retiring in 2016. He worked in the branch banking system early in his career before moving onto commercial banking. His experience with many small businesses in the Lehigh Valley gave him considerable skills he subsequently shared as a board member of Lehigh Valley non-profits. His most recent board activities include President of Community Music School, Interim Chair Catholic Charities, Vice Chairman Hospital Central Services, Inc. and Vice President University of Scranton Alumni Club.
At his last CMS board meeting on June 15, 2020, Vice-President Jim Warfel recognized Johnson’s retirement with the following motion: “The CMS Board of Directors recognizes and thanks Larry Johnson for his many years of loyal and capable leadership, service and financial support to the organization and wishes him well in his well-deserved retirement. CMS has been greatly enriched by his many exemplary contributions.”
Johnson assured the board that he still looks forward to attending future CMS recitals and events, and will be available with a hammer for any handyman projects at the school; however, he looks forward to enjoying retirement by spending time with family, golf, motorcycles and skiing.
Carmen Flosdorf joined the CMS board in September of 2018, with encouragement from board member, Vance Powers. She is Vice President, Middle Market Banker at BB&T, now Truist. She has been with the company since May 2000 and in her current role since March 2009. As a middle market relationship manager, Flosdorf is responsible for managing an existing portfolio of middle market and healthcare/not-for-profit clients as well as developing new commercial relationships across the bank’s Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey territory. She has 20 years of experience in the banking and financial service industry.
Flosdorf is active in industry and community organizations. In addition to her new role as President of the Board of Community Music School Lehigh Valley & Berks, she serves as an Executive Committee Member of the Board of Associates of Cedar Crest College and Co-Chair of the Membership Committee for CREW Lehigh Valley. She had previously served on the Board and Finance Committee of the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians in Philadelphia for six years.
Flosdorf’s appreciation of music education started early. Growing up in Romania, she attended a music-focused primary school where she studied violin. She received her B.A. from Millersville University (cum laude) after also attending Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania for two years. Flosdorf received several professional diplomas and is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association Commercial Lending School at Buck-nell University.
Outside of professional interests, she travels, reads and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Lower Macungie Township. She has strong interest in the mission of CMS to provide opportunity for excellence in music education to everyone in our diverse community. She looks forward to helping guide the organization through these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic and growth in the future.
The CMS Board of Directors Officers for the 2020 – 2021 fiscal year are: President, Carmen Flosdorf, Vice President, Regional Corporate Banking, BB&T, now Truist; Vice-President, James Warfel, Ed.D, Retired, Educator; Treasurer, Michael Yeager, CEO, Community Insurance Company; Assistant Treasurer, Tom Fenstermacher, Re-tired CFO Hospital Central Services, Inc.; Secretary, Mark Stein, Ph.D., Professor, Muhlenberg College.
Board Members are: Linda Kay Gardner, M.Ed., Pianist & Arts Advocate, CMS Brunch Chairperson; Mary Hahn, VP, Ambulatory Services & Business Development, Penn State Health St. Joseph; David Livert, Ph.D., Professor, Penn State Lehigh Valley; Julie Macomb, Esq., Attorney, Norris McLaughlin, PA; Steven Markowitz, CEO, Allen Organ Company, LLC; Kathleen Matthews, Retired, PPL Sr. Director-Business Ethics & Compliance; Andrea Moore, Senior Home Loan Consultant, Univest; Bill Moyer, President, West Region & Allentown Campus, St. Luke’s University Health Network; Vance Powers, Chief Financial Officer, Long Ridge Energy Terminal; Dail Richie, Executive Director, Berks Youth Chorus & CMS faculty member
Honorary Board Members are: Dorothy H. Baker, Chairman, The Baker Foundation; Joan Moran, Trustee, Amaranth Foundation; Martha Maletz†, Founding Director – Emerita; and Judith Ruhe Diehl†, Founding Board Member – Emerita