Community Music School – Lehigh Valley & Berks (CMS) is pleased to announce that Michael Yeager of Allentown was elected President of the Board of Directors at the nonprofit’s board meeting on September 12, 2022. Yeager assumes the role previously held by Carmen Flosdorf, Vice President, Commercial Banking at Peoples Security Bank & Trust Company. Flosdorf served as President for two full fiscal years, 2020-21 and 2021-22, and will continue to serve on the Board of Directors.
At the same meeting, the Board also elected two new community leaders to its ranks: David Yeager, who recently retired from Guardian Life Insurance Co., and Elyse Pillitteri, Attorney at Fitzpatrick, Lentz, & Bubba P.C. Both were elected to a three-year term by a unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.
The Board also extended its sincere appreciation to Board Member and Brunch Committee Chair, Julie Macomb for her service to CMS. An attorney, Macomb is Vice President, Associate General Counsel at Lehigh Valley Health Network and served on the CMS Board of Directors from 2015 through August 2022. She also chaired the 2022 CMS Spring Brunch & Silent Auction, which raised over $36,000 for the Allentown nonprofit’s 40th anniversary.
Michael Yeager joined the Board of Directors in 2003 and has served in a variety of roles, most recently as Treasurer from 2013-2019. After graduating from Kutztown University with a Bachelor’s in mathematics, he had a successful 43-year career in the insurance industry. He retired as President/CEO of Community Insurance Company in 2021. Throughout his career, he was extremely active in various leadership roles with the Pennsylvania Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, Urban Insurance Partners Institute, and National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies Congressional Action Board of Trustees. In addition to his service to Community Music School, Michael is a director and officer for the Lehigh County Housing Authority. Michael is a lifelong resident of Allentown, where he currently resides with his wife, Donnamarie. His daughter, Desiree, is a teacher and lives in Emmaus with her two children.
David Yeager retired in May 2022 after 34 years with Guardian Life Insurance, one of the largest mutual life insurance companies in the world. He held several executive leadership roles in Information Technology, Cybersecurity and Agency Distribution, most recently serving as the Assistant Vice President / Head of Agency Information Security and Governance. He is a graduate of Bloomsburg University and a lifelong resident of the Lehigh Valley, formerly residing in Allentown and currently in Laurys Station – North Whitehall with his wife Jessica and his son Dominic, who attends Orefield Middle School. He also has an adult daughter, Keri, who resides in Orefield. Yeager is an Assistant Swim Coach for Orchard View Swim Club.
Elyse C. Pillitteri is a member of Fitzpatrick, Lentz, & Bubba P.C. ‘s Corporate, Business & Banking and Intellectual Property Groups. Her practice primarily focuses on assisting clients with a variety of commercial transactions, including business entity selection and formation, investment transactions, capital raises, shareholder relations, corporate governance, asset purchases and sales and general contracting drafting and review. Prior to joining FLB, Ms. Pillitteri was a principal at a boutique law firm in New York City with a focus on U.S. and international trademark filing, prosecution and management and trademark enforcement and litigation. She will use that experience to assist organizations in the Lehigh Valley with their trademark and intellectual property challenges.
The CMS Board’s Officers for the 2022-23 fiscal year are: President: Michael Yeager, Retired, CEO, Community Insurance Company; Vice President: James Warfel, Ed.D, Retired Educator; Treasurer: Tom Fenstermacher, Retired CFO, Hospital Central Services, Inc.; Secretary: Mark Stein, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Muhlenberg College. Directors: Safa Ashrafi, Attorney, Toyota North America; Carmen Flosdorf, Vice President, Commercial Banking, Peoples Security Bank & Trust Company; Gregory Kuhn, President & CEO, Omega Protective Services, LLC; Mary Hahn, Vice President of Health & Wellness, Bell & Evans; David Livert, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Penn State Lehigh Valley; Kathleen Matthews, Retired Sr. Director of Business Ethics & Compliance, PPL; Bill Moyer, President, West Region & Allentown Campus, St. Luke’s University Health Network; Elyse Pillitteri, Attorney, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C; Vance Powers, Chief Financial Officer, Long Ridge Energy Terminal; Ellen Roberts, Retired, Volunteer & Community Activist; Dail Richie, Retired Executive Director, Berks Youth Chorus & CMS faculty member; Matthew Tuerk, Mayor, City of Allentown; David Yeager, Retired Assistant Vice President, Guardian Life Insurance. Faculty Representative: Joe Wagner, guitar, composition, & recording.
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About CMS: Community Music School (CMS) – Lehigh Valley & Berks is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides the inspiration and opportunity for anyone in our diverse community to achieve excellence in music education and appreciate the transformative power of music. CMS employs 25 professional teachers who provide private lessons and group classes to over 200 students of all ages, from toddlers to seniors, in piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, voice, and recording technology; both in-person and online. Thanks to support from our philanthropic community, for over 40 years, CMS has provided over 25,000 student services in the Lehigh Valley with the life-long benefits of a quality music education and free performance opportunities. CMS is proud to fund over $60,000 annually in financial aid, merit scholarships, and outreach. Over 50% of students under age 18 receive financial assistance funded by generous donors. Located in the former Lehigh Valley Social Club at historic 1544 Hamilton Street in Allentown, CMS offers 12 lesson rooms of varying sizes, a unique parent lounge, early childhood room, music library, administrative offices, state-of-the-art recording studio, and a 150-seat recital hall. Learn more at https://cmslv.org/.