Community Music School (CMS) Lehigh Valley & Berks is pleased to announce the election of Matthew Tuerk to the Board of Directors. Matt is a principal at Equitable Development LLC, a small consultancy providing business development guidance and Salesforce.com administration. He was elected to a three-year term by an unanimous vote of the Board of Directors.
Tuerk previously spent seven years at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVDEC) where he was most recently Vice President of Business Attraction, Retention and Expansion, responsible for attracting business investment and jobs to the Lehigh Valley and for managing a team of marketing and development professionals dedicated to increasing awareness of the region’s opportunities.
Prior to joining LVEDC, Tuerk worked with Allentown Economic Development Corporation to build that organization’s capacity, including launching the Lehigh Valley’s first co-working space and helping found the Hive 4A makerspace. Before entering the field of economic development, he worked in out-of-home media in Panama.
Tuerk completed a BS in International Business from The College of Charleston and an IMBA from the University of South Carolina. He lives in Allentown with his wife and two daughters, who both previously studied at CMS. He enjoys running marathons and learning new languages, and is currently studying Chinese and Arabic. Additionally, he is a candidate for Mayor of Allentown, running in the 2021 Democratic Primary.
Tuerk joins dedicated business and community leaders on the CMS Board, including: President, Carmen Flosdorf, BB&T; Vice-President, James Warfel, Ed.D, Retired; Treasurer, Michael Yeager, Community Insurance Company; Assistant Treasurer, Tom Fenstermacher, Retired, Hospital Central Services, Inc.; Secretary, Mark Stein, Ph.D., Muhlenberg College; Linda Kay Gardner, M.Ed., Pianist & Arts Advocate; Mary Hahn, Penn State Health St. Joseph; David Livert, Ph.D., Penn State Lehigh Valley; Julie Macomb, Esq., Norris McLaughlin, PA; Steven Markowitz, Allen Organ Company, LLC; Kathleen Matthews, Retired, PPL; Andrea Moore, Univest; Bill Moyer, St. Luke’s University Health Network; Vance Powers, Long Ridge Energy Terminal; Dail Richie, Retired, Berks Youth Chorus; Joan Miller Moran, Honorary Board Member.
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About CMS: Community Music School (CMS) – Lehigh Valley & Berks is a nonprofit charitable organization which 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 over 25 professional musicians who provide high-quality private and group instruction to students of all ages and in nearly every instrument and voice – both in-person and online – as well as extensive, tuition-free outreach programs that bring music to students in under-served public schools. Thanks to support from our philanthropic community, CMS has provided over 25,000 student services in the Lehigh Valley with the life-long benefits of musical education by funding over $100,000 annually in need-based financial aid, merit scholarships, and tuition-free outreach programming. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS continues to offer online music lessons and virtual performance opportunities for students of all ages. For more information, to enroll in lessons, or to donate, visit https://cmslv.org/.