A Closer Look podcast artwork

PODCAST · business

A Closer Look

The Lehigh Valley is home to over 800 locally focused nonprofits, one of the highest concentrations in the United States. What do they do, who do they benefit, and how are they helping the Lehigh Valley community? Laurie Hackett invites area nonprofit leaders for insightful conversations about their programs, how residents can get involved, and their impact on the region.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Aug 26, 2026 · Source feed

  1. 20

    "Show Kindness Abundantly" with Teri Haddad, Mel Klausner, Will Erwin, and Julia Urich | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett talks with Teri Haddad of Phoebe Ministries and Mel Klausner, Will Erwin, and Julia Urich of the local theatre scene, about building true, lasting connections.

  2. 19

    "Finding Community in the Things You Love" with Jared Mast and Rachel Moyer | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Jared Mast of the GEDP and Rachel Moyer of Turnstone Creative to talk about the successful collaboration taking place across the region.

  3. 18

    "On Fire for the Arts" with Tanya Tyler and Maniya "The Songbird" | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett sits down with Tanya Tyler, a local arts advocate, and singer Maniya "The Songbird" to talk about their love for the arts and the beauty it brings to the region.

  4. 17

    "Finding Community in the Things You Love" with Jared Mast and Rachel Moyer | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Jared Mast of the GEDP and Rachel Moyer of Turnstone Creative to talk about the successful collaboration taking place across the region.

  5. 16

    Leading in Community with Maggie Reilly, Emery Oberholzer, and Dean Donaher | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett is joined by Maggie Reilly of City Center and Dr. Dean Donaher and Emery Oberholzer from Bethlehem Catholic High School to talk about giving back in their own communities.

  6. 15

    The Power of Showing Up with Matt Tuerk and Jill Wheeler | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and Jill Wheeler of the United Way to talk about what showing up for your community looks like in action.

  7. 14

    Sharing a Collective Story with Kurt Landes, Karen Buck, and Teri Haddad | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett explores what it looks like to aim for new highs each year with the IronPigs' Kurt Landes and "What's So Cool About Manufacturing" organizers Karen Buck and Teri Haddad.

  8. 13

    "I Get So Much More in Return" with Vicki Doule, Matthew Kennedy, and Jamie Connell | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett sits down with Vicki Doule and Matthew Kennedy, then with Jamie Connell, to talk about their and their companies' wide involvements in community.

  9. 12

    "The Secret Sauce Is Our People" with David Ruth and Larry Corcoran | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett talks with David Ruth of Northampton Community College and Larry Corcoran of the Chamber's Veterans Affairs Council about their belief in the power of community.

  10. 11

    Leaving No One Behind with Alison Pickel, Tony Iannelli, and Pat Witmer | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett is joined by Alison Pickel, Tony Iannelli, and Pat Witmer to talk about the wonderful work of the Lehigh Valley Chamber to support every community.

  11. 10

    "It's Not I, But We" with Jeff Tkach and Darlene Pors | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Jeff Tkach of Rodale Institute and Darlene Pors, the newest Philanthropist of the Year, to talk about their values in giving back.

  12. 9

    "My Job Is to Help Them Succeed" with Scott Stevenson and Dianne Pagano Manges | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett sits down with Phoebe Ministries' Scott Stevenson and Truist Foundations and Endowments' Dianne Pagano Manges to talk about their dedication to community.

  13. 8

    "Advocacy Requires Great Storytelling" with Megan van Ravenswaay, Yusuf Dahl, and Teri Haddad | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett talks with Megan van Ravenswaay of the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society and Yusuf Dahl and Teri Haddad to explore their Emmy award-winning documentary.

  14. 7

    "Together We Win, Together We Fail" with Marta Boulos JeBran and Chip Hurd | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett talks with Marta Boulos JeBran of Crayola and Chip Hurd of the United Way about their faith in the Lehigh Valley community and their hopes for its future.

  15. 6

    "Helping Can Mean Different Things" with Simon Moore and Jason King Jones | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Simon Moore of the Allentown Parknership and Jason King Jones of the PA Shakespeare Festival to talk about how they're reaching out to the entire Lehigh Valley.

  16. 5

    "We Are Barrier Breakers" with Judy Harris and Keith Lampman-Perlman | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett is joined by Judy Harris of Norris McLaughlin Law Firm and Keith Lampman-Perlman of ProJeCt of Easton to talk about their dedication to helping the community.

  17. 4

    "We Are Connectors and Collaborators" with Chrissy Hixson and Ilene Wood | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett sits down with Chrissy Hixson of Capital Blue Cross and Ilene Wood, a longtime volunteer, to talk about finding ways to give back that feed your soul.

  18. 3

    "It All Goes Back into Community" with Alison Pickel, Mark Reid, and Amy Saul | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Alison Pickel of the LV Chamber and Mark Reid and Amy Saul of the Easton Urban Gardening Program to talk about their work in and with the community.

  19. 2

    "If You Can Help, Help" with Chip Hurd and Tiffany Sondergaard | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett is joined by Chip Hurd of the United Way and Tiffany Sondergaard of ts Brand Elevation to talk about their journeys, inspirations, and love for the Valley.

  20. 1

    "Caring Is the Greatest Gift" with Susan Drexinger and Candi Staurinos | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett talks with Susan Drexinger of Sincere Event Co. and Candi Staurinos of Zoellner Arts Center about the value of helping to build a community around you.

  21. 0

    Finding the Human Thread with Teri Haddad and Jill Wheeler | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Teri Haddad of eMediaworks and Jill Wheeler of City Center Group to talk about their passion for giving back to the community and their 'why.'

  22. -1

    Sharing the Success with Chris Martin and Marci Lesko | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Chris Martin of Martin Guitar and Marci Lesko of the United Way about their work with this year's United Way campaign, and in the community in general.

  23. -2

    "Do It With a Smile" with Kimberly Hein and Jody Piagesi | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett sits down with Kimberly Hein of ArtsQuest and Jody Piagesi of the Chamber Foundation to talk about their for their roles as Lehigh Valley natives.

  24. -3

    "You Can Do More Together" with Jared Mast and Mel Klausner | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett welcomes Jared Mast of the Greater Easton Development Partnership and Mel Klausner, a local theatre volunteer, to talk about the joys of their roles and their motivations.

  25. -4

    "Show Up and Roll Up Your Sleeves" with Laura McHugh, Ryan Griffiths, and Tom Groves | A Closer Look

    Laurie Hackett talks with Laura McHugh and Ryan Griffiths about a community project in the works in Macungie, and Tom Groves of the LV Chamber about the spirit of giving.

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

The Lehigh Valley is home to over 800 locally focused nonprofits, one of the highest concentrations in the United States. What do they do, who do they benefit, and how are they helping the Lehigh Valley community? Laurie Hackett invites area nonprofit leaders for insightful conversations about their programs, how residents can get involved, and their impact on the region.

HOSTED BY

WDIY 88.1 FM

Produced by WDIY | Lehigh Valley Public Radio

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does A Closer Look have?

A Closer Look currently has 25 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is A Closer Look about?

The Lehigh Valley is home to over 800 locally focused nonprofits, one of the highest concentrations in the United States. What do they do, who do they benefit, and how are they helping the Lehigh Valley community? Laurie Hackett invites area nonprofit leaders for insightful conversations about...

How often does A Closer Look release new episodes?

A Closer Look has 25 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to A Closer Look?

You can listen to A Closer Look on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts A Closer Look?

A Closer Look is created and hosted by WDIY 88.1 FM.
URL copied to clipboard!