Dr. Percy H. Dougherty currently serves as chairman of Lehigh County’s Board of Commissioners, a position to which he has been elected an unprecedented six times. Dr. Dougherty represents Lehigh’s District # 2.

Commissioner Dougherty is a past President and current Board member of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania where he has served on a variety of committees, concentrating his efforts on land use and planning initiatives that stimulate the economy while protecting valuable natural resources. He has served on CCAP’s Board of Directors and was Chairman of the Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee.

A recently retired professor, Dr. Dougherty was on the staff at Kutztown University since 1990. He holds a Ph.D. in physical geography and geology from Boston University, a Master of Education Degree in physical geography and a Bachelor’s degree in geography and biology from West Chester University. He holds numerous professional memberships, is widely published in the field of geography/geology and has received numerous awards for his efforts in analysis and education. He has been a featured speaker in both professional and government arenas. His areas of expertise include groundwater diffusion, caves and sinkholes, remote sensing and the geography of wine.

Dr. Dougherty’s numerous civic commitments reflect his dedication to planning, environmental and cultural issues. He is a member and a former chair of the Lehigh Valley Regional Planning Commission, and a former member of the Lower Macungie Township Planning Commission, the Route 222 Study Commission and the Lehigh Valley GIS Steering Committee. He serves on the boards of the Allentown Symphony Association, the Allentown Art Museum, the Wildlands Conservancy and was the chair of the Allentown ArtsWalk Wine Auction.

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Commissioner Dean N. Browning of Allentown was recently elected as one of the Board’s four Commissioners-At-Large. Commissioner Browning is the Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration and the Chief Financial Officer for New World Aviation, Inc., Allentown.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Allentown Rescue Mission and the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Commissioner Browning also serves as treasurer of the GSPCA, a non-profit, animal welfare group. He is a past Chairman of the Supervisory Committee for First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union.

Commissioner Browning holds a Master’s of Science Degree in industrial management from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science Degree with honors in chemistry from Denison University.

Commissioner Browning currently serves as chair of the Board’s Planning Committee and is an ex officio member of the Boards of the Industrial Development Corporation of the Lehigh Valley, the Lehigh Valley Zoological Society, the DaVinci Discovery Center and Public Radio WDIY.

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Commissioner Raber, who represents District #1, is currently in his 27th year on the Board and is the longest-serving member of the Board. He is currently vice chairman of the Board. Prior to joining the Lehigh County delegation, Commissioner Raber served Lowhill Township as supervisor and as secretary/treasurer.

A farmer by avocation and by occupation, Commissioner Raber has spearheaded legislative initiatives geared toward preserving Lehigh Valley farmland, conserving natural resources and dwindling open space and protecting the family farm as a local institution.

Commissioner Raber represents Lehigh County’s agricultural interests at both the National Association of Counties and the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Farmer magazine named Commissioner Raber a Master Farmer in 1997.

In addition to being Vice Chairman, Commissioner Raber currently serves as chair of the Board’s General Services Committee and as an ex officio of the Boards of the Agricultural Extension and the Agricultural Land Preservation Board.

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Commissioner McCarthy is currently serving his second term on the Board as the representative for Lehigh County District 4 which includes areas in Allentown, Whitehall and South Whitehall townships.

An attorney for more than 30 years, Commissioner McCarthy has experience in both civil and criminal matters and has argued cases before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Pennsylvania Superior Court and the U.S. District Court. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Houston School of Law, he is a member at the law firm of Davison and McCarthy, PC.

Commissioner McCarthy currently chairs the Board’s Development Committee; serves on the Quality of Life Grants Review Committee and is an ex-officio member of the board for the Lehigh County Agricultural Society and the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theater.

He is the solicitor to the Allentown Parking Authority and is a former assistant solicitor for the City of Allentown.

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Commissioner Eckhart represents Lehigh County District 5, comprising West Bethlehem, the Boroughs of Fountain Hill and Coopersburg and the Townships of Salisbury, Upper Saucon, Upper Milford and Lower Milford.

Commissioner Eckhart currently serves as Chair of the Board’s Intergovernmental and Appointments Committee and Vice Chair of Judiciary and Corrections Committee. He is a member of the Board’s Planning and Development committees and serves as an ex officio member of the Boards of Artsquest, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Burnside Plantation and the Police Athletic League.

Commissioner Eckhart said he works for opportunities to reduce government spending and to improve communications between the various levels of government. Before being elected to the Board, Commissioner Eckhart served as a Salisbury Township Commissioner from 2000 to 2006 and as a member of the Salisbury School Board from 1997 to 1999.

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Commissioner Hamm was recently elected as an at-large representative to the Board. She is a registered nurse with more than 30 years service before retiring as a nursing supervisor from Lehigh Valley Hospital. During her tenure at Lehigh Valley, Commissioner Hamm was a critical care nurse and a patient care specialist in the regional burn center.

Commissioner Hamm holds a Masters Degree is Health Administration from St. Joseph’s University; a Bachelor’s Degree in nursing from Kutztown University and an Associate’s degree in nursing from Northampton County Community College. She is president of the Friends of the Parkland Community Library and serves on the board of the Burn Prevention Foundation, Allentown. She has made many presentations on burn care to professional groups and has addressed numerous community groups on a variety of safety and health issues.

Commissioner Hamm currently services as chair of the Board’s Human Service’s Committee and is an ex officio member of the boards of the Lehigh County Senior Citizens Center, the Program for Women and Families, the Allentown Public Library, the Baum Art School and the Lehigh Valley Arts Council. 

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Commissioner Leiner comes to the Board as a Commissioner-At-Large after serving as mayor of the Borough of Coplay for 10 years. He was a member of Coplay Borough Council for two years.

Bill is a registered nurse with a Master’s Degree in Science and Healthcare Administration from St. Frances University and certification as a mental health/psychiatric nurse. Leiner also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and sociology from Moravian College.

Prior to his career in health care, Commissioner Leiner worked at Bethlehem Steel for 27 years ending his career as a craft tested machinist A. During that time, he was also an official for Locals 2598 and 2599, United Steel Workers of America.

Leiner is a volunteer for the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and has held leadership positions with the Coplay Scholarship Fund, the Coplay Health Board, the Coplay Town Watch, the former Wildcat Basketball Camp, the Saylor Cement Kilns Preservation Board and he is a member of the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses.

Commissioner Leiner currently serves as chair of the Board’s Judiciary & Corrections Committee and is an ex offico member of the Boards of the Lehigh County Humane Society, the Wildlands Conservancy, the Civic Theater of Allentown and the Wildlife Information Center.

Commissioner Leiner is married to Cynthia (Sterner) Leiner. He has six children, Jonathon, Dana, Will, Ariana, Alicia and Aubree (twins).

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