Several of Chester County's 26 Authorities, Boards and Commissions are looking for more residents to volunteer to fill current vacancies and serve.

Some roles call for specialized skills while the main qualification for others is interest in a particular area. For example, the Chester County Airport Authority is led by two men with aviation backgrounds, but the remainder of the seven positions are filled by individuals in other career fields. Lenda Carillo, who immigrated to Kennett Square from Mexico, serves on the Children, Youth and Families Board because, she said, she has a special interest in child welfare and appreciates all that the Chester County community has given to her. Bill Covaleski, the founder and brewmaster at Victory Brewing Company, serves on Chester County's Agricultural Land Preservation Board, which reviews bond applications from farmers who want to permanently preserve their space as farmland. Dr. Veda Maany, the medical director for Student Health Services at West Chester University, is a member of a Board Advisory Committee that helps people with mental health issues and intellectual disabilities.

Retirees can also serve their communities on Authorities, Boards and Commissions. JoAnn Weinberger spent a career working in adult literacy in Philadelphia while living in Chester County. When she decided she wanted to give back to her home county, she chose to join the Chester County Library Board. Fellow retiree Kathleen Pearse also volunteers on the Library Board as well as the Health and Education Facilities Authority Board, which arranges financing for building improvement projects for nonprofits.

Chester County currently has vacancies on the Aging Advisory Council; Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee; Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board; Mental Health/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board; Parks and Recreation Board; Pipeline Safety Advisory Board; Planning Commission; SEPTA Citizens Advisory Committee; and Veterans Affairs Advisory Council.

To learn more, visit http://www.chesco.org/3093/Authorities-Boards-and-Commissions.

To express interest in serving on a specific Authority, Board or Commission, community members may email their resume with a cover message on qualifications and interest in serving to Taylor Pettit at tpettit@chesco.org.