City Council candidates pledge to move Lebanon forward [Paid Press Release]

This post is paid advertising by Friends for Cornell Wilson.

Election Day is fast approaching. Before you cast your vote, take some time to learn about three of our candidates for Lebanon’s City Council.

Cornell Wilson

Cornell was born and raised in our great city of Lebanon. His mother, Eunice “Mae West” Wilson, was a kindhearted, dedicated single mother who provided for him and his brother by working for the local Bethlehem Steel mill until it closed. She then went on to work at the Lebanon Veteran’s Administration Medical Center. In 1989, while Cornell was a senior in high school, his mother tragically passed away after battling cancer. Though their time together was brief, his mother instilled in him a solid belief in the importance of education, working hard to achieve goals, and giving back to others.

Because of the solid work ethic instilled in him by his mother, Cornell has been working since the age of 16, even picking up an additional job at 18 to put himself through college. After graduating from Lebanon High School in 1989, Cornell enrolled in Harrisburg Area Community College and then transferred to Lebanon Valley College where he was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilion (TKE) fraternity, president of the student government, and a resident assistant, later becoming resident director. In 1996, Cornell graduated from Lebanon Valley College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. He currently serves on the LVC Alumni Council.

Through his years of service, Cornell has accumulated numerous honors and awards, including the Spector/Humanitarian Award in 1994, and the Inter-Agency Employee of the Year in 2006. But, before College and high school, he was a kid who spent most of his time outside playing baseball and basketball at Coleman Memorial Park and various other local playgrounds or going to church at St. John’s African Methodist Episcopal (AME). Since graduation, Cornell has devoted his life to helping others. He is currently an elected member of Lebanon City Council. He served as a Lebanon School Board Director, and he was on the Cedar Foundation Board. He is a co-founder and President of Making a Difference of Lebanon, PA. He spent a good portion of his time helping to mentor children as a foster parent, coaching basketball and indoor soccer at the YMCA, volunteering his time at the United Way, Community of Lebanon Association, the Latino Health Fair, local schools and as a local event coordinator. Also, since 2010, he has served as the Judge of Elections for the 2nd Ward in the City of Lebanon. He was a former member of Lebanon Rotary Club, Friends of Coleman Memorial Park Board President and former Board member of SARCC. Cornell is proud of his experience, achievements and community involvement and asks that you join him as we work for a better tomorrow and make the City of Lebanon the best it can be.

Cesar B. Liriano

Cesar was born on his family’s farm in the Dominican Republic. He grew up surrounded by the many animals on the farm – cows, horses, and many more animals, so he is no stranger to hard work. His family still owns and maintains the farm, and he returns to visit and help to maintain the family farm which has been theirs for generations. While attending college in New York, Cesar held a full-time job while studying, continuing his legacy of working hard to accomplish his goals. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Kaplan University. When Cesar moved to Lebanon, he worked for a local cable company and gained valuable experience working with a diverse client base. For eight years following this position, Cesar worked as a subcontractor which provided him with the skillset he would need to eventually open his own small business, which is now his fulltime occupation. Cesar has been happily married for seventeen years. Together he and his wife have three wonderful children ages 15, 12, 10, and they own a home in Lebanon City. Cesar is an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Lebanon School District, where he is completing his final year of service. He is also a member of a variety of nonprofit organizations such as Welsh Mountain, Juntos of Lebanon, and Our Voices Count. Previously, Cesar served as a member of the Policy Council for Head Start. He is a volunteer coach for Lebanon Little League Baseball. Cesar plans to retire here in Lebanon with his family, and he is proud to call Lebanon home.

Amy S. Keller

Amy was born and raised in Lebanon City and is a fifth-generation city resident. She lives with her husband Kevin and their daughter Olivia. Amy is a 1999 graduate of Lebanon Senior High School and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary English Education from Millersville University and a master’s degree in Applied Principles in Secondary Education from California University of Pennsylvania. She is a 15-year master public educator and is once again studying at CalU to earn her Pennsylvania Reading Specialist Certification.

Amy is very active in the Lebanon community; she sings for the award-winning Lebanon Maennerchor Chorus, and she has spent time volunteering for several local organizations including the Northside Elm Street Neighborhood Association, the Community of Lebanon Association, Making a Difference of Lebanon, PA, the Lebanon School District, the United Way, and the Lebanon Council on the Arts where she helped to plan summer theater and mosaic tile mural camps. As a member of the annual Spinstock planning committee, Amy was instrumental in writing a grant which secured funding for next year’s festival from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Amy recently served as the chair of the Mural-90 Committee, a group of community activists and arts advocates that commissioned Lebanon’s first 2.5 story mural. The “Liberty” mural was commissioned by local artist and author Katie Trainer, and is located at 6th and Cumberland Streets in Downtown Lebanon. Amy is also a member of the Lebanon County Educational Honor Society and the Woman’s Club of Lebanon. When elected to Lebanon City Council, Amy will focus on issues such as blight and revitalization of underserved neighborhoods, an increased presence of the arts, increased opportunities for recreation in the city, and the revitalization of Lebanon’s business community.

Cornell, Cesar, and Amy are hard-working community activists, and they are humbly asking for your support on Election Day this Tuesday, November 5th. They look forward to the chance to serve the residents of Lebanon City as councilmembers so they can continue working to Move Lebanon Forward.