Lori Nocito described herself as ‘grateful and humbled’ to be honored on Saturday evening.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
JCC tribute honors Lori Nocito, Leadership Northeast
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Attorney Cathy O’Donnell, co-chair of the tribute gala, chats with District Magistrate Tom Malloy.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Gala co-chair Karen Kalna Blum and her husband, Dr. Richard H. Blum, dance before dinner.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Gary Bernstein, CEO of the Friedman Jewish Community Center, said the JCC’s goals dovetail with those of Leadership Northeast as far as helping to improve the community.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Leadership Northeast’s current executive director, Jessica Cronauer, third from left, poses with friends Adrienne Evans, Nicole Hurchick and Cassidy Taylor.
Rabbi Larry Kaplan was looking forward to making a presentation on Saturday evening.
Co-chair Karen Kalna Blum is about to head into the banquet hall, where the meal catered by Bank + Vine was to be served.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Lori Nocito is congratulated by the Rev. Paul McDonald from the Oblates of St. Joseph.G
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Guests mingle after arriving at the JCC.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Wilkes-Barre Councilman Tony Brooks said he is grateful to Lori Nocito for hiring him to work for the Leadership organization when he returned to the Wyoming Valley after 21 years away.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
As close to 175 guests crowded into the Friedman Jewish Community Center in Kingston on Saturday evening, many were happy to explain how highly they regard the two honorees of the evening — the Leadership Northeast organization and Lori Nocito, who recently retired after 19 years as executive director.
“When you think of people who help the community, the name ‘Lori Nocito’ jumps out at you,” said attorney Cathy O’Donnell, who co-chaired Saturday’s 2023 Tribute Gala with Karen Kalna Blum. “She’s been a mentor to so many and has such a spirit of giving.”
“She’s so authentic with the way she cares for others,” said Jessica Cronauer, who succeeded Nocito in her position. “It all comes very naturally to her.”
“Lori just loves our community and wants to embrace it,” attorney Frank Nocito said with a smile. “She’s my wife and I love her dearly.”
“She has touched so many lives, so many communities. She’s just ‘Mrs. Positive,’” said Bill Jones, executive director of United Way of Wyoming Valley. “I’m glad to be able to help celebrate her.”
As servers passed hors d’oevres and arriving guests admired each other’s finery, Leadership Northeast came in for its share of praise as well.
“I worked in health care for many years and that was my world,” said Jim Martin, president of the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. Years ago, he became part of a Leadership class and “it was like a breath of fresh air to meet business leaders, religious leaders and education leaders and learn how to cooperate with people from all walks of life.”
The project he worked on that years was to renovate the lobby of the YMCA.
Martin now serves on the board of directors of Leadership Northeast and projects are still going strong, with groups of people helping to improve the community in many ways, from mural projects to addressing food insecurity.
One current project, on which a Leadership Northeast group is collaborating with the JCC, involves working to fill the backpacks of needy summer campers with food items they can take home to their families.
The JCC and Leadership Northeast have similar goals, Gary Bernstein, CEO of the Friedman JCC explained.
“We want to make this community a stronger, safer place.”
Chatting before the dinner began, Nocito agreed.
“The goals of Leadership Northeast and of the JCC align perfectly,” she said. “We train leaders to be involved in the community, and the JCC is all about community.”
“Community is our middle name,” Bernstein pointed out.
“The JCC offers so much, to so many, regardless of age or impairment,” co-chair O’Donnell said, urging people to check out its many educational, cultural and exercise opportunities. “And you definitely don’t have to be Jewish.”
Nocito, for her part, said she was “grateful and humbled” to be recognized and, humbling turning the attention to her fellow honoree, said, “It’s great for Leadership Northeast to be recognized.”