Lehigh County Commissioners appointed Jessica Marie O’Donnell to the Lehigh County General Purposes Authority in a hybrid in-person and online meeting Nov. 23. O’Donnell’s term will expire Dec. 31, 2026.

The Lehigh County General Purpose Authority provides a tax-exempt financing option for certified nonprofit organizations, according to the Lehigh County website.

The organization is under the authority of the Lehigh County’s Department of Community and Economic Development, according to the Lehigh County website.

DCED “focuses on enhancing the quality of life of our communities by concentrating on the revitalization of our cities and boroughs, spurring economic growth, and supporting regional partnerships among our municipalities,” according to the Lehigh County website.

“The department’s grant programs have supported high-priority projects of the county’s 25 municipalities, aimed at enriching their economic viability by upgrading aging infrastructure, supporting improvements within the downtowns and assisting agencies focused on providing safe, affordable and sustainable housing.”

O’Donnell is the executive vice president of affiliated chambers of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chambers of Commerce.

Her duties, according to her job description on the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce website, are to work with East Penn, Bath, Northern Lehigh, Hellertown-Lower Saucon, Nazareth, Northampton, southern and western Lehigh County and the Whitehall Area Chambers of Commerce and the Emmaus Main Street Partners. Her responsibilities also include the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation and the Pocono Chamber of Commerce.

O’Donnell’s responsibilities include furthering the “chamber’s mission of improving the economy and quality of life throughout the Lehigh Valley by connecting key business and community leaders.”

Originally from Palmerton, O’Donnell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in speech language pathology from East Stroudsburg University and pursued a master’s degree from Cedar Crest College.

Commissioners also appointed Deidra Vachier to the Children and Youth Services Advisory Council.

Commissioners also approved a new job position of “community liaison” employee. The new position will report to the Department of Community and Economic Development headed by Frank Kane.

The job requires a college degree and fluency in both English and Spanish.

The position duties include staffing the new Human Relations Advisory Council and providing staff support for the eventual Human Relations Commission which will be created in 2022.

The office will serve as the ombudsman to the community to advocate for the needs of Lehigh County residents as they interact with Lehigh County and municipal governments.