Catasauqua Area School District Business Supervisor Lois Reed retired at the end of the 2021-22 school year. Reed’s intent to retire - effective June 30 - was approved at the Oct. 12, 2021, school board meeting.

Reed started working in the district in 1991 as a temp in the business office.

She had earlier worked in the credit department at Citibank, working with Hess’s Department Store. When the bank moved its operations out of Allentown, she worked as a bookkeeper with a local manufacturing company.

“I lost my job due to downsizing, and they ultimately closed,” Reed said. “I was looking for something stable and would be understanding of having young children.”

She noted the district has changed a lot during her 31 years working there. She reminisced about when the administration office was in the current Sheckler Elementary School office with everyone working in close quarters, when the current high school building was built, the renovation of the old building into the current middle school, the addition of the administration offices off the Sheckler building and more.

“The district has been in four deficits and came out of them while still serving the students of the district and providing them with many educational opportunities,” Reed said.

She took over as business supervisor in 2006.

“At that time, we had just finished the current high school and were moving toward renovating the old high school to the current middle school,” she remembered. “We also had an unexpected deficit, and during that time, I put my first budget together while dealing with the unexpected loss of my husband.”

She noted she enjoyed working with Superintendent of Schools Robert Spengler over the years.

“Mr. Spengler has been not only a great boss, but has been a mentor, friend and a great sounding board,” Reed said. “He always challenged me and allowed and supported me to implement new ideas and procedures.”

In commenting on her retirement at the Oct. 12, 2021, meeting, Spengler spoke about how they had a strong professional and personal relationship, calling her his “work wife” and dear friend.

“She deserves the happiest retirement. We’re in a tremendous position due to her work in the district,” Spengler added.

The CASD Board of Education members also shared their thoughts on her retirement during the Oct. 12, 2021, meeting.

“She’s given her heart and soul. She really cares about the community and kids,” Lauren Cieslak said.

Donald Panto commented, “I have a deep appreciation for her friendship and leadership.”

“I’m impressed and taken aback by all she does in the schools and the community,” Jason Bashaw said.

Shawn McGinley reported she was the one who convinced him to join the school board.

Administration and staff members also commented on her retirement at the Oct. 12, 2021, meeting.

“I’d be lost without her,” Adam Schnug, Catasauqua High School principal, reported.

“She is always willing to help and lend a hand,” said Dr. Christina Lutz-Doemling, CASD assistant superintendent.

Kathy Kotran, coordinator of instructional technology and federal programs, said, “She’s been a pleasure to work with and a wealth of knowledge.”

Reed is also actively involved in the greater community. She served as a Girl Scout leader in the Whitehall and Catasauqua areas for 25 years.

“I see girls that I had in Girl Scouts now have kids in school,” Reed noted.

One of her largest contributions has been as the coordinator of the Catasauqua Community Cares Program in the district.

Joann Heffner, CMS LifeSkills instructional aide, noted she has worked in the CASD for nearly 20 years and has spent the last five years working closely with Reed.

“If I remember correctly, it was early in 2017 when Lois came upon a shipment of prepacked lunches from Feed the Children that needed a home,” Heffner said. “She was aware of the growing number of children in the district who were experiencing food insecurity and saw this as an opportunity to address this need.”

This is reportedly the start of the C3P program, which addresses food insecurity in the district, with Reed at the helm. What started as a weekend backpack program at Catasauqua Middle School expanded to include all three district schools. A backpack filled with food is sent home with students over the weekend or a holiday break when they may not otherwise have much access to food.

Heffner reported they were distributing 150 bags of food in the district before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The bags for the elementary and middle schools are packed by a group of our students who take great pride in the weekly process,” Reed said. “It helps them learn valuable life skills, gives them a sense of accomplishment and provides for educational lessons while providing an invaluable service.”

The larger distributions for the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter holidays are made possible by donations from community members, staff members, local businesses and other organizations, such as Second Harvest Food Bank, the Elevate Foundation and Feed the Children.

The C3P program also distributes coats to students during the colder months. Reed reported more than 375 coats have been distributed during the last three years. Donations of new or gently used coats come from district staff members, local churches and community members. Whitehall Area Rotary Club helped donate coats this past year.

“Over the years, we have had kids say they have never had a new coat,” Reed noted.

Reed was named a Penn State Extension 2019-20 Community Champion at the Lehigh County Communities That Care annual meeting, held Jan, 23, 2020, at Fellowship Community, Whitehall. The Lehigh County CTC consists of the Whitehall-Coplay and Catasauqua CTC coalitions.

Heffner noted she respects and admires Reed’s vision in anticipating needs and her “encyclopedic ability to store information” while multitasking.

“It always amazes me when I call Lois with a question, and she has already thought of the answer,” Heffner said. “It’s just an example of her ability to multitask and store an encyclopedia of information in her mind.”

In her retirement, Reed plans to continue her work with C3P and spend more time with her family.

“I have spent a lot of my life juggling responsibilities and my time, so now that my kids are grown and (I’m) not working, I am not sure how I will feel,” Reed said. “It seems like a lot of people are willing to help me find things to do.”

She noted she will be taking care of a kindergartner before and after school for the 2022-23 school year.

“Lois cares deeply for her family - the Catasauqua Area School District people and the infrastructure,” Heffner said. “I’ll miss her but am so happy she is maintaining an active role in the C3P program.”

Reed said she will miss her co-workers and “the great family attitude” of the CASD.

“The Catasauqua Area School District is a really great place to work,” she added. “Believe it or not, I really think I am going to miss the daily craziness and the challenges.”

She noted one of the last things she did was facilitate the transfer to a financial software company for the district.

“Unfortunately, the information from the old company did not transfer correctly. I spent hours trying to match up the information to be able to close the fiscal year,” Reed said. “Although it was stressful, I really did enjoy the challenge when it was successfully completed.”

She noted she will miss “lunchtime stories and laughing.” She said she shares many inside jokes and humorous memories with her colleagues.

She also noted how rewarding it was seeing all the various components of the district come together during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue offering five-day in-person instruction. She was involved with making sure the schools had what they needed, such as supplies, masks, shields, sanitizing, etc.

“It was a time that you could really see how working with a great team could make things work,” she said.