“Women Leading Locally” 

How Township Leaders Shape Our Community and Culture.

A special live recording of the Town & Gown Podcast

Presented by Strategies for Justice and Spheres of Influence

Women in government are transforming how communities think, lead, and grow. Join us for a dynamic Town & Gown Podcast conversation featuring local and regional leaders whose work is reshaping policy, public discourse, and institutional culture.

This live-recorded episode brings together elected officials, public servants, academic leaders, and community partners to explore how women influence ideas, drive cultural change, and expand pathways to public service.

Light refreshments will be available

Meet Our Invited Guest

Tracey Mariner

College Township Supervisor/College Township Councilwoman

Tracey Mariner works as a community-focused academic who leads public service development while studying at Pennsylvania State University where she earns her B.A. in Law and Society with Legal Studies and Dispute Management and Resolution and Crime Law and Psychology minors. She also studies Christian counseling at the graduate level. Her research investigates how justice institutions work with community development programs and leadership approaches to create improved results for discriminated groups based on their background.

Tracey established Future Forward through her student-led program which teaches students to become ethical leaders who understand sustainability concepts and establish connections between industries to develop future leaders who will create positive change. She works to link students with civic leaders and nonprofit organizations and public institutions which helps them create better community results and public participation.

Tracey brings her background in financial services and organizational operations together with her academic training in conflict resolution and policy and social justice. Her experience as an advocate together with her fight against obstacles has driven her to create public dialogue areas which accept everyone and educate others about public service participation.

Pam Robb

Patton Township Board of Supervisor

Pamela Robb been a resident in Patton Township since 2015. Retired, Pamela came to Centre County to visit family and fell in love with the area, especially Patton Township. Pamela is a proud Patton Township resident and serves as a Patton Township Board of Supervisor member. ( Former 2 Times Chair).

With an honorable history of service in the United States Army, she continued her volunteerism with the Red Cross (24 years) and then as former Habitat For Humanity Board member, Along with other organizations like CDG (Community Diversity Group) that are make a difference] in the Centre County Region, she also participated with Special Olympics Summer Games, Alzheimer’s walk and other charitable events

Pamela has experience in Community Organizing, Zoning, Human Relations, Red Cross Disaster & Volunteer Recruitment, Veteran Affairs, Police Chaplain Services, and Public Speaking. As a decorated veteran, she served overseas and received an honorable discharge. Pamela received numerous medals, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Medal, commendations, and awards for her dedication and service.  On November 12 2021 (Veterans Day) Pamela Robb received the Quilt of Valor for her service. Also in March of Women’s History Month 2023. Pamela received special honors for her military service from the PA Women’s Commission, Governor Shapiro, and First Lady Lori Shapiro.

At the 50th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Banquet in 2025, Pamela Robb received the prestigious Humanitarian Service award.

As a photographer, poet, writer, and storyteller, Pamela enjoys making greeting cards and baskets in which she donates to nursing homes, charitable organizations, and scholarship fundraising events. Her lifetime legacy will continue to be her service to all and the unwavering commitment to her family, Patton Township, and the Centre Region Community in which she loves.

Susan Trainor

College Township Council and served as Chair for 2026

Chair of the Centre Region Public Safety Committee

Susan Trainor serves on College Township Council, Chairing in 2026 and is Chair of the Centre Region Public Safety Committee.  Her work is centered on supporting thoughtful planning, community engagement, and safe, connected, vibrant neighborhoods for all residents in her township.   Proud mother of Caela and Conor her focus is a healthy, safe and welcoming future community for her family and all families who call the region home.

With over 30 years in healthcare, Susan is a nurse practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.   In addition to seeing patients in her practice she serves as the clinical lead of an accredited diabetes education program, focusing on education, empowerment, and whole-person care.   She is also actively involved with and supports the YMCA of Centre County where she has served as the Annual Campaign Chair for several years and is a YMCA Polar Bear Plunger to support the Y’s inclusive community and programs that promote connection and community health.    

Dr. Nalini Krishnankutty

State College Borough Council Member

Betsy Whitman

Patton Township Board of Supervisor

Centrice Martin

Amy Farkas

Township Manager, Patton Township

Amy Farkas is the manager of Patton Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. Patton Township is a dynamic community of 16,000 residents, located adjacent to the main campus of Penn State University. Prior to joining the Township in 2023, she served for 17 years as the manager of Harris Township, a community of 6,000 residents located in the Centre Region. She is a past president of the Association for Pennsylvania Municipal Management, a member of the Pennsylvania Municipal League Board of Directors and a member of the ICMA Governance Task Force. In her spare time,  Amy runs Left of Centre Productions, a community oriented theatre group, volunteers at Centre County PAWS and enjoys spending time with her husband and their family.

Our Host

Terry Watson, M.S. (he/him) is an accomplished professional speaker, trainer, and award‑winning author whose work centers on disability equity, racial justice, and community healing. He serves as the Associate Director for Student Disability Services and the Interim Director for Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity at Penn State World Campus. In these roles, he collaborates with faculty, instructional designers, and student‑facing units to advance accessibility and foster inclusive learning environments. Since 2011, he has supported college students with disabilities, helping shape policies and practices that ensure equitable access to higher education. His commitment to advocacy began in 2001 through his work with children on the autism spectrum, and in 2024 he was honored with Penn State’s Robison Equal Opportunity Award.

Mr. Watson is also the founder of Strategies for Justice (SFJ), BWMP LLC, a speaking and training bureau rooted in the belief that unveiling untold narratives of injustice can spark meaningful reform. SFJ partners with communities, institutions, and organizations to facilitate civil, transformative dialogue on race, ability, gender, and law enforcement. His work is deeply informed by his lineage: he is a descendant of Moses P. Cobb and Samuel J. Battle, the first African American police officers to serve full careers in New York City. Their legacy inspired the creation of The Battle with Moses People and later the establishment of SFJ in 2019.

Leslie Laing, student advocacy specialist, academic success & life coach, event planner, and director of Adult Learner Programs & Services at Penn State, is the founder of Spheres of Influence, LLC. She is active in the State College Community, having served as past president of the Forum on Black Affairs, chair of three Diversity Conferences with the Community Diversity Group, founding member of the Racial Unity Network between two local churches, and is an active member with the AAUW, NAACP, and the Pennsylvania Prison Society. In 2021, she was named the Rose Cologne Volunteer of the Year Award for teaching a Parenting Inside Out Program at Centre County Correctional Facility, efforts for bail reform, reducing solitary confinement, and expanding re-entry resources. Leslie serves as lead innovator at Strategies for Justice, a facilitator for Centre County Community Conferencing, and as a Community Organizer, plans many cultural events like Juneteenth for State College. Leslie continues to engage and transformthe community through meaningful dialogues and virtual programming. Produced and hosted our local 57th Commemoration March on Washington, Representation Matters: A Conversation with People of Color in Public Office, Creating and Inspiring Conversations on Race, a podcast episode for Schlow Library, and serves as a WPSU Public Broadcasting and Television fundraising host.  Leslie is a passion-led volunteer, advocate, and activist who received the 2023 AAUW Gateway to Equity Award, was named the 2023 Humanitarian of the Year, and is the 2024 recipient of the Arnold Addison Award for impacting the quality of life and Town & Gown relations for the State College community.