Civil Municipal Magazine - Nov 2023

38 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 11 offering the example of a CDL trucking program where people can earn their license on campus. “We’re trying to think of those things, beyond just the typical two or four-year degree, that meet workforce needs,” Knorr portrays. Regarding the university’s connection with Bloomsburg, Knorr says it is a positive relationship, noting the university’s understanding that its success is intertwined with a thriving community. “The majority of our students live in the community. About 40% of them live on campus, but most of them are either commuters or live off campus in the community,” he reports. “So, our ability to attract students to the university is dependent on having a thriving downtown, and recreational assets like the park and walking trails. Our ability to keep them here for the four years or maybe after if they want to come here for graduate school, and then keep them in the area for employment, is also dependent on that. We see it as a mutual relationship, and our success is dependent on the success of the town.” Embracing the Spirit of Entrepreneurship and Local Talent Shawn Kessler is a partner in the recruitment division at Aloysius Butler and Clark, one of the largest full-service advertising agencies in the mid-Atlantic region with offices in major cities like Philadelphia and Wilmington, as well as Bloomsburg. He recounts his journey of leaving the region in search of better opportunities in a larger city, to ultimately returning to Bloomsburg and starting an agency.” When it was time to grow up and have a family, I missed this area. I missed Bloomsburg,” he depicts. “I came back to the area and eventually started an advertising agency and ended up merging it with Aloysius Butler and Clark. They originally wanted me to move the agency down to Wilmington, Delaware, and that was a deal-stopper for me. I flat out said if I have to move the agency back down there, then this merger isn’t going to work.” Photo: Tina Mart Photography