One of Executive John Brown's first appointments, her job history is full of short stays: United Way - 2 1/2 years; LV Business Education Partnership - two years; and Skills USA for just a year. She also worked in Bethlehem's DCED for three years. Her longest stint is her 15 years with SkillsUSA, which seems to focus on training kids for jobs.
She was even a voice-over artist!
Creative Sound Studios described her as "[m]iddle aged, a voice you can trust, [with] approachable narrations." In fact, in this little audio segment, Donaher shills for the "country wineries" and "working farms" of Bucks County.
Before Brown's appointment, Donaher had not worked in economic development in 13 years. During confirmation hearings, she stated that she had worked on a KOZ, a specialized economic development tool, in Bethlehem. But Bethlehem has never had one. She also disparaged the office she will be heading, claiming they are all office types, unlike her.
Only Bob Werner and Ken Kraft voted against her confirmation.
Soon after she was confirmed, Brown wanted her installed as the Executive Director of the Gaming Authority. They said no. Unanimously.
She also wanted to take over departments like the Conservation District, whose role can be directly at odds with economic development.
In the meantime, her own department became bloated, and will soon move to Human Services.
Her biggest achievement is a $1 million grants and loan program, funded with table games revenue, to spur business and jobs in the County's smaller communities. Whether that program is successful remains to be seen. This is called the Community Investment Partnership Program (CIPP), and $1.3 million was recently awarded.
Her biggest failure was her unilateral decision to seize control over nearly $500,000 in tourism grants funded with hotel taxes. It was a surprising display of hubris from someone who was unable to explain whether she's created a single job, not counting the ones in her own department. She proposed handing out a major block grant to the Northampton County Historical Society, and letting it decide how to dole out the money. Council had a minor eruption, and John Brown quickly restored the normal grants process. He fell on the sword for Donaher, taking the blame for a misunderstanding.
Nobody was fooled. Many agencies were as a result delayed in receiving funding on which they rely every year.
After that miscue, she pulled another fast one late last year when she scheduled a private meeting between county boards and a consultant she wanted to hire. The meeting was canceled when this blog noted that it was a violation of the Sunshine Act.
Prior to her appointment, Northampton County had survived without a DCED Director through two terms of the John Stoffa administration. Though Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation is criticized for treating Northampton County like an ugly step sister, the reality is that it has done more to promote economic development in Northampton County than what has been done in-house. The department should be restructured so that it serves the goal of community development, which is more suited to county government.
Updated 2:55 pm
Bernie,
ReplyDeleteI have been explaining a discriptive yet indiscrptive of the triboro cistern with the reprehenciblity it deserves?!($ In the dark corners of the Lehighvalley this nue nue nue catch line phrase failure to do service by diservice infects all ASSpects of life in this area and theft of services to serve the gluttonous gut that let's loose a odor only you, Angle and I as well as the shitflys would understand?!($
Republican redd
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Could see this coming. Her long honeymoon with council was over. Her department was inept in producing any results in the area of economic development. The only jobs they created were internal, by adding to their bloated staff. Their sole accomplishment was to give a grant to a Lehigh County business to recycle latex paint. Donaher tried her best to gain power and influence by taking over Farmland Preservation, open space, Penn State extension, etc., divisions that were functioning just fine under the Department of Administration. She was more concerned about artificially adding divisions to her department than to perform core functions of the department. Her charm and verbal skills gave her immunity for only so long. The empress had no clothes. Sayonara, DD.
ReplyDeleteThey may not be moving to the HS Building. Another dumb idea probably initiated by either Donaher or Allen. A poor fit. They should move across the street to the grossly underutilized Milides Building. There is plenty of room for their staff there, and they could designate parking. It would take some money to renovate half of Milides, but some of the work could be done in house with Public Works staff. Regardless, with Sywensky out and Donaher on the way out, someone needs to take a good hard look at that department and its core functions. The staff could easily be reorganized and reduced saving the county hundreds of thousands of dollars. I agree that LVEDC has done more to create jobs in Norco than its own DCED has done, or could ever dream of doing.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me specifically where the LVEDC has created jobs in Northamton County? Certainly not the Slate Belt
DeleteLooks like Brown's "high performance" team is losing another bench player!
ReplyDeleteOh boo hoo. Blame Stoffa and Karner for Donaher's failures.She was given all the support and resources to turn the department around, but failed miserably. All she did was add staff and raise salaries. "Never had a chance" my ass.
ReplyDelete3:26, I believe a move to Milides makes more sense. They can kick out the free offices set up for the daily newspapers that mostly don't cover County government.
ReplyDeleteSorry anon 3:53 but,
ReplyDeleteBernie praises Stoffa for gutting the Department but then makes sure any comments giving the real facts disappear. I think Trumpet may want you as an adviser Bernie.
I'm tired of your attempt to blast Stoffa about everything, and delete you as a public service to my readers,
ReplyDeleteHow many economic development professionals does it take to create no new jobs? It's like determining the number of licks required to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.
ReplyDeleteHere comes Sara Hailstone........
ReplyDeleteFirst Amy Trapp (who did an outstanding job ) in A-Town, now Sara (another very capable individual).
They are running from FED ED...........I cannot blame them......
She would be nutz to join the Brownstain Blundering Herd of fools. He will be history in January 2018.
ReplyDeleteDiane did little but talk and pander to whomever she was addressing. Total flop after being given the keys to the kingdom by Brown. See ya.
ReplyDeleteDiane Donaher was one of the greatest "gifts" the city of Bethlehem ever had in the Economic Development Department. She was fair,caring,informed,creative and above all reached out to the community. She is greatly missed in the city. Unfortunatly under the "guidance" ( and I use that term loosely ) of Alicia Karner, the only time the City of Bethlehem makes the news now is with the announcement of another business leaving our downtown. The people of Northampton County never gave DD a chance-and that's too bad-our loss.
ReplyDeleteYou speak as though Donaher was asked to resign. Care to enlighten us?
ReplyDeleteyour boy, hanna hired her
ReplyDeleteyes, and she probably is very good in a role related to community development. B the way, hanna is not my boy. I'm his boy., and put him on the same level as Jeff parks and Alan Jennings. Guys like that attract criticism from a lot of anonymous cowards like you.
ReplyDeleteHanna had no choice in hiring DD. Cunningham cut a deal with the late Elmer Gates to give his friend a much needed job. If memory serves me, several fully qualified people were overlooked to make way for her.
ReplyDelete4:21 - Because no one wants to go to the Slate Belt let alone work there.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Donaher was unable to produce a report verifying any job creation by her department. Werner had asked for this information, and it was not provided. Brown was likely embarrassed with DCED's lack of productivity and gave Donaher an opportunity to leave graciously rather than be fired. DCED was allowed to hire staff when other departments were stonewalled. Their bloated staff have underperformed, and Donaher has shown no leadership. Her charisma only went so far. Council was getting impatient with the lack of return on their investment in this department.
ReplyDeleteDonaher's fate was caste after the hotel tax grant debacle. Rather than have her bloated staff review grant applications and make recommendations to council as per past practice, she lazily punted this process over to the historical society. Council was outraged and Brown had to save face by apologizing. This blunder in judgement sealed DD's fate.
ReplyDeleteCooked her own goose.
ReplyDeleteAll smoke and mirrors.. They only are there to benefit themselves.
ReplyDeleteWhat a misjudgement of ability by Brown or did he have to take her because he owed someone a favor?
ReplyDeleteShe used her charm and verbal skills to fake Brown out. All talk, no action.
ReplyDelete