2026-2028

State Officers

SARA RUPPEL

President

Sara is a member of the Federated Women’s Club of Hershey. A Lancaster County native, her teachers selected her to attend the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) seminar in 1998 as an ambassador and she continued to volunteer at the seminar and on the Board of Trustees for a number of years. 

While at HOBY, Sara learned of GFWC and joined the Federated Women’s Club of Hershey in the fall of 2014. Previously she served her club as, International Outreach Chairman, 2nd Vice President and two terms as club President. Currently she serves as the Program Chairman and as a mentor -something she is passionate about! 

Currently, Sara is serving as the Pennsylvania First Vice President and Dean of Directors, On the GFWC Middle Atlantic Region board and as her local clubs Programs chairmen, and on the membership and financial committees. She represented Pennsylvania as the 2016 LEADS candidate at the International Convention in Baltimore. Sara has served as GFWC PA International Outreach Program Chairman, GFWC PA Education Chairman, the South-Central District Director and most recently as the GFWC Pennsylvania Second Vice President and Dean of Chairman.  

While serving as the International Outreach Program Chairman, Sara became involved in Shot at Life and her (and her husband) are active volunteers traveling to Washington DC, when possible, for the organization’s summit as part of the GFWC delegation. 

Sara resides in Marietta, Lancaster County with her husband Mike and their two very spoiled Maine Coon cats. She currently works at Penn National Insurance in Harrisburg as an Operations Analyst.  Sara enjoys spending time with her large extended family, traveling, and reading. She loves honeybees and Disney- especially Winnie the Pooh.

 

CONTACT

sruppel@gfwcpennsylvania.org

sue O'Day

2nd Vice President

Sue has been a member of GFWC Abington Heights Civic League, Inc. since 1989. She has served her Club as: President for several non-consecutive terms; First Vice President (Programs); Recording Secretary; multiple terms as Treasurer; Chairman of the Dance Department for over 10 years; and has served as chairman and committee member on numerous committees.

She served as the Northeastern District’s Art Chairman for 2012-2014, and the Crafts Chairman for several years. During the 2014-2016 administration, she was the chairman of the Education Committee. She was co-chairman of the GFWC Signature Project-Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention for the 2016-2018 administration. For the 2018-2020 administration, she served as the Northeastern District Director, held the office of Treasurer for the 2020-2022 and the Leadership Chairman for the 2022-2024 administrations.

Sue was the recipient of the GFWC PA Jennie Award in 2016, and runner-up for the Middle Atlantic Region. She represented Pennsylvania as the LEADS candidate in 2017.

Returning to college as an adult, she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Keystone College in 2008. For the past 30 years, Sue has worked for the Abington Heights School District, and is currently Director of Business and Student Services, overseeing the Food Service Program, the district’s purchasing, managing the Student Activities Accounts, and doing Accounts Payable.

Sue is an avid mountain biker, book reader, and collector of rabbits (not real ones!). She lives in Scott Township with her significant other and has a son, a daughter, and six granddaughters, and one grandson!

Dr. Carrie Ann Wood

1st Vice President

Dr. Carrie Wood has been an active member of GFWC since 1998 and currently serves as the North Central District Director.  She has been the GFWC Pennsylvania convention photographer since 2017.  At the club level, she is a past president, as well as the chairman of several committees and projects.  Currently she is the Community Impact Program chairman, leading the Christmas decorating and tear down at the town square, litter pickups, and financial reality fairs for high school seniors in six area schools. Carrie is a 2022 LEADS graduate.

Carrie chaired and organized several free community soup giveaways for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Carrie has spoken on Identity Theft and Financial Literacy at state conventions and Summer Leadership, District, and club meetings.

Even though Carrie works full time, she has volunteered an incredible number of hours to area communities, including DuBois Educational Foundation Board Member and Membership Committee, Curwensville Regional Development Corporation (CRDC) Board Member, various sports booster clubs, and softball coach, to name a few.  At her church, Carrie is an active member, serving as church lay reader, financial committee chair, Administrative Council, Children’s Church volunteer, former Worship Committee Chair, and Angel Tree volunteer.

In her professional life, Carrie holds a Doctor of Business Administration, Leadership, from Liberty University, and is employed by CNB Bank as a Senior Vice President of Experience (Onboarding & Engagement, Learning & Development, Financial Education, Client Experience, and Experience Analytics).  She holds the Certified Financial Marketing Professional credential. Formerly, she served as the CEO of a small credit union for 16 years, in addition to holding positions in marketing, information technology, and management.  Carrie received a 2023 Top 12 Volunteer Award at CNB Bank and was Curwensville School District’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year.

Carrie and her husband Aaron were married in 2002 and have two beautiful children, Parker, 20, a sophomore at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA (exercise science and kinesiology), and Isabella, 17, a senior at Curwensville Area JSHS.  They reside in Curwensville with their children and 10-year-old labrador retriever, Maxwell Blue.

CONTACT

Coming Soon

kathy cassel

Treasurer

Kathy has been an active member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs for 27 years. She joined The Woman’s Club of Perkasie in 1996 having served her club as President (2000-2002), Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer as, as well as chairing numerous departments and committees through the years, including Membership, Evening Division, Movie night, Festival of Arts (Arts and Culture), Fashion Show and assisting with publications for events.

Kathy has also held positions at the County level for Bucks County serving as President for three (3) terms, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and chaired numerous departments and committees.

At the state level, Kathy is presently serving as Southeastern District Director (2022-2024), and has previously served as Arts and Culture Chair (2020-2022) and served one term on the Bylaws Committee.

Kathy is presently working as a Pennsylvania licensed Realtor with RE/MAX Reliance. She has been a Realtor for 36 years during those 25 years she owned her own Property Management Company for 300-500 units. Management included handling budgeting for all the units, showing, processing applications, verifying information, running both credit and criminal background checks, and overseeing Escrow accounts for all the units. During the ‘80s she managed three (2) HR Block offices, and was finance chair of her church for 6 years (2012-2018).

Her interests include horses, traveling, spending time with her family and friends, and spoiling her 5 grandchildren. Kathy, and her husband, Ken, who are Junior High School sweethearts have been married for 47 years. They have one son and two daughters / two wonderful sons-in-law and five grandchildren ranging in ages from 8-18.

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”

— Helen Keller

Join a Club Near You

Reach out to our membership chairman for help finding a club near you.

For general inquiries, contact Headquarters below or the Chairman of a specific program or advancement area.

GFWC Pennsylvania Headquarters

1301 Allegheny Street, Suite 119
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648

T: 814-317-6489
info@gfwcpennsylvania.org

Membership Chairman

Tracy Mueller

tmuellergfwc@gmail.com

 

GFWC Headquarters

1734 N Street, NW
Washington, DC  20036

T:  202-347-3168
F:  202-835-0246
www.gfwc.org