Blake Lynch to Harrisburg: ‘Let’s build a new culture’

Meet Blake Lynch, the Director of Development at the Boys & Girls Club of Harrisburg. As a native of the Harrisburg-Hershey region, Blake’s commitment to the area is evident through his participation with Rotary International, Harrisburg Young Professionals, the Capital Region Partnership for Career Development and a bevy of other community-focused organizations.

Blake took a few minutes out of his jam-packed schedule to share his vision for Harrisburg, and explain why he thinks this area has a bright future in store.

 What do you love about the Harrisburg area?

The culture is great – you can have a city atmosphere going into downtown, or you can go out to the suburbs or the country in just a few minutes to get a small-town feeling.

There’s so many great things to do in this area, too. My wife Bryttani and I love visiting the local vineyards with friends and taking our son to the festivals and pop-up events like street fairs happening downtown.

We also spend a lot of time in Hershey – going to the park* and catching shows at Hershey Theatre. My wife and I are also house parents at Milton Hershey School every other weekend, which is a great opportunity for us to give back to the local community.

I love the location of the capital region that Harrisburg offers – we’ve got access to big cities in just a short distance, but the cost of living is so much more economical than larger cities.

*For visitors unfamiliar with Hershey, “the park” is Hersheypark, an amusement park that boasts 13 roller coasters, 15 water attractions and 26 rides for children.

What do you see for Harrisburg’s future in the years to come?

I see great opportunity, especially as those who are in positions of authority begin to retire. This next generation can start building a new culture in this region and can shape it to be we’d like it to become – a new environment of diversity. I see diversity with innovation in tech spaces and stem programming, and fresh ideas for the way our children learn and how education is received and taught.

There’s new ways we can change this area to be more attractive so we don’t experience a brain drain. A lot of people leave after attending college in this area, and it would be great for them to stay – let’s create a great environment for families to grow and succeed.

This region has the potential to be a hub of career advancement, shared spaces and incubators. That’s why we’re still here – we want to be a part of that change.

It’s been said before, but the capital region is a great place to live, work and play. It’s what you make it out to be – there’s so many communities and different industries waiting to be explored.

Take on the challenge to find something you love to do and enjoy. I promise you, it’s here – and it’s not here, you can help to create it.