2022-2024
State Officers
Heide Cebrick
President
Heide joined GFWC in November, 1990. In the past 32 years, she has held various positions. On the club and county levels, she has been a project chairman, board member, and held most all the offices. She has membership in 3 clubs: GFWC West Side Woman’s Club, GFWC Luzerne County Past Presidents, and GFWC PA Past District Directors.
She has been a District Arts Chairman and served as Conservation Community Service/Program Chairman and Public Issues CS/P Chairman for GFWC Pennsylvania, GFWC Pennsylvania Northeastern District Director, GFWC Pennsylvania Second and First Vice President, and is now serving as GFWC Pennsylvania President. In 2018, Heide was selected as the Jennie Award Winner for both Pennsylvania and the Middle Atlantic Region. She was honored with the Jennie June Award presented at the GFWC International Convention in St. Louis. This is the highest award a clubwoman can receive and is based on personal excellence in the areas of commitment to club, community, and family. She also represented PA as the LEADS candidate in St. Louis.
Heide and her husband Dave, as Board Members of the Stanley Cooper, Sr. Trout Unlimited Chapter, started the Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Wilkes-Barre Program over 14 years ago when their son was deployed in Iraq. She was chosen as the Middle Atlantic Region Volunteer of the Year for Project Healing Waters in 2011 and was gifted with a fly rod inscribed with her name. She continues to serve as Program Lead. She served as Deputy Regional Coordinator for many years. She also served a term as a member of the Field Advisory Council for Project Healing Waters. She is a past president of the Stanley Cooper, Sr. Trout Unlimited Chapter. She has been fly fishing with her husband for over 40 years and is currently working on her fly-tying skills.
Heide started working part time for the family stained glass business, The Baut Studios, Inc. at 12 years of age cutting glass patterns and as janitor. She began full time employment after graduating college in 1979. She and her brother Conrad’s family are the owners of the business where she works as an artist/designer of stained glass.
Heide graduated from Tyler School of Art with her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She also spent her junior year of college at the Tyler School of Art, Rome, Italy campus as part of the Temple Abroad Program.
Heide and Dave, her husband of 39 years, have 2 grown children, a daughter and a son, one granddaughter and one grandson.
CONTACT
President’s Message
Dear Federated Sisters,
It is an incredible honor to serve as your president for the 2022-2024 Administration. We have a fantastic Executive Committee and Parliamentarian. We are all here to serve you and help in any way possible to ensure your club’s success.
We can all agree that it takes a special heart to be willing to give of one’s time in the service of others. Each one of you possess that special giving heart and, as your president, it will be my pleasure to meet more of you face to face and to see old and dear friends again.
The President’s Project is very important to show our Veterans and Military that they are appreciated and their service is honored. The phrase, “We’ve got your six” means “We have your back.” The President’s Project, Operation “We’ve Got Their Six” – Supporting Military and Veterans, is very near and dear to my heart. Having worked with Veterans in our fly-fishing program for the last 14 years, the satisfaction of seeing the healing and transformation occur is so gratifying. Our Veterans became empowered and inspired to volunteer and help their fellow Veterans. This domino effect, triggered by total strangers reaching out and showing them appreciation and kindness, boosts their self-esteem and gives them hope. Those suffering from PTSD need hope sometimes more than anything else. Please check out the projects we will be tracking for the next two years.
The theme “Light the Way” encourages us that with each sunrise there is an opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life. The sunrise is a source of hope. Let’s all be that ray of sunshine for others every day. Encourage your friends to join our organization and share in the joy that comes with being of service to others and being a part of something greater than ourselves. Please take to heart this quote from Maya Angelou, “Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.”
So, GFWC Pennsylvania Clubwomen, let’s all “Light the Way” with Generosity, Friendship, Wisdom, Compassion!
Yours in Federation Service and Friendship,
Heide Marie
Heide Marie Cebrick
GFWC Pennsylvania President 2022-2024
Donna Malone
1st Vice President
Donna has been an active member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs for 32 years. She joined the GFWC Hollidaysburg Area Women’s Club in 1990 having served her club as President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary, as well as chairing numerous departments and committees through the years, including Membership, Communications, PR & Social Media, and co-chairing the Community Impact Program.
At the state level, Donna is currently serving as 1st Vice President. She previously served as 2nd Vice President; Communications, Public Relations & Social Media Chairman, 2018-2020 and 2016-2018; and as Pennsylvania Clubwoman Newsletter Editor, 2016-2018.
In her local community, Donna served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hollidaysburg Area Public Library for 14 years and Board Secretary for six years. (2003 – 2017). Most recently, Donna was honored to be selected as the 2019 Citizen of the Year for the Borough of Hollidaysburg and was the 2022 Wise Women of Blair County Community Service Volunteer Honoree.
In 2021, Donna retired as Office Manager from Spring Cove Container, a division of the Roaring Spring Blank Book Company, where she was employed since 2007. Her hobbies and interests include traveling, shopping, scrapbooking, being with friends, and especially spending time with her family.
Donna, and her husband, Tim, have been married for 42 years. They have three sons and two grandchildren.
CONTACT
Sara Ruppel
2nd Vice President
Sara Ruppel 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. In 2020 Sara was elected to her second two-year term as President of the Federated Women’s club of Hershey. Previously she served her club as, International Outreach Chairman, and 2nd Vice President.
Currently, Sara is serving as the Pennsylvania Second Vice President and Dean of Chairmen, On the GFWC Middle Atlantic Region Finance Committee 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 and most recently as the South-Central District Director.
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, cooking up classic PA Dutch foods and reading. She loves honeybees and Disney- especially Winnie the Pooh.
CONTACT
Joann Propcheck
Secretary
JoAnn Propcheck is a 10-year member of the GFWC Hollidaysburg Area Women’s Club. She has served as her club’s President and Treasurer. She has served as chair and co-chair on many committees. The Program Committee, the Community Impact Project Committee, Major Fundraising (St. Patrick’s Day Event) Committee, the Discovery Garden and Kids Kingdom Play Park Committee’s.
At the District level, JoAnn has served as the chair of the Nominating Committee and chair of the District Leadership Committee. On the State Level, she has co-chaired the Fundraising Committee and is the 2020 LEADS Graduate from Pennsylvania.
JoAnn enjoys gardening and serves on the Discovery Garden Board of Directors, Hollidaysburg. She is active in her community and loves volunteering for the GFWC HAWC projects.
JoAnn is honored to serve as the GFWC Pennsylvania’s State Secretary for President Heide Marie Cebrick’s term of 2022-2024.
CONTACT
Karen French
Treasurer
Karen joined GFWC West Side Woman’s Club in 1988 and has been a GFWC clubwoman for thirty-four years. She has held numerous board positions, beginning in 1993 as Club Federation Day chairman. Karen’s other board positions include Hospitality, Education, Publicity, Club Chat and Home Life. She also served her local club as President in 1995-1996 and served as Treasurer for over 10 years. On the county level Karen served as Secretary, Treasurer, Third Vice President, Second and First Vice President, and from 2008-2010 she was GFWC Luzerne County President. In 2010, she joined GFWC Past Presidents club, serving as secretary/treasurer and Club President.
At the state level, Karen is currently serving as Treasurer, 2022-2024. Karen served as Northeastern District Director, 2020-2022; Northeastern District Treasurer, 2016-2018; and in 2018, she was appointed as GFWC Pennsylvania State Literature Chairman.
Karen worked for 47 years in banking, retiring in 2016. She maintained a management position during her tenure with M&T Bank. She attended the Savings and Loan institute and the Banking Institute and attended Luzerne County Community College and Wilkes University. Currently, Karen is employed by HR Block as Assistant Team Leader of the Pittston Township Office.
Karen has been involved with her local community baseball teams, she served as Treasurer and Vice President of Chester Street PTO, and was a Trustee of the First Baptist Church, Wilkes-Barre. Karen also volunteers her time at the Osterhout Library, serving as assistant Treasurer.
Karen was married to her husband Art for 40 years. She resides in Forty Fort and is the mother of two children and the grandmother of two granddaughters.
CONTACT
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
— Helen Keller
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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.
4076 Market Street, Ste 211
Camp Hill, PA 17011-4200
T: 717-901-5095
gfwcpaclubs@comcast.net
