Civic Engagement and Partnership for Community Progress:
A glimpse into some bright spots in the snowiest place in America, along beautiful Lake Erie

Active civic participation is vital to building stronger, more resilient communities — and in Erie, Pennsylvania, local efforts are demonstrating how meaningful progress can take root through collaboration and shared purpose. In this panel discussion, experts will explore how educational forums, philanthropic initiatives, and cross-sector partnerships are equipping citizens to actively participate in civic life and strengthen the social fabric of their community. Please join the Presenting Sponsor of Week Four, Erie Insurance, for this inspiring conversation in alignment with the week’s theme, The Future of the American Experiment.

Moderator
Janae Alexander
Inclusion & Belonging Consultant
Erie Insurance Group

Panelists
Nick Cianci
Director of Investments
Hoffman United

Chelsea Oliver
Director of Marketing and Community Engagement
Jefferson Educational Society

Dorothy Leemhuis
Senior Vice President of Actuarial and Chief Actuary
Erie Insurance Group

Nick Cianci

Nick Cianci has served in a leadership role with the Emerging Erie Fund (EEF) since 2022, chairing the group from 2024 to 2025. Affiliated with the Erie Community Foundation, EEF is a group of emerging leaders dedicated to strengthening Erie’s “people and places” through collective giving. Since 2019, EEF has grown from 15 members awarding a $5,000 annual grant to 125 members awarding a $100,000 annual grant.

Professionally, Nick is the Director of Investments at Hoffman United, a rapidly growing, Erie-based real estate development and investment firm with commercial and residential holdings across seven states. Previously, he worked in major gift philanthropy at Hamot Health Foundation (UPMC Hamot).

Nick holds dual bachelor’s degrees from Mercyhurst University and a master’s degree from Edinboro University. He lives in Erie with his wife and two sons and enjoys competing in triathlons.

Chelsea Oliver

After earning a dual bachelor’s degree from Seton Hill University and a master’s degree from Point Park University, Chelsea Oliver made what she thought would be a short-term move to Corry, Pennsylvania — a town she had never heard of. Six months turned into ten years, as she quickly immersed herself in the community and developed a deep appreciation for the region, its potential for growth, and its people.

During her decade in Corry, Chelsea supported small businesses and nonprofits through marketing consulting, social media management, and web design. She played an active role in local community development, serving on the original steering committee for the Corry Community Strategic Plan, and holding leadership and board roles with Impact Corry (as chairperson), the Corry Higher Education Council, the Corry Area Arts Council, and the Northwest PA Trail Association. She also served on the Corry City Council and co-founded the Corry Young Professionals Network.

In summer 2024, Chelsea relocated to downtown Erie, where she continues her commitment to community through her service on the boards of Erie’s Black Wall Street and the Crime Victims Center. She also serves as the Director of Marketing and Community Engagement at the Jefferson Educational Society (JES).

Chelsea’s dedication has earned her numerous recognitions, including Corry’s 2019 Volunteer of the Year Award and a spot in the Erie Reader’s 2022 class of 40 Under 40. She is also a 2021 Jefferson Civic Leadership Academy graduate and a 2024 JES Raimy Fellow.

When she’s not working or volunteering, Chelsea can be found exploring her new neighborhood and the local trails, relaxing with friends at a brewery, or reading — most often a memoir — or writing her own.

Dorothy Leemhuis

Dorothy Leemhuis joined Erie Insurance in 2010 as an actuarial analyst. In her current role as Senior Vice President of actuarial and chief actuary, she directs and oversees the company’s actuarial policies, programs and activities for personal and commercial lines of business.

Dorothy is a Case Western University alumna with a bachelor’s degree in statistics. She was part of the inaugural graduating class of the Thomas B. Hagen Fellowship Program and a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society. She also serves on the board for CROP Hunger Walk.

Janae Alexander

Janae Alexander joined Erie Insurance in 2021 as a Strategic Communications Specialist and now serves as an inclusion and belonging consultant in the Sustainability and Community Development department. She has over a decade of experience in strategic communications, media relations, story development and community engagement.

Janae is an alumna of Gannon University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism communications and a master’s degree in strategic communication. She also graduated from Erie Insurance’s Thomas B. Hagen Fellowship Program in 2023 and NAAWLI, the National African American Women’s Leadership Institute, in 2024.

Janae stays engaged in her local community by serving as a board member for both Gannon University’s Alumni Association and the Erie Cancer Wellness Center. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, traveling with her husband, and boosting endorphins as an instructor at Jazzercise Erie Fitness Center.

Erie Insurance