JENNIFER WALLACE NAMED NEW PRINCE OF PEACE CENTER CEO
Prince of Peace Center
10/07/2019
FARRELL, Pa. – The Prince of Peace Center (POPC) Board of Directors has announced that Jennifer Wallace, a lifelong resident of the Shenango Valley, has been named its new CEO. She will succeed Joe Flecher, who is retiring in November after nearly 15 years at the helm of POPC.
Wallace becomes the fourth leader of the center, an affiliate of both Catholic Charities and the United Way of Mercer County. POPC was founded in 1983 by Sister Benita Repasky SSJ, who was succeeded in 1993 by Sister Clare Marie Beichner, SSJ. Flecher became CEO in 2005.
Wallace has spent her career as a registered nurse and a supervisor of health-related programs. Most recently, she was administrator of Sharon Regional Hospice and was quality coordinator for Almost Family/LHC Group, managing and coordinating a quality assessment and performance improvement program for 13 hospice agencies around the U.S.
An active member of St. Bartholomew Parish, Sharpsville, she has been a volunteer for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life program, the American Heart Association and Sharon’s Water Fire event.
“We are very excited to have Jennifer take over the leadership at Prince of Peace,” said Tony Paglia, chair of the POPC board. “She has spent her career providing care for people from birth till death. We know that her caring spirit will be invaluable in carrying out the mission of Prince of Peace Center in ministering to the poor.”
Flecher, an Ellwood City resident, is a former manager at the Youth Development Center in New Castle. He has overseen a growth in services provided by POPC to the poor in the Mercer County area. POPC is now the top referral agency in the county for people seeking
emergency services through the 2-1-1 emergency social services number.
The center provides a twice-a-week soup kitchen, emergency help for utilities, housing and food, monthly food bags, self-sufficiency programs, help and support for both single mothers and fathers, summer feedings and activities for children and families, and a thrift store that provides low-cost clothing, furniture and other items.
“Joe has done a tremendous job at Prince of Peace in strengthening our many programs of support and working feverishly to raise the revenue needed to continue such programs. He will be greatly missed,” Paglia said.
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