The Allentown City Council Members
Michael D'Amore - President 484.951.3093
W. Michael Donovan - Vice President 484.550.9241
Jeanette Eichenwald 610.349.6470
Julio A. Guridy n/a
Ray O'Connell 484.866.0988
Michael Schlossberg 484.788.4506
Peter G. Schweyer 484.550.9881
Mike D’Amore
Michael D’Amore, 40, was born and raised in the City of Allentown. He married Evette in 2000, and they bought a home in Allentown in 2003. Michael is a product of the Allentown School District graduating from Dieruff High School in 1987. Michael received a BA from Moravian College in 1992 and earned his MA in Political Science at the University of Vermont in 1998. Michael completed his doctoral dissertation and has has a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Currently, Michael is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at a Sussex County Community College in New Jersey. Michael can be reached at his cell or by email: damore@allentowncity.org.
W. Michael Donovan
Michael can be reached at 484.550.9241 or by email at donovan@allentowncity.org. W. Michael Donovan is Associate Professor of Business at Cedar Crest College where he teaches a variety of topics including finance, economics, ethics, and public policy. He holds an undergraduate degree in government from Bowdoin College and the MBA, with honors, from Columbia University. Michael has also earned the designation of Certified Management Accountant. His career includes municipal and international banking with the Bank of Boston, industrial engineering with Data General Corporation, general manager of a microcomputer retailer, and director of an economic development agency. In 2005, he was invited, but could not participate, to be a Fulbright Scholar to the country of Moldova where he would teach entrepreneurship and the process of capitalism. Michael completed all but his dissertation in public policy at the University of Southern Maine's Muskie School. He specializes in the development of problem-solving coalitions, leadership, and regional economic development. In particular, he studies within urban environments, the intricacy of social capital, the challenge of inclusiveness, and the importance of creativity.
In Allentown, Michael serves on the Conference of Church's Homeless Support Service Committee and two Chamber of Commerce Boards. Within city government, he is a member of the Parking Authority, AEDC, and Arts Commission Boards. He is also a member of City Council's standing committees for Administration, Rules and Chambers
Jeanette Eichenwald
Jeanette Eichenwald is the school program coordinator for Muhlenberg College. Together with her husband, Eduardo Eichenwald, she founded the premier high tech company in the Lehigh Valley, MicroAge/DataSys Technologies. The company was listed by “Hispanic Business” as one of the 500 largest Hispanic owned businesses by revenue in the United States. The company was successfully sold in 2004. Jeanette has been a Spanish teacher in the Salisbury School District for more than 30 years.
Jeanette served for six years as School Board Director and as the co-chair of the education committee for the Allentown School District. She is the recipient of the following awards: The Allentown Rotary Service above Self Award; Muhlenberg College Raoul Wallenberg Award; Central Catholic Freedom Medal; Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Women’s Council Athena Award; George Feldman Leadership Award; and is a Power of Women Honoree. Jeanette's email address is eichenwald@allentowncity.org.
Julio A. Guridy
Councilman Guridy has been a member of numerous community organizations in the Lehigh Valley and throughout Pennsylvania. Some of his involvements include: The Governors Advisory Commission on Latinos Affairs, President and founding member of Latin Alliance of the Lehigh Valley, Commissioner of the Allentown Housing Authority, Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Lehigh Valley, President and founder of the Latino Leadership Alliance of the L.V; President and founder Dominican Cultural Association of the L. V; President and founder Community Action Development Corporation, President of the Hispanic Business Council, Vice President of Latinos for a New Lehigh Valley, Secretary of the American Heart Association, Vice President Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, founding member of AIDSNET, Board of Directors of East Stroudsburg University Alumni Association, Vice President of the Neighborhood Housing Services of the L.V;, Member of the Allentown Liberty Bell Rotary Club, and President of the Act 101 Advisory Board of Northampton County Community College, Board of Directors of the American Red Cross, Member of the Allentown School District Empowerment Team, Board of Directors of Business Education Partnership, Board of Director of the Dominican National Round Table; and many more.
Councilman Guridy has been the recipient of many awards some of them include: Outstanding Dominican American by the President of the Dominican Republic and Embassy of the Dominican Republic in Washington, D. C., Citizen of the year in Pennsylvania by the Dominican Parade of Philadelphia southern NJ and Lehigh Valley; Distinguished Community Partnership Award by the Chamber of Commerce of the Greater L.V., Latino Business Pioneer by the Pennsylvania DCED , Honor in Support for Children by the Boys and Girls Club, National Dorothy Richardson Award by NRTI , Human Relations Award by Allentown Human Relations, Good Turn Award by The Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Outstanding Service Award by Allentown Lehigh County Chamber of Commerce ,Community Service Award by ESU Upward Bound , Outstanding Young Hispanic by the CSSOLV, community Service Award from the ESU Upward Bound Program and the National Upward Bound Award, Mover and Shaker Award of Delaware and Lehigh Valley.
In 2001, Councilman Guridy was elected to Allentown City Council and reelected in 2005. Councilman Guridy is married to Mercedes Guridy, and they have three (3) children: Jeremy, Julian and Giovanni. Councilman Guridy's email address is guridy@allentowncity.org.
Ray O’Connell
Ray O’Connell has resided in the City of Allentown for over 33 years with his wife, Mary Beth, and their 2 children, Brendan and Kaitlin (both graduates of the Allentown School District). He has worked in the Allentown School District most of his adult life.
From 1972- 1978, he was an Elementary Teacher at Mosser Elementary School.
From 1978- 1982, he was the Assistant Principal at Raub Middle School.
From 1982 – 2001, he was the Principal at Trexler Middle School.
And from 2001 – 2007, he was the Executive Director of Secondary Education for the Allentown School District, where he supervised the 4 middle schools and 2 high schools in the District.
Ray has been a Member of the Allentown Recreation Commission for 20 years; a Member of the Allentown Human Relations Commission for 2 years; and has served on the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Board of Directors for several years. Ray's email address is oconnellr@allentowncity.org
Peter G. Schweyer
Peter G. Schweyer is a Democrat serving in his first term as a member of Allentown City Council. He is Chair of the Community and Economic Development Committee and also serves on the Parks and Recreation and Appointments Committees. In addition, he is the Council appointee to the Blighted Property Review Board.
Schweyer’s government service also includes his current position as a Board Member for the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA), having been appointed by Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham. Additionally, he served as an alternate member of the Allentown Zoning Board in 2006 and 2007 and was a member of Mayor-Elect Ed Pawlowski's transition team in 2005.
In his community, Schweyer has taken an active role in helping the City's youth. He is a volunteer with Junior Achievement of the Lehigh Valley where he teaches classes on business and community in the Allentown School District. He was also baseball coach for four years for the Mountainville Youth Association. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Civic Theatre and is a member of the Lil’ Lehigh Community Watch Organization, while serving as an ex-officio member of the Mayfair Festival of the Arts Board of Directors.
He was born and raised in the City of Allentown, where he graduated from Central Catholic High School. Afterwards, he went on to earn a Bachelors of Arts degree with Honors in Political Science from the Pennsylvania State University, State College. He also studied Elementary Education at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia on the post-graduate level.
Schweyer is a homeowner in South Allentown where he lives with his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Sarah.
Peter can be reached at schweyer@allentowncity.org or on his City Mobile Phone at (484) 550-9881. You can also follow Peter at http://twitter.com/peter_schweyer.
Mike Schlossberg
Mike Schlossberg, 26, was elected in 2009 and is the youngest member ever of Allentown City Council. Mike is employed by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce the Assistant Vice President of Technical and Community Management. In that capacity, Mike works with the Chamber’s Member Relations team to increase member satisfaction and retention. He also operates the Chamber’s various Social Networking tools and teaches small business owners and employees how they can take advantage of these rapidly emerging communication tools. In 2009, Mike was rewarded for his efforts when the Pennsylvania Downtown Center named Mike their Downtown Manager of the Year. He was also named “Top 40 Under 40 staff” by the American Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Previously, Mike served as an aide to State Representative Jennifer Mann, where he worked on legislation and constituent services that have impacted the lives of Allentown residents. He has also served as an aide to Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham.
Mike graduated magna cum laude from Muhlenberg College with a Bachelors degree in Political Science and Psychology, where he also earned admission into the distinguished Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Mike continued his education at Lehigh University, where he earned his Masters degree in Political Science.
Schlossberg is also actively involved in his community. He is a member of the Allentown Jewish Community Center (JCC) and Congregation Keneseth Israel. Additionally, Schlossberg is a member of the Allentown Rotary Club, the board of I Run for Jack (Jack Pressmann Memorial Scholarship Run), the Leadership Council of Renew Lehigh Valley, a member of Hamilton Street Revitalization Committee and a former member of the Allentown Committee on Government Reform.
Schlossberg is engaged to his fiancé, Brenna, a teacher in the Allentown School District. They are homeowners on 19th street in Allentown. Schlossberg's email address is schlossberm@allentowncity.org.