I am honored and humbled to accept the appointment as President of the Officer David M. Petzold Memorial Foundation. As David’s sister, and the Board Treasurer since the Foundations’ beginning, I have had the great pleasure of working with a dynamic team of people who dedicated a great deal of their time and energy to this organizations’ growth and success. Driven by our commitment to create a lasting tribute to David and his values, we have shaped the Foundation into an inspiring and contributing member of Lehigh County. I sincerely thank all of the past Board Members, Jessica Petzold-Slawter, Alison Mawson, Steven Petzold, Ed Harvey, Kimberly Fritts, and Tom Nicoletti for their personal sacrifice and commitment to creating a successful organization.  Our commitment to this community is one that we all have taken very seriously. Dave may not be physically be here, but we all have the ability to continue working for the good of the community in his name and inspiring others to do the same.

As we move forward, there will be both some familiar and some new faces on the Board. They will bring new energy, enthusiasm and ideas to the Foundation and will be introduced to all of you soon. Currently, Tom Nicoletti has accepted the appointment as Vice President and Kimberly Fritts has accepted the role of Secretary. Please also join me also in welcoming Catherine Pochek as the newly appointed Board Treasurer.

We are all joined by a love for David. We are all extremely dedicated to honoring his memory by growing the Foundation into a lasting presence in Lehigh County. We will continue to fund the scholarships at Southern Lehigh High School and DeSales University which not only recognize academic achievement, but also outstanding community service. The Beyond the Badge gala event will annually recognize that one person can truly make a difference in the lives of others.

We are deeply committed to the success of the Officer David M. Petzold Digital Forensics Laboratory of Lehigh County. The Foundation’s continuing goal is to help this lab evolve into one of the top digital forensic laboratory’s in the country, serving our local community, protecting and educating our children, and promoting the values that David so firmly believed. A team of officers who are as dedicated as David, now work to solve and prevent crime and keep all of our citizens safe, especially our young people. We as a Foundation, work to ensure that this vital service has all the tools necessary to succeed.

In the months ahead, the Board will also focus on increasing our membership and bringing enthusiastic involvement into our programs and fundraisers. We will be addressing our long term financial goals to ensure that our mission can continue for years to come. The work of the founding members has put the Foundation in a position to be a lasting, positive, responsible member of Lehigh County and I am personally dedicated to its continued success. I look forward to working with all of you to ensure that the heartfelt mission set forth by the founders of this organization in loving memory and honor of Officer Dave continues to be fulfilled.

Sincerely,

Christine Ross

President

Officer David M. Petzold Memorial Foundation