A Pitt-Bradford alumna writes the next chapter of her hometown's story

For her first act as executive director of the Kane Area Development Center (KADC) in northcentral Pennsylvania, Kate Kennedy interviewed 100 residents in 100 days. The feat, which she streamed on Facebook Live, was a way to tell Kane's story while reintroducing herself to her hometown.

Kennedy (UPB '02) grew up in Kane before moving about 45 minutes down the road to attend Pitt-Bradford. She didn't put her degree in public relations to use right away. After graduation, she took several years to explore, volunteering with AmeriCorps, traveling as an admissions counselor for her alma mater and working as a school guidance counselor in Maryland.

Kennedy realized, however, that no matter how far she wandered, Kane would always be home.

So, Kennedy applied for her current role at the KADC, where she works alongside Kane's chamber of commerce, industrial development corporation and revitalization enterprise to support business growth, economic opportunities and tourism. But what she often finds herself doing is exactly what she did in those first 100 days on the job - helping Kane to tell its own story.

"Kane is a place where I feel believed in, Kennedy says. "I want to help elevate it and make sure it's a place people feel proud of."