Lynne Shedlock, PEL Communications Director and Research Associate

Lynne Shedlock, PEL Communications Director and Project Manager

Lynne works in the roles of project manager, research associate and communications director. She is responsible for PEL reports completed under the state’s Strategic Management Planning (STMP) program for local governments. As part of that process, Lynne develops recommendations and a five-year strategy for municipalities encompassing initiatives for finances and operations. She also has experience in municipal merger and consolidation, home rule charter development, and economic development strategies.

Her communications work focuses on statewide local government issues and trends. She has prepared position papers, committee testimony and commentaries on the state’s Act 47 distressed municipalities program, pension reform, municipal finances, regionalization, local government reform and related issues. Lynne assists with PEL’s civic leadership education through the programing of events that are designed to inform business leaders, government officials and the general public on public policy issues. She was the lead author and researcher on PEL’s “It’s Not 1965 Anymore: State Tax Laws Fail to Meet Municipal Revenue,” and “Communities in Crisis” reports.

Prior to PEL, Lynne served as communications director for Lackawanna County, where she was press secretary, handled all facets of county marketing and communications, and served as a representative of the Commissioners’ Office. She also worked for 20 years as a municipal government and education reporter, receiving several statewide and national awards for her reporting. Lynne earned a BS in journalism from Syracuse University and a certificate from Penn State Harrisburg in economic development. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association; board secretary for Scranton Tomorrow, a volunteer economic and community development organization; and a former board member of the Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau.