{"id":1959,"date":"2025-10-15T16:11:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/1959\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T16:11:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:11:05","slug":"new-waverly-comm-director-looks-to-preserve-building-expand-offerings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/1959\/","title":{"rendered":"New Waverly Comm director looks to preserve building, expand offerings"},"content":{"rendered":"

WAVERLY TWP. \u2014 Gia Tugend originally came to the Waverly Community House to catalogue its history, but as she advanced her career, she became part of that history.<\/p>\n

As executive director, she wants to continue the legacy of the Comm while expanding its offerings.<\/p>\n

The center\u2019s Board of Trustees named Tugend, 39, to the post over the summer. The Taylor native, who now resides in Clarks Summit, began her career at the center as an archive assistant in 2012 while attending Marywood University. She processed and digitized the center\u2019s archives, which date to its founding in 1919.<\/p>\n

She continued her work in the archives after graduating from Marywood in 2014, creating Destination Freedom: Underground Railroad Walking Tour, with then-Executive Director Maria Wilson in 2017. The interactive historical program examines the township\u2019s history with a focus on its role in the Underground Railroad.<\/p>\n

Tugend moved into administrative work at the center in 2016, writing grants to secure funding for the Comm\u2019s programs. She continued fundraising, along with marketing, as director of advancement and digital media marketing beginning in 2023. Tugend became interim executive director in May when former Executive Director Michelle Hamilton left.<\/p>\n

Being at the Comm for so long, she said she has become part of the center\u2019s community, which comes from all over and supports the building in the township\u2019s historic district.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone\u2019s just so willing to help out and pitch in whatever way,\u201d Tugend said. \u201cI think that the community is so passionate about this place. They really truly love the Comm and it\u2019s so obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Waverly<\/p>\n

Waverly Community House Executive Director Gia Tugend poses for a photograph outside of the Waverly Community House in Waverly Twp. Tuesday, Oct. 1,4, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

\"Waverly<\/p>\n

Waverly Community House Executive Director Gia Tugend poses for a photograph at the Waverly Community House in Waverly Twp. Tuesday, Oct. 1,4, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 2<\/p>\n

Waverly Community House Executive Director Gia Tugend poses for a photograph outside of the Waverly Community House in Waverly Twp. Tuesday, Oct. 1,4, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Over the years, Tugend said she has grown up with and gotten to know the people that make up the Comm. The center employs more than 25 people full and part-time.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting to work with them on a leadership level and helping them improve their talents and helping them be the best version of themselves in the community, it\u2019s really gratifying,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Tugend likes that the Comm offers something for people of all ages, including children\u2019s programs, an art gallery, library, thrift store, post office, history programs and a gym open to the public. It also hosts events throughout the year, including a car show, holiday marketplace, concerts, a wine festival, 5K race and film festival, all of which are open to the public.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like no matter what your age, no matter what stage in your life you\u2019re at, no matter what you enjoy doing, there are so many different things,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s something here for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tugend wants to ensure that the building, which was dedicated in 1920, continues to look its best, while also expanding programs like Destination Freedom, which is part of the National Park Service Network to Freedom.<\/p>\n

She is interested in strengthening the center\u2019s existing partnerships, which include the Lackawanna Heritage Valley and the Lackawanna Historical Society, and creating new ones, like with the Susquehanna County Historical Society. She also wants to get more school groups at the Comm.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think when you\u2019re working with the community and you\u2019re interacting with them on a daily basis and on a personal level, the partnerships happen organically and your relationships happen organically, so that\u2019s definitely something I would definitely like to continue,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Tugend also wants to expand programs to include ones for senior citizens and veterans. She said the Comm offers a fitness class for those 50 years and older and many programs are for people of all ages, but there aren\u2019t any that are specifically for those groups.<\/p>\n

Emily Karam, a member of the center\u2019s board, said Tugend is an example of someone who has proven her commitment to the Comm.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has stepped into her new role with grace and aplomb,\u201d Karam said in an email. \u201cShe has been welcomed by our Board members, our donors, our partners, and our community as the Executive Director with support and appreciation. Gia has demonstrated her passion for leading our fantastic staff, serving the people of our area and beyond, and preserving and strengthening the Comm for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally Published: October 15, 2025 at 12:00 AM EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"WAVERLY TWP. \u2014 Gia Tugend originally came to the Waverly Community House to catalogue its history, but as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1960,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[201,182,139,28,178,180,179,1053],"class_list":{"0":"post-1959","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scranton","8":"tag-lackawanna-county","9":"tag-local-news","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-pennsylvania","12":"tag-scranton","13":"tag-scranton-headlines","14":"tag-scranton-news","15":"tag-waverly-township"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1959"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1959\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}