Kerry Myers Honored by NAACP and Pa. House of Representatives for Community Service

Kerry Myers

Thirty-odd years ago, Kerry Myers’ father, John, was honored by the Easton chapter of the NAACP in recognition of his longtime service to the Easton community. This fall, it was Kerry’s turn to receive the same community service award.

The chapter presented Myers, assistant supervisor of custodians, with the award at its 65th Annual Freedom Fund Banquet, singling him out for his lifetime commitment to helping Easton’s young people, as well as his other volunteer service.

In conjunction with the honor, Myers also received a citation, sponsored by Rep. Bob Freeman, from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

“We are very pleased with Kerry’s well-deserved recognition,” says Bruce Ferretti, director of physical planning and plant operations. “I know of no other member of the plant operations family who donates so much free time to the service of others.”

Myers’ parents instilled in him and his 14 siblings a feeling of responsibility for giving back to the community. His mother, Helen, ran the dental clinic for ProJeCt of Easton, and his father founded Easton’s Humanitarian Club in 1978, a not-for-profit organization that helps those in need in many ways, from delivering Thanksgiving meals to helping people keep their homes heated in the winter. Alongside his father, Myers volunteered his time for the club.

“I’ve been active in making sure that those who don’t have, get a shot at what they need,” he says.

A graduate of Easton High School, Myers spent four years in the Navy, serving with the elite Presidential Honor Guard and becoming a platoon commander.

Myers is the president of the Easton Area School Board and previously served as the board’s vice president. “My goal is to be part of the solution and not part of the problem,” he says.

For three decades, Myers coached youth sports—basketball, baseball, and football–in Easton, through Easton Midget Association, the Police Athletic League, and the Boys & Girls Club. He coached for so many years that the children of his former players began appearing on his teams.

He said he’s proud to see the lifelong friendships that Easton’s young people have formed through playing sports, and he is pleased to see the kids he has coached go on to be successful in high school athletics, and beyond. “These guys are successful in businesses and successful in life, and I’m proud I’ve made a difference,” he says. That was always the goal behind his coaching.

“When we went on the football field, we cared about teaching those players to become young men,” he says.

Myers has worked at Lafayette for 13 years, starting out as a custodian and now working in a supervisory role in charge of residential services.

He says he is thankful that his job at the College allows him to be active in the community, and that he works for an organization that is also supportive of the community. For example, at the Boys and Girls Club, he could always count on student volunteers from Lafayette to tutor children, and as a youth football coach, he saw firsthand what a positive influence it was on his players when Lafayette coach Frank Tavani came to talk to them.

“Lafayette has been nothing but a plus for me,” Myers says. “I’ll have friends from here for the rest of my days.”