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Blair County Commissioner Donna Gority is no stranger to the office of county commissioner and is seeking another term in office.
“I believe I can continue to help move Blair County forward by using the knowledge that I have gained through my hard work during my years of service,” Gority said.
Gority, who has been serving as county commissioner since 1984, stated that county commissioners are responsible for administering many millions of budget dollars which go for a full range of human services programs that include Children and Youth, Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Drug and Alcohol, Aging, Nursing Home, and many more.
“I am known in circles statewide as the ‘Human Services Commissioner’ because of the expertise I have developed and I have been appointed to represent commissioners on state level committees by each of the past few governors of both parties,” Gority stated.
Gority is also the chair of the Blair County Election Board and served as their chair when Blair County made the change to a Help America Vote Act compliant electronic voting system. She also served on Governor Rendell’s Election Reform Task Force.
She explained that commissioners have a leadership role to play in economic development. Gority has served as a member of the Greater Altoona Economic Development Committee for many years, and is now a member of the Altoona Blair County Development Corporation Board of Directors.
The commissioner also serves on many community boards. Some of which include Leadership Blair County, Blair Countians for Drug Free Communities, Blair Senior Services, United Way of Blair County, YWCA of Altoona, and Child Advocates of Blair County, just to name a few.
Gority and her husband John have been married since 1973. They have two grown daughters, a granddaughter, and another grandchild on the way. They own a small business, Broadway Sharpening and Gority Cabinetry. They live in Duncansville. She received her college degree from the State University of New York at Oswego.
If re-elected to public office, Gority said that she would like to continue to serve the residents of Blair County by being accessible, always researching subjects before taking a position, being involved at the state level in ways that can benefit everyone locally, and always looking for more effective ways to do the necessary work of county government.
“I plan to continue to represent the county in making this a better place to live.”
Gority will appear on the Democratic ballot.