Leadership Spotlight - Lauren McCloskey

Lauren McCloskey is a valued Community Leader across the Pottstown area who recently stepped into the role of Marketing Manager of the SE Region with Barry Isett and Associates.

In her new role, Lauren supports the SE region of the company in business development efforts, marketing and maintaining a social media presence. She works closely with department heads, managers and the President to ensure business goals are met.

Barry Isett and Associates is an employee-owned, multi-discipline engineering and consulting firm headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania that provides single-source responsibility and start-to-finish project involvement in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and replacement of facilities.

Outside of her day job, Lauren is an active leader in her local community and recently finished a year in the role of Pottstown Rotary Club President. 

Lauren says, “Rotary is an international service organization. We are all over the world, no matter what city  what country  what town you visit, you'll always be able to find a Rotary club and, it's kind of like a family - you’re welcomed everywhere.”

It was a busy year for Lauren as she served her term as Rotary President, especially being the first year post covid. Lauren shared, “All events and meetings were put back on the calendar and the club was in full gear.  The goal was to bring the club together as well as getting out, in person, into the community we serve.”

There was an added layer of excitement and schedule commitments as the Pottstown Rotary Club hosted a huge District Conference in Atlantic City, NJ.

Lauren said, “There are 47 Rotary Clubs in our District and each year there's a district governor that oversees all those clubs. This past year, our district governor, Len Gieseler, happened to hail from the Pottstown Rotary Club.”

I asked Lauren with her commitments at work and with her family, what is it that drives and motivates her to give her time and energy through volunteerism where she currently serves as the Pottstown Rotary Club Past President, on the Board of the Pottstown Rotary Community Endowment Fund, and as an Ambassador for the TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce?

She said, “My dad passed in 2017 and all my life I volunteered with him and my mom, whether that was within my church, food services, anything - so for me, that's in my heart. Everything I do in Rotary or volunteerism in general is to honor my dad. That’s why I first got involved in Rotary. I thought, let me give it a try. But seeing what we do every year and then the members and the people that I'm meeting, we're all bonding together. We are from different backgrounds, religions, have different political beliefs, but we all have that service heart. We all believe in Rotary’s motto, Service above Self. So I think it's that bond that continues to grow in me. It's been seven years that I've been a member and I really see myself being a Rotarian for life at this point. “

I asked Lauren as she reflects on her leadership journey, what’s one of the biggest lessons she’s learned?

Lauren shared a lesson she learned in her role as Pottstown Rotary Club President “You know, we have a club of over 100 members, and honestly, at times some think that their one project or concern is the most important thing. So I learned that managing expectations is important, letting people know where my priorities lie and where their concern lands on my list of priorities, always considering the organization as a whole. I have to let them know that I hear them and I understand what they're saying.

And at the end of the day, I need to think of the club as a whole and what is best for everyone. I’ve had some difficult decisions to make on the journey, but I think I've taken time to listen to people and make sure they know that I value them and their perspectives”.

Lauren shared that when she stepped into the role of President, she didn’t know exactly “how” do it since she’d never had an experience like that before, but over time, she gained confidence in herself and her convictions and learned that, “If what I’m doing is coming from the heart, I can’t go wrong.”

I asked Lauren what she’s most proud of about her year in her role as President and she shared, “One of my goals was to have fun while serving the community and being able to give back. I saw the bond between our members continue to grow stronger and it was evident in the enthusiasm and dedication to helping those around us.

I’m also proud of the club’s hard work to deliver impactful funding to the community. Two projects that stand out, are the Rotary district grant we secured with the Blue Bell Rotary Club for $4,000 to provide hygiene items to Montgomery County Community College students, and the $3,750 the Pottstown Rotary Community Endowment Fund donated to the Challenger Learning Center to provide bussing for Pottstown middle school students to travel to the Challenger Center on the MCCC Pottstown Campus.

Education is one of our seven areas of focus in Rotary. So to be able to provide the Pottstown middle school students with the experience at the Challenger Center gives them an opportunity to explore their potential. The hygiene items donated as a result of the grant provides important resources to the college students in the community. They struggle at times to afford these basic necessities, so this gives them security in knowing we can provide them with what they need and they can focus on their studies”

In addition to the Pottstown Rotary Club, Lauren contributes her time and talents serving as an Ambassador for the TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce. She’s actively served the Chamber through volunteerism for several years and this year was honored with the Volunteer of the Year award for her outstanding service.

 BIG thanks to Lauren for being who she is and for all she does to positively impact the lives of others!