In late March I had the honor of participating in an internship as part of my Post 9/11 G.I. Bill-funded Master of Business Administration program at Lehigh University. My internship experience was supported and coordinated by Carbon County Treasurer Ron Sheehan.

While the primary focus of the activity was finance and accounting, Mr. Sheehan went above and beyond my greatest expectations for this educational experience. I was introduced to and interacted with many departments and offices of our county government while gaining firsthand insight into not only their interactions with the treasurer’s office, but the criticality of their role in providing services to county residents.

We are indeed blessed with some very dedicated public servants, and to what I believe would be a surprise to most readers, have an unimaginable current and ever-increasing workload under far less than optimal working conditions. My hats off to all of them and especially those who gave me the valuable gift of their time and insight to make this an extremely valuable learning experience for me. As early as this past Monday, I was already sharing that experience with fellow MBA students and rising executives in the Lehigh Valley. I would be remiss not to specifically mention Commissioner Bill O’Gurek; Controller Robert Crampsie; and Lt. Karen Flexer, Sheriff’s Office; true first-class public servants who provided me invaluable understanding of county government roles and responsibilities.

The irreplaceable learning experience I describe was a direct result of Mr. Sheehan’s actions and professional approach to his civic duty and what he himself might not realize is his continuing tribute to the legacy of Asa Packer, Lehigh’s founder, and namesake of the museum that Ronnie so skillfully directs. Ronnie Sheehan, my childhood friend (from just up the “Front Hill” from Asa’s place) is not simply the treasurer of Carbon County, but a true treasure of the county.

Sincerely,

Chris L. Lukasevich

Jim Thorpe

U.S. Army, Retired