There is a lot of commotion about changing the date of the Pennsylvania Primary next Spring, but we should not have eyes on 2024 until we get through the election of 2023. Director of Voter Services Forrest Lehman really hates the term “off-year election” because every election is important in its own right and should not be minimized. This is certainly true this year, as there are three openings for the office of Lycoming County Commissioner. Two of the incumbents, Tony Mussare and Rick Mirabito, are both stepping down, leaving only one running for office again, Scott Metzger.
Given the voting patterns of the county, it is a very, very safe bet that there will be two Republicans who will be elected and one Democrat. Looking at the Democratic Party’s candidates are two unique individuals. What they have in common is that both are novices to public office. But that is where the similarities end.
Mark Mussina is a well-known and popular fellow in our area. Born and raised in Montoursville, a standout athlete in high school like his famous brother who preceded him, Mark went to Susquehanna University, where he graduated with a degree in mathematics. From there, he had a cornucopia of professions that involved business, real estate, and even the arts.
He is definitely a businessman and has done very well in a wide variety of areas, but what flames his fire was working with young people. Over the years, he has been an active sports coach for young people. Mussina was extremely animated when he was discussing his coaching experiences, and not just about the win/loss records. Instead, he emphasized his opportunities to be able to impart life values to young people. Mussina felt if these young proteges would take something away from their sports experience that would make them a better person, they were winners.
This is definitely one area that he shares with outgoing commissioner Rick Mirabito. Mirabito commented many, many times in commissioner meetings about the importance of early childhood learning and engaging them continually as they grew. As a fellow member of the Lycoming County Library Board with Rick, I have greatly appreciated his sincere and wholehearted work on that Board, and should Mussina win the position, it would seem he would be tailor-made for that Board.
Given all his success in life, I asked him directly why he is running for this office. Mussina was drawn to politics, and the office of Lycoming County Commissioner in particular, because he felt that there was too much animosity and anger in the present political climate, even in our local area. He believes that the best approach to tackling difficult issues is to first listen to both sides. It is also important to have open channels, in fact, many channels, and be committed to working together with one ambition to make Lycoming County better. Mussina is a problem solver and an effective mediator. Yet, at the same time, he has convictions of his own, particularly in social areas of equality for all, which he strongly supports.
The other candidate on the Democratic ballot is Denitra Moffett, a Mississippi native who is a recent resident of Lycoming County, living with her husband and two sons in Loyalsock Township. She served in the Mississippi Army National Guard and became a logistics specialist. Her responsibilities covered a large swath, involving executing the movement of soldiers for Middle East deployment operations and fiscally responsible for budgets of $20 million. It was while serving in the military that she met her eventual husband, Capt. Andreas Moffett. Denitra is currently enrolled in a criminal justice program at Penn State University and is a member of the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA).
As a mother of two boys, Denitra has fiercely advocated affordable childcare, early childhood education, and intervention programs for the youth. Since moving to Lycoming County, she has organized rallies, worked on several local and statewide campaigns, and has grown in identifying the challenges facing the county. If elected, her goals are to work with community leaders and city officials to expand grassroots youth programs and focus on bringing in a Boys and Girls Club under which these youth programs can fall.
Denitra Moffett has leadership capabilities, evidenced by her position as President of the Lycoming Women Democrats. She also has a unique resume with her military service, including serving as a Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) counselor and representative.
Two very different and unique candidates — to see and hear for yourself and the Republican candidates, check out the County Commissioner Forum on Tuesday, October 3rd at 6:30 p.m. at the Eagle Grange Hall, Route 15 and East Blind Road, Montgomery.
