Carol Sides is not a household name, but those who know her know two things about her.
First, she is one of the most gracious people in the universe, and the other is that she is a very sincere Catholic parishioner.
I have known her through her past activity with the Faith-Based Committee of the Lycoming County Heroin Task Force and her current involvement with the Lycoming County Republican Party. Her graciousness is especially evident in her activities, such as starting the local chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
Carol Sides’s Catholic heritage goes back to her education from kindergarten to twelfth grade at an all-girls Catholic school taught by nuns. She then went to the Catholic institution of Misericordia University in Dallas, PA. To this day, she supports the Sisters of Christian Charity at Divine Providence Hospital, which she engages with each month with a group called “Companions of Mother Pauline.”
Everyone who knows Carol knows she has a heart as big as the world, and this was recognized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on April 23, 2025, when Carol Sides received a proclamation from the Department of State for her twelve years of service on the board of the Bureau of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.
This important state board regulates the practice, licensure, and registration of engineers, land surveyors, and geologists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to safeguard life, health, and property.
This organization ensures that the projects that greatly impact the public are not compromised in any way. If there is even a small discrepancy from the required standards, it must be corrected, and those who wish to challenge the bureau’s decisions must come before this board.
So how does Carol Sides, a musician, become a member of a bureau that certifies engineers, investigates building projects, reviews surveying programs, etc.?
It was 2012 when Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett needed to fill a vacancy and offered it to Carol Sides. He knew the integrity and grit of Carol Sides and asked her to take the position. Carol reminded the governor that she was a musician and did not know the first thing about engineering, surveying, and geology. Governor Corbett told her that this was exactly what he needed — someone who was a public person, not connected to the engineers in any way, who could look at the issues and challenges that would come up with this bureau’s hearings with an objective viewpoint. And not just that, but they also needed someone who was 100 percent sincerely honest; one that would not and could not be compromised.
The governor singled her out because Carol Sides has a reputation for undeniable integrity. Carol’s learning from the nuns drilled into her mind and heart to be honest, true, and always be willing to help those who needed help.
In fact, Carol was so enamored by the nuns she wanted to become one, but the Lord obviously had another path for her. Instead, she married a man with the same values and love of music as she did, and 58 years of marriage next month with Peter Sides testifies that she made the right choice.
Through those many years, an entire book could be written on the number of people that Carol Sides’ assistance and support have impacted. Not surprisingly, she could not say “no” to Governor Corbett, but she also had no idea what she was getting into. It turned out to be quite a lot!
The board consisted of three engineers, three land surveyors, three geologists, and three laypeople who had no connection whatsoever with those fields. The lay people members are representing the “public.” They were not figureheads either; they are essential. For example, by law, the board is not allowed to conduct ANY activities without the “public” represented. They are also allowed to ask questions for clarity from any of the clients coming before the board.
Once a month for the past twelve years, Carol would be given a pile of papers that were often more than a foot high, all relating to the cases that would come before the board. These meetings would sometimes last as long as seven hours, with just a short meal break.
Finding someone willing to do this who is simply willing to be an observer, with a minimum stipend, month after month for over a decade — well, let it be said that there are very, very few, and Carol Sides was one of them. In fact, it is so stressful that Pennsylvania governors could not find anyone else like Carol. For several years, she was the only “public” representative.
Al Schmidt, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, recognized her with a proclamation acknowledging her “commitment to the highest standards of ethics, betterment of the engineer and surveying professions and responsible acts as a public servant.”
Congratulations, Carol, you are a treasure to us all!
