Lampeter-Strasburg townlively.com
DECEMBER 27, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 34
Lancaster band wins Country Rock Group of the Year award BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
Members of Convene attend a meeting at the AACA Museum in Hershey in 2021.
Combining beliefs and business
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on Hoover of Willow Street moved to Lancaster County in 1998. Hoover was the chairman and CEO of Thermacore Inc., a company that specializes in the design, development and manufacturing of thermal management solutions for a broad range of equipment . Hoover moved to the area for his business, which brought him a great deal of success after a public merger in 2001. After the merger, Hoover faced with a new challenge: Where should he focus his efforts now that his company
didn’t require all his attention? Hoover, a practicing Christian, b e ga n to m e e t w i t h yo u n g entrepreneurs to talk about the role that faith plays in the world of business. While Hoover was at the helm of Thermacore, he actively incorporated his Christian values in his business practices, from employee policies to his interactions with vendors and clients. With his newfound free time, Hoover regularly bought breakfast for local young professionals and discussed the ways they could combine faith and business in the same way he had. In 2004, while Hoover served
as a board member for Lancaster Bible College, he traveled to California to meet Bob Brumleu, a new board member of the Christian nonprofit organization Pocket Testament League. Hoover told Brumleu about his recent efforts to impact young business leaders in the community, and he explained his frustration with not having a structured process to offer the coaching he desired. Br umleu told Hoover about Convene, an organization that comprises Christian business owners from across the country who shared Hoover’s goal of integrating their religious values
in the workplace. Shortly after, Hoover attended his first Convene meeting, and he resolved to bring the ministry back to Lancaster County with him. In 2006, Hoover helped to establish the Lancaster branch of Convene by creating a network of Christian CEOs and business owners who serve as chairmen. As the ministry has grown over the years, Convene now encompasses intrapreneurs and small start-ups. The organization’s member companies employ about 55,000 employees nationwide, and they have a combined revenue of more than $11 billion. See Convene pg 3
See Local band pg 8
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BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
On Oct. 22, Lancaster-based music group The Jess Zimmerman Band won the Country Rock Group of the Year award at the ninth annual Josie Music Awards in Nashville. The Jess Zimmerman Band is led by Jess Heitz, who is accompanied by guitarist Joe Barszowski, bassist John Knobler and drummer Joe Mattis. This is the second year the outfit has been nominated for awards at the ceremony, which was hosted at the famous American country music venue the Grand Ole Opry. Last year, The Jess Zimmerman Band received the Album of the Year award for its debut album “Breathe.” This year, in addition to being nominated for multiple awards, the band performed during the ceremony. Out of nearly 1,000 applicants, only 10 artists were selected to play at the event. “It was really one of the biggest highlights of the year,” Heitz said. “The Grand Ole Opry is iconic for country music.” The Jess Zimmerman