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About the Commissioners
The Commissioners ensure compliance with provisions of the County Code and are granted authority to establish the annual county operating budget, approve expenditure of county dollars, authorize all county government contracts and manage all county properties and buildings. The functions of the Commissioners also include delivery of public services, regional planning and economic development, finance and budget management, and personnel administration. Under Pennsylvania law, the Commissioners also serve as members of various specialized boards such as the Board of Elections, Salary Board, Prison Board and Retirement Board.
The Commissioners appoint the Chief Clerk and other administrative staff to manage the daily operations of County government and to serve the public through an array of county services. The Commissioners have implemented a Performance-Based Management initiative that drives the allocation of resources toward areas of excellence and encourages objective benchmarking across County operations.
Cumberland County maintains various citizen advisory boards, authorities, commissions and task forces to involve citizens in the planning and decision making of county government. Volunteers serve the county as members of these groups. The Commissioners use information from these sources to develop and approve the annual budget and related management plans. The Commissioners created the Municipal Advisory Board comprised of elected officials from each municipality in the County to exchange ideas and initiate action plans. They also created the Emergency Services Action Panel in an effort to work with emergency services representatives to discuss issues of mutual concern and work together to achieve effective solutions.
Meet the Commissioners
Kelly Neiderer, Chairman
Kelly Neiderer is serving her first term as a Cumberland County Commissioner. Before becoming commissioner, she was the Cumberland County Treasurer. Kelly has worked in the financial services industry for 30 years, covering many facets of banking, including retail management, commercial lending, and market leadership. She retired from the industry as the executive vice president, chief retail officer of Mid Penn Bank.
Kelly currently serves on the board of Tri-County Community Action and the MITER Foundation board. Kelly served as the President of the board for the Arc of Cumberland & Perry Counties, and chair of Cumberland County Affordable Housing Fund. She was also on the Middlesex Township Zoning & Hearing Board for 28 years and held board positions at the United Way of Carlisle, Cultural Enrichment Fund, the YMCA of Carlisle, and the YWCA of Carlisle.
Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from West Chester University and is a graduate of the Intermediate School of Banking, and the School of Commercial Lending programs through the PA Bankers Association.
A lifelong resident of Cumberland County, Kelly’s heritage dates back to a family farm in Mechanicsburg that was built with a land grant from William Penn. Kelly and her husband, Philip, have two sons Andrew and Thomas. They live in their family farmhouse in Carlisle that seems to be in constant need of renovation! She is a member of St. Patrick’s Church, enjoys hiking our beautiful Cumberland Valley, as well as Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania.
Commissioner Neiderer also serves as liaison for several boards and authorities.
To contact Commissioner Neiderer directly, please email kkneiderer@cumberlandcountypa.gov.
Jean Foschi, Vice Chairman
Jean is serving her second term on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Foschi, a resident of the county for 24 years, served on the Upper Allen Township Zoning Board, since 2005, most recently as chairperson.
Jean’s corporate experience includes positions at Graystone Tower Bank, as a corporate paralegal, business collections specialist and business lending analyst at Members 1st Federal Credit Union, title agent, paralegal and law librarian at the Harrisburg law firm of Mette, Evans & Woodside and a paralegal at Shumaker Williams, P.C. She also spent six years in the restaurant industry.
Jean has a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Paralegal Certificate from Penn State. She lives in Upper Allen Township with her husband and their two children.
Commissioner Foschi serves as the liaison for a number of boards and authorities.
To contact Commissioner Foschi directly, please email jmfoschi@cumberlandcountypa.gov.
Gary Eichelberger, Secretary
Commissioner Eichelberger has served as a Cumberland County Commissioner since 2004, and has held the board's chair, vice chair and secretary positions. During his service, Gary has emphasized the formulation and enactment of strategies to accommodate the county’s growth, and effectively position Cumberland County for the future, especially in areas of local economy and jobs, balanced land use, and transportation improvement.
He was the founding commissioner and champion for the Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation (CAEDC), a major policy initiative of his, and continues to serve as the Delegate Commissioner to the organization’s Executive Committee, and board member. During his commissioner tenure, he has played an instrumental role in formulating and implementing significant management and policy improvements and advocated for new emphasis on modernization of operations, including the county’s merit-based compensation system, and the increased uses of performance metrics and long range planning to sustain the county government’s strong financial standing.
Gary has served in a variety of public and private roles: his professional background was in consulting and services in marketing and organizational development, supporting scores of area businesses and nonprofits in achieving success. His public involvement included 14 years as a Borough Councilman in Mechanicsburg, several years as the Deputy Treasurer of Cumberland County, and a leadership role with the West Shore (now Capital Region) Council of Governments.
Gary has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The George Washington University, and the University of Phoenix, and has completed an executive certificate in “Measuring and Improving Business Performance”, from Cornell University.
He resides in Mechanicsburg, with his wife Tracy, an academic administrator for Shippensburg University.
Commissioner Eichelberger serves as the liaison for a number of boards and authorities.
To contact Commissioner Eichelberger directly, please email gleichelberger@cumberlandcountypa.gov.