MEET COMMISSIONER JEAN FOSCHI
“I love serving the residents of Cumberland County. It is an honor to represent the many, diverse needs of the people of Cumberland.”
Jean was first elected County Commissioner in 2019 and is seeking re-election in 2023. She serves as a member of the Harrisburg Area Transportation Study Coordinating Committee, Local Emergency Planning Committee, and on the Board of the Cumberland Area Economic Development Association. Jean is the Commissioner Liaison to the Children and Youth Citizens Advisory Committee; Cumberland County Library System; Cumberland County Planning Commission; Stop Violence Against Women Task Force and the Western Council of Governments.
Jean is a wife and mother. She lives in Upper Allen Township with her husband Tony and sons, Leo and John. Leo and John are students in the Mechanicsburg Area School District.
Jean holds a Bachelor’s in political science and a paralegal certificate from Penn State. Prior to her first term as a County Commissioner, Jean worked as a paralegal, title agent, restauranteur and fitness professional. She served on the Upper Allen Township’s Zoning Hearing Board from 2005-2019.
Jean’s experiences in service industries framed her approach to the job of Commissioner. Her commitment to service as well as her empathetic nature influenced her goal of providing excellent constituent service. She regularly talks with residents and often meets people for lunch or coffee to talk about the issues that are important to them.
“So many people just want to be heard. Government is often seen as slow-moving, disinterested and callous. People want representation that takes their problems seriously. I believe my approach to the position has been a breath of fresh air.”
WHY I’M RUNNING
I am running for office because I am hopeful and excited for the future of Cumberland County. I am committed to You and I’m running to Put People 1st.
As Your Commissioner, we will focus on delivering our county, mandated human services with excellence and with a focus on prevention of the issues that force those human services to be in high demand. We put tremendous energy toward taking care of our most vulnerable citizens; that’s a good thing and we should continue the work of protection. Yet we are not in the business of prevention. It’s time to offer support to families so that we don’t have abused and neglected children in Cumberland. It’s time to raise people up so that our domestic violence rate goes down. It’s time to execute a plan to prevent substance abuse rather than prosecute those with the disease of addiction. Our County employees are dedicated and thoughtful. We should empower them to use their educations, experiences and knowledge to put together and execute our human service plan for the future. It’s time to get beyond a bandage approach and work on the heart of the matter. Our investment in Putting People 1st will return immeasurable dividends from our biggest resource, our People. In turn, we will save measurable amounts of tax dollars as we get our most expensive, preventable, human problems under control.
I am running for Commissioner because I value fiscal responsibility. As a taxpayer, I know that keeping taxes low is a priority. I hate feeling as if I have no control over how my tax dollars are spent and I dislike that we have the same problems year after year because of short-term approaches to problem solving. Fiscal responsibility means not only that we keep our taxes low; it also means that we invest what we have in people and our future.
Putting People 1st will make Cumberland a truly fantastic place to live. From here, everything else will follow. We will attract new residents who want to live here and contribute to the community. Our businesses will thrive. We’ll have good jobs and we will be able to plan for growth in a way that protects our farmland and green spaces while reducing congestion and air pollution. The people and entities who want to join our community will appreciate our commitment to workforce development and affordable housing.
There’s no doubt about it; our area is growing. This is our opportunity to grow a truly terrific Cumberland. Please join me on this journey to make our now better and shape a positive future for generations to come. #JoinJean #YourJean
Jean’s Competitive Edge
People often ask me what my edge is-what do I offer-how am I different? It’s difficult for me to put in words. The best I come up with is passionate relationship builder and I borrowed it from a friend. I don’t know who took this pic and I am grateful to the photographer because this is who I am. I’m warm and caring and deeply involved in our lives. We are all intrinsically intertwined; it is that connection that exposes our humanity. It is our humanity that should drive policy decisions-not money or political connection or any other bs. #YOURCOMMISSIONER #YOURJEAN