Ilona Ballreich

Ilona has been the program manager of the Sustainable Communities Collaborative (SCC), the EPICN model at PennState, since 2018. The SCC is focused on community-engaged projects that advance sustainability efforts and use the UNSDGs as a guiding framework. Ilona honed her skills in community engagement as the executive director of a non-profit arts organization, which she led to become one of the community’s major cultural hubs and assets. She has a BS in Industrial Technology from West Virginia State University and MPS in Community and Economic Development from Penn State. She is also trained as a Blueprint Communities Facilitator through the FHLB and PA Downtown Center and Heart & Soul community development techniques. She is a successful grants writer and administrator and serves on numerous community organizations and boards.