Donna Valent announces her candidacy for Lansford tax collector in the upcoming May 16 primary election.

Valent's extensive experience for this position includes 17 years as an income tax preparer and notary for her business, Lansford Title & Tags.She worked for Kovatch Mobile Equipment for 20 years and Lehigh Carbon Community College for the past 17 years.She is an active member of St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church in Lansford. Donna currently serves her community as a board treasurer of Lansford Alive! and is a member of the Lansford zoning board, Save Our School & Churches, and the American Cancer Society Telethon CommitteeA tireless contributor to her local area, Donna has successfully organized a number of benevolence programs, including a Sandy Hook luminary, food drives distributed to St. Katharine Drexel's and the Lansford food pantries, Winter Warmth clothing donations in Lansford and throughout Carbon County for the SHINE program children and Family Promise, as well as the Fall Festival in downtown Lansford.She assists with American Cancer Society events such as Zoostock, the Chinese auction and telethon and participates in Lansford borough cleanups, flower planting and Our Lady of the Angels rummage sales.Daughter of the late Joseph "Kayo" Valent and Anne Valent of Andreas, formerly of Lansford, Valent is the mother of Christine Frantz of Lake Hauto and Benjamin "Chester" Frantz, deceased. She also has a granddaughter, Alexa Sandefer, a 10th-grade student at Marian Catholic High School.If elected as Lansford tax collector, Valent will offer full-time hours to the community.She looks forward to the opportunity to serve, saying, "Your vote is sincerely appreciated."