He was one of the founders of the former Horsehead Community Development Fund.

After 33 years with the organization, Jim Wimmer presided over his final meeting as chairman on Wednesday.

Wimmer, who relinquished his role as chairman, has been elected as Chairman Emeritus.

The group recently changed its name from the Horsehead Community Development Fund to the BEFESA Community Fund.

“It’s time for a new generation to take over and help benefit the community as we did,” Wimmer said. “In the beginning, we had a lot more money coming into us; we were able to help fund fairly large building projects.”

Wimmer said among them were the then-renovation of the Palmerton Area Library, the then-Palmerton Hospital, as well as various fire companies and ambulance associations.

“We don’t have those funds any longer, although we’d like to,” he said. “We feel we’ve left a mark, no doubt about that, over the years.”

Wimmer said the group’s focus was to help assist community organizations.

“We benefited the entire area for the good of the population,” he said. “We concentrated in the area where the (New Jersey) Zinc Company drew many of its employees from, and we helped to pay the communities back for their work, and it worked out very well, I thought.”

Wimmer also touted activities for youngsters, such as helping to subsidize the Palmerton Summer Recreation Program, along with donating to the Palmerton Memorial Pool, as well as pools in the Lehighton and Slatington areas.

“We also enjoyed helping out the Little League teams, helped with the uniform costs, expenses, officials; we always enjoyed doing that,” he said. “We were also helpful to the Carbon County Fair when it was in the beginning, with money for bleachers, expenses, which benefited the entire area.”

Wimmer said he has been honored to be involved with the organization for so many years.

“It was always a pleasure helping the community, helping the nonprofits, helping them grow and hopefully prosper somewhat, and it benefited everybody,” he said. “So that made the job fun; we worked hard, we had to make some hard decisions sometimes.

“We feel we benefited the entire community. It’s a better place to live because of us.”

Wimmer said he helped incorporate the original fund with the people who helped develop it such as Dave Carpenter, Bill Bechtold, Bill Smelas, and Peter Kern, among others.

“The directors always had the communities’ interest at heart and tried to do the best they could to help everyone who sought aid from us,” he said. “We had wonderful directors over the years, too numerous to mention; always people who had an interest in the community and wanted to help.

“They proudly served, gladly served; they feel they made a mark, too. They often felt they had help, the new people helped, and it’s worked out well.”

Wimmer had his attorney’s practice, Philip & Wimmer, along Delaware Avenue in Palmerton from 1965 to 2019.

He is retired, and lives in South Whitehall Township with his wife of 60 years, Linda.

Longtime member Rory Koons takes over as chairman.

Koons was approached in 2014 by Bill Smelas and asked if he would be able to serve as a board member of HCDF.

“I accepted his offer and was immediately appointed secretary, which I have held until the recent reorganization meeting,” Koons said. “Mr. Wimmer, along with Mr. Smelas, and myself have worked closely together organizing meetings, reviewing requests and sending acknowledgments to award recipients.

“When Mr. Wimmer decided to relinquish his role as chairman, he approached me to take the chairman’s position. I explained, “while I am honored to accept his offer, I must admit those are some big shoes to fill.”

Koons noted that both Wimmer and Smelas “have devoted a great deal of time, effort and attention to the organization, and have been instrumental in making it what it is today. I am looking forward to the challenge and working with our board.

“I, too, appreciate the confidence and support the present board members have provided in having me serve as their chairman,” he said. “I can assure everyone and all the local organizations who look to the BEFESA Community Fund for funding, their request will receive a fair and honest review by our officers and Board members.

“Lastly, I am extremely hopeful that BEFESA will continue the funding necessary in keeping the fund solvent which subsequently will benefit our local organizations and our communities.”