Heidi Wilenius

I grew up in the inner city of Rochester, NY, in a closely knit community called the 19th Ward - the sort of community where you knew most of your neighbors, the kids played in the street, the adults had lots of wonderful gatherings, and people watched out for each other. When I moved to Hopewell, I got that same connected feeling, and I knew I was home. 

 

I graduated from NYU in 1994 with an BFA in Film and Television. I worked for the Jim Henson Foundation from 1995-2002, where I managed their grantmaking program, and served as the General Manager of the Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater. Soon after the birth of my daughter, I left the traditional workforce for 16+ years, during which time I became a very active volunteer for many different organizations.

 

My husband, Scot Pannepacker, and I moved to Hopewell from Trenton in 2006 with our then 4 year old daughter Maia, now a senior at the University of Arizona. Our son Cormac is a sophomore at HVCHS. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have found such a wonderful town in which to raise our family.

 

I met Marylou when we were working together to help stop the irresponsible overdevelopment of the old Pennytown Property back in 2011. Although the development was originally planned to be 70 units, the township had expanded the plan to 365 units, trying to make up for the mistake they had made in overpaying for the property years before by pushing through an environmentally disastrous proposal. Early in the fight, I was told by a local government official that we should “give it up – you’re wasting your time – it’s a done deal.” None of us gave it up….and the “done deal” never happened. 

 

In 2016, as I was starting to contemplate looking for a job outside the home, the election of our 45th president shook me to my core and made me re-think everything. Walking through town over those first few dark days, I felt so much love and support in our small town that it carried me through.  When the Women’s March was announced, I knew not only that I wanted to be there – I also wanted to be there WITH this community that I love so much. What started as one bus soon became 3 - and all 164 of us marched on Washington that day. In the months following the march, Marylou and I, together with Lynn Kaiser and a team of enthusiastic volunteers, co-founded Hope Rises Up, a small local non-profit which helps make political and social advocacy accessible, bringing our community together to champion progressive and inclusive causes. We have held events for Racial Justice, for LGBTQ+ education and advocacy, and community gatherings such as Soul Food for SSAAM.

 

I have been active with the Hopewell Harvest Fair since 2014, and served as chairperson from 2018-2022. As the chair, I led a small team of volunteers, and together we breathed new life into the longstanding tradition. After it was “re-energized,” we were hit with a pandemic that forced us to put the fair on hold. We came back in 2022 bigger and better than ever, and now as I pass the torch on to the next chair, and continue to serve as President, I am proud to say that we have strengthened the organization in such a way that it will continue for many more years to come. 

 

After opening my shop, dandelion wishes, I became more involved in the local business community. I was appointed to serve on the Economic Development Committee in 2019, and have served as chair since January 2022. I also spearheaded the recent Downtown Hopewell initiative, designed to connect the many small merchants in our town, so that we can work together to make Hopewell Borough a desirable destination for visitors and small business and also a wonderful place to live for residents.

 

I look forward to the opportunity to work together with Marylou, along with our Borough Council and Administration, and continue to strengthen and support our community.