Patricia A. Lawson

Council Member Patricia Lawson
Phone: 
(717) 578-3298

Patricia A. Lawson was elected to the Gettysburg Borough Council in November 2017. Patti ran for Borough Council in the First Ward because she believes our small town is full of promise for its residents, and its visitors. As a borough resident and homeowner for nearly the past two decades, Patti’s style is one of collaboration and strategic planning. While she knows that the borough faces a number of challenges, she believes in working together – in partnership, not partisanship, to create a community that residents from various walks of life and ages want to take an active part in.

A native of Philadelphia, Patti received her master’s degree in newspaper journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. She worked as a reporter at the Hartford Courant (CT) and the Lancaster (PA) Intelligencer Journal. Patti moved into higher education communications 35 years ago, and was director of public relations and publications at Franklin & Marshall College, and served as director of college relations at Bates College in Maine before coming to Gettysburg College in January 1999 as associate vice president for communications and marketing.  She also held the position of associate vice president for government and community relations at Gettysburg College before retiring in Mary 2016. She currently works part time in admissions for Gettysburg Ms. Patricia LawsonCollege.

Patti has lived and worked in the Gettysburg Borough since she moved here with her family in January 1999. She and her late husband raised two children who graduated from the Gettysburg public schools. As a retiree and borough property owner, she understands the need to keep taxes low, but has a clear understanding of the challenges that face this historic downtown that also serves as the county seat and attracts 3+ million visitors each year.

For a dozen years, Patti served on the Main Street Gettysburg Board of Directors and was its chair for three years.  She was a member of Rotary. Patti served on the county-wide Sesquicentennial Committee during the150th anniversary to commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Address, and the Emancipation Proclamation. She is currently a member of the HABPI Board, the Callie Committee, volunteers as a cook for the Soup Kitchen, and is an Adult Literacy Council tutor. She volunteers From the Ground Up to help clean up the downtown, and recently served as a member of the Borough Search Committee to hire a new parking manager. You can often see Patti walking or bicycling through town.

Patti knows that the Borough of Gettysburg can be a wonderful place for people who are just starting out in their careers, raising a family, or who have retired here. She is honored to serve on the Gettysburg Borough Council.


 

Department Memberships

DepartmentJob titleDate Served - If Applicable
Council Member
January 1, 2018 to January 5, 2026
Active Membership
Elected