Pocono Commencement Speaker
Christa Caceres
Christa Caceres is the newly elected Commissioner for Pike County, PA, serving a fouryear term from 2024-2028. Christa made history being the first African American elected to the office in the county's 210-year history. She was appointed in December 2023 to serve as chair for PA Governor Josh Shapiro's CLEAR (Citizen Law Enforcement Advisory Review) Commission and was named vice-chair for the Governor's Advisory Commission on African American Affairs in August 2023. Mrs. Caceres currently serves as president of the Monroe County branch of the NAACP. She holds a B.A. in Jurisprudence and M.S. in Law and Public Policy from California University of Pennsylvania.
As a childhood survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse, she is laser-focused on issues that pertain to women, children, and sexual assault victims. In 2021, she was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for Community Service from East Stroudsburg University and the "Community Impact Honoree Award'' by Pocono Mountains United Way (PMUW) in 2022. In 2024, she received the Lifetime Community Commitment "Frank Schoelch" Award from the Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce. Christa's leadership and advocacy spans over twenty years, including current membership in the Rotary Club and the Pike County League of Women Voters.
Christa serves on the hiring committee of Stroud Area Regional Police and on the board of directors for PMUW, Emerge Pennsylvania, and the Pocono Chamber of Commerce. Her former board service includes Saw Creek Estates Community Association, the Greater Pike Community Foundation and Safe Haven of Pike County. Following calls for reform in law enforcement, Christa took a proactive approach and formed the Monroe County Community Roundtable in August of 2020 which united the heads oflocal and State police to find strategic and creative ways to make lasting changes in the community together.
Mrs. Caceres has been a resident of the Pocono Mountains since 2005 where she enjoys life with her husband of twenty years, her beloved son, and their dog Bella.
