About Charles Dertinger
Serving for four years on the Northampton County Council, Charles has built a reputation for integrity and independence, as well as for tireless advocacy on behalf of the priorities and concerns of his constituents.
As chairman of the Northampton County Council's Open Space Committee, Charles has worked to ensure that the Lehigh Valley grows in ways that preserve the region's tremendous natural beauty. Charles served on the Economic Development Committee, where he helped design strategies for creating a vibrant local economy that provides good jobs today and into the future. Also, Dertinger was in the forefront calling for changes in foreclosures on mortgages in the county.
Dertinger has focused on bringing jobs to our region and ensuring that local jobs are given to local folks. He was also the sponsor of several efforts to provide tax rebates to Soldiers serving our county.
In addition to his efforts on the Northampton County Council, Charles's public-sector leadership has included serving on the Washington Township Planning Commission since 1998 and chairing the Northampton County Election Commission for five years.
Charles has served on the Board of Directors of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (CACLV), a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to improve the region's quality of life by expanding economic opportunity. Charles has helped shape programs that train entrepreneurs, teach computer skills to youth and adults, and develop small businesses. He understands well how scarce government resources can be leveraged to help individuals and families climb the economic ladder.
Charles grew up in a working-class family that sometimes struggled with tough choices. His father, Michael, was an electrician. His mother, Anne, is a retired dental assistant. From his parents, Charles learned about hard work and service to the community, values that have shaped not only his role as a public official but also his professional work as an electrician and project manager. Charles has been a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) since 1987 and is a delegate to the Lehigh Valley Labor Council AFL-CIO.
Charles and Maria, his wife of 17 years, live in Washington Township along with their daughter Rebecca (age 12) and son Charles, Jr. (10), as well as Socrates, the family's Yellow Labrador Retriever. Maria works as a teacher. Rebecca and Charles, Jr. both attend public school in Bangor. Charles's family inspires in him a deep personal commitment to creating a promising, secure future for all our Commonwealth's children.