EMERGING LEADER: Hope Fiely, Channellock Inc.
Hope Fiely calls herself a well-round- maker of pliers and other hand tools.
ed project engineer, but she’s also a
well-rounded individual already actively
involved in the community.
A 2021 graduate of Grove City
College with a degree in mechanical
engineering, she’s a project engineer at
Channellock Inc., the Meadville-based
Hope Fiely of Channellock
EMERGING LEADER:
Travis Crytzer, Loeffler’s Flower Shop/Blossoms & Blooms Boutique
Travis Crytzer of Loeffler’s
Flower Shop and
Blossoms & Blooms Boutique
2022 Foundations 56 pages.indd 29
Hope has also taken the opportunity
“Growing up in Meadville, I have wit-
nessed how important strong members
of our local community are whether
they are lending their time, talent or
generosity,” Fiely said. “Throughout
my childhood and now moving through
adulthood, I have been drawn to help-
ing our community and being involved
in different capacities.”
With a passion for STEM — science,
technology, engineering and mathe-
matics — Hope aspires to use her time
and talent to get even more involved
with the community and young people.
As an undergraduate at Grove City
College, she volunteered for its STEM
Carnival by creating an educational and
interactive game for young children
about air flow using rubber ducks and
straws.
She also represented the college’s
engineering department during Grove
City College’s Senior Preview Days and
Discovery Days, discussing the extra-
curricular and educational opportuni-
ties within the program.
While in college, she did an engi-
neering internship with Channellock.
Following graduation in 2021, Hope
joined the Channellock team as a proj-
ect engineer working with quality con-
trol, continuous improvement projects,
robot programming and more.
Though only in her early 20s, Hope
also is Channellock’s engineering intern
manager, interviewing and hiring in-
terns for the summer semester.
An active business owner and com-
munity volunteer, Travis Cryzter always
is on the go it seems.
After living and working in Washing-
ton, D.C. for 16 years, Travis returned
to Crawford County in June 2017 with
family and business in mind.
“Everything I do is for the better-
ment of my family, business, and our
community,” said Travis who owns
Loeffler’s Flower Shop in Meadville
and Blossoms & Blooms Boutique in
Linesville.
He went to college in Washington,
D.C., graduating from American Uni-
versity with a focus on politics.
“I received both my undergraduate
and master’s in D.C. and worked on
Capitol Hill, at the White House and
as a lobbyist advocating on behalf of
medical schools and teaching hospi-
tals,” he said.
While enjoying the work, the con-
stant interaction with leaders on all
levels both in government and in the
private sector, the hectic nature of
Washington, D.C., started to get to him
Diamond Awards 2022/2023 FOUNDATIONS 29
to engage students in the STEM world
as much as possible.
She has spoken to the Meadville
Area Senior High technology educa-
tion class, participated in the STEAM
(Science Technology Engineering and
Math) Fair at Penn State Behrend in
Erie.
She is an active volunteer with the
RoboBOTS program, a student robot
building competition.
“Throughout college and now as a
working professional, I am an active
volunteer with RoboBOTS,” she said.
“Manufacturing has been near and
dear to my heart since middle school
and I enjoy helping students to gain
the same mindset.
Hope has also become more
involved locally as a member of the
board of directors for the Crawford
Central Community Foundation, as well
as a member of the Western Crawford
County Junior Achievement Board.
Outside of her professional field,
Hope is very involved with the Epiph-
any of the Lord Parish in Meadville.
In addition to planning events for the
young adult ministry, Hope serves on
the parish council and the parish picnic
committee.
“I may have years ahead of me in
my career, but I hope that I continue to
make a positive difference in my local
community,” she said. “I treat everyday
as a new day to become better.”
“I took a break from politics and
was hired as a store manager at
Gucci, while also operating my own
wedding officiating business, Tie The
Knot D.C.,” he said. “In addition, my
younger siblings were both expecting
their first children, so this was an added
incentive to move closer to home.”
Returning home, Blossoms & Blooms
Boutique was established in 2017 in
Linesville. Less than a year later, he was
approached about the possibility of
purchasing Loeffler’s Flowers and Gifts
in Meadville.
“It made perfect sense to make the
move and expand our operations com-
bining the newest flower shop in the
area with the longest-running flower
shop in the county,” he said. With the
assistance of his mom, Judy Crytzer,
and his sister, Sequoia Whitmer, as well
as a team of dedicated employees,
both shops are flourishing.
But for Travis, being a leader starts
with his most gratifying role — uncle to
his nephews and niece.
Within the community, Travis is a
6/9/22 4:31 PM