Page 11 - Indulge October/November 2015
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latest Valley Girl has over 20 percent and the phone stopped I genuinely feel that the Lehigh Valley
worked on some of the ringing. At that point I made a decision is on the verge of an exciting era where
largest commercial to move temporarily to the firm’s business, government and the residents
projects in the Valley including the appraisal department.…Appraisal work are pulling in one direction — and that
Chrin Interchange of Route 33 would become my passion and it still kind of unified cooperation can only result
in Palmer Township and the Silk is today. in even more positives for the Valley.
Mill project in Easton. Real estate
appraisal was a field Linda Dietrick, Q: What made you decide to start the Q: You’ve been involved in a number
founder of the Dietrick Group, was
going to work at briefly, but then Dietrick Group LLC? of philanthropic causes over the years,
realized she had found her calling. how important is it to make an effort to
A: After some 15 years with the give back?
A 30-year resident of Lower
Macungie Township, Linda grew up same real estate appraisal firm where A: I believe strongly in giving back to the
in Williamsport. After high school, I learned and practiced the basics
Linda became an art major at of transactional real estate, I felt it community. I have been ever so grateful
Kutztown College, now Kutztown was time to fulfill my long-standing for the support that the Lehigh Valley
University, and has lived and worked entrepreneurial desire to fend for business community has given me and
in the Lehigh Valley ever since. myself. And, I also had a desire to have always felt the desire to repay the
have my two children, Kelly and Ryan, area and its residents whenever possible
She has been an integral part join me in the new enterprise, Dietrick in the most positive way. Our volunteerism
of the community, too, serving on a Group LLC, which was launched in program is based on that concept.
number of philanthropic endeavors, January 2006. With Kelly and Ryan on Once a month my staff and I make
including the Civic Theater of board, we expanded our business into it a point to visit a local charity as part of
Allentown’s board of directors and the real estate sales, leasing and property an ongoing volunteerism effort. Over the
board of associates at Muhlenberg management. It has been a pleasure years Dietrick Group LLC has volunteered
College. She also serves as a mentor and a joy watching Kelly and Ryan at Feed the Children, Sixth Street Shelter,
to Lehigh University students who are grow into prosperous business careers Rodale Institute, Sanctuary at Haafsville,
seeking a real estate career. while I dedicated myself to expanding Habitat ReStore, Phoebe Ministries,
the commercial estate appraisal part of Bethlehem Public Library, Lehigh Valley
To relax, Linda likes spending the company. Zoo, JCC’s Peace Garden, Volunteer
time with her significant other, Jerry, Center of the Lehigh Valley and Luminaria
family and friends as well as traveling Q: With all the development and Night…I am further supported in a
and going to museums, Broadway number of philanthropic efforts by my
shows, the opera and movies. redevelopment happening in the daughter Kelly, who has been active for
Lehigh Valley, where do you see the many years in Habitat for Humanity, and
She took time out of her busy Valley going in the future? What sort of my son Ryan, who has raised thousands
schedule to chat with Indulge. challenges will it be facing? of dollars on behalf of pancreatic cancer
in tribute to his late father, Donald.
Q: What made you decide to go into A: I am very excited about the changes (Donald Dietrick passed away in 2011
from pancreatic cancer. Linda and Donald
real estate as a career? taking place in the Lehigh Valley.…The had been married for 30 years.)
creation and recent opening of the new
A: I was working as an Route 33 interchange; major industrial Q: What advice could you give someone
development around the interchange,
administrative assistant for a major near the airport and western Lehigh who wants to follow a similar career path?
Lehigh Valley employer, but deep County; the adaptive reuse of existing
down I felt an overwhelming desire urban structures as well as the A: I can only offer words of
to get into real estate. Although my explosion of apartment development,
office job was secure, it was too foretells a recovery in commercial encouragement to those interested
structured for my perceived talents so activity. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of in real estate to take a close look at
I decided to get a real estate license. working on many of these projects and I a career in appraisal. On the surface
Having achieved that goal in 1987, feel I’ve participated in some way to the appraising may seem like tedious work
I promptly quit my job and joined a Valley’s growth. — perhaps even boring — but I can
small commercial real estate firm in tell you, that’s not so. Appraisal is a
the Lehigh Valley. However, with growth and very important part of the real estate
The market was booming, especially development comes traffic congestion, transaction. Appraisers are the eyes and
in the segment I selected for problems with current road networks, ears of the lenders. I have been blessed
myself — land sales for commercial, overcrowded schools and possibly with great clients and I can honestly say
residential and industrial higher tax rates. That is where I love every aspect of this job.
development.…But then in the early government and private enterprise
‘90s, the market collapsed, deals have to find common ground to resolve
dried up, interest rates soared to those long‑term issues.
worked on some of the ringing. At that point I made a decision is on the verge of an exciting era where
largest commercial to move temporarily to the firm’s business, government and the residents
projects in the Valley including the appraisal department.…Appraisal work are pulling in one direction — and that
Chrin Interchange of Route 33 would become my passion and it still kind of unified cooperation can only result
in Palmer Township and the Silk is today. in even more positives for the Valley.
Mill project in Easton. Real estate
appraisal was a field Linda Dietrick, Q: What made you decide to start the Q: You’ve been involved in a number
founder of the Dietrick Group, was
going to work at briefly, but then Dietrick Group LLC? of philanthropic causes over the years,
realized she had found her calling. how important is it to make an effort to
A: After some 15 years with the give back?
A 30-year resident of Lower
Macungie Township, Linda grew up same real estate appraisal firm where A: I believe strongly in giving back to the
in Williamsport. After high school, I learned and practiced the basics
Linda became an art major at of transactional real estate, I felt it community. I have been ever so grateful
Kutztown College, now Kutztown was time to fulfill my long-standing for the support that the Lehigh Valley
University, and has lived and worked entrepreneurial desire to fend for business community has given me and
in the Lehigh Valley ever since. myself. And, I also had a desire to have always felt the desire to repay the
have my two children, Kelly and Ryan, area and its residents whenever possible
She has been an integral part join me in the new enterprise, Dietrick in the most positive way. Our volunteerism
of the community, too, serving on a Group LLC, which was launched in program is based on that concept.
number of philanthropic endeavors, January 2006. With Kelly and Ryan on Once a month my staff and I make
including the Civic Theater of board, we expanded our business into it a point to visit a local charity as part of
Allentown’s board of directors and the real estate sales, leasing and property an ongoing volunteerism effort. Over the
board of associates at Muhlenberg management. It has been a pleasure years Dietrick Group LLC has volunteered
College. She also serves as a mentor and a joy watching Kelly and Ryan at Feed the Children, Sixth Street Shelter,
to Lehigh University students who are grow into prosperous business careers Rodale Institute, Sanctuary at Haafsville,
seeking a real estate career. while I dedicated myself to expanding Habitat ReStore, Phoebe Ministries,
the commercial estate appraisal part of Bethlehem Public Library, Lehigh Valley
To relax, Linda likes spending the company. Zoo, JCC’s Peace Garden, Volunteer
time with her significant other, Jerry, Center of the Lehigh Valley and Luminaria
family and friends as well as traveling Q: With all the development and Night…I am further supported in a
and going to museums, Broadway number of philanthropic efforts by my
shows, the opera and movies. redevelopment happening in the daughter Kelly, who has been active for
Lehigh Valley, where do you see the many years in Habitat for Humanity, and
She took time out of her busy Valley going in the future? What sort of my son Ryan, who has raised thousands
schedule to chat with Indulge. challenges will it be facing? of dollars on behalf of pancreatic cancer
in tribute to his late father, Donald.
Q: What made you decide to go into A: I am very excited about the changes (Donald Dietrick passed away in 2011
from pancreatic cancer. Linda and Donald
real estate as a career? taking place in the Lehigh Valley.…The had been married for 30 years.)
creation and recent opening of the new
A: I was working as an Route 33 interchange; major industrial Q: What advice could you give someone
development around the interchange,
administrative assistant for a major near the airport and western Lehigh who wants to follow a similar career path?
Lehigh Valley employer, but deep County; the adaptive reuse of existing
down I felt an overwhelming desire urban structures as well as the A: I can only offer words of
to get into real estate. Although my explosion of apartment development,
office job was secure, it was too foretells a recovery in commercial encouragement to those interested
structured for my perceived talents so activity. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of in real estate to take a close look at
I decided to get a real estate license. working on many of these projects and I a career in appraisal. On the surface
Having achieved that goal in 1987, feel I’ve participated in some way to the appraising may seem like tedious work
I promptly quit my job and joined a Valley’s growth. — perhaps even boring — but I can
small commercial real estate firm in tell you, that’s not so. Appraisal is a
the Lehigh Valley. However, with growth and very important part of the real estate
The market was booming, especially development comes traffic congestion, transaction. Appraisers are the eyes and
in the segment I selected for problems with current road networks, ears of the lenders. I have been blessed
myself — land sales for commercial, overcrowded schools and possibly with great clients and I can honestly say
residential and industrial higher tax rates. That is where I love every aspect of this job.
development.…But then in the early government and private enterprise
‘90s, the market collapsed, deals have to find common ground to resolve
dried up, interest rates soared to those long‑term issues.
