Every year for the past 13 years, the editors of the Erie Reader have had the honor of sifting through hundreds of inspiring nominations and choosing the 40 that we think best represent the bright futures they are building for themselves and for the Erie community at large. It is truly a privilege to be able to highlight these 40 people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and all means – this list is a continued testament that helping doesn’t require a platform, money, or political status – it only requires a desire to make Erie a better place.
And every year for the past 13 years, we’ve been inspired by the myriad ways young people in Erie are doing that. We have artists, lawyers, business owners, volunteers, musicians, politicians, investors, coaches, teachers, therapists, performers, activists, and so many more working within their lanes to make Erie better. And when you put them all together – that’s where change happens.
Dave Schroeder, 38
Technical Director, Performing Artists Collective Alliance (PACA)
📷 Jessica Hunter
If you’ve ever seen a show at PACA, then you’ve likely seen the work of McDowell High School and Erie Business Center graduate Dave Schroeder. As technical director for the collective, Schroeder is responsible for the lighting and sound of theater and musical performances (and he’s also designed many show posters over the years too).
In 2020, during the midst of the COVID-19 shutdown, Schroeder began producing the PACA [LiVE!] Concert Series livestreams to help give local musicians a way to continue performing for audiences. He handled, with help from Erie’s Lone Sav (40 Under 40 Class of 2024), every aspect of production including the multi-camera video livestream, in-house sound, marketing, and post-production editing. The following year, he received the Leadership Award in Erie Arts and Culture’s Community Appreciation Awards.
In his spare time, he is a passionate supporter of the local theater, music, and arts scenes. He also enjoys photography and operates Digg It Dave Photography. He spent a month photographing New York City and curated a photo exhibition at City Gallery. Sometimes he gets on stage too. When he joined his first band as a drummer, he didn’t yet play the drums – and only had six weeks to prepare for his first public show.
Now, Schroeder is the drummer for the Erie band Bummer Country alongside Jennifer Meyer, McKenzie Sprague (40 Under 40 Class of 2025), Brent Knight, and Dave Tamulonis (40 Under 40 Class of 2022). Since 2009, he’s been thankful to perform gigs with these local musicians and others, including Matt Boland, Liss Victory, Rodger Montgomery, Matt Texter, and Stephen Trohoske and cites his local drum influences as Rick Lopez, Ricky Hopkins, Ken “Stix” Thompson, Bradley Amidon, Ian Maciak, Mike Russell, and Jim “Chunk” Watkins.
To those who know him, Schroeder is described as “an unsung hero” who humbly “does so much for the arts community” without seeking praise or recognition. “He is always trying to show the beautiful and creative parts of our community in Erie,” says friend and fellow musician Jennifer Meyer. – Jonathan Burdick
Source: Erie Reader