About Dave Potchak
CHARLES DAVID "PO" POTCHAK
was born and raised in the coal mining and steel mill area of Central Pennsylvania. Many of his relatives made their living in the mines and mills in the small towns surrounding the city of Johnstown, and Dave's (Po's) stories reflect this blue-collar work ethic and attitude. Dave is also proud of his Eastern European heritage and a large part of his newspaper column (Po's Peek at the Past) relates to his youth and to his ancestors.
A graduate of Forest Hills High School, Shippensburg University and St. Francis University (M.Ed), Dave is now retired, after 32 years of teaching and coaching in public schools. He is married to the former Terri Gdula, and are the proud parents of three grown children, all college grads and professionals in various fields. They also boast of their twin grand daughters, Alina and Maddie, and two year-old grandson, Nicholas Ian.
Today, Dave is the managing editor of a number of on-line sites, continues to write his column and is a freelance writer. He also served as a writing judge for the MASON-DIXON Outdoor Writer's Association and on occasion, covers local high school sports. He enjoys fishing, camping and kayaking along Pennsylvania's Yellow Creek - a Class A trout stream. You may reach him by email at dpotchak@embarqmail.com
was born and raised in the coal mining and steel mill area of Central Pennsylvania. Many of his relatives made their living in the mines and mills in the small towns surrounding the city of Johnstown, and Dave's (Po's) stories reflect this blue-collar work ethic and attitude. Dave is also proud of his Eastern European heritage and a large part of his newspaper column (Po's Peek at the Past) relates to his youth and to his ancestors.
A graduate of Forest Hills High School, Shippensburg University and St. Francis University (M.Ed), Dave is now retired, after 32 years of teaching and coaching in public schools. He is married to the former Terri Gdula, and are the proud parents of three grown children, all college grads and professionals in various fields. They also boast of their twin grand daughters, Alina and Maddie, and two year-old grandson, Nicholas Ian.
Today, Dave is the managing editor of a number of on-line sites, continues to write his column and is a freelance writer. He also served as a writing judge for the MASON-DIXON Outdoor Writer's Association and on occasion, covers local high school sports. He enjoys fishing, camping and kayaking along Pennsylvania's Yellow Creek - a Class A trout stream. You may reach him by email at dpotchak@embarqmail.com