MILFORD, Pa. — It may seem like any other weekly conference involving the Pike County commissioners inside the county administration building in Milford, but if you take a look at who is sitting at the table, history is being made.
Commissioner Christa Caceres was sworn in on January 2 as the first woman elected to Pike County's Board of Commissioners in 30 years and the first person of color.
"Every day, I pull up in the parking lot, and I have my name on a plaque out there. It's crazy," said Commissioner Caceres. "When you're in school, and you read books about people who have done all these firsts and all these amazing things, you never think it would be you."
Running for county commissioner wasn't always on the radar. When another female candidate dropped out of the race, Caceres was approached to throw her hat in the ring. She resigned from her job as a senior constituent advocate for U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright to run for commissioner.
Caceres says her previous nonprofit and advocacy work helping fathers learn their rights in the court system helped show her the importance of voting the right people into office.
"My mantra is: Participate in the process, educate yourself on who is representing you and what are they actually giving you for that vote. That vote is almost currency and when you spend it in the ballot box, you should be getting a return, and if you're not getting a return, they should go."
Caceres' service as an elected leader started as a community leader. She serves as the president of the Monroe County NAACP and will serve the remainder of the 2024 term.
She is also the vice president and political action chair for the Pennsylvania NAACP.
"I want to make sure that this last year with the NAACP is probably one of the best that it's ever been in the 60 years that it's been in existence. I want to secure proper funding for our scholarship program to make sure that students and young girls who come behind me will be able to go to college and get that opportunity to advance and bound and leap."
While she continues to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion for everyone every day in her various roles, she hopes to show women that they can break down barriers and make a name for themselves.
"'It is possible. I can do it.' And trust me, there are going to be stumbling blocks. There are going to be times where you're just like, 'Oh, my goodness.' But at the end, it's worth it. At the end, your voice is being heard and your voice is impacting the next generation. And so setting that example and opening the door and putting one more brick on the beautiful road toward success in whatever way you envision that, that's what we're supposed to do, and I hope all of us women are doing that."