Photo Caption: Ken Laliwala, Executive Director of Tax at Air Products and Chemicals Inc., was recently elected to a three-year term on the Community Music School Board of Directors.
Allentown, PA (October 14, 2025) – Community Music School – Lehigh Valley & Berks (CMS) is pleased to announce that Ken Laliwala was elected to a three-year term on the CMS Board of Directors by an unanimous vote on September 19, 2025. Laliwala will serve a three-year term with the 43-year-old Allentown nonprofit that provides the access and inspiration for anyone in our diverse community to achieve excellence in music education and appreciate the transformative power of music.
As Executive Director of Tax at Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Laliwala oversees Europe, MiddleEast, Africa, and Asia regions. With over 27 years of experience and practice (17 years at Air Products) in US and international tax law, Laliwala has provided strategic advice and tax planning initiatives on various corporate transactions. He has led high-value and complex tax matters and transactions for Air Products, including acquisitions, divestitures, company separations, internal legal restructurings, debt structuring, large international projects structuring and planning, intercompany supply chain contracts structuring, contract negotiations, tax dispute resolutions, and risk mitigations.
Laliwala has been a board member of APCI Federal Credit Union for over 14 years. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Georgia, a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law, and a Master of Law Degree from New York University. Ken is an Attorney and a Certified Public Accountant. He is the husband of longtime CMS violin teacher Sunny Murthy.
The CMS Board’s Officers for the 2025-2026 fiscal year are President: Michael Yeager, Retired CEO, Community Insurance Company; Vice President: John Wittenbraker, Ph.D., Social and Behavioral Scientist; Treasurer: Tom Fenstermacher, Retired CFO, Hospital Central Services, Inc.; Secretary: Mark Stein, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Muhlenberg College.
Directors: Michael Horvath, Attorney, Gross McGinley LLP; Gregory Kuhn, President & CEO, Omega Protective Services, LLC; Mary Hahn, Healthcare Executive; Ken Laliwala, Executive Director of Tax at Air Products and Chemicals Inc.; David Livert, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Penn State Lehigh Valley; Kathleen Matthews, Retired Sr. Director of Business Ethics & Compliance, PPL; Bill Moyer, President, West Region & Allentown Campus, St. Luke’s University Health Network; Nanditha Mudigonda, Head of Enterprise Portfolio, Guardian Life; Elyse Pillitteri, Shareholder, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C; Vance Powers, Chief Financial Officer, Long Ridge Energy Terminal; Vicki Ferrence Ray, Non-Profit Executive & Consultant; Dail Richie, Retired Executive Director, Berks Youth Chorus & CMS faculty member; Ellen Roberts, Retired Volunteer & Community Activist; David Yeager, Retired Assistant Vice President, Guardian Life Insurance. Faculty Representative: Joe Wagner, CMS teacher of guitar, composition, & recording.
Learn more about the CMS Board of Directors at https://cmslv.org/about/board-of-directors/.
Link to CMS New Blog: https://cmslv.org/cms-board-of-directors-elects-ken-laliwala/.
About CMS: About CMS: Community Music School (CMS) – Lehigh Valley & Berks is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides the inspiration and opportunity for anyone in our diverse community to achieve excellence in music education and appreciate the transformative power of music. Our professional teachers provide private lessons, group classes, and summer camps to students of all ages, from toddlers to seniors, in piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, voice, and recording technology; both in-person and online. Thanks to support from our philanthropic community for over 43 years, CMS has provided students in the Lehigh Valley with the life-long benefits of a quality music education and free performance opportunities. Our main office and studios are located in the former Lehigh Valley Social Club at historic 1544 Hamilton Street in Allentown, PA where we offer 14 lesson rooms of varying sizes, a unique parent lounge, early childhood room, music library, administrative offices, state-of-the-art recording studio, and a 150-seat recital hall. Our CMS Berks satellite studio is located in Reading, PA at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. Learn more at http://cmslv.org/.
Information provided to TVL by:
Lisa Hopstock Kulp
Assistant Director, Marketing & Communications
