Early in life, Phillips Armstrong’s life his mother instilled in him the importance of a hard work ethic and a dedication to making a difference in the community. These life lessons motivated Phil to choose a path improving the lives of others.

Phil found his first passion for public service in education.  He graduated from Kutztown in 1971 with B.S in Secondary Education and a minor in social studies and obtained his Master’s in Education in 1975.  He finally settled in Whitehall Township where he taught social studies for over 40 years. 

Phil brought creativity and innovation to the classroom, ensuring his students were always provided with real-world experiences, cutting-edge lessons and learned critical skills.  His students continue to express their gratitude to him to this day. 

Armstrong also served as the girls’ basketball coach where he fought to ensure the school provided equal access to equipment and training facility.  He is in the Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame and the Whitehall High School Hall of Fame.

Armstrong’s quality in the classroom translated into praise and respect from his peers.  His time in the Whitehall School District saw him rise to be head of the Social Studies Department.  He was also selected to serve as the Secondary Education Chairperson for the Middle States Council on Social Studies, where he worked to develop a standardized exam for Social Studies.

Phil’s retirement from education led him into his next venture into public service when he was appointed to the Whitehall Board of Commissioners.  He moved quickly to bring civility and common sense to the board and was selected by his peers to be board president.

His leadership produced a reduction in the garbage tax, and held the line in all other forms of taxation in Whitehall.  The township has capital replacement plan for its emergency services, a fully funded police pension system and is in the process of paying off all of its debt. 

Armstrong remains an active member of his community.  He serves on the Board of Directors for the Whitehall Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Whitehall Lion’s Club. Currently, he serves on both the Counsel of Trustees for Kutztown University and the Board of Trustees for Penn State.

In February, 2021, Phil was elected to the National Association of Regional Councils Board of Directors. He represents all the councils of governments, development agencies, regional and metropolitan organizations in the state of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. This is the first time a Lehigh Valley elected official represented four states and over 27 million people living in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Phil continues to reside in Whitehall Township, with his wife, Annette.  He has six grandchildren, Jake, Elizabeth, Ava, Olivia, Savanna and Ryder.  His children take after him in both hard work and desire to make a difference. 

His daughter, Katie, is a Penn State graduate and has an MBA from St. Joes and currently works as a technology department manager at Vanguard Corporation, and teaches online courses at two local colleges.  His daughter, Jessica, graduated from Bloomsburg University, and together with her husband founded the successful company, Mathway. His son Phillips Jr. attended Temple and Colorado State.  He now owns six restaurants in Colorado and is a competitive skier, ranked fifth in the master’s division internationally.