With a snip of the golden scissors, Tom Leary, President of the Luzerne County Community College officially opened their Greater Susquehanna Center today. Located in Watsontown, at the former Elementary School, the Center will begin welcoming students by mid-September. For some folks in the grand opening crowd, the ceremony marked the successful conclusion of a decade-long effort to launch exactly this type of educational facility and career-development resource in our area.
When the Chamber leaders were drafting their 2019-2020 Strategic Plan late last year, they added a specific statement about prioritizing advocacy efforts that could and would lead to the opening of this center. The importance of this priority was made clear by the Chamber members who clearly stated in the biennial survey that a Community College for our area was desperately needed.
Thought you might like to read what I said as one of the Grand Opening’s honorary speakers:
“Within the Workforce Imperative of the Chamber’s current strategic plan is this statement: Advocate for a full continuum of educational and career training opportunities, including a fully articulated community college, for our area.
Today, that advocacy stands behind us as bricks-and-mortar, desks-and-computers, libraries-and-lounges. Soon, this space will be teeming with students-and-instructors. Following them will be employers and ever-increasing opportunities. Nagging skills gaps will be closed, glass ceilings of all types and varieties will smash and the continuum of education will be complete in all the Greater Susquehanna Valley.
Please allow me now to yield the remainder of my podium time to Barb Diehl of Coldwell Banker Penn One Real Estate. Barb is President of WABA, the Watsontown Area Business Association and she, better than anyone, can tell us what today’s Grand Opening means for our region’s business community and our shared prosperity.”
At this point in the ceremony, Barb Diehl provided a perfectly stated business perspective on what the LCCC-Greater Susquehanna Center means for Watsontown and our entire area. She also presented President Leary for a WABA membership certificate to be proudly and prominently displayed at this exciting, new Community College for the Greater Susquehanna Valley.
Community College Grand Opening
