A new administration is being cobbled together. Will it look and operate like the past administration? Or, will ‘Team Shapiro’ dust off the negotiations table, roll up their sleeves, and put together the coalitions that seemed to characterize Harrisburg of a decade ago or more?
There will be a state budget released in early March. What will be in it? What gets funded and what gets cut?
If any of this whets your appetite or piques your interest, please log in this Friday, February 3rd, beginning at 12 Noon.
Garrett testifies in Danville
If you’ve been following the discussions in Danville related to siting a new mental health care center on the grounds of Saints Cyril and Methodius, you may want to read about Bob Garrett’s testimony which he provided to the Danville Borough Council. On behalf of the Chamber, Bob talked about the importance of this facility and about the Geisinger’s commitment to preserve the sacred nature of the grounds where it will be built.
Please click here to read Bob’s testimony.
Agriculture: Our committee kicked of the new year with a “Town Hall” Style meeting with Congressman GT Thompson on January 17th. Congressman Thompson was recently named the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and sought local input on the upcoming Farm Bill. Thompson is the first Pennsylvanian to hold this role in nearly 170 years and the Chamber’s Agriculture Committee is thrilled to have local representation at this level. Thirty local farmers, businessmen and women, and local officials were in attendance to ask questions and give feedback.
Business and Education: The Business & Education Committee had a very productive meeting and was generously hosted on January 4th by Weis Markets at their corporate headquarters in Sunbury. The group of twenty local business representatives and educators were enlightened to hear about the many opportunities and career pathways within Weis markets, many leading from entry level grocery work to upper-level management.
Young Americans: Seven local high school seniors have been honored in January as outstanding Young Americans for their achievements scholastically, as well as their extracurricular, and community achievements. The total to date for 22-23 school year is 38, with the total expected to reach 70. The committee is currently planning its Young Americans Seminar scheduled for April, in which the participants will learn from experts in leadership, financial literacy, and much more.
Events: After throwing an amazing celebration of the new year on January 11th, our events committee is not taking any breaks. Under the leadership of Sabra Karr and Stacey Napoli you don’t want to miss any upcoming events. Stay up to date by checking the Chamber Events Calendar
Young Professionals: January was dry! We took some time to recover from the fun of the Jingle Mingle and all the holiday festivities. That rest gave us time to regroup with a change in leadership. Beau Hoffman and Phil Derose are at the helm as co-chairs. 2023 will be full of fun exploring the Susquehanna River Valley and creating opportunities to engage with likeminded professionals. Coming up in February in partnership with Leadership Susquehanna Valley we’re an after hours event at the Bull Run Tap House in Lewisburg. Join us from 5-7pm for networking and an opportunity to update your headshot.
Communications & Technology: Have you noticed our social media presence? If not, are you following the Chamber on ALL the apps? We are posting regularly on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Our weekly E-lert has updates on what’s happening for us and our members. You can read about upcoming events in the Daily Item, Standard Journal and special edition papers Voice of the Valley and Regional Gems. When you’re driving around the valley you can hear about chamber updates on Hanna Radio, 94KX and WKOK. If you’re looking for a new podcast, be sure to subscribe to the Chamber Business
Women’s Leadership: On Thursday, January 12th the Women’s Leadership Committee held its first Virtual Lunch and Learn on Mentorship moderated by Angela Hummel of Hummel Consulting. Women from across the region joined to hear a panel of distinguished leaders discuss the role mentorship played in their personal and professional journey.
Community Prosperity: January is typically a time to relax and recover from the hustle and bustle of the holidays for our downtown partners, but we used this time to check in and see what we had planned for 2023. Our monthly committee meeting focused on synchronizing calendars for big events. Then, we met in person for a Lunch and Learn to explore new additions to Milton, PA. We started with a tour of the new makerspace; DIG furniture bank’s new showroom and office; and a ride in the new elevator at the Milton Moose to take you down to the remodeled Teen Jungle Center or up to Chef’s Place. Lunch was provided by Lisa’s Miltown Deli. The quarterly lunch and learn series sponsored by Villager Realty.
Transportation: At most monthly Chamber Transportation Committee meetings, committee members review a proposed construction detour in the area. This is done so that the project designers get the maximum input on any impact that the project may cause to commerce and mobility in the surrounding locality. Bob Garrett collects these comments and passing them along to PennDOT. You’re invited to also provide comments to Bob at rgarrett@gsvcc.org. At the committee’s January 13th the following proposed detour in Montour County was reviewed:
