WHAT WE KNOW, WE KNOW…
Money Matters Monday-On The Mark” 1070AM
for June 3, 2024
By Bob Garrett
“All I know about money matters is that money matters.”
Money Matters Monday-On The Mark” 1070AM
for June 3, 2024
By Bob Garrett
“All I know about money matters is that money matters.”
For this morning’s show: Money Matters Monday-On The Mark, the focus will be on the Chamber’s recently named Heritage Award honoree, Dr. John Kurelja. Kurelja serves as the Administrative Director of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit which provides a broad range of services to schools in the Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour, and Columbia Counties.
The show will open with welcoming and sponsor remarks made by Joe McGranaghan, followed by a quick update on local employment numbers from Bob Garrett, President, CEO & CCO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. Due to studio technical issues, John Kurelja and any other guests will be required to call into this show.
A bit about the Chamber’s Heritage Award
During the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, a highlight is always the announcement of the honorees for the various awards. These awards are the Young Professional of the Year, Star of Excellence, Heritage, Small Business of the Year, and Business of the Year.
The Chamber’s Heritage Award represents the outstanding legacy of commitment and leadership of an individual within the Chamber for their dedication to the growth and prosperity of the Valley. John Kurelja, Ed.D. has been in his position with the CSIU since July 2021 and worked in various roles at the IU for five years prior to that. His devotion to the work he does every day is evident when he says that he, “Loves working for the CSIU where he can support over 40,000 students, teachers, and administrators in our region.
He has a B.S. and M.A. from Rutgers University and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to the IU, he was the superintendent of the Warrior Run School District from November of 2010 until June of 2016. In total, John has been administrator in this region for 25 years serving as the Curriculum Coordinator for Central Columbia School District, an Adjunct Professor at Wilkes University, a Principal for Central Columbia Middle School and Assistant Principal at Bloomsburg High School.
In 2017, Dr. Kurelja completed the credentialing process to become a National School Leadership Coach through the National Institute for School Leadership and he completed the Executive in Residence Program for the Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA).As a supporter of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber, John has been a crucial connector for the business & education communities, advising many of the chamber’s efforts on higher education, career training, and emerging technology.
So, how are we doing
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (workstats.dli.pa.gov.dashboards/Pages/Labor-Stats.aspx) county-by-county report, Greater Susquehanna Valley counties are maintaining their historic low unemployment rates and continuing to be among the lowest in the state as compared to all other counties. Montour holding steady at 2.9% again this month tied with Chester County as 3rd lowest in the state behind Adams at 2.7%, and with Lancaster and Centre 2.8%. Union ticking up slightly to 3.3% and Snyder dropping to 3.5% and Northumberland with a slight increase to 4.4%. Pennsylvania’s unemployment was steady at 3.4% in April below the May US unemployment rate of 3.9%. Our state’s Participation Rate dipped again in April to 60.8% with a national Participation Rate of 62.7%. Our state participation rate has stubbornly stayed two full percentage points below where it was at the start of the pandemic.
