Northeast PA Business Journal by CNG Newspaper Group

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January 2019 VOL. 34 NO. 1

Wilkes-Barre focus: Local experts discuss city’s economy by Dave Gardner

he dust-scarred coal miners would never recognize it. Today’s version of the greater Wilkes-Barre area offers little resemblance to the community of the anthracite era. Modern retail fulfillment centers such as those run by Adidas and Chewy.com dot the landscape of the Route 81 corridor, while tech and service-oriented firms such as Berkshire Hathaway, GUARD Insurance, Solid Cactus, PlanGuru, Mobiniti and ENX2Marketing are prospering throughout the Wyoming Valley. Larry Newman, executive director of the Diamond City Partnership, stated a solid developmental plan utilized for over a decade is NEWMAN one of the reasons for the renaissance of commerce in his region. In addition to the retail fulfillment centers, solid growth is occurring within the city’s downtown, as functionally obsolete office space is renovated into downtown housing with attractive amenities. According to Newman, 205 market-rate housing units have been opened in the downtown during the last five years. The number of college graduates located in the downtown has also doubled over five years, with young college educated households comprising 20 percent of the downtown’s populace, which surpasses the national average of 10 percent. This downtown growth in housing has produced a residential base with a heavy percentage

Economic forecast for 2019

SEE PAgE 6

ALSO INSIDE:

Mark Moran ﬁle photo / The Citizens’ Voice

Mike Kurutz of the Diamond City Partnership, watered flower baskets along South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre in August. of age 35-and-under childless couples, plus a growing number of older people. In addition, there are 11,000 people working in the downtown, comprising 46 percent of all city-based jobs, and almost 8,000 college students are enrolled at the city’s schools. Further data cited by Newman indicates that working commuters who come to the downtown, according to a survey of 600 people, spend an average of $86 per person per month. City residents spend an average downtown of $120 per month. “Despite these impressive statistics, in a lot of ways our downtown is typical in that the city is dealing with fiscal stress,” said Newman. “Fortunately, with the new downtown residents, the earned income tax collection is up and this is helping with the city’s finances.” He detailed further signs of progress, such as

how the mayors of Wilkes-Barre and the nearby towns now all meet to discuss best practices and ordinances. Renewed attention is also being paid to water runoff needs to reduce the dangers of ﬂooding, utilizing a regional approach and compliance mandates. Other positive renewal activities listed by Newman include a renewal of Public Square, the King’s College rehab of the Spring Brook Water Supply building for civil and mechanical engineering, and the $8 million pumped into the Wilkes engineering program. In addition, the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts now averages a show every three days, more than 40 downtown restaurants are in operation, and the Innovation Center at Wilkes-Barre continues to assist businesses. Newman is particularly proud of the unity achieved since 2008 by administration of the downtown Business Improvement District (BID). This effort delivers economic development, marketing and promotions, and solutions to solve collective problems with actions that unite property owners without governmental reliance. Please see WBFocus, Page 21

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A rocky year for dairy farmers

SEE PAgE 8

Spotlight: Tiddlywinks Boutique

SEE PAgE 11

FIND US ONLINE AT BIZ570.COM

TOP 25 WOMEN IN BUSINESS I N N O R T H E A S T P E N N S Y LVA N I A

Every March, the Northeast PA Business Journal honors the 25 Top Women in Business in our area. These women are innovative leaders, decision-makers and/or owners of their companies. They are raising families, improving their communities and mentoring and encouraging other women.

Business Journal NortHeaSt

PeNNSylVaNia

Vol. 34, No. 1 • JaNuary 2019 149 PeNN aVe., ScraNtoN, Pa 18503 www.biz570.com

oN tHe CoVer Focus on wilkes-barre

The Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal is a member of Times-Shamrock Publishing Division

In February, nominations are reviewed and the winning individuals emerge from their nominator’s descriptions of personalities, innovations, assets, successes and awards. Below is the nominating form. Please email your nominations to the Business Journal at biz570@timesshamrock.com by January 31, 2019 and check out the March edition to see if your nominee was chosen. Thank you.

CNG MaNaGiNG editor elizabeth baumeister — ext. 3492 CNG SaleS MaNaGer alice manley — ext. 9285 CoNtributiNG reporterS Dave Gardner Joe Sylvester cassandra wisdo Phil yacuboski

Elizabeth Baumeister

EDITOR, NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS JOURNAL

Name of Nominee: _____________________________________________

FiND uS oNliNe: www.Biz570.com facebook.com/570 • twitter.com/biz570

Business/Cell Number of Nominee: ____________________________________ Email of Nominee: ________________________________________________ Name of Nominator: ____________________________________________ Business/Cell Number of Nominator: ___________________________________ Email of Nominator:_______________________________________________ Tell us why your nominee is deserving of the honor of Top 25 Women in Business: _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED SUBMISSIONS JANUARY 31, 2019

149 PENN AVENUE, SCRANTON PA 18503 570.348.9185 • BIZ570@TIMESSHAMROCK.COM 2 NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS JOURNAL TS_CNG/NPBJ/PAGES [B02] | 01/08/19

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adVertiSiNG/SubSCriptioNS 570-207-9001 or 877-584-3561 preSS releaSeS/StorY SuGGeStioNS 570-207-9001 or 877-584-3561 Fax: 570-207-3448 MailiNG addreSS: NPbJ editorial Dept., 149 Penn ave., Scranton, Pa 18503 editorial e-Mail addreSS: biz570@timesshamrock.com CopYriGHt

NPbJ is protected under the federal copyright act. reproductions of any part by any means or facsimiles without the express written permission of the publisher are not permitted. reprints of NPbJ articles are available. Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited materials — manuscripts or photographs — with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. No information expressed herein constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities. Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal (iSSN 1078-5698) is published monthly except twice in the month of may by The Scranton Times from ofﬁces located at 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA. Periodicals postage paid at Scranton, PA. The Journal serves business owners, managers and professionals in a 10-county region. Subscriptions are available for $28 per year, $49 two years or $64 for three years. PoStmaSter: Send address changes to Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal, 149 Penn Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503.

FeatureS

Wealth planning ........................ 5 economic forecast ..................... 6 Wills ...................................... 8 dairy farm outlook ..................... 8 apprenticeships ...................... 14 Made in Nepa ......................... 19

loCal

education ........................... 7, 10 Celebrating Women entrepreneurs 11 Scranton Yp ........................... 11 dart Zone............................... 11 leadership lackawanna ............. 12 transportation ........................ 13 Wayne bank ........................... 13 Skills in Scranton ..................... 15 Wells Fargo ........................15, 17 Holiday giving ......................... 16 HNb...................................... 17

exeCutiVe Suite

brand ..................................... 3 economic development ................ 4 Finance tips .................. 17, 18, 27

buSiNeSS bulletiNS

business briefs ....................... 20 personnel ﬁle ..................... 23-26 deeds ............................... 28-29 Mortgages ......................... 29-31 Stocks of local interest ............. 31

BRAND

What’s your brand worth? by Dave Taylor

Many factors go into estimating a brand’s value and there are a variety of methods, each with pluses and minuses. Like any illiquid asset, a brand is worth what someone is willing to pay that day and nothing more or less. But a simple way to estimate brand value is to look at it from three points of view: What is the value of your brand to your customers? In other words, how much are they willing to pay compared to an alternative brand or even making no purchase at all? Millions of customers choose Oreo cookies over lower cost Hydrox every day. And these millions may never buy Hydrox in a lifetime, making their continued loyalty part of the Oreo brand’s worth as well. A brand like Coca-Cola has a multitude of loyal buyers, but also has vastly greater distribution in fountain sales and vending machines than does its rival Pepsi. Sometimes people buy Coke because it’s there and Pepsi isn’t. And that’s part of a brand’s worth as well.

w Nesting Li

What is the value of the brand in the marketplace? What can a company sell a brand for, including tangible assets like formulas, blueprints, manufacturing methods, and equipment as well as the intangibles of customer loyalty and brand preference? Major parent brands like Procter and Gamble and Unilever buy and sell brands virtually every year. P&G sold its Duracell brand for $4.7 billion in 2014 and Keurig sold its coffee maker and pods business for $13.9 billion in 2015. The motivation for P&G was part of a broad effort to dump underperforming brands and concentrate on growing their strongest. For Keurig, it was a ﬁnancial decision that provided the best value for its shareholders. What is your brand worth to you, the owner? This is the brand valuation concept that Interbrand, the global brand-consulting ﬁrm, uses. Their concept is that a brand is likely to be most valuable to its current owner. After all, the owner has built the brand and knows (or should know) its strengths and weaknesses better than

WILKES-BARRE

Open floor plan with offices, conference room & cafeteria. Zoned c-4 Heavy Commercial. Building has 1,000 SF data center featuring 20 Cabinet Hot Aisle with 80 ton water cooling, pre-action and FM Fire Suppression with redundant power. Walking distance to downtown. Parking for 165 cars and easy access to major highways.

This 9,738SF building located in saturated commercial area is situated on 1.1 acres w/parking for 40 cars. Currently occupied by a credit union the 2nd floor allows for immediate occupancy. Elevator, drive-thru-security system and full basement enhance the building.

$2,100,000

MLS# 18-6237 VIRGINIA 570-574-9253 OR JUDY 570-714-9230

TAYLOR

Great commercial opportunity! 12,000 +/- building on .68 acres bonus 1.72 acres included. Open space for offices, commercial kitchen, central air, easy access to the interstates.

MLS# 17-5067 MARION 570-585-0602

$699,000

w Nesting Li

PLAINS

Well maintained, 1-Story, brick front, professional office building. High traffic area & very visible location w/paved parking for 30 cars. Handicap accessible, gas heat, ductless A/C. Wonderful business opportunity.

MLS# 18-5857 GERI 570-696-0888

$289,900

WYOMING

4 Unit, fully rented. 1 unit is business. Also 3 nice size apartments in great condition! Additional lot included in sale for ample parking! Great location!

MLS# 18-3295 TERRY ECKERT 570-696-0843 OR MARK 570-406-8195

Kingston: 570.288.9371 Shavertown: 570.696.3801

anyone. Interbrand’s top global brands for 2018 are to the company that already owns it and keeping Apple, valued at $214 billion, Google at $155 billion it can be the best option for return on investment and Amazon at $100 billion. These are three differ- there is. ent businesses, but each established its brand at the top of its category and each is highly proﬁtable. About the only companies that could afford to buy any of these three brands are, well, any of these three brands, so the market is slim anyway. Of course, these estimates are all just educated guesses. Brand Finance, another brand consultancy with it’s own rankings, values Apple at just $146 billion and Amazon at $151 billion. Somehow I doubt that Tim Cook or Jeff Bezos is losing any sleep over either one of these evaluations, no matter how many billions of dollars apart they may be. So, what’s your brand worth? Simple elements like price premiums, lifetime value of your customers, customer retention and loyalty factors all come into play. If you elect to sell your brand, the market will decide how much those metrics are worth as well. In the end, the Interbrand approach may be the most appropriate. Your brand is worth most

$280,000

Mountain Top: 570.474.9801 Wilkes-Barre: 570.822.1160

MOUNTAINTOP

Prime location! This 4400 square foot building has great visibility. Zoned Commercial , This former medical office has bright reception area center skylight and large & small meeting rooms. Central air, gas heat. Paved parking for 40 cars - Sale includes 3 parcels - Lot in rear is not paved.

MLS# 18-4662 MARGY 570-696-0891

$1,250,000

MLS# 18-3238 JUDY 570-714-9230 OR JULIO 570-239-6408

$525,000

EDWARDSVILLE This 5200SF building is adaptable to uses such as fitness center, restaurant, offices and more. Located in anactive commercial area near Gateway Shopping Center. Highway frontage offers great exposure with parking for 75+ cars. It’s a great find! MLS# 18-6081 JUDY 570-714-9230

$459,000

WEST HAZLETON

WEST SIDE

MOTIVATED SELLER! Convenient location. This drive through building w/10 foot doors, 2 private offices, conference room, loft with 4,000SF of storage and ample parking.

MLS# 17-4372 JUDY 570-714-9230

Clarks Summit: 570.585.0600 Scranton: 570.207.6262

$175,000

3 Story commercial bldg corner Broad & Diamond, former Roads End, 3rd fl luxury apt. High traffic & visibility! MLS# 18-4457 ANITA 570-501-7583 JOYCE 570-501-7589

Drums: Hazle Twp.:

$99,900

570.788.1999 570.501.7575

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Creating the sports nation

by Howard J. Grossman, AICP

There are many clusters of economic development inside the Pocono-Northeast, but there may be one which is not very well known. It is the sports industry that accompanies the growth and development of the region and is likely to grow itself in the coming years. There is a book written by that great Pennsylvanian, James Michener from Bucks County, authored in 1976 called “Sports in America.” In 535 pages, the author talks about various professional sports, deﬁnes a crisis in sports and states the political and passions of America at organized play, rich in anecdotal, source material and Michener’s own commentary. It should be looked at with regional signiﬁcance in mind as the sports industry furthers itself in regional life. Sports is not just entertainment – as important as that may be. It produces income, allows eternal income to occur, highlights crowds who enjoy various sporting events, has enabled the construction of a stadium and an arena for profes-

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

sional sports, and has generated much interest in high school and now college sports across the region, as well as major events being held such as the Pocono International Raceway at Long Pond in Monroe County. Michener uses seven recurring words in describing the role of sports. They are health, physical ﬁtness, sports, game, physical education, athletics and lifetime sports. Each of these has meaning to what happens in this region with respect to the examination of sports as an industry sector. Its role includes thousands of jobs, hundreds of sporting events,

Now enrolling for the Great time for Adult Learners to return to college! Brush up on skills or earn another degree. Try culinary, accounting, plumbing, welding, graphic design, teaching...whatever you can imagine.

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written materials by print and electronic media, demography at all ages relating to various sporting functions, many ways to hold sports events and a host of other factors that are critical to community life in the Pocono-Northeast. Minor league professional baseball and hockey are here and have been for many years; however, most people may not know that professional basketball, soccer and lacrosse have been proposed in the past, but have not come about due to financial reasons and other causes. These opportunities have not recently been thought of, but could come about in coming years. By looking at cities of comparable size to this region, there may come a time when appropriate steps could be taken, using existing venues. Another idea that surfaced in the first part of this century was the proposal to form a regional sports commission as is the case in at least seventy plus communities around the nation, with the theme being the idea to bring more sporting events to the region. Counties could join together to enable this concept to flourish. Studying how the existing commissions have come about could advance this thought process faster. The region should be proud of the fact that it preceded the establishment of baseball and hockey franchises prior to their coming about in the Lehigh Valley. While other efforts have been started in that part of Pennsylvania before attempting them in the region, the theory of learning from other geographies makes sense with respect to using ports as a tool for economic and community development. Another potential source of sports economic growth includes the many golf courses that exist in this region which may count for at least twenty plus such venues and the likelihood that tennis could be further developed through professional functions attached to this sport. At the very least, an analysis of these and other sporting opportunities would make sense. Since sports add entertainment value to the region, think of the ways in which cultural facilities and services are growing throughout the region with the Scranton Cultural Center and the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts being two such highlights in the regional landscape. Adding the role of the arts and possible establishment of arts districts in various locations regionally adds economic value to the sense of finding things to do across the region. Another idea has been successfully implement-

ed in Allegheny County with the close to twentyyear history of a regional asset district which has helped cultural facilities, libraries and some sports venues be accomplished. This includes a special sales tax of one percent that was approved by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania that enabled this District to get started. Again this idea was proposed for this region but never implemented in the past. There are other potential major sports events that can be considered such as arena football, bowling and gymnastics, among others. Harness racing is big-time at Mohegan Sun with major purses being offered, and think about the Olympic-type races which Owen Costello used to run and now his son has taken over. Perhaps one of the future events might be a regional Olympics patterned after the world games and the potential use of venues already in place across the Pocono-Northeast. Another source of regional sports is fishing, which is already large in this region, and more competitive events could be held throughout the region. Michener points out some of the negatives of sports becoming too organized for children and their difficult situations, but these can be rectified with careful actions and would and should not lessen the sports industry approach as discussed. There are so many possibilities for sports in the region such as field hockey, which has led to many college scholarships, softball, strong baseball as shown in nearby Williamsport with Little League World Series, boxing, wrestling and other sportsrelated avenues that a full-blown industry could be shaped and chiseled easily, especially if a regional sports commission is developed. Keep in mind, one of the quotes in the book by well known sports writer Grantland Rice. He noted the following poem: For when the One Great Scorer comes, To write against your name, He marks-not just what you won or lostBut how you played the game. Michener makes the following point which sums up the role of sports in this region or elsewhere: “I defend sports as a means of obtaining exercise pleasurably. I am more impressed with sports as a developer of health than as a developer of character, and I want to see them prosper for health reasons, because I know of no other human activity which so well serves that purpose.” Perhaps the same can be said for sports as an industry sector for this region.

TAX SEASON

Wealth planning in 2019 requires sharp focus by Dave Gardner

Amid a sea of financial change and uncertainty, several of NEPA’s experienced retirement “shepherds” are urging their clients stay focused, and to focus less. Wealth planning for 2019, according to Fortune. com, will unfold within a national economy that most experts agree is not yet ready to yield to inevitable recessionary forces. Forecasts call for overall economic growth to be solid on a domestic and global level, with only marginal slowdowns despite the realities of rising interest rates, stock market instability and Trump-sponsored trade wars. The best way for investors to stay sane amid all of this global chaos is to downplay or even ignore the daily financial news, according to Lou Ingargiola, president of Ingargiola Wealth Management Group. INGARGIOLA He stated when an investor looks into 2019 and considers his or her retirement investment planning, he or she can be bombarded by 24/7 financial news from a wide variety of media sources, and Ingargiola has become concerned about how people react to the bombastic events being perpetually presented. Hold fast The reality of investment, according to Ingargiola, is that investment metrics rise and fall almost at will. They key to making money – and staying sane – is to hold fast to the concept that what goes down will come back up, provided the investor has a diversified portfolio featuring world-class companies. “Yes, you can make small changes when needed as a company values rise and fall, but in reality, the true worth of a company does not change day-to-day,” said Ingargiola. “You have to look at the stock’s long-term value, and almost all of these numbers come back given time if they should drop.” He personally witnessed how scores of investors abandoned their investments in the wake of the 2008 financial crash, robbing them of the potential to achieve genuine gains after the market inevitably recovered. For many of these retirement investors, the resultant scenario became almost tragic. “This all comes down to what your goal is for investment and what type of plan you’re utilizing,”

said Ingargiola. “If you have a quality world-class portfolio and you’re in the market for the long haul, stay with it and ignore these daily ups and downs.” Retirement concerns also voiced by Ingargiola include the realities that federal debt is rising at an alarming rate fueled by Washington’s recent tax reform, and the fact that Medicare has been in ﬁnancial trouble for some time and no action has been taken. Smart investment planners also must be wary of swinging oil prices that are causing petro stocks to be in a free fall, with the 24/7 media delivering news about the situation that mimics a roller-coaster. “If you truly believe in capitalism then you also believe in long-term gains if a quality portfolio is maintained over the long haul,” said Ingargiola. “It’s acceptable to make a few adjustments to portfolios, but you can be assured the values will go up in the long term, and therefore to resist making snap judgements turn off the 24/7 news.” Quagmire of changes Washington’s recent overhaul of the federal tax code has created a “swamp” of new regulations and resultant questions requiring an attentive focus, according to Neil Trauma, CPA. He

acknowledged that the tax reform has lowered many taxpayer rates, especially for business, but Trauma emphasized that it is vital for each tax case to be studied intently and handled individually. According to Trauma, TRAUMA while the standard deduction has been reduced, many individual deductions have been eliminated, potentially resulting in a zero-gain scenario with many returns. The eliminations of these deductions may also simplify the work needed for many returns, but Trauma is skeptical that the overall tax process has been downsized. “It’s vital to remember each situation is unique because of these new code changes,” said Trauma. “Every return must be handled with care because the changes are quite sweeping, including the big adjustments to the business rates. I’ve been to three tax seminars already and there’s still lots to learn.” One of the big questions involved in retire-

ment planning includes whether to pay taxes on income now or later when a retiree’s income and rate may be decreased. According to Trauma, the massive federal debt now being logged because of tax reform could force lawmakers to steeply increase tax rates in the future, and this possibility is adding a wildcard to the tax equation of pay now or pay later. “It’s important to understand that, in many cases, income actually doesn’t drop steeply for many retirees,” said Trauma. “This situation can cause a lot of confusion, but decisions have to be made by the taxpayer as they plan to retire.” He added that the fallout from the 2008 ﬁnancial crash hasn’t completely evaporated in the minds of his clients. As a rule, older people remain conservative with their planning, younger people without a functional memory of the crash may be more aggressive, and a select group of youngsters prefer to live for experience over savings. “All factors considered, some people are going to gain from the tax changes, and some people will lose,” said Trauma. “At the end of the day, what we’re left with is a more complex tax code that requires a sharp focus.”

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FEATURE

Local economic forecast for 2019 by Joe Sylvester

The outlook for the Northeastern Pennsylvania economy is pretty solid for 2019, though it is lagging behind the national economy, regional economic experts said. A University of Scranton economics professor, however, said there are worrisome signs of possible trouble ahead due to increasing deficits, tariffs and health care uncertainties. “I think the underlying fundamentals of the U.S. economy are pretty solid,” said Gus Faucher, senior vice president and chief economist of The PNC Financial Services Group. He said there is good FAUCHER job growth, wage growth, which is designed to keep current workers happy and attract new workers, and growth in consumer spending. Energy prices, specifically gas prices, are coming down. Faucher said the fiscal stimulus tax policy is helping corporations invest more, though incentives for business included in the package will lead to mild business growth in the short term but don’t do much in the long term. Satyajit Ghosh, a professor of economics at The University of Scranton, said, though, there is uncertainty in the new tax policy. “When we fill out our taxes, we will see a lot of our deductions are gone — GHOSH mortgage deductions, state income tax deductions,” Ghosh said. “Middle class folks will figure out, ‘did it really help us?’” He said that just before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump said he planned a 10 percent tax cut for the middle class. “The White House essentially backed away from it,” Ghosh said. “What are our tax policies? We don’t know.” He said the tax policy that was passed went more toward corporations and the wealthy. “Our annual deficit exploded, our debt is increasing at a very, very fast rate,” Ghosh said. Lagging behind Faucher said the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area

typically lags behind the national economy, so it will see growth, just not as soon as most of the rest of the country. Northeastern Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was at 4.8 percent in October, while the national unemployment rate was 3.7 percent that same month. “That’s a good number, particularly for Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Faucher said. “It’s roughly on par with where it was in the previous expansion a decade or so ago.” David Taylor, president and chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association, said he expects continued growth, but the manufacturing industry faces big challenges. “There are more jobs TAYLOR available than there are people looking for work,” Taylor said. “My people can’t find the qualified workers. If you can’t find the staff, you can’t have that shift or take on that new contract that might be available to you because you can’t get the work done on time.” Ghosh agreed Northeastern Pennsylvania’s economy lags behind the national economy. He said the impact of the 2008 recession lasted almost to 2011 nationally, but locally, it lasted a little longer. Ghosh said the economy may weaken in 2019. He said the country is overdue for a recession. “There are a lot of things that are going on that are problematic for the economy,” he added. Unemployment is low and wages are going up, but the stock market is not doing very well. “All of the gains made this year have been lost,” he said. Ghosh said the stock market may go down quite a bit, even when the economy is doing well. When the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, the market tends to “go south,” but the Fed is doing what it is supposed to be doing by bumping up interest rates to fight off inflation. “I think we will see higher interest rates in 2019,” Faucher said. He said wage and inflation pressures will lead to those higher interest rates that will result in some slowing in housing and auto sales. Ghosh said there is too much uncertainty.

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“We are not sure of what is our trade policy,” he said. “One day Trump is imposing tariffs on China and a lot of other countries, the next day the White House says it is not imposing tariffs. The stock market does not like a trade war. The companies don’t know which way to go.” He added, “My guess is I would not be surprised if the economy starts to slow down because of trade issues and other uncertainties. Faucher said higher prices on such products as steel and aluminum do increase uncertainty, but he didn’t think tariffs currently were not having much of an impact. “If we do get involved in a full-fledged trade war, that could be a more significant negative for the global economy and reflect on the U.S. economy,” he said. “I’m not expecting that to happen.” Job growth to slow Faucher expects job growth to slow nationally and in Northeastern Pennsylvania because of the difficulty of finding workers. Taylor said low work force participation leaves a lot of people on the sidelines. “This gets to the opioid crisis, the failure of the educational system,” Taylor said. “We also have an opportunity with corrections reform. Maybe a lot of people on the sidelines are ex-cons or had a tangle with the criminal justice system. My hope is this can be a bipartisan area of policy, particularly in corrections.” He sees more companies using robotics, but he said somebody has to build and service the robots. Ghosh said one of the biggest issues facing the economy is health care. There is uncertainty about that, as well, following the ruling against the Afford-

able Care Act, or ACA, by the federal judge in Texas. Ghosh said if the ruling is upheld, those with preexisting conditions may not be protected anymore, and families with children up to 26 years of age may have to spend $2,000 more a year because those children cannot be on the family plan. “The president and the Republicans said before the election they would protect pre-existing conditions,” Ghosh said. “Now the president says (the Texas judge’s ruling) was a good decision. Faucher said, though, because that judge’s ruling hasn’t taken effect, he doesn’t expect to see big changes. “Businesses have adjusted, health care has adjusted,” he said, adding there is slower health care inﬂation. Taylor said health care will keep going up. He chided Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration for not allowing development of Association Health Plans, in which small businesses form groups to buy insurance together. But Pennsylvania’s Acting Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman submitted comments to the federal government earlier this year on behalf of the commonwealth, highlighting “concerns about increased potential for consumer harm both immediately, and in the near future, as the ripple effect of the proposed changes begin to affect market stability, insurers, and the provider community.” Altman, in her comments to the U.S. Department of Labor, expressed concerns that the new rule could impact consumer access to quality, affordable coverage, the state’s regulatory authority and market stability, according to her agency.

EDUCATION Pennsylvania students have advantage in earning degrees in career-directed fields 2016-17 academic year – more than twoStudents and families have much to thirds of them from independent institutions. consider when choosing an academic major A similar scenario plays out in nursing, where and then selecting an institution of independent institutions awarded higher education to achieve their more than 4,000 Bachelor of Sciprofessional dreams. Admittedly, ence degrees in nursing. Miseriit is not an easy decision as value cordia University, where I serve as and professional preparation in president, enrolls more than 40 percareer-directed fields of study are cent of its incoming class annually important elements under careful into one of six health professions. deliberation. Education presents a similar As president of a university that view, with about 4,000 new bachelor BOTZMAN bases its teaching and learning on degrees awarded to our future a liberal arts model, I witness the teachers each year. Business and transformation as students learn and practice related areas, such as marketing and manwhat it takes to become successful in life and agement, add another 18,000 degrees, and in their future careers. I field questions reguindependent institutions award nearly one-half larly from prospective students and parents of those degrees. who are concerned about how institutions What about STEM degrees? More than prepare students for rewarding careers. Do the 5,000 biology and biological science gradufacts support our statements that a liberal-arts ates received their degrees in the state – and base, coupled with career-directed majors, independent institutions accounted for more lead to promising futures? than half of them. The independents and Let us take a closer look at the bachelor state-related universities almost split the more degrees awarded in Pennsylvania during than 6,000 graduates in engineering evenly. the 2016-17 academic year. There are three In addition, the independents conferred about broad categories of colleges and universities one-third of the degrees in computer and that issue a significant number of bachelor information science. degrees: 14 state system universities (such as In total, AICUP reports that about 70 percent Clarion, West Chester and Shippensburg), four of degrees in each of the three college categostate-related universities (Penn State, Temple, ries are clearly oriented toward a career – that Lincoln and Pitt), and more than 90 indepenis more than 60,000 career ready graduates dent colleges and universities. Many of the annually. The remaining 30 percent are typically independents are smaller and located in lessin the social science and humanities, areas that populated areas, serving a regional student are the source of our future legal, business, and body. Others, such as Penn and Drexel, are social work colleagues. As such, the areas not larger in scale and academic offerings. as directly career-directed also are preparing Independent universities award nearly half graduates for successful careers. of all bachelor degrees in the Keystone state, Pennsylvania has a distinct advantage with 43,450 graduates in 2016-17. State-relat- over many other states thanks to having three ed universities issued 28,963 degrees and the distinct paths for students in pursuit of a sucstate system conferred 19,608, according to cessful career and life. Independent colleges the Association of Independent Colleges and are proud to provide an excellent education Universities (AICUP). to so many of our ambitious and aspirational Are these graduates ready for successful students. Let us continue to support students careers? In my view, the clear answer is “yes,” and families as they choose a path toward a regardless of how you define career-ready debrighter future. grees. About two-thirds of bachelor degrees are Thomas J. Botzman, Ph.D., is president of granted in fields that lead to a rewarding career. Misericordia University in Dallas, the oldest four-year institution of higher education in In the general health professions, more Luzerne County. than 10,000 degrees were awarded during the by Thomas J. Botzman, Ph.D.

Misericordia University NCLEX-RN licensure exam pass rate higher than national, state average Misericordia University students who recently graduated from the Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing (BSN) achieved a pass rate higher than the state and national averages on the National Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) for baccalaureate degree students. The NCLEX-RN was developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) to ensure the public’s protection. In order to receive a license to practice, a nursing candidate must pass an examination that measures the competencies newly licensed, entry-level nurses have to perform safely and effectively, according to NCSBN. Misericordia University BSN graduates achieved a 95-percent pass rate for ﬁrst-time test takers between October 2017 and September 2018. Misericordia graduates exceeded the average national pass rate of 88.56 percent and the average pass rate in Pennsylvania of 92.84 for baccalaureate degree programs. Misericordia University NCLEX-RN test-takers also had the second highest pass rates of baccalaureate-degree programs in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, according to NCSBN data. Misericordia University features the oldest nursing program in the area and graduates more students in the health sciences than any other college or university in Northeast Pennsylvania. The University offers three undergraduate nursing

programs: traditional, full-time nursing students; part-time evening program for adult students; and the RN to BSN Expressway Program. The undergraduate nursing programs are designed to meet the special educational and scheduling needs of adult and traditional students. They all lead to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The MSN nursing program meets the special needs of current BSN registered nurses who desire an advanced practice specialization as a family nurse practitioner. MU also offers a post-master’s certiﬁcate as a family nurse practitioner for nurses who already have an advanced clinical master’s degree and who wish to change or expand their practice focus to primary care. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education in health assessment, diagnosis and management of acute and chronic health conditions with expertise in health promotion and disease prevention. Graduate programming leads to the MSN and provides course work in a convenient part-time, one-day-aweek format. The university also offers an online doctor of nursing practice degree program in two formats to accommodate the needs of busy health care professionals and in response to growing national need. For more information about the nursing program at Misericordia University, call 570-674-6400 or visit misericordia.edu/nursing.

Photo submitted by Misericordia University

Misericordia University students, testing their clinical skills in the Erwine Nursing Lab in John J. Passan Hall, recently graduated from the Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing and achieved a pass rate higher than the state and national averages on the National Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses for baccalaureate degree students.

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FEATURE

A rocky year for dairy farmers

Let’s talk about wills by Phil Yacuboski

It might be a morbid topic to some, but a necessary one about which to have a frank discussion around the dinner table – your will. A recent study by caring.com says more than half of Americans don’t have a will and when it comes to millennials – people ages 18 to 36 – the number jumps to 78 percent. “If you don’t have a spouse or a family, you need a will to determine what’s going to happen to your assets after you pass away,” said N. Brian Cavery, a Shickshinny attorney and co-author of the book Estate Planning for Dummies. He advised speaking to a lawyer, especially if you have questions regarding the subject. “That will help you make the best decisions about what your needs may be,” he explained, adding that lawyers typically are trained to see problems that others may not see. “You really need to have a will to make sure what you have goes where you want it to go.” The study found that younger people tend to think they have fewer assets than older people; 29 percent of those surveyed feel they don’t have “anything to leave anyone.” “Many millennials think that it’s something for older people to do or people that they think have enough money to warrant having an estate plan,” he said. “The problem with that kind of thinking is that everyone has an estate to one degree or another whether it’s a couple of hundred dollars or a couple of million dollars.” If you die without a will, the state of Pennsylvania has what are known as “intestate” laws, meaning the laws of Intestate Succession will look over the how the assets are distributed. The laws are set up to protect a spouse or children, should one die without a will. “They may inherit those assets if there’s no will, but if they are minors, they won’t come into control of those assets until they become 18 or until a guardian is appointed to manage those assets,” he said.

“You can make a provision that will simply protect them by having a will that appoints them as a guardian of their estate.” It’s rare that assets are left entirely to the Commonwealth. In the case of young people who may have a business arraignment, many of those agreements already have documents in place in case of a death. “If they set up and it takes off and they haven’t updated their business documents, then it’s ultimately doing to fall back on their estate documents,” Caverly said, “with the will being the primary of all of those documents.” Other factors could also play into the decision of not having a will. “There are a significant number of millennials who will not want what they want to leave at the time of their death to go to their parents who would be first in line for a number of reasons,” said Jerry Chariton, a Wilkes-Barre attorney, who specializes in wills and estate planning. “Their parents could be elderly or their parents might not need the money or their parents could be candidates for nursing home care and they would have to spend the money before they qualified for Medicaid assistance.” He also said questions could also arise if someone has a partner, but isn’t married. “There are a whole host of people who should consult with an attorney,” he said. Chariton said if there’s home ownership involved and other assets, it would mean more legal costs because of its trip through the court system. The caring.com study also asked whether people have a power of attorney over their health care, which is more common than a living will or trust. The study found 83 percent of those older than 72 have a power of attorney in place while the number is half that when it comes to millennials.

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JANUARY 2019

by Phil Yacuboski

Expect 2019 to be a rocky year in Pennsylvania’s dairy farm industry with more farmers experiencing hardship along with the price of milk continuing to drop. “The farmers are just in an awful position because of the price of milk,” said Roy Nobles, a Susquehanna dairy farmer, who at 74 still tends cows on the farm where he was born. “Family farms were started with family labor and now, with just a few people on the farm, the overhead is too great for people to live.” Nobles’ story is echoed throughout the state’s dairy industry, which is seeing drastic changes. The Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence says in 2016, the commonwealth lost 120 dairy farms. However, with more than 6,600 farms throughout Pennsylvania, it represents 15.9 percent of dairy farms throughout the nation. And despite the number of decreasing dairy farms, production across the state is increasing. Pennsylvania ranks sixth in dairy production in the U.S. with an average of 525,000 cows producing more than 10 billion pounds of milk annually. “There’s a larger supply than there is demand,” said David Swartz, assistant director, Animal Systems Programs at Penn State University. “Milk is a product that people need so much of, so as a result, the price keeps falling because we are overproducing.” Swartz said in the western parts of the United States, producers have ﬁgured out how make milk at a lower cost. He said a farm family in Pennsylvania might have 80 cows and they have to take their family living expenses off those cows. He said

smaller amounts of cows mean there’s a greater burden falling on making sure the family can survive. “It puts the whole industry at a disadvantage,” he said. He also said many Pennsylvania dairy farms are owned by those of the Amish and Mennonite community. “They want to make a living, but they also want to have the farm as a lifestyle,” he said. “Sometimes, there’s not the push for production increases like there are on larger farms.” Across the country, the trend has been on dairy farms having larger herds of cows – typically 500 or larger. Pennsylvania’s herds are typically 200 cows or fewer. Swartz believes as smaller farmers cease production, the price of milk should rise. A recent survey by the Penn State Extension Dairy Business Management team found milk prices will rise slowly in the ﬁrst half of 2019, but numbers are still below an average of where many experts believe they should be. The PA CDE says companies like Chobani and Coca-Cola are bringing more processing demand for raw milk because of the products they produce, like yogurt. “If there were no plant-based drinks masquerading as milk, we might have a 4 percent increase in sales,” said Swartz, “it’s not the major issue that’s causing the pain with low prices.” “You walk into any convenience store and they have drinks all colors of the rainbow,” said Nobles. “What impresses a young kid, but the color of the drink. Milk is a natural energy drink and perhaps the advertising and marketing needs to be better.”

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NORTHEAS T P ENNS YLVANIA BUS INES S J OURNAL J ANUARY 2019 9 TS_CNG/ADVERTISING/AD_PAGES [ADB09] | 01/08/19

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EDUCATION

Marywood University students and administrators New students begin DBA program at The make an impact on the community University of Scranton

A recent grant, funded by The Robert H. Spitz Foundation, is giving Marywood University representatives the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the community. The STARS (Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success) Program, an after-school mentoring/homework help program for students in grades 7-12 has been established in the community. With the continuous growth of the Latino population in Scranton, Marywood University knew there was a need to build more relationships in the Latino community. A former English as a Second Language teacher in the Scranton School District, Emily Coleman, academic support specialist for the English Language Learners at Marywood University, and STARS director, has had many interactions with the Latino students and their families. Through conducting a needs assessment in Spanish with the parents at St. John Neumann Church and the Steamtown Church, Scranton, the idea came together to create a program for secondary age students. Additional support for the STARS program was provided by administrators in the Scranton School District and the Educational Enrichment Institute at the IHM Center. Marywood students are mentoring the Latino youth to bring more awareness to different degrees

and options that exist in higher education by sharing their educational journey and aspirations with the youth in the hope that they can inspire them to start thinking about their futures. Graduate students in the social work program at Marywood University, Michelle Gonzalez and Michelle Ramirez, have been working with Coleman to bring the STARS program to fruition. Both Ramirez and Coleman have created mentoring themes, ideas for both youth and parent workshops, and help conduct volunteer training with a focus on mentoring and cultural awareness. There is considerable interest in the STARS Program. It is currently able to serve 22 youth with a wait list of 20 additional students. Throughout the academic year, STARS will not only hold parent and youth workshops on topics such as public education and the process of applying to college, but has also formed an advisory board made up of parents and Latino community leaders to keep ongoing conversations about how the STARS program is performing and to make any adjustments to the program to fully serve the Latino population. For more information about the program, visit marywood.edu/els/index.html or call 570-9614559.

The University of Scranton welcomed the second cohort of students into its doctor of business administration (DBA) program. Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, associate professor, Accounting Department chair and DBA program director, faculty from the DBA program, University Trustees and DBA students who entered the program in the fall of last year, joined together to help orient the new students into the program at a welcome session on campus. Housed in the University’s Kania School of Management, the DBA program began in the fall semester of 2017. The University’s DBA program, with a concentration in accounting, was developed to provide experienced practitioners with a practical pathway to an academic career. The program offers participants ﬂexibility, while still providing for the development of the knowledge and skill set necessary to become a “scholarly academic” – one

who is qualiﬁed to teach at a school of business that possesses or is seeking formal accreditation by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The incoming DBA students are: ■ Shea N. Burden of Athens, Ohio ■ Felisha N. Fret of Great Neck, New York ■ Anuradha (Anu) C. Ghai of Allentown ■ Jessica L. Hildebrand of Mountain Top ■ Hugh Lambert of Rochester, New York ■ Ran Li of Potsdam, New York ■ Alexis C. Montelone of Bensalem ■ Aﬁa A. Oppong of New City, New York ■ Linette Rayeski of West New York, New Jersey ■ Savas Saymaz of Whitehall ■ Charles Speicher of North Attleboro, Massachusetts ■ Ashley L. Stampone of Old Forge ■ James W. Sunday of Scranton

Photo coutesy of The Univeristy of Scranton

The University of Scranton welcomed to campus the second cohort of students enrolled in the doctor of business administration (DBA) program. First row, from left: DBA faculty Robert Spalletta, Ph.D., professor of physics/electrical engineering; Daniel West, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Health Administration and Human Resources Department; and Douglas M. Boyle, D.B.A., associate professor, chair of the Accounting Department and DBA program director; and University Trustees Christopher Kane, Photo courtesy of Marywood University Tracy Bannon and Frank Dubas. Second row: DBA faculty Rebecca Mikesell, Ph.D., assistant professor Through a grant funded by the Robert H. Spitz Foundation; administration in the Scranton School of communication, and James Boyle, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting; and DBA students Ashley District; and the Educational Enrichment Institute at the IHM Center, Marywood administrators and L. Stampone, Ronald Parker and Joy Chacko. Third row: DBA students Ran Li, Daniel Gaydon, Heather students have been able to establish STARS, Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success, Losi, Jessica L. Hildebrand, Shea N. Burden, Linette Rayeski, James W. Sunday and Alexis C. Montelone. Program. From left: Emily Coleman of Dunmore, academic support specialist for English Language Fourth row: DBA students Amanda Marcy, Patrick O’Brien, Craig Gallagher, Savas Saymaz, Marcus Burke, Learners at Marywood University and STARS program director, and Michelle Ramirez of Dallas and Jenny Gonzalez of Scranton, graduate students in the School of Social Work at Marywood University. Felisha N. Fret, Aﬁa A. Oppong, Hugh Lambert and Charles Speicher.

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JANUARY 2019

CELEBRATING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Tiddlywinks Boutique by Cassandra Wisdo

If you’re looking to provide an adorable and unique experience for the little ones in your life, your next shopping destination should be Tiddlywinks Boutique in Dunmore. Or if you want something closer to home, Tiddlywinks will come to you. Owner and creator Jessica Bredbenner was working as a pharmaceutical rep when she became pregnant with her daughter, Madison. Realizing her corporate career would not allow her to spend the time and energy she wanted with her daughter, she decided to start her own business. “I always knew from a young age I had an entrepreneurial spirit and eventually wanted to open my own business,” Bredbenner said. “I was always into everything creative and artsy ... making my own clothes and trying to sell them, I knew I was destined for something creative in my life and that corporate was not something I could stick with forever.” During her pregnancy she began hand-making dresses and other clothing pieces to sell on Etsy, an online marketplace. After her designs became popular, Jessica realized she was interested in pursuing her passion full-time. With her BA degree in marketing from Marywood University and her experience working in sales and retail throughout college as well as in her corporate job, she knew she was prepared to open her own store – she just needed a concrete idea. Then, while traveling on the West Coast, she was inspired by a colorful, mobile boutique she saw parked outside a mall in Portland, Oregon. Realizing she could combine her passion for designing children’s clothing with a unique boutique concept, the idea for her mobile business, Tiddlywinks Boutique, was created. Tiddlywinks Boutique is a converted princess mobile on wheels that is so much more than just a specialty clothing store. The boutique hosts

community shows, events and even home-based birthday parties. After her business was running for about a year, Jessica decided to open a permanent shop, called simply Tiddlywinks. Tiddlywinks offers a tea room inside, where customers can have tea parties, birthday parties and public/private events featuring princesses and characters. The shop offers sparkly, sequined dresses with pretty, girly textures and everyday unique designs. There are still numerous homemade pieces in the store and custom clothing for events, such as flower girl or birthday dresses, can be ordered. The dressing room area offers a unique experience for children. Containing a mini salon which provides services including makeup, hair and nails fit for a princess, as well as princess dresses and accessories for girls to dress up in anytime they enter the shop. They can then model their new styles on a small stage or inside a hang out area complete with a princess tent. “My idea for the store was not to just be a clothing boutique,” Bredbenner said when asked about what inspired her. “I wanted something truly unique, special and unlike anything in our area. I wanted an overall experience and something that little girls and family can come to and truly feel magical and youthful. Girls are our future and every little girl should feel special, unique, and empowered.” In the future, Bredbenner hopes Tiddlywinks will become a national brand with stores across the U.S. She is currently working on expanding into a few Northeast cities and plans on employing women, particularly mothers, to run them. Bredbenner’s advice to other women thinking about starting their own business is to “never give up. Even if you feel like you are juggling a million things or do not have the time. It’s about your passion, drive and ambition ... find other business owners in your community ... Finding like-minded people you can connect and relate to can be such a huge help, and leaning on each other and helping one another is even more rewarding on all ends.” Cassandra Wisdo is an intern with University of Scranton Women’s Entrepreneurship Center under the supervision of Donna Simpson, Consultant Manager.

More info Submitted photo

Tiddlywinks Boutique owner and creator Jessica Bredbenner.

For more information, visit tiddlywinksboutique.com, Tiddlywinks Boutique on Facebook and @tiddlywinksboutique on Instagram.

LOCAL

Scranton YP holds holiday mixer

Photo courtesy of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

Scranton YP, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s professional development group for area young professionals, recently held its Not So Silent Night holiday mixer at The Marketplace at Steamtown. The group’s next event, Nosh & Knowledge, will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at noon at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton. Tickets are available online at scrantonchamber.com. From left: Alex Zero, Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County; Jeff Bauman, Johnson College; Dana Healey, Johnson College; Heather Buck, Johnson College; Ashley Hassenbein, Johnson College; Katie Gettmann, Johnson College and Abbie Maseychik, Scranton YP co-chair.

Dart Zone Inc. holds ribbon cutting

Photo courtesy of the SBDC

The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) announced the ribbon cutting of Dart Zone Inc., 1033 Reeves Street, Dunmore. Participating in the ribbon cutting, from left: SBDC intern Catherine Farrell, Jamie Frable, Louis Naro, Randy Frable, Luke Schoﬁeld, John Palumbo, Lou Naro, Anthony Palumbo, Sam Palumbo, Ridley Palumbo, Xander Frable, Randy Frable, Wil Palumbo and SBDC intern Carolyn Giordano. The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) announced the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of the Dart Zone, Inc. Dart Zone is a Nerf battle arena where children

of any ages, “can come in and blast their friends with the foam darts,” according to owner Samantha Palumbo. The business offers special promotions and events weekly and has a room to host birthday parties and other private events.

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LOCAL

Leadership Lackawanna Executive Program Class of 2018 graduates

Leadership Lackawanna announced its 2018 ExAbout The Greater Scranton ecutive Program graduates during a recent celebration Chamber of Commerce at The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple. The Greater Scranton Chamber of ComThe Executive Program assists professionals in merce is a not-for-profit organization that becoming more engaged in the community, broadworks to improve the area’s economic enviens their social network and increases their overall ronment and quality of life by providing proknowledge of the Greater Scranton region. grams and services which stimulate economic growth, promote business prosperity The 2018 Executive Program graduates include: and nurture educational opportunities. For ■ James M. Brown, Marywood University more information about the Chamber, visit ■ Charles Curtin, The Honesdale National Bank scrantonchamber.com. ■ Brian Daubert, MCR Design Group About Leadership Lackawanna ■ Dr. Antoinette Hamidian, The Aaron Center, Inc. Leadership Lackawanna is northeastern ■ Lisa M. Imbriaco, Abington Heights High School Pennsylvania’s premier community leader■ Matthew R. Kalinchok, Commonwealth Health ship and professional development program. Its three areas – Core, Executive and ■ Allan S. Karaffa , Kronick Kalada Berdy and Co. Tomorrow’s Leaders Today – enhance the ■ Glenn Layaou, III, Kronick Kalada Berdy and Co. skills and knowledge of emerging and ■ Wendy K. Miller, Benco Dental advanced professionals, enabling them to ■ Suzanne O’Donnell, H.W. Roever, Inc. better serve in their organization and comPhoto courtesy of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce ■ Richard Rogalewicz, Post Acute Medical munities. Established in 1982, Leadership From left, front row: Lisa M. Imbriaco, Abington Heights High School; Wendy K. Miller, Benco Dental; Lackawanna has graduated more than Specialty Hospital of Wilkes-Barre Brian Daubert, MCR Design Group; Suzanne O'Donnell, H.W. Roever, Inc.; Charles Curtin, The Hones2,200 community leaders. For more infor■ Nick Serniak, NJS Systems and Controls dale National Bank; and James M. Brown, Marywood University. Back row: Nicole Morristell, director, mation, visit leadershiplackawanna.com. ■ James J. Wisnewski Jr., Tobyhanna Army Depot Leadership Lackawanna; Glenn Layaou, III, Kronick Kalada Berdy and Co.; Allan S. Karaffa , Kronick Participants met key business and community Kalada Berdy and Co.; James J. Wisnewski Jr., Tobyhanna Army Depot; Richard Rogalewicz, Post leaders as they received overviews of Lackawanna recreational activities and non-proﬁt organizations. Acute Medical Specialty Hospital of Wilkes-Barre; Nick Serniak, NJS Systems and Controls; Matthew County’s history and culture, economic and politiSessions were held one evening per week for ﬁve R. Kalinchok, Commonwealth Health; and Robbie Risley, Quadrant EPP and Leadership Lackawanna cal structures, community events, civic groups, weeks at various locations. board chair. Dr. Antoinette Hamidian of The Aaron Center, Inc. is also a member of this year’s class.

Leadership Lackawanna installs board members Photo courtesy of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

Leadership Lackawanna, a regional community leadership and professional development organization, recently installed several new board members. Incoming board members will serve a three-year term. From left: Robbie Risley, Leadership Lackawanna Board Chair; Sean McAndrew, Ingargiola Wealth Management Group; Kim Rollman, TMG Health, A Cognizant Company; Todd Pousley, NeighborWorks Northeastern PA; Kayla Guilford, Lackawanna College and Nicole Morristell, director, Leadership Lackawanna. Kristyn Smith, Tobyhanna Army Depot, and Mark McHugh, Commonwealth Health/Moses Taylor Hospital, are also incoming board members.

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JANUARY 2019

LOCAL

PennDOT secretary of transportation speaks at NEPA Moves Meeting

Wayne Bank celebrates employee milestones

Wayne Bank held a luncheon and awards presentation to recognize employees celebrating years of service milestones. Twenty-one employees were honored at the luncheon, which was held at The Honesdale Golf Club on Oct. 24. “The success and growth of our organization is a direct result of our exceptional employees,” stated Lewis J. Critelli, president and chief executive Officer of Wayne Bank. “Their continued dedication and commitment to Wayne Bank, our customers and the communities we serve is deserving of special recognition, and we are proud to honor their milestone years of service at this awards luncheon.” Employees recognized for five years of service: Michele Bailey, Andes community office Photo courtesy of the Scranton Area Community Foundation manager; Karen Beissel, Wurtsboro community PennDOT Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards delivers a speech on innovation in the office manager; Kayla Dixon, indirect lendtransportation industry across Pennsylvania. ing specialist; Denise Kern, Central Scranton assistant community office manager; Kristen Lancia, marketing associate; Darlene Mosher, Hawley community office teller; Brandi Rollison, electronic banking service rep; Frank Sislo, assistant vice president, consumer loan manager; and Kara Suchy, vice president, director of internal audit. Honored for ten years with the bank: Maryanne Hiller, fraud and risk analyst

specialist; Lynn Rollison, Waymart community office teller supervisor; and Cheryl Wilkerson, Tannersville community office manager. Celebrating fifteen years of service: Cindy Johannes, deposit operations rep, and Amanda Miller, commercial loan documentation officer. Twenty-year honorees include: Julie Kuen, vice president, retail operations and marketing manager; Annette Jurkowski, assistant BSA/compliance officer; and Gerry Moore, assistant vice president, Delaware County residential mortgage officer. Twenty-five-plus years of service: Bea Hendrickson, Walton Community Office teller, was celebrated for her twenty-five years of service, along with Kelly Teeple, executive administrative assistant specialist, and Jodi Wood, loan operations specialist, for their milestone thirty years with Wayne Bank. Wayne Bank is a subsidiary of Norwood Financial Corp., Member FDIC, and is based in Honesdale. The Bank has 26 community offices serving Wayne, Pike, Monroe and Lackawanna counties, along with Delaware and Sullivan counties in New York State. The stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol— NWFL.

Photo courtesy of the Scranton Area Community Foundation

PennDOT Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards was keynote speaker for the NEPA Moves quarterly meeting held Thursday, Oct. 18 at Benco Dental in Pittston. Nearly 100 community members gathered on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Benco Dental in Pittston for the NEPA Moves quarterly meeting where keynote speaker, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards, delivered remarks on innovation in the transportation industry across the Commonwealth and addressed new trafﬁc challenges facing the region. Transportation barriers limit access to affordable housing, job opportunities, educational and cultural opportunities and quality health care. NEPA Moves, spearheaded by the Scranton Area Community Foundation and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, launched in 2017 as a way to address transportation concerns, improve access and foster greater opportunity for all people and communities across the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre/Hazelton regions. Comprised of more than 90 key regional stakeholders, NEPA Moves works through a collective model to gain a better understanding of the speciﬁc barriers of current transit systems and focuses on solving the transportation challenges through a strategy

that promotes equity and encourages economic growth in NEPA. Secretary Richards praised NEPA Moves for its phenomenal work to date, calling it a unique collaborative model not only for the state of Pennsylvania, but nationally for cross-sector partnerships advancing transit equity. NEPA Moves is already making strides within the community in the ﬁelds of workforce development, mass transportation and health and social services. Some of the latest accomplishments include a geographic information system (GIS) mapping tool that identiﬁes the medical institutions and social service providers that are accessible via the public transportation network; the pilot of a new online platform through Geisinger Health System that uses technology for ride coordination, connecting residents to the public transportation network and private rideshare alternatives in the Scranton and Danville areas; and a public transit toolkit for NEPA employers is expected to reach employers across the region later this year.

Photo courtesoy of Wayne Bank

From left: John F. Carmody, executive vice president and chief credit officer; Brandi Rollison; John H. Sanders, senior vice president and retail lending manager; Kara Suchy; Denise Kern; Cindy Johannes; James F. Burke, executive vice president and chief lending officer; Annette Jurkowski; Amanda Miller; Darlene Mosher; Michele Bailey; Karen Beissel; Julie Kuen; Gerry Moore; Kelly Teeple, Lewis J. Critelli, President, chief executive officer; Dawnette Hotaling, senior vice president, NY retail banking market manager; Bea Hendrickson; Cheryl Wilkerson; Jodi Wood; Maryanne Hiller; Frank Sislo; Kayla Dixon; Joseph A. Castrogiovanni, senior vice president, PA retail banking market manager; Lynn Rollison; Robert J. Mancuso, executive vice president and chief operating officer; William S. Lance, executive vice president and chief financial officer; and Kristen Lancia.

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FEATURE

Apprenticeships on the rise in Pennsylvania by Phil Yacuboski

Staffing Services: Seasonal, Temporary & Permanent Employees

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Talented & Hardworking Employees Sub-Contractor or Direct Hire Assembly • Packaging • Order Fulfillment etc..

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Upcoming Special Editions! • Healthcare Focus: Cardiac Care: Men and Heart Health • Long Term Care: Latest on care for the elderly • Focus on Architects & Engineers

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• Coming in March!

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Contact Alice Manley today for advertising information! 570-348-9100 Ext. 9285 • Amanley@timesshamrock.com

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Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate went up slightly in November at 4.2 percent as the number of job seekers grew and payroll shrank. It’s the ﬁrst time there’s been a month-to-month increase since mid-2016 and in an effort to expand the job market and increase marketability of young people, Governor Tom Wolf wants to make apprenticeships a key component of the job market. “In today’s job market, we’re seeing incredible demand for all skilled workers in the trades in southeast Pennsylvania all across the commonwealth,” Governor Wolf said in announcing a program that will expand apprenticeships in Philadelphia and Delaware County. The program offsets the cost of tuition expenses paid by students. It also helps pay for classroom materials like smartboards, books and shop materials. And while that’s good news for some, several programs in our area receive no help from the state. “We offer an apprenticeship program that is free at no cost to the apprentice,” said Drew Simpson, program coordinator for the Carpenters and Joiners Local 445 in Scranton. He said the money comes from dues paid by members thanks to the collective bargaining agreement. “We have no state money. It’s all paid for by us.” The apprenticeship programs typically last four years and apprentices receive 32 credit hours towards an associate’s degree. The training program is through Lebanon Community College. “Our apprentices start out a 50 percent of the journeyman’s rate, so many of them make around $14 an hour and they get raises during their time,” he said adding that in their third year, they make 75 percent of a journeyman’s rate with the fourth year at 90 percent. “Health care is included with the program too.” Simpson said to spread the word about the program, they meet with students the technical colleges in the area as well as speaking at career days to promote interest. The only

requirement is that you have a high school diploma or G.E.D. Simpson, who had no knowledge of the carpentry trade, learned everything he knew through his own apprenticeship program. “You don’t need to have any skill,” he said. “We will train you and teach you everything you need to learn.” Most of the jobs are in the commercial field. “We’re building schools, power plants and hospitals,” said Simpson. The grants are a part of Governor Wolf’s PA Smart Initiative, which aims to cut red tape, expand job training and improve coordination between state agencies in helping people get the skills they need to compete in today’s job market. The governor’s office said it hopes to expand the program to more parts of the state. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there’s been a 42 percent growth in apprenticeships since 2013; there are about a half-million apprenticeships currently across the United States with the number at around 16,500 in Pennsylvania. “I think this is a good thing because for students who come out of high school who don’t want to go to college, they get great experience and a good job with great benefits,” said Michael Brust, apprenticeship coordinator with the Scranton IBEW Local 81. “Most apprenticeship programs like ours, is that they are tuition free and most people don’t know that.” Much like the carpenter’s union, members fund the apprenticeship program; it does not use state funding. Brust said the benefits are many. “You never lose what you learn by what you do with your hands,” he said. “That skill is always there and you’ll always have it for the rest of your life. You never lose it.” He also cited health benefits and retirement, which are well funded. Brust said there’s been full employment by members for the past three years.

Skills in Scranton hosts session on logistics and transportation Skills in Scranton, the workforce development affiliate of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, recently hosted its first Educator in the Workplace cohort on logistics and transportation. Offered through a collaboration between the Lackawanna County Workforce Development Board and Skills in Scranton, Educators in the Workplace seeks to align and connect business and industry leaders with local school districts, the career and technical center and the local intermediate unit. The program provides Lackawanna County educators with a week-long industry immersion experience in one of four industry specific cohorts. For the logistics and transportation session, participants discovered a wide variety of career paths that they could introduce to their students

LOCAL

as potential future opportunities. Participants in the logistics and transportation cohort spent two days at the Chamber learning about the industry, as well as services available, and completing classroom integration planning. Three days were spent on-site at either Kane Is Able or McLane Company. Regional partners from Pennsylvania Career Link Lackawanna County, The Scranton Plan, Penn State Scranton, Johnson College, Luzerne County Community College, Express Employment Professionals and OneSource Stafﬁng Solutions spoke with educators about the industry and services available to job seekers locally. For more information on the Educators in the Workplace program, visit scrantonchamber. com/educator or contact Amy Luyster at aluyster@scrantonchamber.com.

Wells Fargo Foundation provides scholarship support to Misericordia students The Wells Fargo Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 grant to Misericordia University for the 2018-19 academic year. The donation will support the Wells Fargo Foundation Scholarship Fund that benefits financially deserving and academically eligible undergraduate students at Misericordia. The grant allows Misericordia University to grow the number of low- and moderate-income students who receive financial aid at a time when more families are finding it increasingly difficult to cover the cost of tuition. Overall, about 99 percent of full-time students at Misericordia University receive some form of financial aid to finance their education. To address the growing need for financial

aid, Misericordia University seeks the support of new and traditional sources of scholarship funding such as the Wells Fargo Foundation. The Wells Fargo Foundation Scholarship Fund is a financial lifeline for many students as it helps them pursue their academic dreams and professional aspirations. “Misericordia has a tradition of serving students of lesser economic means, many of whom are first-generation college students whose families want to provide them with a college education, but are dependent upon significant financial assistance,’’ said Misericordia University President Thomas J. Botzman, in a news release. “We are grateful for the continued support Wells Fargo provides for our students.”

Photo courtesy of Misericordia University

The Wells Fargo Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to Misericordia University for the 2018Photo courtesy of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce 19 academic year in support of the Wells Fargo Foundation Scholarship Fund. Participating in a ceremonial check presentation at Misericordia University, from left, are Sara E. Hogan, From left, ﬁrst row: Sandra Liparulo, Mid Valley School District; Andrew Martin, Scranton Back Mountain store manager, assistant vice president, Wells Fargo; Michael D. Kashnicki, School District and Laurie Mecca, Riverside School District. Back row: Bob Durkin, president, senior business relationship manager, Wells Fargo; President Thomas J. Botzman, Ph.D., MiThe Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; Jerry Musheno, board chair, Skills in Scranton; sericordia University; Doug Iracki, senior business relationship manager, vice president, Wells Lisa Ross, education outreach coordinator, Educator in the Workplace and Amy Luyster, vice Fargo and Kevin Engelman, district manager, vice president, Wells Fargo. president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

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LOCAL More than $729,000 donated during Candles for Adopt-A-Family program keeps on giving

Kids fundraising campaign at GIANT Food Stores GIANT Food Stores announced a total of $729,173 was donated to Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals by its customers during the company’s recent Candles for Kids fundraising campaign. The annual campaign ran in more than 170 GIANT Foods Stores and MARTIN’S Food Markets from Nov. 11 to Nov. 24. Funds from the Candles for Kids fundraising campaign beneﬁt the following CMN Hospitals: The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn State Children’s Hospital in Hershey, Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, Children’s National Medical Center in Washington D.C., University of Virginia Children’s Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, and Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. GIANT Food Stores is one of the top 15 corpo-

rate sponsors in the country for CMN Hospitals. Combined with the grocer’s in-store Miracle balloon campaign conducted earlier this year, customers raised more than $1.4 million for local CMN Hospitals in 2018. In addition, this year, the company also provided funding for the following projects and programs: 3-D printing and modeling for congenital heart disease at Penn State Children’s Hospital, construction of the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Child Advocacy Center at Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. CMN Hospitals, the alliance of premier hospitals for children, is a non-proﬁt organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children’s hospitals across North America.

Photo courtesy of FNCB Bank

Employees from FNCB Bank recently donated $1,300 and more than 250 gifts to 13 local families as part of the bank’s “Adopt-A-Family” holiday project. More than 200 FNCB staff members participated this year. The program matches local families in need from the Catherine McAuley Centers of Lackawanna and Luzerne County and Children and Youth Services of Wayne County with those wishing to donate. From left, members of FNCB’s Adopt-A-Family committee display some of the items donated: Stephanie McDonald, facilities coordinator; Dorothy Smith, general ledger clerk; Mary Cummings, executive vice president, general counsel; Janice Zory, compliance assistant; Michelle Bistran, loan documentation associate; Theresa Verdon, executive assistant and Michelle Jacques, executive assistant. Nancy Foley, IRA specialist, is also a committee member.

Sanoﬁ employees hold Adopt-a-Family Drive

Submitted photo

Sanoﬁ employee Saskia DeJesus carries a gift of a child’s bicycle into Pocono Services for Families and Children’s Mountain Center. This was one of thousands of gifts donated by employees and delivered as part of the Swiftwater site’s 24th annual adopt-a-family holidayPhoto courtesy of GIANT Food Stores, LLC timed drive, beneﬁting Monroe County Head Start children and their families. The drive broke GIANT associate Sonya from the Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle store displays the candles. a new record this year, helping 41 families in Monroe County.

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LOCAL

HNB employees honored for 15 years of service

Wells Fargo supports Lackawanna College Environmental Education Center

Photo courtesy of Lackawanna College

Representatives from Wells Fargo presented Lackawanna College with a $1,000 grant to support their Environmental Education Center’s (LCEEC) K-12 programs. LCEEC, located in Covington Township, provides student programs that offer unique, educational opportunities Photo courtesy of Honesdale National Bank for children and teenagers on a variety of environmental and conservation topics. Programs Three employees, each with 15 years of service, were recognized at The Honesdale National include school ﬁeld trips, classroom and community programs and summer camps for schoolBank’s Annual Employee Recognition Dinner at Lukan’s Farm Resort. David Raven, HNB presiage children. From left: Cathy Wechsler, Lackawanna College manager of corporate, foundadent and CEO, presided over the program and offered his gratitude for the employees’ service tion and government relations; Oirim Santos, Wells Fargo Scranton- Pike district manager; Joand dedication. From left: Ron Sebastianelli, honoree; Kim Canﬁeld, honoree; Debbie Miller, seph Montagna, Wells Fargo branch manager; Jannette Moran, Wells Fargo program manager; honoree, and David Raven, president and CEO. Sharon Yanik-Craig, LCEEC director and Mark Volk, Lackawanna College president.

FINANCE TIPS

Be prepared for a ﬁnancial emergency

Even if you have a well-paying job, affordable important to do your best to avoid credit card debt and pay off your outstanding balances as quickly living costs and few debts, it’s important not to take a good financial situation for granted. Here as possible. are some steps you can take to prepare yourself for a financial emergency: Plan how to cut expenses quickly. Examine your expenses and identify where you can cut back. In an emergency, gym memberships Establish an emergency fund. Financial and TV packages can be cancelled, and money experts recommend creating a savings spent on eating out can be reduced or eliminated account with enough money to cover six months’ worth of expenses. That way if disaster entirely. strikes, you’re prepared. If you prepare for an emergency now, your financial plan won’t be totally derailed if you’re faced Purchase adequate insurance. It’s eswith a debilitating illness or injury, unexpected job sential to have renter’s or homeowner’s loss or costly damage to your home. insurance in case of disaster. It’s also a good idea to get disability insurance, which covers your expenses if you become ill or disabled If you prepare for an emergency and can’t work.

Have credit available. In a ﬁnancial emergency, you may need to bill expenses to your credit cards until you’re able to pay them off. Before ﬁnancial disaster occurs, however, it’s

now, your ﬁnancial plan won’t be totally derailed if you’re faced with a debilitating illness or injury, unexpected job loss or costly damage to your home.

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FINANCE TIPS

Keeping New Year’s budget resolutions Four ways to teach kids about ﬁnance

Many of us resolve to tighten our budgets after the holidays. Here are three tips to help you keep your financial resolutions in 2019: ■ Make your resolutions specific. Resolutions like “spend less money” or “stick to a budget” are too vague and don’t explain how you’re going to change your financial habits. It’s better to establish more concrete goals, such as reducing your grocery bill by half or paying off one of your credit cards. ■ Establish short-term and long-term goals. Maybe your long-term goals are to buy a house and save enough to retire at 65, but your shortterm goals include saving for a family vacation and buying a new car. Both types of goals need

to be factored into your overall financial plan. Short-term goals, however, are more likely to motivate you to stay on budget because they’re more easily achieved. ■ Analyze last year’s holiday spending. If you overspent during the holidays, January is the ideal time to look back at your December expenses. Although you may not be ready to think about next holiday season, reviewing your finances now will help you plan for next year so you don’t make the same spending mistakes. With the right planning and mindset, you’ll find it’s possible to stick to your New Year’s budget resolutions after all.

The earlier children develop good spending habits, the better. Here are four ways you can teach your kids about saving money and living frugally.

Pay in cash. Using cash instead of cards when shopping with kids will help them better understand how money works. Consider giving them the cash to count out when it’s time to pay – they’ll get to practice their math skills.

Show the benefits of comparing prices. Encourage kids to look for the lowest prices at the store and figure out if you’ll get a better deal by spending more to buy larger quantities. Make it into a game to see who can spot the best deal first.

Set tangible goals. Let kids know that you’re saving as a household for something they want (such as a trip to Disney World or a pool for the backyard). This will help teach them about cutting out unnecessary expenses to save for something bigger down the road.

Let them do the grocery shopping. If your kids are older, have them choose their meals for the week, then make an ingredients list, ﬁnd the items needed at the store and pay for everything in cash. Taking the time to teach kids how to spend money responsibly will help prepare them for a lifetime of good ﬁnancial habits.

Taking the time to teach kids how to spend money responsibly will help prepare them for a lifetime of good ﬁnancial habits.

Tips for paying off student loans

Living with student debt can be demoralizing, but it doesn’t have to take over your life. Here’s how to take charge of your student loans. Make a repayment plan Knowing the value and interest rate of each of your loans will help you figure out how to pay off your loans efficiently. Use a student loan calculator to find the best repayment strategy for your situation, taking into account loan interest rates. Avoid paying only the monthly minimums. It’ll take longer to pay the loans and cost more in interest. Use the avalanche or snowball method The avalanche method for tackling debt involves making the minimum payments on all your

loans and then putting leftover money toward your loan with the highest interest rate. Once that loan is paid, focus on the loan with the second-highest interest rate. The snowball method works similarly except instead of prioritizing loans with high interest rates, you start by paying off loans with the lowest balances. You’ll save more money and time with the avalanche method, but the snowball method is often more effective because the relief of paying off one loan motivates you to continue making payments. Don’t despair a second job, etc.) and try to maintain your frugal As long as you make payments part of your bud- but steadily paying off your loans. Consider ﬁnding other ways to supplement your income (a roommate, student lifestyle to keep living costs in check. get, you’ll be living within your means while slowly

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Each month, we recognize one of the region’s top manufacturers with the aid of NEPIRC, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center. Since 1988, NEPIRC has been working with manufacturers to improve their productivity, profitability, competitiveness and long-term viability through consultative services.

Chaucer Press Puts Well-Known Products in Homes Everywhere Since its founding in 1965, Chaucer Press has successfully transitioned from being among the nation’s largest producer of book covers and jackets to providing innovative label, packaging and point-of-sale products to global clients such as Hershey Foods, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson from their 60,000-square-foot facility in WilkesBarre.

healthcare, personal care and pharmaceutical markets. The company had also secured a portfolio of private labeling relationships. Today, nearly 40 years since that transition, chances are high that a Chaucer Press label is in nearly every kitchen pantry, medicine cabinet or cleanser closet in America. To continue its growth, the company has introduced its 52 employees to Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma concepts and is considering automation for routine tasks. “We’re always looking at innovative ways to address the workforce challenges facing manufacturers everywhere. We Pat Frances, CEO, leads Chaucer Press’ business invest in training and work with our local colleges Throughout the late 1960’s and mid-1970’s, development efforts. to attract good workers,” says Pat Frances, Chaucer Press, then situated in New York, Chaucer Press CEO. Most recently, the company enjoyed a leading position in the printed book market, producing most took advantage of NEPIRC’s Six Sigma of the nation’s book covers and jackets. However, as the traditional print Green Belt and Supply Chain Strategy market began to compress and operating costs continued to rise, the Risk trainng programs. company started to consider alternative locations that offered a more The company also aggressively pursues abundant labor, more industry certifications to set it apart from reasonable occupancy its larger competitors. Already certified expenses and more as a Woman’s Business Enterprise, convenient logistics for Green Supplier and Good Manufacturing access to new markets. Practice (GMP) Supplier, the company By 1978, Chaucer seeks to achieve Graphic Measures A 12-color Flexographic press gives Press was operating Chaucer unsurpassed printing International (GMI) certification in the in northeastern capabilities. year ahead. Pennsyvlania and This feature is sponsored by... expanding its market share of labeling solutions, folding cartons, paperboard boxes and on-shelf promotional items Chaucer’s Inspector and Rewinder enables the company to achieve Six Sigma quality levels for clients. for the consumer

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

NEPA Alliance presents loan funds to Stoker’s Brewing Company LLC The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA) presented Stoker’s Brewing Company LLC with a $50,000 loan. Stoker’s Brewing LLC received a $50,000 loan through the NEPA Alliance Tri-District loan fund, which includes funds from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) as part of a total project costing $140,000. The total project included the purchase of land, building and equipment. NEPA’s loan helped the company purchase new equipment necessary to begin their operations. Other project funds consisted of $50,000 from Mauch Chunk Trust Company and a $40,000 equity injection from the borrower. Stoker’s was formed in July 2017 and is a self-distributing small microbrewery with a tasting room located in the heart of downtown Tamaqua. The company fills a niche in the Schuylkill County beer market by producing their own beer on-site in small batches using only the highest quality ingredients and abiding by world class brewing standards. Stoker’s is the area’s only microbrewery, giving the business a distinct competitive advantage as it offers an alternative to other tavern concepts. Stoker’s offers more than eight high quality house-brewed beers on tap at all times. The owner, Douglas G. Drost, has extensive industry experience as an award-winning home brewer. He also attended America’s premier brewing school, The Siebel Institute of Technology in Chicago, where he earned his Professional Brewer Certification. NEPA’s loan helped Stoker’s purchase new microbrewery equipment that allows the business to keep up with the demand from customers. Brewing takes place every Monday with one additional brew day per month in order to produce the appropriate volume of beer. NEPA Alliance is a full service economic development lender offering nine low interest loan programs for job creation and job retention in the region. The regional community and economic development agency serves the seven counties of Northeast Pennsylvania including Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne. NEPA Alliance services include business financing, government contracting assistance, international trade assistance, nonprofit assistance, transportation planning, research and information and local government services. For more information visit nepa-alliance.org or call 866758-1929.

Keystone College receives $9.9 million USDA loan Keystone College received a $9.9 million loan from the United States Department of Agriculture which will have a positive impact on the college and the students it serves. The USDA $9.9 million investment is in the form of a structured fixed-rate loan with an interest rate of 3.8 percent amortized over 35 years, enabling Keystone to refinance its debt at a more favorable and stable rate. Keystone qualified for the USDA financing program because of its position as a major employer and economic contributor in a rural location in Northeast Pennsylvania. According to college officials, he USDA recognized Keystone as a major economic driver in Northeast Pennsylvania, particularly in the Factoryville, La Plume and Tunkhannock areas. During the last 10 years, Keystone’s total economic impact to the local and state economy has been more than $150 million. Keystone’s 200 full-time and 200 part time employees have an approximate annual take-home pay of about $9 million, most of which is spent in the local community, and taxes paid by Keystone employees exceed $300,000 each year. Also, 83 percent of Keystone students reside in Pennsylvania and 37 percent are from rural counties such as Wyoming, Susquehanna, Bradford and others. Keystone has been included on the President’s Honor Roll for Community Service for five consecutive years, recognizing the 26,000

hours of service performed each year by Keystone students, faculty and staff. Enrolling approximately 1,400 students, Keystone offers more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree options in liberal arts and science-based programs in business, communications, education, fine arts, natural science, environmental resource management, geology and social sciences. Hazleton airport receives $112,500 grant Hazleton Regional Airport was awarded a $112,500 state grant on Dec. 6, announced Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Luzerne. Mullery said the airport will use the funding to acquire equipment to maintain the airfield. In total, 26 airports across the state will receive more than $6 million in state investment. Included in the grants is $2.2 million in state funding from PennDOT’s Aviation Development Program, which comes from the state’s jet fuel tax, and $4 million from the Multimodal Transportation Fund. Landmark Community Bank Opens in South Abington Township Landmark Community Bank announced the opening of its sixth branch location. Located at 900 Northern Blvd. in South Abington Township, the new branch will be managed by Trip Crowley, a long-time area resident. Landmark Community Bank was founded in 2001 by a group of local investors. Still locally owned and locally operated, it is a community bank serving the banking needs of personal and business customers throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Landmark Community Bank is headquartered in Pittston and has five additional branches in Scranton, Pittston, Wyoming, Hazleton and Hazle Township, with assets in excess of $330 million. For more information, visit lcbbank.com. Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce announces SAGE Award winners The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of the 2018 SAGE Awards (Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence), which honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity and innovation. The winner of each award category was publicly announced at The Chamber Gala at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center. More than 80 applications were received. A group of volunteer community leaders and professionals teamed up to review applications and select finalists. The winners, in each category, are: ■ NET Credit Union - Best Practices in Community Involvement ■ Woodloch Resort - Best Practices in Customer Service and Best Practices in Marketing & Communications ■ Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control - Business of the Year ■ Pepperjam - Excellence in Leadership ■ Fidelity Bank - Fastest Growing Company ■ The University of Scranton: Downtown Scavenger Hunt Hometown Star ■ Quest Studio - New & Emerging Business of the Year ■ Outreach Center for Community Resources - Non-Profit Organization of the Year ■ Lackawanna College - Pride & Progress: Exterior Renovations ■ AllOne Health - Pride & Progress: Interior Renovations ■ Gertrude Hawk Chocolates - Pride & Progress: New Construction ■ Posture Interactive - Small Business of the Year ■ Talia Walsh, Quest Studio - Woman of Excellence ■ Borough of Dunmore: Hometown Heroes Banner Project People’s Choice Award

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PharmaCann Penn Plant LLC Purchases Land in Scott Township PharmaCann Penn Plant LLC, a PharmaCann Company, has purchased 18.28 acres of land from SLIBCO, the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company. The tract is located at Life Science Drive in the Scott Technology Park and will be used to construct a 36,000 square-foot, stateof-the-art pharmaceutical-grade medical marijuana growing and processing facility in accordance with Pennsylvania state regulations. PharmaCann Penn Plant LLC received a license in July 2018 during the second phase of the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana program. The Scott Technology Park currently has five buildings totaling 201, 520 square feet, with businesses employing 787 people. Founded in 2014, PharmaCann is the largest verticallyintegrated and unified medical cannabis company, with four dispensaries and two cultivation facilities in Illinois, where it is the largest holder of medical cannabis licenses, and four dispensaries and one cultivation facility in New York, where it has been awarded the highest-ranked license. With more than 160 professionals, eight dispensaries and three cultivation sites, PharmaCann is focused on growth and pursuing emerging market opportunities every day, including researching opportunities in new states and for new licenses. PharmaCann was purchased in 2018 by MedMen Enterprises, a publicly-traded United States cannabis company, owning and operating 19 cannabis facilities in cultivation, manufacturing and retail. Apple Watch now part of UnitedHealthcare Wearable Device Program Starting mid-November, Apple Watch is officially part of UnitedHealthcare Motion, a wearable device program encouraging current participants in Pennsylvania and nationwide to walk more than 12,000 steps per day – more than double the number of the average American adult. (All UnitedHealthcare Motion results based on 2018 internal analysis of program participants.) Apple Watch is now available to eligible employer-sponsored program participants, enabling people to use their Apple Watch or shop for a new one. An alternative payment option enables participants to receive and start using Apple Watch (initially paying only tax and shipping) and then apply program earnings toward the purchase price of the device. Participants may be able to own – with a zero balance – an Apple Watch after approximately six months of meeting daily walking goals. UnitedHealthcare Motion provides eligible plan participants access to wearables that may help them earn more than

$1,000 per year by meeting certain daily walking goals. (Financial incentives may be less due to limits under applicable laws.) Since the program’s inception, participants have collectively walked more than 235 billion steps and earned nearly $38 million in rewards. The program is part of UnitedHealthcare’s broader effort to provide people with wearables, digital resources and financial incentives that help them take charge of their health, better manage chronic conditions and make care more affordable. These efforts build on UnitedHealthcare’s existing consumer offerings, powered by Rally, which have enabled people to earn more than $1 billion in health-related financial incentives since 2016. Among all eligible UnitedHealthcare Motion participants, more than 45 percent participated in the program – compared to some other employer-sponsored diseasemanagement programs that report 5 percent engagement rates. Among people who registered their device, 59 percent stayed active for at least six months, a rate higher than gym memberships (29 percent). Current program participants walk an average of nearly 12,000 steps, or more than twice the approximately 5,200 steps logged by the average American adult. The program has been particularly appealing to eligible participants with chronic conditions. People with such a diagnosis are 20 percent more likely to participate, and people who have diabetes are 40 percent more likely to participate than those who do not. UnitedHealthcare Motion is available to employers with self-funded and fully insured health plans across the country. The program may enable employees to earn up to $4 per day in financial incentives based on achieving FIT goals (Financial incentives may be less due to limits under applicable laws): ■ Frequency: complete 500 steps within seven minutes six times per day, at least an hour apart ■ Intensity: complete 3,000 steps within 30 minutes ■ Tenacity: complete 10,000 total steps each day Program participants can now use Apple Watch to see how they are tracking against the program’s three daily goals, helping integrate physical activity and engagement with their health plan. Apple Watch is a health and fitness companion with intelligent coaching features, and water resistance, and now – with Series 4 – features a next-generation accelerometer and gyroscope. The program’s FIT targets are set in the UnitedHealthcare Motion app, which integrates with HealthKit to use data from Apple Watch to track daily goals.

Photo submitted by NEPA Alliance

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA) recently presented Stoker’s Brewing Company LLC with a $50,000 loan. From left: Anthony Mehling, Eyewitness News; Michael Prock, Mauch Chunk Trust; Bruce Krell, Congressman Lou Barletta’s Office; Douglas Drost, Stoker’s Brewing Company; Jeffrey Box, NEPA Alliance; Ken Doolittle, NEPA Alliance; Linda Miller, Representative Jerry Knowles’ Office; Dave Nat, NEPA Alliance; Marta Gabriel, Senator Toomey’s Office; Connor Corpora, Senator Bob Casey’s Office; Micah Gursky, St. Luke's Hospital Miners Campus, and Gino DeGiosio, Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank.

FOCUS ON WILKES-BARRE FROM PAGE 1

“Membership in the BID costs an average of only seven cents per day, with a 10-year renewal opportunity,” said Newman. “We’ve had about 300 members consistently since 2007.” Diverse strengths The economic diversity present in the greater Wilkes-Barre area is one of the region’s greatest strengths, BOYLAN according to Joe Boylan, vice president of economic development with Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce. This organization is adapting to the modern era’s diversity by changing its focus from providing brick and mortar facilities for business to creatively delivering programs that will assist modern commercial processes. “We earned a lot here from the horrible 2008 ﬁnancial crash,” said Boylan. “Economic shock waves can usher in new blood, and new ideas.” According to Boylan, 65 percent of his chamber members now employ ﬁve or fewer people. They maintain a 90 percent member retention rate that is 14 percent above the national average, and a large number of the chamber participants

are striving to better understand the appetites of the rapidly rising millennials. A daunting challenge facing commerce in Wilkes-Barre, according to Boylan, involves the attraction, retention and best use of competent employees. Employee wages in the region are ﬁnally rising as the supply-demand curve for labor swings due to market pressures, and some logistics ﬁrms are paying in the neighborhood of $14 per hour to counter a growing workforce shortage. “We must join hands between the business and academic communities to meet our workforce needs,” said Boylan. “I believe, overall, we deserve an A-plus for effort with this, but in terms of delivery, as individual entities, we rate average. As we continue to work together and leverage our resources for 2019, our execution grade will match our effort.” Boylan added that another business challenge involves, in many cases, the perception of Wilkes-Barre. Large numbers of talented people still do not understand the quality employment opportunities that have appeared, due to a lack of workforce awareness. “To counter this disconnect, academia must be involved and improve at quickly preparing the workforce for fast changes in commerce,” said

Boylan. “Our Wilkes-Barre Connect program has also helped, such as with internships.” Key resources In some ways, the Hazleton, Scranton, and Wilkes-Barre areas are similar in their success with tech ﬁrms, business incubators and entrepreneur development, according to Ken Okrepkie, regional manager with the Ben Franklin Technology Partners. He added that each region’s chamber of commerce, universities, and governments are striving to deliver key resources necessary for business growth, particularly with budding entrepreneurs and manufacturing within a OKREPKIE tech-centric hub. “Speciﬁc organizations such as ours, Wilkes-Barre Connect, and the Family Business Alliance at Wilkes, plus others, are all doing their parts along with the three incubators to create a support structure,” said Okrepkie. Areas of concern for Okrepkie in the unfolding days ahead now include the transportation pressure being endured by travelers on Route 81. This highway is a lifeblood for the region’s

Denise Allabaugh ﬁle photo / The Citizens’ Voice

Lindsay Bezick, vice president of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce, and Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George used giant scissors to cut a ribbon to mark the ofﬁcial opening of the pop-up shops on Small Business Saturday in downtown Wilkes-Barre.

economic growth, particularly with the logistics industry, and expansion of the highway is vital to accommodate the truck trafﬁc at peak hours if economic growth is to be maintained. Wilkes-Barre area industrial parks also must continue to enjoy effective ﬁnancing for expansion, as well as quick site preparation when opportunity knocks. The same is true with the downtown, where collaboration with government is vital if the current positive energy is to be maintained. “There also are changing market forces,” said Okrepkie. “The evolution of our capitalistic society, plus high-level decisions, drive these forces, and at the end of the day negative changes within these market forces can overwhelm everything else.” Collaboration for development Rodney Ridley, Ph.D., director of the Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Wilkes University, emphasized that the transportation council, Wilkes-Barre Connect, tecBRIDGE and the Wilkes University’s Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship all display prime examples of developmental collaboration. Dr. Ridley also cited a mounting shortage of skilled workers as one of the region’s mounting problems. He noted that job offers now may contain once-heard-of signing bonuses, indicating a true renaissance for RIDLEY the regional economy as

Wilkes-Barre becomes a serious player within the modern tech economy. “There are 14 schools here that have the potential to pump out skilled employees,” said Dr. Ridley. “Our political infrastructure must catch up with this industrial and education infrastructure that’s moving along, but for politics to advance it requires some risk and politicians by nature are risk adverse. Therefore, government must evolve.” According to Dr. Ridley, Wilkes-Barre’s stressed ﬁscal situation is no different than many municipalities around the country. The patience to grow tax-paying entrepreneurs is one of the keys to increasing city revenues, along with development and retention of educated workers. Please see WBFocus, Page 22

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FOCUS ON WILKES-BARRE FROM PAGE 21

“These all are national issues,” said Dr. Ridley. “The councils I sit on are demanding an outward push to help kids know the types of jobs that are here, and this effort is even expanding down to the high school level.” Career choices? NOCITO Solutions to any region’s workforce needs require societal shifts, according to Lori Nocito, executive director of Leadership Wilkes-Barre. She charged that American society, as a whole, is placing excessive emphasis on attainment of a four-year degree, as well as making a career choice while still in 12th grade. “It’s much more effective for kids, at an early

age, to begin experiencing the diversity in the workplace,” said Nocito. “Outside inﬂuences are vital for this.” Nocito’s recipe for effective career awareness includes early grade-school intervention, job shadowing, matched internships, plus involvement in initiatives such as her organization’s “Community Connections,” program, which is part of the intercollegiate offerings. These techniques allow students to investigate their skills, the available opportunities, and expand their horizons as they peel back the multiple layers of careers. “Our kids achieve a lot of soul searching,” said Nocito. “Leadership Wilkes-Barre places a high a high premium on self-awareness through emotional intelligence so that participants can better understand themselves and make better career choices, with early intervention a critical factor.” Leadership Wilkes-Barre also offers speciﬁc

growth opportunities for its students. Included among these is a day interacting with a panel of business people to create awareness about various careers, especially those that exist in NEPA, along with the reality that job training now must continue for a lifetime through continuing education. “We still need more mentoring from regional people in commerce,” said Nocito. “This helps to encourage the development of vital soft skills, including personal and conversational abilities.” Multiple expansions NEPA’s largest economic sector is also alive and well in the Wilkes-Barre area. Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital has unleashed a $40 million expansion and renovation project that increased the CATENA

intensive care unit to 34 beds, added a helipad, and updated all equipment in support of the facility’s trauma, surgery, neurosurgery and emergency departments. The project coincided with the hospital’s re-accreditation as a Level II trauma center. “Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, which is a training center for robotic-assisted surgery, has expanded its capacity to treat patients with the addition of a second robot,” said Cornelio Catena, CEO of Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital. “Another major addition is a surgical system that provides increased accuracy for joint replacement procedures.” The hospital is also scheduled to open its renovated endoscopy center. This addition will feature four procedure rooms, 11 pre-postoperative recovery bays and a new waiting area for visitors and family.

Warren Ruda ﬁle photo / The Citizens’ Voice

A $40 million expansion project of the Heart and Vascular Institute at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital included new cardiovascular ICU, 34-bed ICU and a helipad.

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PERSONNEL FILE ADAMS CABLE SERVICE

Wendy Hartman, Jermyn, general manager of the Carbondale-based cable service, has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania, a statewide trade organization representing cable operators, equipment suppliers and programmers.

BARRY ISETT & ASSOCIATES INC.

HARTMAN

The multidiscipline engineering firm with offices in Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton has added four new associates to its Structural and Project Management and Construction Services departments, as well as its Geotechnical Engineering, Special Inspections and Materials Testing team. Bridget Leger, of Mechanicsburg, joined the structural team as a staff professional. Matthew “Matt” Gabel, Allentown, will be supporting the PMCS department as an intern. Sherif Omar Azmy, P.E., of Wyncote, joined the Geotechnical Engineering, Special Inspections and Materials Testing group as a senior project manager. Matthew “Matt” Pfleegor, New Tripoli, joined the Geotechnical Engineering, Special Inspections and Materials Testing team as a construction inspector.

BRIAN T. KELLY CPA & ASSOCIATES LLC

LEGER

GABEL

Riley Jackson of Taylor has joined the elder law ﬁrm as an estate planning case manager. Jackson formerly worked as a therapeutic support staff member, helping in behavior management of children on the autism spectrum. She was also a preschool teacher for children in the Scranton School District.

COMMONWEALTH HEALTH

Melissa Marji, M.D., has joined the physician network and medical staff of Moses Taylor Hospital. Marji, an obstetrician/ gynecologist, will see patients at 521 Mount Pleasant Drive, Suite 101, Scranton, and at 407 N. State St., Clarks Summit. She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City.

JACKSON

MARJI

COMMUNITY BANK NA

HART

KELLY

Brian T. Kelly of Carbondale joined the board of directors of Dimeco Inc. Kelly, a certified public accountant, has more than 22 years of experience in public accounting, providing audit, tax and consulting services to clients in government, nonprofit, profit and individual areas. His accounting firm has offices in Carbondale, Honesdale and Old Forge.

BRIDON AMERICAN

KINTZ

COLBERT & GREBAS PC

BENCO DENTAL

Tom Hart joined the nation’s largest privately owned dental distributor earlier this year as chief operations ofﬁcer. In his new role, Hart assumed responsibility for customer operations, which encompasses distribution operations and the company’s service dispatch and equipment coordination. He previously spent 14 years at McKesson Corp., one of the world’s largest medical supply distribution companies. There he held a variety of leadership roles, most recently as vice president of Specialty Distribution Operations.

cess in a profession committed to protecting the public interest. Kintz, of Exeter, is the U.S. controller for the company in Ashley. She is a member of the PICPA Northeastern Chapter Executive Committee, the statewide Professional Ethics Committee, and the Corporate Finance Cabinet. The group was honored Sept. 24 at PICPA’s annual Leadership Conference in Harrisburg.

The Pennsylvania Institute of Certiﬁed Public Accountants recognized Jennifer L. Kintz, CPA, with a 2018 Young Leader Award. She received this distinction for demonstrated leadership skills that will propel her suc-

Alison Zurawski was promoted to community relations manager. In her new role, Zurawski is responsible for supporting all 32 branches in the coordination of internal and external initiatives. She also develops community and ZURAWSKI social outreach activities while promoting the bank within the six counties in which it serves. Zurawski has been with the bank for more than 17 years. Stephen Cook has joined the bank team as business development officer out of the North Franklin Street office. Cook is responsible for recruiting potential customers and assisting financial staff in all manners of business activity. He COOK will be involved with community development, calling efforts and customer service. Cook has 25 years of experience in the financial industry and joins the team from M&T Bank. Throughout his career, he served in a variety of roles, including mortgage processor, branch manager and senior branch manager. He is an Army veteran and served in the Persian Gulf War.

CTC MANUFACTURING INC.

The company has announced the appointment of John Mahinis, Ph.D., MBA as its new president/CEO. Mahinis assumed responsibilities on April 30 and has

succeeded Devon Nicoletti. Mahinis served in the Intelligence branch of the Army. He retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel and has several years of clinical experience, working as a clinical therapist, clinical supervisor and clinical director for a variety of organizations throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

DELTA MEDIX

Doctors Jonathan Bingham, Michael Campenni and Irwin Goldstein have joined the division of urology. They currently accept patients at Delta Medix Urology in the Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Ave., Suite 200 in Scranton. Bingham received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He completed his internship and residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, where he trained in general surgery and urology. Campenni received a Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Midwestern/Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Illinois. He completed his general surgery residency at Michigan State University/Riverside Osteopathic Hospital and his urology residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Goldstein received a Doctor of Medicine degree from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He completed his urology residency in the Division of Urology, at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, and a fellowship in renal transplantation at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

MAHINIS

annual meeting and convocation in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lally is former president of the Pennsylvania Academy of General Dentistry and is active in the Pennsylvania Dental Association and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. He practices general dentistry with the Tunkhannock dental group and is a former adjunct faculty member at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry.

LALLY

FNCB BANK

BINGHAM

Jason A. Bohenek, assistant vice president, audit manager, was recently awarded the Certified Financial Services Auditor certification from the Institute of Internal Auditors. The Certified Financial Services Auditor designation is a valued specialty BOHENEK certification for audit professionals working in banking, lending and investing services organizations. Bohenek rejoined the bank in June 2016 as audit manager after serving three years as a senior auditor with TMG Health.

FOLEY LAW FIRM

CAMPENNI

GOLDSTEIN

DIME BANK

Peter Bochnovich was elevated to the position of executive vice president from senior vice president, chief lending ofﬁcer. Bochnovich has been working in the banking industry for 35 years. Bochnovich is responsible for the entire lending function of the bank, including the commercial loan division, the residential mortgage BOCHNOVICH department, and the consumer lending area. Bochnovich lives in Honesdale. He is a board member and past president of the Wayne-Pike Chapter of Penn State alumni, a board member of the Wayne County Community Foundation, a member of the Honesdale Friends of Soccer, a board member and treasurer of the Wayne County Economic Development Corp., and a board member of the Wayne Memorial Health Foundation.

ENDLESS SMILES DENTAL GROUP

Dr. Frederick Lally of Nicholson was recently awarded a fellowship in the American College of Dentists during its

Thomas J. Foley Jr. has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 25th edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Foley has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2010, and his inclusion in 2019 acknowledges his work in the fields of Medical Malpractice Law — Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiffs, THOMAS FOLEY Railroad Law, and Workers’ JR. Compensation Law — Claimants. Previously, Foley has been named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Medical Malpractice Law — Plaintiffs, Allentown (2018), Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiffs, Allentown (2017), and Medical Malpractice Law — Plaintiffs, Allentown (2015). “Lawyer of the Year” awards are presented annually to a single outstanding lawyer in MICHAEL each practice area. Best Lawyers FOLEY designates Allentown as the metropolitan area that covers Northeast and Central Pennsylvania, including Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg and the Lehigh Valley. He is a highly-decorated personal injury and medical malpractice attorney. Foley founded the law firm in 1979. Attorney Michael J. Foley has recently been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 25th Edition of the Best Lawyers in America. Foley has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 2010, and his inclusion in 2019 acknowledges his work in the fields of Medical Malpractice Law — Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation — Plaintiffs, and Workers’ Compensation Law — Claimants. Best Lawyers had previously named Foley “Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law — Plaintiffs, Allentown (2017). Please see Personnel, Page 24

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PERSONNEL FILE

FROM PAGE 23 “Lawyer of the Year” awards are presented annually to a single outstanding lawyer in each practice area. Best Lawyers designates Allentown as the metropolitan area that covers northeast and central Pennsylvania, including Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Stroudsburg and the Lehigh Valley. Last month, he was awarded the highest level of distinction, Diplomate, from the American Association For Justice National College of Advocacy’s Achievement Recognition Program.

GEISINGER

John J. Mercuri, M.D., a Scranton native and an orthopedic surgeon trained in total joint arthroplasty, has joined the medical staff at Geisinger Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Scranton. Fellowship trained MERCURI in adult reconstruction, Mercuri specializes in knee and hip replacements. David Phang, M.D., has joined the medical staff of Geisinger Community Medical Center as a vascular surgeon. Vascular surgeons treat patients with all types of vascular diseases — conditions in which the normal flow of blood through the arteries and veins becomes PHANG blocked — including aneurysms, varicose veins, carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease, renal artery disease and foot ulcers. They manage patients’ conditions through a treatment plan that includes medical therapy, minimally invasive catheter procedures and/or surgical reconstruction. Phang has contributed to medical journals and publications, STELLA as well as presented multiple scholarly lectures. He will see adult patients in Scranton. Joseph Stella, D.O., of Pittston has been appointed director of cardiothoracic surgery at Geisinger Community Medical Center, where he performed his first cardiac operation in 1999. A certified physician executive, he is a past program director for the general surgery residency ORTIZ at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Twp. A member of Geisinger’s Heart Institute, Stella performs all aspects of adult cardiac surgery including off-pump coronary artery bypasses, aortic valve and mitral valve surgery, aneurysm surgery and TAVI. Neurologist David L. Ortiz, M.D., an epilepsy specialist, has recently joined the team of neurologists at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures and is often associated with other health conditions. There are many reasons that seizures can occur, but the underlying cause is often unknown. Treatment options can include lifestyle changes, medication or surgical intervention. Board eligible in neurology, Ortiz treats and diagnoses nervous system disorders including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. His clinical interests

include surgical epilepsy treatment, the use of medical devices for neurostimulation in epilepsy, pharmacological management of epilepsy and advanced neuroimaging techniques. Jacob A. Baber, M.D., and Mark J. Ferretti, M.D., have joined the urology team at Geisinger Northeast Urology in Wilkes-Barre. BABER Trained in laparoscopic, robotic and minimally invasive urological surgery, Baber completed his fellowship in urological oncology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and completed his residency and internship in urology at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Ferretti recently completed a fellowship in laparoscopic, robotic and minimally invasive FERRETTI urological surgery at Northwell Health in New York. The physicians join colleagues John Danella, M.D.; Moira Dwyer, M.D.; William Haren, M.D.; and Daniel Mulligan, M.D. The office is located on the second floor of Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center’s Valley Medical Building, 1000 East Mountain Blvd., Wilkes-Barre. Board-eligible neurosurgeon Gregory Weiner, M.D., recently joined the medical staff at Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Weiner specializes in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of the nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and WEINER peripheral nerves. His clinical interests include cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery, stroke and kyphoplasty for spine fractures. He received fellowship training in endovascular neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he also completed a neurological surgery residency. He is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. SULMAN Muhammad Sulman Bhatti, BHATTI M.D., an epilepsy specialist, recently joined the neurology team at Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Board certified in neurology, with specialized training in epilepsy and stroke, Bhatti treats and diagnoses nervous system disorders including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. His clinical interests include epilepsy surgery, medication management of epilepsy, and nerve stimulation. Bhatti received fellowship training in epilepsy and completed a residency in neurology at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System in Richmond, Virginia. He completed an internal medicine internship at St. John’s Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit and earned his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Bridgetown, Barbados.

GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION

Enrique Samonte, M.D., has joined as Regional Fam-

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JANUARY 2019

ily Medicine Associate Program director and physician. Samonte will assist in administrative and clinical oversight of the educational program, as well as focus on workforce development and community partnerships to enhance graduate medical education and primary care. He formerly practiced with Geisinger Hazleton Family Medicine. He is SAMONTE a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Board of Family Physicians and the Philippine Medical Society, as well as a diplomate of the Philippine Academy of Ophthalmology. Aloysius Mark Madhok, M.D., Ph.D., and Babic Milos, M.D., have joined as internal medicine residency faculty. They will be responsible for the teaching, research and supervision of MADHOK resident physicians within the center. Madhok, of Clarks Summit, was previously chief resident at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, and SUNY Downstate Medical Center, New York. He is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Medical Association, the American MILOS College of Gastroenterology and the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease. Milos, of Scranton, was chief resident at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, James J. Peters VA Medical Center Internal Medicine Program, New York.

THE GREATER SCRANTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Local author and historian Stephanie Longo, of Dunmore, was chosen as a featured speaker for the inaugural IDEA Boston Festival held Nov. 2-3 at the Dante Alighieri Society of Massachusetts. This festival is an Italian-inspired cultural festival, celebrating literature, history, art and other aspects of Italian and Italian-American LONGO culture. Longo’s workshop, “Preserving and Retelling Local Culture and Traditions,” focused on preserving local history in a written or graphic format, with tips and tricks to research, record and write ethnic history from the idea phase to ﬁnal creation and beyond. She is the author of three books on our area’s ItalianAmerican History, “Italians of Northeastern Pennsylvania,” “Dunmore” and “Italians of Lackawanna County.” She is the director of marketing and communications for the chamber.

HIGHMARK HEALTH

Daniel P. Day, CEBS, has been appointed to the newly

created position of chief market ofﬁcer and senior vice president of the central region, based in Camp Hill. Day joined in 2017 and has led the company’s commercial sales force in central and Northeast Pennsylvania. As part of this new role, Day will oversee the market and brand strategy of Highmark Health and Penn State Health’s partnership. He DAY joined as vice president of large group accounts for central and Northeast Pennsylvania regions before being appointed to senior vice president of central markets for Highmark Blue Shield in central Pennsylvania. He has more than 25 years of experience in the health care industry.

HONESDALE NATIONAL BANK

Eight employees, each with 10 years of service, were recognized at the bank’s annual employee recognition dinner held at Lukan’s Farm Resort. David Raven, president and CEO, presided over the program and offered his gratitude for the employees’ service and dedication. In addition to the dinner, the honorees received a gold HNB lapel pin with a diamond, signifying their decade of service to the bank. Those recognized were Virginia Connor, deposit operations officer, Corporate Center (through March); Kelly Cutrone, head teller/CSR, Lackawaxen office; Heather May, customer service representative (through December), 733 Main St. office; Lucy Palko, head teller, Hamlin office; Sara Rutt, mortgage adviser, HNB Mortgage Center; Joann Simyan, customer service representative, Hamlin office; Kevin Colgan, security officer, Corporate Center; and Richard Simmers, vice president and residential mortgage manager, HNB Mortgage Center.

HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE

The offices serving Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike, Wayne and Wyoming counties recently named Jessica Blomain as the general manager. Blomain joined BLOMAIN in 2009 as a community service representative and was most recently the director of client services for the organization. As general manager, she will be responsible for directing and coordinating all activities for growth and development of the business and overseeing all functions performed by the office staff. The organization also announced the addition of Tara Gross as a human resource specialist for the Clarks Summit office. Gross will be responsible for the recruiting, interviewing and onboarding of caregiving employees as well as conducting the orientation and training programs.

KING’S COLLEGE

Dr. Denise Reboli, professor and chairwoman of the education department, was recently appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to the Pennsylvania Early Learning Council for a three-year term. The Pa. Early Learning Council is responsible for coordinating the delivery of federal and state programs designed to serve young

REBOLI

Please see Personnel, Page 25

PERSONNEL FILE FROM PAGE 24 children from birth through entry into school and provides ongoing input and advice to the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. David Schappert was recently named director of the college’s D. Leonard Corgan Library. He previously served as director of library services and learning commons manager at Marywood University. Schappert SCHAPPERT has served as chairman of the Keystone Library Network and as board president of the Pennsylvania Library Association and the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium Inc. Leigh Ann Jacobson has been appointed associate vice president for institutional advancement and senior director of development and campaign. She will be responsible for planning and managing the daily operaJACOBSON tions of the fundraising component of the college’s Institutional Advancement Division, including leading the college’s comprehensive campaign. Jacobson served previously as director of the Parents Program and as associate director of regional development at the University of Notre Dame, where she earned a certificate in executive management from the Mendoza School of Business. Julia Sutherland was recently named assistant director of public relations at the college. Sutherland will play a large role in managing the college’s social media platforms as well as SUTHERLAND collaborating with departments across the college in support of their communication needs. Before her appointment in the public relations and marketing office, Sutherland was an admissions counselor at the college. Before coming to the college, she held positions in digital marketing at Soleo Communications Inc. in Rochester, New York, and Comstar Supply Inc., in Collegeville. Dr. Deb Carr, associate professor of education, coauthored the fourth edition of the textbook “Reading Specialists and Literacy Coaches in the Real World,” published recently by CARR Waveland Press. Carr and co-authors Brenda Shearer and Mary Ellen Vogt document the historical, political and social forces that shape evidence-based practice and incorporate significant developments in intervention, assessment and adolescent literacy. The textbook examines the changing careers of reading specialists and coaches, which has led to an emphasis on increased collaboration and coaching, integration of standards and student improvement initiatives. Carr uses this text in her course, Educ 517 Literacy Leadership & Instructional Coaching, currently being taught at King’s. A resident of Hazleton, she has more

than 30 years of experience as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, literacy supervisor, curriculum director, and English as a Second Language coordinator with the Hazleton Area School District.

for the College of Health and Human Services, and, in 2015, he was named to the Order Cor Mariae-Pro Fide et Cultura, having served on the faculty for 20 years.

Brian Poplarchick, a 29-year veteran of the hazardous building material industry, has joined the company. He will lead the Hazardous Building Materials team in the Dunmore ofﬁce. Poplarchick has broad experience with ACM, LBP, IAQ, mold, and arsenic as well as extensive knowledge of federal, state and local regulations.

Michael Baloga Jr., DPM, has joined the Kingston podiatry BALOGA practice. His focus includes the operative and nonoperative treatment of all areas of the adult foot and ankle. His experience includes advanced procedures for complex foot and ankle deformities, acute foot and ankle trauma, diabetic wounds and ulcers, and reconstruction techniques for rheumatoid and ﬂat-foot conditions. During his residency at Main Line Health, Baloga was trained in the latest techniques in comprehensive sports injuries of the foot and ankle, fracture repair, tendon and ligament reconstruction, total ankle replacement, bunions, hammertoes, and arthritic conditions of the foot and ankle.

MICHAEL BALOGA & ASSOCIATES

LABELLA ASSOCIATES

POPLARCHICK

MARSHALL DENNEHEY WARNER COLEMAN & GOGGIN

Matthew P. Keris, shareholder in the Scranton law ofﬁce, has KERIS been elected the Atlantic regional director of the Defense Research Institute. Keris previously was the DRI’s Pennsylvania state representative and membership chair. He will serve a three-year term on the organization’s board of directors, to culminate in 2021. A member of the ﬁrm’s health care department, he represents physicians, medical groups and health care institutions in a variety of health care liability matters.

MARYWOOD UNIVERSITY

The National Band Association Executive Committee has appointed F. David Romines, D.M.A., associate professor of music education, director ROMINES of bands, and co-chairman of the music, theater and dance department at the university, to the post of State Chair of Pennsylvania. Romines is a twotime recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence award. The National Association of Social Workers of Pennsylvania, or NASW-PA, Chapter honored Lloyd L. Lyter, Ph.D., MSW, LSW, with the Social Work Educator of the Year award at LYTER its 2018 conference. Lyter is a professor of social work and director of the university’s Pocono Master of Social Work Program at East Stroudsburg University, where he also teaches in East Stroudsburg’s bachelor-level social work program. He has many years of practice and administrative experience in behavioral health. In addition to serving four terms on the NASW-PA board of directors, two as vice president, Lyter has been actively involved with the Council on Social Work Education, having served on the Council of Conferences and Faculty Development and as a site visitor for the past 15 years. He serves on the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors as co-chair of the Nominations Committee. He has served as the director of the School of Social Work, interim dean

MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY

KOCHER

Ted R. Kocher of Dallas has been appointed director of major gifts in the University Advancement Division. He joins an advancement team that recently spearheaded the public launch of “Now for Tomorrow: The Campaign for Misericordia University.” The campaign will support construction of the $35 million Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Science Center and provide significant investment in the Annual Fund and endowment for additional scholarship opportunities for worthy students. He previously served as leadership and planned gift officer at Muhlenberg College in Allentown. ANSON Denis Anson, M.S., O.T.R./L., director of research and development at the university’s Assistive Technology Research Institute, or ATRI, recently published his second book, “Assistive Technology for People with Disabilities.” Published by ABC-CLIO LLC, the 190-page book is available in hardcover and e-book formats. It focuses on the people who depend on assistive technology in their daily lives and the tools that are available to them, while also seeking to inspire the next generation of assistive technology engineers. In his first book, “Alternative Access: A Guide to Selection,” published by the F.A. Davis Co., Anson focused on selecting computer access technologies. At ATRI, Anson has spearheaded research and development since its inception in 2003. He developed the Americans with Disabilities Act-Compliance Assessment Toolkit or ADA-CAT to measure whether public facilities comply with federal law. The screening tool allows people without advanced training to assess the architectural barriers of the built environment for people with disabilities. The university and the Conference for Mercy Higher Education recently elected the Rev. Michael Bryant, Sister Mary Ellen Fuhrman, R.S.M., Maureen Metz and Thomas Zesk, retired C.P.A., to the university’s board of trustees.

They will begin their three-year terms in October. The university also thanked retiring board members, John C. Metz Sr. (1988-2018), Dr. Martha Hanlon, R.S.M. (1994-2018), Sherry A. Manetta (2003-18) and Mary Beth McNamara Sullivan (1990-2007 and 2009-18) for their years of service and awarded them trustee emeritus status. Bob Soper (2006-18) and Scott Lynett (2009-18) retired from the board. Bryant is an accomplished and energetic pastor with a solid history of achievement and service in ministry. A motivated leader with strong pastoral and strategizing abilities, he has been the pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in the Diocese of Scranton since 2008 after serving the university as director of Campus Ministry from 1990-2007. He is the former director of the Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania and BRYANT was a member of the original Founders Council of NativityMiguel School in Scranton, where he continues to serve on the board of trustees. A Religious Sister of Mercy, Fuhrman is the life coordinator at Mercy Center Nursing Unit, a skilled nursing and personal care facility in Dallas Twp. She also previously served as the special assistant to the president for mission integration and strategic planning at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey. Fuhrman also completed terms as a trustee at Georgian Court University and Mount Aloysius College in Cresson. In addition, she has held several leadership positions for the Sisters of Mercy, including director of development, community leadership and vice president for the Sisters of Mercy Mid-Atlantic. She is a resident of Forty Fort. Metz, a resident of Dallas, is the executive vice president for Metz Culinary Management. She oversees and manages METZ the marketing, culinary and merchandising initiatives for the Dallas-based company. During her 17-year career at Metz Culinary Management, she has played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s recognition as a top on-site food service provider. Metz Culinary Management is ranked 14th on Food Management Magazine’s Top 50 Management Companies in the United States. Before joining Metz Culinary Management, she was a sales manager for pharmaceutical giant SanofiAventis Pasteur. Zesk, a resident of Morristown, New Jersey, previously served on the university’s Parents Advisory Council. A retired accountant and partner of Deloitte LLP of New York City, he served many different roles during his 36 years at the accounting firm. As a staff accountant and senior manager, Zesk oversaw ZESK the firm’s largest clients as an audit and tax staff person, manager and senior manager. In addition, he built a specialty group within the New York Office Tax DepartPlease see Personnel, Page 26

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PERSONNEL FILE FROM PAGE 25 ment that focused on retirement plans for employees. As a partner, he served as the lead partner providing tax and retirement plan services to a number of large Deloitte clients and was the national leader of retirement plan services in the Tax Department. As the northeast leader of a division in the Tax Department, he provided tax services to corporations and oversaw the employees and ﬁnancial operations of the division. From 2008-14, Zesk served on the Deloitte Retirement Committee, which was responsible for overseeing the investments of the Deloitte Pension Plan.

NORTH PENN LEGAL SERVICES

Attorney Lori A. Molloy has been named the new executive director of the organization. She previously served as director of legal advocacy and acting executive director before being authorized by vote of the full board on Oct. 25. Molloy has been an attorney at the organization for 21 years, serving as the managing attorney of the Bethlehem ofﬁce until her promotion to director of legal advocacy in 2017.

PHILADELPHIA HAND TO SHOULDER CENTER

Beginning in September, Dr. Randall W. Culp has a full-time presence in the Wilkes-Barre area, including expanded hours at the practice’s 672 S. River St. ofﬁce. Culp’s practice focuses on providing comprehensive care for injuries and conditions affecting the hand, wrist, arm and elbow. He specializes in small joint and wrist arthroscopy, ligaCULP ment repairs, reconstruction of the wrist and elbow, amputations and nerve management, and pediatric disease related to the upper extremity.

PRIMARY CARE

Maria Kolcharno has joined as director of addiction services. In this new role, Kolcharno will supervise the daily operations of addiction-related services and grant-funded clinical operations, including the Opioid Use Disorder Center of Excellence program. Kolcharno was employed at Geisinger Marworth Treatment KOLCHARNO Center for 27 years and most recently served as director of the department of admissions and patient evaluation. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers Pennsylvania Chapter.

Resources), Homestead, Florida. Berryman served his country in the Navy.

UGI CORP.

Roger Perreault was appointed to the newly created position of executive vice president, Global LPG, and Robert F. Beard was appointed to the newly created position of executive vice president, natural gas, effective Oct. 1. In his new role, Perreault will be responsible for the company’s LPG distribution businesses, conducted through AmeriGas Propane LP and UGI International LLC and their subsidiaries. Perreault joined the company in November 2015 as president of UGI International and he will continue to serve in that role. Perreault spent 21 years with Air Liquide, serving in various leadership positions, including in a global role as president, large industries and, before that, in a role with responsibility for Air Liquide’s North American large industries business. As executive vice president, natural gas, Beard will be responsible for utility operations as well as the midstream and marketing activities of the company, conducted through UGI Utilities Inc. and UGI Energy Services LLC and their subsidiaries. In his new role, Beard will work closely with Joseph L. Hartz, president of UGI Energy Services. Beard will remain president and chief executive officer of UGI Utilities, a position he has held since 2011. He joined in 2008 and previously served as vice president, marketing, rates and gas supply, and as vice president, Southern Region of UGI Utilities. He has more than 20 years of experience in the utility industry, and previously served as vice president of Operations and Engineering of PPL Gas Utilities Corp. UGI Corp. and AmeriGas Propane Inc., the general partner of AmeriGas Partners LP, also announced that Jerry E. Sheridan has elected to leave the position of president and chief executive officer of AmeriGas. Hugh J. Gallagher, currently AmeriGas vice president, finance and chief financial officer, has been named AmeriGas president and chief executive officer, effective Sept. 18. Gallagher has held the position of vice president, finance and chief financial officer since May 2013. Since joining in 1990, he has served both UGI and AmeriGas in various finance, accounting and operations roles, including treasurer, director of treasury services and investor relations and director, business development. UGI chief financial officer, Ted J. Jastrzebski, will serve as AmeriGas principal financial officer on an interim basis until Gallagher’s successor is named.

THE UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON

The university has appointed Richard A. Walsh as assistant provost for operations and data analytics officer. Walsh, who served as assistant provost TALEN ENERGY for operations since 2014, Brad Berryman was promoted to the position now oversees the Office of of senior vice president and chief nuclear officer. In Institutional Reporting and Data this expanded role, Berryman will be responsible for Analytics. The restructured office overseeing all aspects of the company’s Susquehanna WALSH will focus on data analytics and nuclear power plant, a two-unit, 2,700-megawatt-facility data mining, in addition to its in Luzerne County. Berryman joined in early 2017 research and reporting functions. from NextEra Energy Resources, and has since served Walsh joined the staff in 1998 as a software/database deas site vice president for Susquehanna Nuclear, with velopment and computer programming instructor at the responsibilities for all plant operations and personnel. Center for Professional Training and Development. During With more than two decades of extensive commercial his 20 years of service at the university, he also worked in nuclear experience, he has held positions of increasing the registrar’s office. importance spanning various technical, operational, Gretchen J. Van Dyke, Ph.D., associate professor training and financial capacities. Prior to joining the of political science, was selected as a 2018-19 Resident company, he served as general manager at Turkey Scholar at the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Point Nuclear Generating Station (NextEra Energy

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JANUARY 2019

Cultural Research in Collegeville, Minnesota. Van Dyke joins just nine other scholars from across the nation who will spend a semester or academic year at the institute that supports “scholarly research that would nurture the best Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox theology.” Through the program, resident scholars will pursue independent research VAN DYKE within a context of inquiry and prayer “rooted in the Benedictine rhythm of St. John’s Abbey.” Van Dyke will research an edited collection project titled “Teaching Mission as a Vocation in the Jesuit Tradition.” Van Dyke has served as the university’s faculty representative to the Lilly Fellows Program since 2000. She also serves as a mentor for the Lilly’s Graduate Fellows Program and has previously served as a national board member for the program. She joined the political science faculty in 1994. In addition to teaching a number of courses related to international relations and American government, she has also taught and developed courses that address contemporary questions of social justice and humanitarianism. The university has named three individuals to its board of trustees: Jacquelyn Rasieleski Dionne, ’89, Westport, Connecticut; Liz Murphy, Southport, North Carolina; and attorney Vincent R. Reilly, ’80, P’05, ’08, ’11, ’14, Philadelphia. A native of Scranton and a university alumna, Dionne became a registered nurse upon graduating from Community Medical Center in 1986. She began her career as a trauma intensive care nurse in Scranton and continued as a cardiothoracic nurse in Boston and the New Hampshire Heart Institute. She recently returned to a medical setting, working as an RN with elderly and Alzheimer’s patients. Dionne previously served on the university’s board from 2011 through 2017. During that time, she chaired the advancement committee, served on the executive committee, and on both the presidential and provost search committees. In 2015, she was instrumental in the creation of the Kania School of Management’s Business Wall of Fame. In 2013, she and her husband, John D. Dionne ’86, were co-recipients of the University’s President’s Medal, an honor presented by the President’s Business Council. Murphy is chairwoman of the board and chief evangelist for CampusWorks Inc., a higher education professional services company. She has more than 35 years of experience in higher education, having first served as an institutional fundraiser for both a university and a community college foundation. For more than 21 years she worked at Datatel, an enterprise software provider to higher education, serving in marketing and professional services leadership roles, before advancing to the position of chief client officer there. She then served as chief executive officer of CampusWorks for more than six years. Murphy serves on the boards of Oohlala, Quality Matters and the Alliance for Innovation and Transformation. Reilly, who graduated from the university in 1980 and Villanova University School of Law in 1983, has been active in civil litigation in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. On Jan. 1, 2000, along with Tracey McDevitt, ’93, he founded the law firm of Reilly, McDevitt and Henrich, where he serves as managing partner of the firm with offices in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware. He previously served as a university trustee from 2011 to 2017.

WAYNE BANK

Lianne Waller has been awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence. This prestigious award is presented to bank employees who show exceptional levels

of dedication and service in their positions with the bank. Waller started her banking career in 2015 as a teller in the Honesdale Main Street Community Ofﬁce. She currently holds the position of wealth management administrative assistant.

WAYNE MEMORIAL COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS

WALLER

Internal medicine physician Ramesh Pandit, M.D., MPH, a resident of Honesdale, has joined Highland Physicians Family Health Center. Pandit began seeing adult patients at its Honesdale office located at 1839 Fair Ave. as of Oct. 1. He has a strong emphasis on preventive medicine and a background in epidemiology. PANDIT Board-certified advance practice nurse practitioner Lynn Salvati joined the staff at Pike Family Health Center. She joins John Weisenreider, M.D., and Eileen Arenson, CRNP, MSN, at the Lords Valley office on Route 739. Salvati is treating patients 16 and older. She was a registered nurse in the emergency department of SALVATI Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton, for the past five years. Samuel Ganz, D.O., internal medicine physician, has joined its roster of primary care providers. Ganz will hold office hours at two of the center’s eight primary care sites — Carbondale Family Health Center and McAndrew Family Health Center — where he will treat adult and geriatric patients. GANZ Ganz has worked in Northeast Pennsylvania since 2014 when he began his internal medicine residency with the Wright Center For Graduate Medical Education. He served as chief resident during senior year.

WRIGHT CENTER

Kathryn Blake of Scranton has joined as development specialist. She will work with the vice president of strategic initiatives and the executive leadership team to develop the center’s relationships with alumni, foundations, community partners and individual donors. Blake will also lead future fundraising efforts, stewardship events and volunteer opportunities. She previously worked at TMG Health as the organization’s business analyst.

BLAKE

SUBMIT PERSONNEL FILE items to business@ timesshamrock.com or The Times-Tribune, 149 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503.

FINANCE TIPS

A beginner’s guide to cryptocurrency Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are digital currencies that allow people to make anonymous transactions electronically without involving third parties, such as banks, credit cards or companies like PayPal. This is appealing because third-party institutions often charge fees and slow down the transfer process, especially for large, international transfers. Cryptocurrencies eliminate the need for a middleman by using a peer-to-peer network that relies on cryptography – the practice of encrypting information so that only select people can read and process it. These currencies are not only virtual but also decentralized, meaning that no government or central authority controls how much is in circulation. Instead, circulation is monitored by the user community, and transaction data is stored on computers across the world. How blockchain works Rather than using intermediaries, cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology to record and verify transactions. A blockchain is a list of all transactions that occur using a cryptocurrency, with each block representing a speciﬁc transaction. It can be accessed by anyone using the currency but is encrypted so your private information stays secure. When you start using a cryptocurrency, you receive a digital wallet and a public and private key. Your private key is a string of letters and numbers that you use to sign a transfer to conﬁrm that it’s from you. Once entered, it becomes encrypted, but other users can use your public key to check that you’ve signed it with your unique signature.

So, how exactly do transactions get recorded on the blockchain? When you enter your private key to send cryptocurrency, it spurs an encryption process that generates a complex math problem. Blockchain users compete to solve the problem by running high-powered computers that eventually find the solution to the algorithm. Solving the algorithm results in a new block being added to the chain. The users competing to solve algorithms are called miners because the user who solves the problem first is rewarded in new digital coins. Each time a block is added, more cryptocurrency is generated. Mining cryptocurrency thus verifies transactions while rewarding the people responsible for keeping the blockchain updated. Investing in cryptocurrencies Financial experts are divided on whether cryptocurrency is the future of money or just a passing fad. In any case, at the moment cryptocurrency is a high-risk investment. Since digital currencies have no fixed worth or government backing, their value is purely speculative and can fluctuate wildly, even within a few days. If you buy cryptocurrency, spend only what you’re prepared to lose. Instead of buying cryptocurrencies, some experts recommend investing in companies that are developing blockchain technology. Blockchain has applications beyond cryptocurrency, and many people think that even if cryptocurrency doesn’t last, blockchain could transform how we do business in the years to come. If you’re looking for investment opportunities, consider buying stock in companies that are finding new uses for blockchain.

DID YOU KNOW? Microsoft, Subway, Expedia and PayPal are some of the major companies that are now accepting certain cryptocurrencies as payment. Customers can pay for goods and services out of their digital wallets when making online purchases.

Side hustles and the gig economy In today’s gig economy, it’s becoming more common to have a “side hustle” – a ﬂexible second job that’s done in addition to a full-time position to generate extra income. The emergence of gig-based companies like Airbnb, Uber and Etsy has made it easier than ever for people to have a side hustle. Some popular side gigs include renting out apartments, driving for rideshare companies and selling handmade products online. Additionally, freelance writing, editing and designing for the web are prevalent types of side hustles. While side hustles are often associated with making a hobby into a source of income, most

people turn to them because they need the extra cash. Many people working side hustles are millennials struggling to ﬁnd well-paying jobs and pay off student loans. However, studies also show that older Americans are starting to use side hustles to boost their retirement savings. If you’re thinking about taking on a side hustle, be sure to choose something you enjoy doing. This way your motivation to work during your free time will be high. In most cases, however, you shouldn’t depend on what you earn from your side hustle. The availability of freelance work tends to ﬂuctuate, making it a source of income that’s unreliable.

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FOR THE RECORD DEEDS

COLUMBIA COUNTY

Eric R. Schmeck. Property Location: Scott Twp. Seller: Candida M. Stebbins. Amount: $375,000. Open Door Christian Fellowship. Property Location: Hemlock Twp. Seller: Kenneth E. Narber. Amount: $350,000. Julie A. Curland. Property Location; Mifflin Twp. Seller: James F. Shotwell. Amount: $315,000. Kristen N. Chapin. Property Location: Mifflin Twp. Seller: Donald A. Abraczinkas Jr. Amount: $350,000. James P. Conner. Property Location: Benton Twp. Seller: Estate of Esther H. Joscht. Amount: $375,000. Mountain View Estates MHP LLC. Property Location: Miflin Twp. Seller: Estate of Marilyn J. Zajac. Amount: $600,000. Paul E. Kreisher. Property Location; Scott Twp. Seller: J. David Ferro. Amount: $515,000. Edward McCawley. Property Location: Berwick. Seller: Members Choice Financial Credit Union. Amount: $475,000. Nathan D. Roberts. Property Location: Scott Twp. Seller: Jeffrey A. Krug. Amount: $650,000.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY

Adams CATV Inc. Property Location: Carbondale City. Seller: W.R. Wallis Inc. Amount: $275,000. Ryan R. Parry. Property Location: Dickson City. Seller: Michael J. Merenich. Amount: $274,000. SR Two LLC. Property Location: Dickson City. Seller: Dean Sai One Enterprises LLC. Amount: $600,000. Gary Petrewski. Property Location: Greenﬁeld Twp. Seller: Kathleen Kutsop. Amount: $335,000. Stacy Ann Comer. Property Location: Jefferson Twp. Seller: Ian R. Farr. Amount: $325,000. Jeffrey P. Dandrea. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Seller: Elizabeth Cook. Amount: $337,500. Jo-Dan Motors of Moosic LLC. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Seller: Buick Pontiac GMC of Moosic Inc. Amount: $3,925,000. Barbara J. Samuel. Property Location; Moosic Boro. Seller: Glenmaura Commons LP. Amount: $275,000. Henry Sammon. Property Location; Moosic Boro. Seller: Matthew Pikulski. Amount: $285,000. Paul J. Labelle. Property Location: N. Abington Twp. Seller: Sherrilynn Tarapchak. Amount: $400,000. Reading Railroad Transfer LLC. Property Location: Ransom Twp. Seller: Penn Foster Inc. Amount: $970,000. Grant L. Debnam. Property Location: Roaring Brook Twp. Seller: Margaret E. Roberto. Amount: $408,000. Patricia Brannan. Property Location: Scott Twp. Seller: John Sheerin. Amount: $310,000. Eric M. Gower. Property Location: Scott Twp. Seller: Robert Parchinski. Amount: $365,000. Phil J. Kolatis Jr. Property Location: Scranton City. Seller: E&) Properties LLC. Amount: $250,000. Peter Barrett Jordan. Property Location: Scranton City. Seller: Matthew Slocum. Amount: $295,000. Crown So. Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: So. Abington Twp. Seller: Gilbert Weinberger Inc. Amount: $2,500,000. Crown So Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: So. Abington Twp. Seller: Abington Center LLC. Amount: $1,500,000. Crown So. Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: South Abington Twp. Seller: Northeastern Realty Partners LTD. Amount: $13,000,000. Crown So. Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: South Abington Twp. Seller: Pedmar Inc. Amount: $1,000,000. Brett Davis. Property Location: So. Abington Twp. Seller: Arthur E. Westwell Jr. Amount: $259,000.

R D Noto & Son Construction Inc. Property Location: So. Abington Twp. Seller: Country Club of Scranton. Amount: $290,000. Luke Dierking. Property Location: Springbrook Twp. Seller: Susquehanna Conference of the United Methodist Church. Amount: $250,000. Edward Tymkiv. Property Location: Springbrook Twp. Seller: George E. Benjamin III. Amount: $325,000. Raymond James Trust. Property Location: Springbrook Twp. Seller: Dennis Coval. Amount: $390,000. Rebecca B. Sanders. Property Location: Springbrook Twp. Seller: Ruth C. Argust. Amount: $345,000. Alltyson K. Favuzza. Property Location: Throop Twp. Seller: Lively Buford T II. Amount: $410,000. Gerald Chellino. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Kenneth Powell. Amount: $302,381. Robert Texidor. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Robert S. Spryn. Amount: $275,000. Stephen Cognetti. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Judith C. Davis. Amount: $322,000. Amy Cadden. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Mary Ann McGuire. Amount: $255,000. Crown S Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Northeastern Realty Partners Ltd. Amount: $13,000,000. Jon Berta. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Conrad G. Rudalavage. Amount: $325,000. David Greczek. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Michael Joseph Zadarosni Tr. Amount: $350,000. Cassandra Norcross. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: John Sacco. Amount: $350,000. Robert T. Henbest. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Heather Cortese. Amount: $305,000. James Scalamonti. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Katherine Jenkins. Amount: $290,000. Vincent A. Bonaddio. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Theresa Mary Sweeney. Amount: $407,475. Larry Whitehead. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Seller: Joseph R. Mangiaracina. Amount: $392,000.

LUZERNE COUNTY

Jai Umiya LLC. Property Location: Luzerne. Seller: National Retail Properties Trust. Amount: $550,000 Eduardo Manuel Silva. Property Location: Dorrance Twp. Seller: Brian Young. Amount: $288,000. PK&P Investment Company. Property Location: Pittston Twp. Seller: Muy Properties Ltd. Amount: $2,380,000. Bruce W. Bennett Jr. Property Location: Huntington Twp. Seller: John P. Sanderson III. Amount: $320,000. Mark J. Hydock. Property Location: Hazle Twp. Seller: John L. Grohol III. Amount: $313,000. John L. Blewitt. Property Location: Kingston. Seller: Alex J. Nobile Amount: $300,000. Nehal Investments LLC. Property Location: Sugarloaf Twp. Seller: Clear Water Hotel Partners LLC. Amount: $685,000. Jeffrey Otter. Property Location: Butler Twp. Seller: Bruce V. Adams. Amount: $305,000.Paul E. Marschall. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Seller: William Cave. Amount: $358,000. Matthew P. Loftus. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Seller: Jeannie Price Zaykowski.. Amount: $384,000. Vincent Vallone. Property Location: Harveys Lake. Seller: Brian F. Russoniello. Amount: $264,000. Vincent G. Fitzpatrick. Property Location: Black Creek Twp. Seller: Susan M. Mac A’Bhaird. Amount: $395,000. Edward I. Gregory Jr. Property Location: Hazle Twp. Seller: Elaine M. Carrero. Amount: $290,000. Rent-A-Nest LLC. Property Location: Wilkes Barre. Seller: Vladimir Shkavrov. Amount: $255,320. Popovich Family Trust. Property Location: Butler

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Twp. Seller: Sand Springs Development Corporation. Amount: $295,000. Bruce V. Adams. Property Location: Butler Twp. Seller: Sand Springs Development Corporation. Amount: $269,900. Michael J. Zwierko. Property Location: Wright Twp. Seller: Andrew J. Grosso. Amount: $283,000. Stephen P. Racek. Property Location: Butler Twp. Seller: Karen A. Sands. Amount: $310,000. Wilbur J. Grifﬁth. Property Location: Lehman Twp. Seller: James M. Jiunta. Amount: $458,000. Stuart Elick Property Location: Dallas Twp. Seller: John F. Gager. Amount: $320,000. Cartus Financial Corporation. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Seller: Ronald Lewis Matusiak Jr. Amount: $350,000. Christopher J. Stevens. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Seller: Cartus Financial Corporation. Amount: $350,000. Michael di Troia. Property Location: Hazle Twp. Seller: Leonard F. Kucinski. Amount: $370,000. Michael C Aton. Property Location: Wright Twp. Seller: Eric Strish. Amount: $357,000. Kenneth M. Moyer. Location: Sugarloaf Twp. Seller: Eastern Communities Limited Partnership. Amount: $274,900. Jennifer Plesh-Fugate. Property Location: Butler Twp. Seller: Brian R. Boermeester. Amount: $275,000. Brian T. Barrett Jr. Property Location: Jenkins Twp. Seller: Luchi Real Estate LLC.. Amount: $274,000. Loren Mangino. Property Location: Wright Twp. Seller: Joseph McCoseky. Amount: $429,000. 489 LLC. Property Location: Hazleton. Seller: United Rehabilitation Services Inc. Amount: $250,000. Jennifer Nenstiel. Property Location: Rice Twp. Seller: Bryan Jeffery Herbst. Amount: $312,000. Steven Galsson. Property Location; Bear Creek Village. Seller: Margaret Asimakopoulos. Amount: $305,000. Bakery Boy LLC. Property Location: Hazleton. Seller: Zukovich Properties LLC. Amount: $650,000. James D. Warren. Property Location: Kingston Twp. Seller: James V. Reino Jr. Amount: $275,000. Robert T. Wright. Property Location: Union Twp. Seller: Jeanette Beck. Amount: $265,000. Rutherford Services Inc. Property Location: Plains Twp. Seller: Audrey Waxmonsky. Amount: $285,000. Michele Domiano-Gnall. Property Location: Lehman Twp. Seller: Nancy Medico. Amount: $337,000. John Montoya. Property Location: Wilkes Barre. Seller: Nikolay Stephanenko. Amount: $281,000. Steeple View I LP. Property Location: Pittston. Seller: Santino Ferretti. Amount: $342,000.

PIKE COUNTY

Colleen Henderson. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Seller: Rivers Edge L.P. Amount: $279,000. Joseph N. Grompone. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Seller: Keith H. Farrar. Amount: $280,000. Jerome Lehman. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Seller: Berta Estates LLC. Amount: $253,500. William L. Albores. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Seller: Peter A. Shitzman. Amount: $1,100,000. Oscar J. Hoffman. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Seller: Rivers Edge LP. Amount: $289,900. John G. Hannes. Property Location: Shohola Twp. Seller; Benjamin Spencer. Amount: $455,000. Paul Southwell. Property Location: Shohola Twp. Seller: Wendy Cunningham. Amount: $261,000. Andrew J. Michal. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Seller: Norman T. Koenigsberg. Amount: $1,800,000. Jeffrey R. Consalvi. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Seller: George J. Harrigan. Amount: $287,520. George L. Psak. Property Location: Palmyra Twp.

Seller: Albina Thoma. Amount: $655,000. Pradeep Ravindra. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Seller: Steven J. Bory. Amount: $395,000. Michael Vincent O’Hara. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Seller: Thomas Alders. Amount: $250,000. 111 Wheatﬁeld Associates LLC. Property Location: Milford Twp. Seller: Rutrim LLC. Amount: $1,200,000. Virginia Joudeh. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Seller: Smart Start Building Systems. Amount: $295,000. Robert Joseph Grzenda. Property Location: Lackawanna Twp. Seller: Scott Landis. Amount: $329,000. Seth A. Hammer. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Seller: Scott A. Trail. Amount: $370,000. Craig Burton Neal. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Seller: Annette M. Merola. Amount: $625,000. Michael A. Grech. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Seller: Michael J. Bunero. Amount: $425,000. John L. Ferramosca. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Seller: Frank Montalbano. Amount: $520,000. Kathleen Ann Wiseman. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Seller: G.A. Homes Inc. Amount: $286,000. Thomas Butler. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Seller: Baris Senoglu. Amount: $655,000. Antionette Marie Major. Property Location: Greene Twp. Seller: Frederick R. Welch. Amount: $490,000. Steven M. Abrams. Property Location; Greene Twp. Seller: Buena Chilstrom. Amount: $289,000. Theodore M. Fontaine. Property Location: Greene Twp. Seller: Gary M. Tishler. Amount: $340,000. David Rivera Cosme. Property Location: Dingman Twp. Seller: Linda A. Simerson. Amount: $254,400. William A. Slattery. Property Location: Dingman Twp. Seller: Walter J. Kowalinksi. Amount: $265,000. William E. Poore Jr. Property Location: Dingman Twp. Seller: James A. Kubisiak Jr. Amount: $285,000. DEPG Dingmans Associates LLC. Property Location: Dingman Twp. Seller: Hunt Horizons LLC. Amount: $700,000. Scot W. Deas. Property Location: Delaware Twp. Seller: Kenneth Osterman. Amount: $350,000. Mark Neal. Property Location: Delaware Twp. Seller: Thomas C. Christ Jr. Amount: $300,000. Patrick R. Barker. Property Location: Delaware Twp. Seller: Michael Cutaia. Amount: $285,000. Mitchel Stein. Property Location: Blooming Grove Twp. Seller: Deborah Sands Gartenberg. Amount: $525,000. Jonathan H. Butler. Property Location: Blooming Grove Twp. Seller: Joseph A. Raisteter Jr. Amount: $287,500. Gary Roccaro. Property Location: Blooming Grove Twp. Seller: Jess Rothenberg. Amount: $400,000. Thomas R. Nikles Revocable Living Trust. Property Location: Blooming Grove Twp. Seller: 12 Villas LLC. Amount: $500,000.

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

Big B Manufacturing Inc. Property Location: Frackville. Seller: Stiely Family Rentals LLC. Amount: $400,000. Scott E. Rieber. Property Location: So. Manheim Twp. Seller: Nancy L. Campﬁeld. Amount: $500,000. Philip Chuff. Property Location: Valley of the Lakes. Property Location: Hazleton. Seller: Karen E. Michaels. Amount: $338,000. Panther V alley Road LLC. Property Location: Wayne Twp. Seller: Martinand Rosemarie Donohue. Amount: $251,610.

WAYNE COUNTY

M. Rido. Property Location: Berlin Twp. Seller: Please see Record, Page 29

FOR THE RECORD FROM PAGE 28 Michelle R. Bayly. Amount: $295,000. Jonathan Snyder. Property Location: Clinton Twp. Seller: Shawn T. Brown. Amount: $312,000. John M. Olsen. Property Location: Clinton Twp. Seller: Penny M. Friese. Amount: $345,000. Robert A. Bartsch. Property Location: Damascus Twp. Seller: Francis J. Dooley. Amount: $333,000. Neal Young. Property Location: Lebanon Twp.& Damascus Twp. Seller: Keith D. Wolf. Amount: $835,000. Thomas C. Kern. Property Location: Lebanon Twp. Seller: Karen Dowling Tr. Amount: $275,000. Muhammad Bhayat. Property Location: Lehigh Twp. Seller: Kevin Congdon. Amount: $630,000. Chad W. Kinzly. Property Location: Manchester Twp. Seller: Mark Tracy. Amount: $255,000. Richard W. Martin. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Seller: Wayne L. Knieczak. Amount: $342,500. John A. Ramirez. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Steven R. Simmons. Amount: $300,000. Raymond L. Consalvi. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Raymond L. Consalvi. Amount: $349,900. Allen D. Strathy. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Gail Schardt Tr. Amount: $327,500. John Basalyga. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Michael Freeman. Amount: $2,175,000. Gary Duckwall. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Larry E. Houck. Amount: $275,000. Joseph Helpern. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Peter Wigger. Amount: $875,000. John Mackinney. Property Location: Salem Twp. Seller: Bethany Neri. Amount: $261,500. St. Tikhons Orthodox Theological Seminary. Property Location: South Canaan Twp. Seller: Eugene M. Cook, Jr. Amount: $625,000. Scott E. Watson. Property Location: Texas Twp. Seller; Scott M. Watson. Amount: $250,000. Manufacturing Technology Enterprises Inc. Property Location: Mt. Pleasant Twp. Seller: Wayne Tigue. Amount: $245,000. Bhayat Muhammad. Property Location: Lehigh Twp. Seller: Kevin Congdon. Amount: $630,000. Legacy Three D. Trust. Property Location: Lehigh Twp. Seller: Isolina Gerona Tr. Amount: $278,000. Steven R. Simmons. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: John A. Ramirez. Amount: $300,000. Robert Wegbrett. Property Location: Seller: Raymond L. Consalvi. Amount: $349,900. Richard W. Martin. Property Location: Seller: Wayne L. Kmieczak. Amount: $342,500. Robert Hutton. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Seller: Allen Prince. Amount: $319,000. Allen D. Strathy. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Gail Schardt. Amount: $327,500. Christopher T. Connelly. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Peter D. Schaefﬂer. Amount: $435,000. Rory J. Ofee. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Stone Financing. Amount: $375,000. Gary Duckwwll. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Larry E. Houck. Amount: $275,000. Shawn T. Abbott. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller Joseph S. Rowek. Amount: $356,000. James N. Gould. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Seller: Elizabeth Keller Arnold. Amount: $645,000. Scott E. Watson. Property Location: Texas Twp. Seller: Scott M Watson. Amount: $250,000. Neal Young. Property Location: Lebanon Twp.& Damascus Twp. Seller: Keith D. Wolf. Amount: $835,000. Robert A. Bartsch. Property Location: Damascus Twp. Seller: Francis J. Dooley. Amount: $333,000. Thomas C. Kern. Property Location: Lebanon Twp. Seller: Daren Dowling Jr. Amount: $275,000.

WYOMING COUNTY

Matthew Stephenson. Property Location: Northmoreland Twp. Seller: Randy D. Jones. Amount: $310,000. Fred A. Harding. Property Location: Eaton Twp. Seller: Borel Builders Inc. Seller: Fred A. Harding. Amount: $337,644. ATR LaPlume LLC. Property Location: Factoryville Twp. Seller: Peoples Neighborhood Bank. Amount: $700,000. Joseph P. Papi. Property Location: Eaton Twp. Seller: Borel Builders Inc. Amount: $329,514.

MORTGAGES

COLUMBIA COUNTY

Kristen M. Chapin. Property Location: Mifﬂin Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $310,000. Emerson Equities LLC. Property Location: Scott Twp. Lender: Jersey Shore State Bank. Amount: $255,000. Joseph Kapcia. Property Location: North Centre Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $470,647. Tristar Housing LP. Property Location: Bloomsburg. Lender: First Keystone Community Bank. Amount: $310,000. John L. Dent. Property Location: Greenwood Twp. Lender: Jersey Shore State Bank. Amount: $318,500. Mountain View Estates MHP LLC. Property Location: Mifﬂin Twp. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $574,000. Charles W. Smargiassi. Property Location: Scott Twp. Lender: Lancaster Mortgage Company. Amount: $437,750. Thomas J. Ritschard. Property Location: Greenwood Twp. Lender: First Columbia Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $317,000. Sohan LLC. Property Location: Scott Twp. Lender: First Keystone Community Bank. Amount: $268,712. NAM Futures LLC. Property Location: Scott Twp. Lender: Mariano Holdings Inc. Amount: $6,112,816. Michele H. Roberts. Property Location: Scott Twp. Lender: First Columbia Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $585,000.

LACKAWANNA COUNTY

Manufacturing Technology Enterprises Inc. Property Location: Carbondale City. Lender: First National Bank of PA. Amount: $250,000. Robert Jones Garfield III. Property Location: Covington Twp. Lender: FNCB Bank. Amount: $285,000. Suburban Realty LP. Property Location: Dickson City. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $2,289,000. Oz Realty LLC. Property Location: Dickson City. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $380,000. Oz Realty LLC. Property Location: Dickson City. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $515,000. SR Two LLC. Property Location: Dickson City. Lender: ESSA Bank & Trust. Amount: $480,000. Idle Hours Realty Inc. Property Location: Dickson City. Lender: NBT Bank. Amount: $1,616,481. Elheth LLC. Property Location: Dunmore Boro. Lender: Fidelity Dep. & Disc. Bank. Amount: $270,000. Robert M. Burke. Property Location: Dunmore Boro. Lender: Fidelity Dep. & Disc. Bank. Amount: $300,000. Diamond Towers IV LLC. Property Location: Fell Twp. Lender: Wilmington Trust. Amount: $215,00,000. Nicholas Petrilak. Property Location: Greenfield Twp. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $320,000. Diamond Towers IV LLC. Property Location: Greenfield Twp. Lender: Wilmington Trust. Amount: $215,000,000. Stacy Ann Comer. Property Location: Jefferson Twp. Lender: USAA Federal Savings Bank. Amount: $308,750. TCNE Valley View LLC. Property Location: Jessup Boro. Lender: Texas Capital Bank. Amount: $67,291,346. Elaine Santarelli. Property Location: Mayfield Boro. Lender: NBT Bank. Amount: $3,075,000. Jeffrey P. Dandrea. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Lender: Fidelity Dep & Disc Bk. Amount: $270,000. Keith E. Theile. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Lender: Citizens Savings Bank. Amount: $420,000. Jo-Dan Motors of Moosic LLC. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Lender: Landmark Community Bank. Amount: $3,140,000.

Jo-Dan Motors of Moosic LLC. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Lender: Landmark Community Bank. Amount: $880,000. Christine M. Policare. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Lender: First National Bank of Pennsylvania. Amount: $760,000. C Store Development LLC. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Lender: Fidelity Dep & Disc Bk. Amount: $250,000. Joseph J. Hudak Jr. Property Location: Moosic Boro. Lender: FNCB Bank. Amount: $375,000. Michael Kiernan. Property Location: Newton Twp. Lender: Live Well Financial Inc. Amount: $292,000. Timothy T. Atkins. Property Location: No. Abington Twp. Lender: Wells Fargo Bank. Amount: $300,000. Michael M. Thomas Jr. Property Location: No. Abington Twp. Lender: First National Bank of PA. Amount: $384,000. Marguerite M. Mazur. Property Location: Olyphant Boro. Lender: ESSA Bank & Trust. Amount: $315,000. Grant L. Debnam. Property Location: Roaring Brook Twp. Lender: United Wholesale Mortgage. Amount: $335,000. Eric M. Gower. Property Location: Scott Twp. Lender: United Wholesale Mortgage. Amount: $310,250. Richard L. Hughes. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Wyndham Capital Mortgage Inc. Amount: $252,500. Prime Rehab LP. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Fidelity Dep & Disc Bk. Amount: $335,000. D&D SNB LLC. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Blue River Solutions LLC. Amount: $500,000. Donald J. Lee Jr. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Citizens Savings Bank. Amount: $265,000. Philip J. Kolatis Jr. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $250,000. Nathaniel Butler. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Fidelity Dep & Disc Bk. Amount: $250,000. Heritage Properties Scranton LLC. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: ESSA Bank & Trust. Amount: $800,000. Learn & Grow Real Estate LLC. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: ESSA Bank & Trust Amount: $665,000. L and G Real Estate LLC. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: ESSA Bank & Trust. Amount: $665,000. Keyser Terrace Inc. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Penn East Federal Credit Union. Amount: $772,000. Micah S. Woodard. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $320,000. AAA North Penn. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $600,000. Idle Hours Realty Inc. Property Location: Scranton City. Lender: NBT Bank. Amount: $1,210,809. Crown So. Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: So. Abington Twp. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $13,500,000 Crown So. Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: So. Abington Twp. Lender: Northeastern Realty Partners LTD. Amount: $1,000,000. Michael Hinchman. Property Location: So. Abington Twp. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $270,000. Luke N. Dierking. Property Location: Springbrook Twp. Lender: Navy Federal Credit Union. Amount: $268,580. Eduard Tymkiv. Property Location: Springbrook Twp. Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank. Amount: $257,000. Damski Builders & Design LLC. Property Location: Please see Record, Page 30

NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS JOURNAL JANUARY 2019 29 TS_CNG/NPBJ/PAGES [B29] | 01/08/19

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FOR THE RECORD

FROM PAGE 29 Throop Boro. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $300,000. Maria I. McLaine. Property Location: Throop Boro. Lender: Fidelity Dep & Disc Bk. Amount: $358,481. OZ Realty LLC. Property Location: Throop Boro. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $380,000. OZ Realty LLC. Property Location: Throop Boro. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $515,000. Philip J. Amico Jr. Property Location: Throop Boro. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $270,000. Allyson K. Favuzza. Property Location: Throop Boro. Lender: Cardinal Financial Company. Amount: $348,500. Robert Texidor. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: FNCB Bank. Amount: $309,920. Richard Bolcavage. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: Fidelity Dep & Disc Bk. Amount: $282,400. Elaine Santarelli. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: NBT Bank. Amount: $3,085,000. Patrick A. Cadden Jr. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: Fidelity Dep & Disc Bk. Amount: $282,720. Crown S. Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $13,500,000. Crown Abington Holdings LLC. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: Northeastern Realty Partners Ltd. Amount: $1,000,000. Cassandra M. Norcross. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: Premia Mortgage LLC. Amount: $280,000. Lisa M Best. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Co. Amount: $416,000. Shawn O. Smith. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: NBT Bank. Amount: $413,000. Larry Whitehead. Property Location: W. Abington Twp. Lender: M&T Bank. Amount: $313,000.

LUZERNE COUNTY

Jai Umly LLC. Property Location: Luzerne. Lender: Landmark Community Bank. Amount: $440,000. ARE Real Estate LP. Property Location: Fairview Twp. Lender: Penn Security Bank & Trust Company. Amount: $500,000. Eduardo Manuel Silva. Property Location: Dorrance Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems

Inc. Amount: $258,000. Karine Cyr. Property Location: Hazle Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $255,000. Bruce W. Bennett Jr. Property Location: Huntington Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $304,000. Kathleen M. Thursby. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Lender: ESSA Bank & Trust. Amount: $393,600. Mark J. Hydock. Property Location: Hazle Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $297,350. Nehal Investments LCC. Property Location: Sugarloaf Twp. Lender: ANZ Dreams LLC. Amount: $1,450,000. Jeffrey Otter. Property Location: Butler Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $289,750. Devin Kelley. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Lender: Citizens Savings Bank. Amount: $320,900. Paul E. Marschall. Property Location; Dallas Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $370,640. Vincent G. Fitzpatrick. Property Location: Black Creek Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Systems Inc. Amount: $348,060. Samantha R. Abod. Property Location: Jackson Twp. Lender: Luzerne Bank. Amount: $440,000. Michael J. Zwierko. Property Location: Wright Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $257,883. Heather M. Rosato. Property Location: Butler Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $279,000. Jason Valenti. Property Location: Jenkins Twp. Lender: Fidelity Deposit & Discount Bank. Amount: $289,000. Wilbur J. Grifﬁth. Property Location: Lehman Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $366,400. Alyssa L. Elick. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $256,000. Christopher J. Stevens. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Lender: Jersey Shore State Bank. Amount: $280,000. Joseph C. Blazes. Property Location: Kingston Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc.

Amount: $351,396. Joseph J. Uerfara. Property Location: Kingston. Lender: Luzerne Bank. Amount: $600,000. Double U Developers LLC. Property Location: Pringle. Lender: Luzerne Bank. Amount: $600,000. Richard D. Rome. Property Location: Harveys Lake. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $422,500. Samuel A. Falcone Jr. Property Location: Jackson Twp. Lender: Jersey Shore State Bank. Amount: $453,100. Brian T. Barrett Jr. Property Location: Jenkins Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $269,920. Loren Mangino. Property Location: Wright Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Systems Inc. Amount: $408,405. Jennifer Glasson. Property Location: Bear Creek Village. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Systems Inc. Amount: $299,471. Isaac Benderly. Property Location: West Hazleton. Lender: Mauch Chunk Trust Company. Amount: $400,000. Isaac Benderly. Property Location: Hazle Twp. Lender: Mauch Chunk Trust Company. Amount: $400,000. Isaac Benderly. Property Location: Hazleton. Lender: Mauch Chunk Trust Company. Amount: $400,000. Bakery Boy LLC. Property Location: Hazleton. Lender: CACL Federal Credit Union. Amount: $500,000. Corine Trelsar. Property Location: Harveys Lake Lender: Luzerne Bank. Amount: $540,000. James D. Warren. Property Location: Kingston Twp. Lender: JP Morgan Chase Bank. Amount: $234,345. Multiscape Inc. Property Location: Jenkins Twp. Lender: Community Bank. Amount: $1,500,000. Multiscaqpe Inc. Property Location: Jenkins Twp. Lender: Community Bank. Amount: $500,000. MACAR Properties LLC. Property Location: Hazleton. Lender: Branch Bank & Trust Company. Amount: $301,147. Sean Teer. Property Location: Dallas Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $388,250. Robert T. Wright. Property Location: Union Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $260,200. Michele Domiano-Gnall. Property Location: Lehman Twp. Lender: PNC Bank. Amount: $301,500,

Steeple View I LP. Property Location: Pittston. Lender: Community Development. Amount: $880,000.

PIKE COUNTY

John G. Hannes. Property Location: Shohola Twp. Lender: MERS. Amount: $334,446. Glen Heller. Property Location: Milford Boro. Lender: MERS. Amount: $296,652. Andrew J. Michal. Property Location: MERS. Lender: Palmyra Twp. Amount: $1,280,000. Laura Ripp. Property Location: Delaware Twp. Lender: MERS. Amount: $500,000. Bhaveshkumar Patel. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Lender: Celtic Bank Corporation. Amount: $1,280,000. Joseph N. Grompone. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Lender: Navy Federal Credit Union. Amount: $286,020. Christopher M. Caccavale. Property Location: Green Twp. Lender: George Anns. Amount: $275,000. Patrick R. Barker. Property Location: Delaware Twp. Lender: MERS. Amount: $279,837. Robert Joseph Grzenda. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Lender: JPMorgan Chase Bank NA. Amount: $296,100. Theodore M. Fontaine. Property Location: Greene Twp. Lender: Univest Bank & Trust Company. Amount: $305,100. Michael Stein. Property Location: Blooming Grove Twp. Lender: MERS. Amount: $275,000. Pattiann Parker. Property Location: Greene Twp. Lender: First Northern Bank & Trust Company. Amount: $339,000. Recreational Holdings Corporation. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $800,000. Recreational Holdings Corporation. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $250,000. Robert C. Kowtko. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Lender: MERS. Amount: $285,750. Florence D. Doran. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $250,000. Seth A Hammer. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $296,000. Pradeep Ravinora. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Lender: MERS. Amount: $395,000. Ruddy-Southwell PETA. Property Location: Shohola Twp. Lender: Trident Mortgage Company LP. Amount: $256,272. Michael Colombo. Property Location: Palmyra Twp. Lender: Unity Bank. Amount: $250,000. Frank A. Vigilante. Property Location: Dingman Twp. Lender: Citizens Bank. Amount: $450,000. Thomas R. Nikles Revocable Living Trust. Property Location: Blooming Grove Twp. Lender: Embassy Bank. Amount: $300,000. William E. Poore Jr. Property Location: Dingman Twp. Lender: MERS. Amount: $276,450. Jess Rothenberg. Property Location: Blooming Grove Twp. Lender: Valley National Bank. Amount: $396,331. 111 Wheatﬁeld Associates LLC. Property Location: Milford Twp. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $1,020,000. Mark Case. Property Location: Lackawaxen Twp. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $360,000. William L. Albores. Property Location: Westfall Twp. Lender: Wayne Bank. Amount: $880,000. DEPG Dingmans Associates LLC. Property Location: Dingman Twp. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $480,000. Please see Record, Page 31

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FOR THE RECORD FROM PAGE 30

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY

WYOMING COUNTY

Marshall J. Hummel. Property Location: Llewellyn. Lender: CACL Credit Union. Amount: $275,000. WAYNE COUNTY John Mackinney. Property Location: Salem Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems. Amount: $270,129. Sara Rojas. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems. Amount: $270,000. Heather Rowe. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Lender; Wayne Bank. Amount: $328,800. Ross Inc. Property Location: Berlin Twp. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $500,000. Michael L. Mudalel. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems. Amount: $612,000. Hilltop Mansion. Property Location: Berlin Twp. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $1,000,000. Michael P. O’Neill. Property Location: Mount Pleasant. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $336,000. Christopher T. Connelly. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems. Amount: $250,000. John Basalyga. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $1,740,000, Tracie A. Young. Property Location: Damascus Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems. Amount: $668,000. Rory J. Ofee. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Lender: Citizens Savings Bank. Amount: $300,000. Chad W. Kinzly. Property Location: Manchester Twp. Lender: Stearns Lending. Amount: $250,381. Christopher M. Gardas. Property Location: Texas Twp. Lender: Honesdale National Bank. Amount: $1,035,000. John D. Terwillier. Property Location: Paupack Twp. Lender: Fidelity Deposit & Discount Bank. Amount: $292,300. David L. Boyce. Property Location: Damascus Twp. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $500,000. KYMAC. Property Location: Berlin Twp. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $400,000.

Cody E. Croasdale. Property Location: Nicholson Twp. Lender: Peoples Security Bank & Trust Company. Amount: $250,000. Matthew J. Stephenson. Property Location: Northmoreland Twp. Lender: Community Bank. Amount: $279,000. Fred A. Harding. Property Location: Eaton Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $270,000. ATR LaPlume LLC. Property Location: Overfield Twp. Lender: First National Bank of Pennsylvania. Amount: $450,000. BBP1 LLC. Property Location: Meshoppen Twp. Lender: Northeastern Economic Development Company of PA CDC Inc. Amount: $810,000. Marshall Squire Properties LLC. Property Location: Nicholson Twp. Lender: Dime Bank. Amount: $2,289,000. Paul P. Wengen. Property Location: Overfield Twp. Lender: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems LLC. Amount: $410,000. ATR LaPlume LLC. Property Location: Factoryville Boro. Lender: PS Bank. Amount: $900,000. Mark B. Szymanski. Property Location: Overfield Twp. Lender: PNC Bank. Amount: $437,000. KHNM LLC. Property Location: Tunkhannock Boro. Lender: Parke Bank. Amount: $627,000. Joseph P. Papi. Property Location: Eaton Twp. Lender: Mortgage electronic Registration Systems Inc. Amount: $263,600.

STOCKS OF LOCAL INTEREST

This report on insider trading activity has been prepared for informational purposes only by James Blazejewski, CFP, Senior Vice President-Investment Ofﬁcer, Wells Fargo Advisors, 672 North River Street, Suite 300, Plains, PA 18705. It is based on information generally available to the public from sources believed to be reliable. No representation is made that the information is accurate or complete and it does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security. Current information contained in this report is not indicative of future activity. Wells Fargo Advisors, is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC. Source of data: Thomson Financial.

(BBT – 47.66) BB&T CORP

Patrick Graney, director of BB&T Corp, purchased 4,200 shares on December 6 at $47.56 per share for a total cost of $199,746. Graney controls 4,200 shares directly. Over the last six months, insiders of BB&T Corp acquired 4,200 shares and disposed of 8,954 shares.

(CZNC – 26.55) CITIZENS & NORTHERN CORP

Frank Pellegrino, director of Citizens & Northern Corp, purchased 62 shares on December 7 at $25.63 per share for a total cost of $1,589. Pellegrino controls 8,057 shares directly. Over the last six months, insiders of Citizens & Northern Corp acquired 9,066 shares and disposed of 4,638 shares.

(CZFS – 61.00) CITIZENS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.

Rudolph VanDerHiel, director of Citizens Financial Services Inc., purchased 100 shares on December 7 at $61.00 per share for a total cost of $6,100. VanDerHiel controls 15,014 shares directly and 1,884 shares indirectly.

(FULT – 16.30) FULTON FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Ronald Spair, director of Fulton Financial Corporation, purchased 10,000 shares on December 4 at $16.73 per share for a total cost of $167,298. Spair controls 29,072 shares directly. Angela Sargent, vice president of Fulton Financial Corporation, sold 13,780 shares on December 4 at $16.26 per share for total proceeds of $224,050. Sargent controls 36,323 shares directly and 814 shares indirectly. Over the last six months, insiders of Fulton Financial Corporation, acquired 31,219 shares and disposed of 13,780 shares. (FDBC – 58.48) FIDELITY D&D BANCORP INC. David Tressler, director of Fidelity D&D Bancorp Inc., sold 197 shares on December 6 at $58.43 per share for a total proceeds of $11,529. Tressler controls 26,076 shares directly. Over the last six months, insiders of Fidelity D&D Bancorp Inc. acquired 1,935 shares and disposed of 4,132 shares.

(FNB – 12.39) FNB CORPORATION

purchased 3,000 shares on November 12 at $12.24 per share for a total cost of $36,732. Dively controls 11,900 shares directly. Over the last six months, insiders of FNB Corporation, acquired 39,500 shares.

(MTB – 167.37) M&T BANK CORPORATION

Richard Ledgett, director of M&T Bank Corporation, sold 500 shares on November 30 at $168.40 per share for total proceeds of $84,200. Ledgett controls 10 shares directly. Robert Bojdak, vice president of M&T Bank Corporation, sold 934 shares on November 14 at $164.50 per share for total proceeds of $153,643. Over the last six months, insiders of M&T Bank Corporation acquired 25,209 shares and disposed of 30,173 shares.

(NWFL – 33.24) NORWOOD FINANCIAL CORP

Robert Mancuso, vice president of Norwood Financial Corp, purchased 1,000 shares on November 19 at $37.00 per share for a total cost of $37,000. Mancuso controls 6,111 shares directly and 3,975 shares indirectly. Over the last six months, insiders of Norwood Financial Corp acquired 10,275 shares and disposed of 4,125. (UGI- 58.96) UGI CORP Shawn Bort, director of UGI Corp, sold 9,184 shares on November 28 at $57.23 per share for total proceeds of $525,000. Bort controls 14,345 shares directly and 41,128 shares indirectly. Over the last six months, insiders of UGI Corp acquired 157,083 shares and disposed of 155,845 shares. Prices as of Close of Business December 7, 2018.

Relocation Opportunities Wanted

MaryJo Dively, director of FNB Corporation,

Bring us any and all potential locations. We will determine if we can develop or relocate to your site. Pennsylvania Counties of Interest Include: • Bradford, Bucks, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, Wyoming

Types of Locations Wanted: • End Cap, In-Line, Drive-Thru, Free Standing PLEASE CONTACT Abbie Muto muto_a@sdepa.com Cheryl Green green_c@sdepa.com (610) 366-8120 • www.sdepa.com

Member of International Council of Shopping Centers

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