Community, Economic, & Workforce Development Program Day

Thursday, January 19, 2023

by Jenny Wentz, Executive Director

Where better to have our Community, Economic, & Workforce Development program day than in the heart of Shamokin! Thanks to Edward and Wendy Manning of The Heritage Restaurant & Pub, we had the perfect location for our January program day. While overlooking Market Street, the LSV class of 2023 was exposed to information that helped them see Shamokin and their own local communities from a new perspective.

Kathy Vetovich, President of SABER (Shamokin Area Businesses for Economic Revitalization), shared how SABER is improving the economy of the Shamokin area. Kathy’s love and enthusiasm for Shamokin was evident to the class members as she shared personal stories of how Shamokin is growing and changing for the better.

The class of 2023 had the opportunity to develop their own communities after hearing from Neal Fogle, Extension Educator of Community & Economic Development at Penn State Extension, who broke down what elements create a community and how each piece plays an integral role in creating a place where people want to live, work, and play.

Zach Stotter, Assistant Executive Director of LSV and Director of Membership & Workforce at the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, led a panel discussion on Workforce Development in Central Pennsylvania. The panelists included Jamie Mercaldo, Site Administrator at the Sunbury & Bloomsburg PA CareerLink; Theresa Kohler, Lead Business Consultant at PA CareerLink; and Jennifer Hain, Facilitator at Career Ready Central PA. The panel discussed the various challenges employers locally are facing, as well as the initiatives and efforts in place to combat them in order to have a strong and talented workforce.

With a new perspective and passion for community, economic, and workforce development, I look forward to seeing how the LSV class of 2023 gets involved in their local communities to encourage retention and growth.

Thank you to our program day sponsors, Luzerne County Community College, Evangelical Community Hospital, and One Focus Property Management.

December 15, 2022

by Jenny Wentz, Executive Director

This program day was all about pivoting. Weather was not on our side on the week leading up to our healthcare program day. As a planner, adapting to change can be challenging, but thanks to our fantastic leadership team, we were able pivot and pull off a successful, virtual program day.

Phil DeRose, LSV board member and Manager of Planning & Marketing Data Research at UPMC, kicked off the day as the moderator of a healthcare executives panel discussion. The panel featured Kendra Aucker, President/ CEO at Evangelical Community Hospital; Tracey Wolfe, Chief Administrative Officer at Geisinger; Dr. David Lopatofsky, Chief Medical Officer at UPMC. The panelists gave insight into who and what influenced them in their career journeys to the top, what leadership traits they think have made them successful, what traits they look for in their leadership cabinets, and the current issues facing healthcare.

The class also had the opportunity to hear from Stacie Gaul, PMP, AVP, Support Services & Capital Planning at Evangelical Community Hospital, who provided a walk-