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Our Mission
It’s the
We help people feel secure and make life better when bad things happen.
that set our region apart.
Congratulations
to the 2020 Catalyst Award recipients who continuously look for ways to make life better in our region.
www.PennNationalInsurance.com An Equal Employment Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer
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Š2020 Penn National Insurance
Event Program OPENING SPONSOR REMARKS
Doug Callenberger, Highmark Blue Shield
SPECIAL THANKS
David Black, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
BUSINESS DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CHAMPION AWARD PRESENTATION George Rudolph, PSECU
CORPORATE CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTATION David Black, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTATION Tony Sacco, First National Bank
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTATION Nora Habig, M&T Bank
ATHENA AWARD PRESENTATION Tina Nixon, UPMC Pinnacle
CATALYST AWARD PRESENTATION Robert Murphy, Boyer & Ritter Katie Clarke, LeTort Trust
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD PRESENTATION
George Nahodil, Members 1st Federal Credit Union
CONCLUDING REMARKS
David Black, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC 3
A Message from David Black
Welcome to the VIRTUAL Catalyst Awards! We’re excited to celebrate the people, businesses and organizations working to make our region such a special place. A special thank you to the Hilton Harrisburg ffor providing a safe space for us to film the show for you to enjoy from the comfort of your home or office..
We’d like to extend our gratitude to the Catalyst Awards Committee, led by Chair Stacy Klann, for their time and thoughtful work in selecting the 2020 Catalyst Award winners from a large number of exceptional nominees. Our sincere thanks goes to our sponsors and event partners for making this event possible. We are so very grateful for your support of these award winners and the Chamber & CREDC. I’m always impressed by the leadership across our network of volunteers and boards, but in this challenging year, it is especially heartwarming. To our members, thank you for stepping up in unimaginable ways to support our regional business community. We also honor our 2020 Board Chairs – Tom Sposito with York Traditions Bank, Chamber Board Chair, and Ben Dunlap with Nauman, Smith, Shissler & Hall, LLP, CREDC Board Chair, along with all who serve on our Chamber & CREDC Boards of Directors. Thank you Tom, Ben, and other board members for pivoting quickly to our Zoom world and for being continually engaged. Finally, to all of our members, CREDC investors, clients, elected officials and the greater Harrisburg Region business community, we genuinely thank you for your perseverance throughout this unprecedented year. Your individual leadership contributes to creating a better future for our children and grandchildren, as well as generations to come. Thank you for being part of the Chamber & CREDC’s Bold Leadership, for being a Visionary Member and for celebrating the collective Powerful Results that we deliver together. Be safe and be healthy,
President & CEO
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Business Diversity & Inclusion Champion
George Fernandez Latino Connection
In 2014, George Fernandez founded Latino Connection— a strategic communications firm that helps organizations serve the Spanishspeaking community in Pennsylvania and beyond. The company possesses a dual mission: to effectively connect clients with their Latino stakeholders and to deliver high quality translation and interpretation services. Fernandez also publishes Latino Connection Magazine, a quarterly bilingual publication that supports the Latino population through community engagement and education. With Fernandez at the helm, Latino Connection and Latino Connection Magazine have served millions of Latinos and helped hundreds of organizations maximize their reach and protect their core operations. Clients range from billion dollar, private sector businesses such as Integrity Staffing Solutions and UPS, to nonprofit entities and government agencies like Capital BlueCross, Capital Area Head Start and The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Since its inception, Latino Connection has been certified by the Eastern Minority Supplier Diversity Council and is recognized as a Hispanic Business Enterprise by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and as a Minority Certified Business by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
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Corporate Citizen of the Year
Highmark Blue Shield serves approximately 1.1 million members through the company’s health care benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional individuals through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Shield has significant commercial market share and strong Medicare Advantage membership [through certain of its affiliated Blue companies] as well. Through its affiliated Blue companies, all of Highmark’s Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania received a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quality rating of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Highmark Blue Shield employs approximately 3,500 people in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, serving as a key economic driver in the region. Highmark Blue Shield’s total economic impact throughout central Pennsylvania is more than $978 million. Highmark Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.
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Entrepreneur of the Year
Todd Phillips
True Legends Barbershop Todd Justin Phillips is the owner of True Legends Barbershop. He has been a barber for over 20 years serving the Harrisburg, PA community. Todd was born and raised in Harrisburg, and has a strong connection to the growth and development of the people within the community. In reflecting on his own past, he has overcome many challenges. There are individuals in the community who helped him become the man he is and he wants to continue and pay it forward with each daily interaction. He opened his own barbershop in 2017 on Jonestown Road in Harrisburg, and the business has grown to be respected in the community. His goal is to ensure each man, woman, or child who comes to the barbershop is treated with respect and dignity and has an amazing experience. He gives back to the community and works with local charities to directly impact those who need it. Additionally, Todd has a passion for music and is a pianist. He gets his musical talent from his mother, Yolanda C. Agent, a talented singer, and his father, Todd Phillips, a gifted bass player, both of whom are from Harrisburg. He has his own music production company, True Legends Productions, and works with artists of all genres. Todd hopes to pass along what he has learned about being a strong, African-American man to the youth in Harrisburg and continues to be an example they can look up to.
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Small Business of the Year
Food and beverage is our bread and butter. With more than 10 years’ experience as the go-to creative agency for retailers and producers, Viscul crafts brand and content campaigns driven by meaningful stories that connect with consumers and communities. Our team—small, passionate, mighty talented— partners with clients on a personal level, brainstorming around a table or getting our hands dirty in the places where their brand lives and breathes. A day that finds us deep in a cornfield is a good day.
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ATHENA Award Recipient
Sharon Ryan
Dasher Services, Inc. Sharon Ryan acquired Dasher, Inc., in 2009 with the goal to create a forward-thinking and community-focused business. To do this, Sharon transformed Dasher from a shipping and mailing production line environment to a data-driven, customer contact, services operation. Helping people live happy and healthy lives is what makes us get up in the morning. Sharon is a person who puts words into action, and has a long service record supporting both commerce and the community of Central Pennsylvania.She served as chair of the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) in 2015. In 2013, Sharon led the CREDC Campaign and raised $2.5M for CREDC. She also chaired the United Way of the Capital Region’s Annual Campaign in 2014 and raised $12M to meet the needs of the less fortunate. Currently, she serves on the PennHOSA Foundation board, an organization dedicated to providing scholarships for higher education in health service professions. Sharon is co-author of the Amazon best-selling book “The Talent Pool: How to Find and Keep Dedicated People While Making a Lasting Impact,” which describes Dasher’s proven approach to finding and enabling economically fragile employees to become extraordinary team members.
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Catalyst Award Recipient
Joe Arthur
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Joe Arthur was appointed Executive Director of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank in 2012, after serving four years as Associate Director. Joe also served as a volunteer Board Member with the Food Bank from 2000 through 2005 and served as Board President in 2004 and 2005. Prior to joining the Food Bank, Joe worked for 23 years in finance and accounting management, primarily with Pennsylvania community banks. As the Food Bank’s principal ambassador, Joe presents regularly on the issue of hunger in Pennsylvania and nationally to community groups, legislative gatherings, government partners, prospective donor organizations, and other forums. Joe is a leader in anti-hunger work through his Board engagement for the associations Feeding Pennsylvania, Hunger Free Pennsylvania, Hunger Free Lancaster County, First Fruits Farm, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Produce Cooperative of food banks. Joe is also a national council representative at the Food Bank’s national affiliate, Feeding America, as well as a member on the Governor’s Food Security Partnership. Joe is also a Member of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg and several other organizations. Joe is a proud alumnus of Penn State University, holding a B.S. degree in Accounting. Joe and his wife Deb are the proud parents of Josh and Tara, also Penn Staters, and live in Manheim, Lancaster County, PA, with their boisterous furry friends, all rescued.
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Sponsors & Partners EXCLUSIVE PLATINUM SPONSOR
ATHENA AWARD SPONSOR
BUSINESS DIVERSITY & INCLUSION CHAMPION AWARD SPONSOR
CATALYST AWARD SPONSORS
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD SPONSOR
SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD SPONSOR
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD SPONSOR
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EXCLUSIVE EVENT PROGRAM SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS Capital BlueCross Deloitte Consulting LLP The Foundation for Enhancing Communities Penn State Health
EVENT PARTNERS Event Production Partner
Video Presentation Partner
MEDIA PARTNERS
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Awards Committee Thank you to the 2020 Catalyst Awards Committee!
Chair
STACY KLANN
Harrisburg Academy
Committee Members Jewel Cooper Boyer & Ritter & LeTort Trust Ellen Kyzer, Vice Chair PNC Kristin Lombardi Mid Penn Bank Blake Lynch Harrisburg Police Department
Robert Murphy Boyer & Ritter Tracy Pawelski PPO&S Beth Peiffer Ralph E. Jones, Inc. Marcia Perry Perry Media Group Dan Sheaffer M&T Bank
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Board Chairs Thank you to the 2020 Board Chairs!
Chamber Board Chair Thomas Sposito, II York Traditions Bank
CREDC Board Chair Benjamin Dunlap Nauman, Smith, Shissler & Hall, LLP
2021 Incoming Board Chairs: Chamber Board Chair Meron Yemane Morgan Stanley
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CREDC Board Chair Mike Funck Wohlsen Construction Company
Upcoming 2021 Events Moving the Needle on Systemic Racism: Employment & Entrepreneurship (VIRTUAL) January 12, 2020 | 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Legislators’ Forum I - PA House of Representatives (VIRTUAL) January 26, 2020 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Economic Forecast (VIRTUAL)
February 9, 2020 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Legislators’ Forum II - PA Senate February 24, 2020 | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Moving the Needle on Systemic Racism: Healthcare (VIRTUAL) April 13, 2020 | 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Moving the Needle on Systemic Racism: Criminal Justice (VIRTUAL) May 11, 2020 | 9:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Register for upcoming events at HarrisburgRegionalChamber.org Follow us for more!
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