- Lambda Pi Eta, the communication studies national honor society at Bloomsburg University, will host its 2017 Speakers Forum tonight, Nov. 8, beginning at 6 p.m. in Centennial Hall 218 on campus. The speakers forum is titled “Influence of Technology,” and will feature seven speakers speaking about the influence of technology on their lives and careers. This event is free and open to the public.
- Michael Cymbala, assistant engineer and resident project representative at Peters Consultants, Inc, recently became a certified ASSE International Backflow Protection Assembly Tester (CBPAT) following a week of intense training and testing.A CBPAT meets all requirements established by the American Backflow Prevention Association Certification Committee and maintains a current certificate within three years of the issuance date. A Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester is needed by administrative authorities throughout North America to assure that installed backflow prevention assemblies continue to protect the drinking water. The American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA) Certification Committee (previously know as the Training Committee or the Training and Education Committee) completed the task of establishing criteria for what a Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester needs to know. Once a person has been trained, an examination protocol had to be developed to verify the applicant’s knowledge against need to know criteria.
Michael Cymbala of Peters Consultants, Inc.
- Along with the Bloomsburg University Regional STEM Education Center, the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber will co-sponsor the Future Careers Expo tomorrow evening, Nov. 9, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Kehr Union Ballroom on the BU campus. The annual event allows attendees to explore career in science, technology, engineering and math and it open to all students in grades 7-12, as well as their parents. Participants can receive a BU application fee waiver just for attends, and there will also be door prizes for those that sign up. For more information and to register, visit here.
- Co., a social and professional networking group that is run by the United Way of Columbia and Montour County, will hold a mixer tomorrow evening, Nov. 9, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Cherokee Tap Room, located at 217 Elysburg Rd., Danville. It will also host a dodgeball tournament on Sunday, Nov. 19, from 2-4 p.m. at the Bloomsburg Area YMCA. Co. was founded to give area residents the opportunity to take advantage of all the great things this area has to offer. This group is for everyone, which means any age, ability, or area of residence. It holds multiple events each month. For more information about Co., including future events, visit its Facebook page.
- State Rep. Dave Millard will help dedicated State Route 93 as Stuart Tank Memorial Highway, with a ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. at the Atomic Academy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu lot, located at 1901 Orange St., Berwick.
- The East Central PA Regional Task Force will present a workshop for cybersecurity on resources and best practices for repelling cyber attacks. This workshop will be held on Monday, Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the DirectLink Technology Center, 2561 Bernville Rd., Reading. There is no cost to participate. For more information or to register, check out the flyer.
- The Weis Center For the Performing Arts at Bucknell University will host a panel discussion about the future of hip hop and live performances from the artists/panelists, on Monday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Weis Center Atrium Lobby. This is a free event and tickets are not required. The event will include a panel discussion with four emerging hip hop artists who are carving out careers for themselves: Amos Lachman, J Pope, and two Bucknell University students, Mansa K and Amarachi Ekekwe. The discussion will be followed by short, 20-minute sets by each of the participating artists.
- State Rep. Dave Millard will host his third annual Veterans Expo on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 9 a.m. – noon at Central Columbia High School, located at 4777 Old Berwick Rd., Bloomsburg. Exhibitors with veteran-related information will be available.
- The Bloomsburg Municipal Airport, which is operated by the Bloomsburg Municipal Authority, will hold a Fly-In/Drive-In/Walk-In Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. – noon at its location at 301 Airport Rd., Bloomsburg. The event is free and open to the public, however donations are suggested. It will feature both pumpkin and plain pancakes, eggs, sausage, ham and more.
- The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) will hold the third and final part of a three-part series on supply chain leadership and strategy on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the NEPIRC Training Center, 75 Young St., Wilkes-Barre, from 8:30 a.m. – noon. The session is free, and is entitled “Competition is no Longer Between Companies – it is Between Supply Chains.”
Bloomsburg University’s Terry and JoAnn Zeigler College of Business (ZCOB) and the Zeigler Institute for Professional Development (ZIPD) hosted the 7th Annual ZIPD Business Conference, “Inspiring Future Business Professionals,” Nov. 2-3. Approximately 100 business professionals (including several BU alumni) participated. Over the two days, students had numerous opportunities to make valuable connections and gain knowledge in preparing for life after college through presentations, panel discussions, and networking events.
Chamber President Fred Gaffney once again participated in this year’s event. “The information and connections available to students through this conference is invaluable,” said Gaffney. “It is not only gratifying to help young people explore and pursue career options, but we hope that our involvement in events like this increases the awareness of career opportunities in our area.” Gaffney gave a presentation on communication skills and participated on panels discussing the importance of experiential learning, soft skills, and HR issues.
The U.S. House chamber
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Last week, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives made public the blueprint of a bill that will aim to make the first significant changes to the nation’s federal tax system in more than 30 years.
The “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” seeks to permanently lower the U.S. corporate tax rate to 20 percent and limit home interest deductions to loans up to $500,000. According to national news stories on the legislation, it would also increase the standard deduction for individuals and households, repeal state and local tax deductions (while preserving property tax deductions up to $10,000), repeal the alternative minimum tax, increase the child tax credit to $1,600 and repeal the estate tax by 2024. Notably, the bill would not make changes to 401(k)s. Now that the details of this bill have been shared, it is certain to be the subject of vigorous debate in the months ahead and has become the Trump Administration’s most important domestic issue.
Following the release of the draft, the U.S. Chamber’s Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradly issued a statement acknowledging that while the bill is needed, more work lies ahead in getting the right “policy mix” to ensure its passage in Congress. Also, PA Chamber Vice President Sam Denisco offered these comments to reporters: “The tax plan unveiled by the U.S. House of Representatives this week is a step in the right direction,” Denisco said. “For too long our overly complicated federal tax structure has unnecessarily burdened employers and negatively impacted our country’s competitiveness in the global marketplace. Our organization is ultimately pushing for a final bill that streamlines and simplifies the tax code; as well as additional reforms that will lower the tax burdens job creators are currently facing. The PA Chamber looks forward to working with federal officials as this draft proposal gets fine-tuned as it moves through the legislative process.”
The PA Chamber has joined the U.S. Chamber and other business advocacy groups nationwide in calling for Congress to act quickly on a tax reform package and get it to the president’s desk by the end of the year, having most recently signed this letter urging their quick action in achieving the goal of comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform. You can learn more about our support of this U.S. Chamber-led initiative and take action by visiting TaxReformforAmerica.com.
Williams recently announced the latest recipients of the company’s Atlantic Sunrise Community Grant program. In all, 35 organizations in 10 counties will receive a combined $292,834 in funding.
Two cycles of Atlantic Sunrise grant awards are announced each year – spring and fall. This cycle’s grant dollars were dispersed in the following broad categories: emergency response ($169,500), education ($59,000) and recreation or community enhancement projects ($64,334) within counties traversed by the project.
This announcement represents the sixth grant awards cycle since the program’s inception in 2015, during which time Williams has granted more than $2 million to 268 organizations in Pennsylvania.
Included in this latest round of grant recipients are three Chamber members. Those are the Columbia County Traveling Library, which received $3K for its Bookmobile Means Business program; the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber, which received $5K for workforce development education; Hemlock Township, which got $81K for computer upgrades; and the Pennsylvania College of Technology Foundation, which received $10K for its Makerspace at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
Other Chamber members that have previously received grants through the Atlantic Sunrise Community Grant programs include: Buckhorn Volunteer Fire Co., Camp Victory, Benton Rodeo Association, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble and the Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School.
For complete lists of previous grant recipients, visit one of the links below.
1st round grants (spring 2015)
2nd round grants (fall 2015)
3rd round grants (spring 2016)
4th round grants (fall 2016)
5th round grants (spring 2017)
The deadline for the spring applications is March 1. Please visit the Atlantic Sunrise Community Grant program page to learn more about the application process, eligibility guidelines, and how organizations are utilizing grant funds to improve their local communities.
ChamberChoice will offer a pair of webinars about two separate topics related to workplace benefits administration in November and December. Both webinars are available free-of-charge to all Chamber members as a benefit of membership through the Chamber’s affinity programs through ChamberChoice.
The schedule and topics of the webinars are listed below. Please visit the JRG Advisors website for more information or to register for one or both.
Thursday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m. – Add Value with Life and Disability Insurance
Thursday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m. – Avoid the Pitfalls of Plan Administration
The four-month impasse between when spending bills for the 2018 fiscal year state budget were passed and funding mechanisms were agreed to ended earlier this week as the Pennsylvania state legislature passed a series of bills that were then signed by Governor Tom Wolf that will fund the necessary spending. The revenue package has three main components:
– Authorizes additional gambling, including Internet-based games and more casinos.
– Authorizes borrowing up to $1.5 billion from the state’s tobacco settlement, to be paid back annually over the next 20 years.
– A series of one-time fund transfers totaling about $500 million into the state’s general fund.
For more details, read this summary from the Harrisburg Patriot-News or this summary from the PA Chamber of Business & Industry.
Members of the LCP class listen to a presentation during October’s class meeting.
In Millville in northern Columbia County, you’ll find Camp Victory where the signs read a “A Special Place for Special Kids.” Tucked away in the countryside outside of Bloomsburg, among the trees clinging to summer green, refusing to give way to fall colors, is a truly amazing venue for learning about organizations trying to make a positive impact on those in need. Not only is Camp Victory one of those organizations, but, as a part of the 2017-18 Leadership Central Penn class’ monthly meeting two weeks ago on Oct. 19, it also hosted 10 others that are making Columbia and Montour counties a better place for everyone. Leadership Central Penn is sponsored by Bloomsburg University, Kawneer, SEKISUI SPI and USG. 
This year’s LCP Human Services day included presenters from The Columbia County Coalition for Human Services, The Women’s Center, AGAPE, Caring Communities, Columbia Child Development Program – Head Start, Community Strategies Group (formerly Columbia County Housing & Development Authority), Family Center, United Way of Columbia and Montour County, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital and Danville Child Development Center’s Early Intervention Services.
The morning presenters faced a monumental task of sharing all the good work their organizations do in 15 minutes presentations. After 10 presentations and two breaks, 21 professionals in the LCP program were emotionally and mentally drained. They learned about all the life changing work happening, in many cases unseen, with few resources and even fewer dollars, throughout the area to support people that need a helping hand.
To find out more about these organizations and how you can help please contact the Columbia County Human Services Coalition, the Montour County Human Services Coalition or the United Way of Columbia and Montour County.
Tina Welch from Welch Performance Consulting gives a presentation during the afternoon session.
The group then worked during the afternoon with Tina Welch, founder of Welch Performance Consulting (WPC), to focus on leadership development. The group discussed different philosophies on leadership and how to shape their own leadership skills and philosophy. It also used a personality assessment instrument to understand key aspects of communication, a critical leadership competency, by first understanding their own communication tendencies, how to identify the personality styles of others they work with and lead, and then how to modify their communication to meet the needs of others. The class was separated into their project teams where they were able to discuss the personality makeup of the team. They identified strengths and gaps in the team and will now go into their community service projects with a team strategy that will help accelerate their success.
A task force comprised of representatives of business, labor, education, and Governor Wolf’s cabinet are holding a series of panel discussions around the state to gather input on how to support and grow Pennsylvania’s middle class through family sustaining jobs. Following the conclusion of the meetings, the Middle Class Task Force will present recommendations to the governor later this year. Chamber President Fred Gaffney participated in one of the meetings held Monday, Oct. 30 in Pittston.
Issues discussed at the meeting echoed those voiced by local members. Transportation and basic skills training are challenges for individuals trying to get from low to middle income. Encouraging skilled trades is needed to meet the needs of manufacturing. Promoting opportunities in education and nursing statewide to students can help bridge the gap between supply and demand. WBRE/WYOU was on hand to report on the discussion.
“As there are clear commonalities across the state, I am hopeful that recommendations to the Governor will result in the realignment of resources to address at least some of these issues,” said Gaffney. “There are plenty of good jobs available in our area. We look forward to greater collaborations with regional and statewide partners to help connect people with these opportunities.”
The co-chairs for the task force are: Pennsylvania Chamber of Business & Industry President Gene Barr, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Assistant Vice Chancellor Dr. Sue Mukherjee and Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association Chairperson Susie Snelick. Other members include: PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin, PA Dept. of Labor and Industry Acting Secretary Jerry Oleksiak, and PA Dept. of Education Secretary Pedro Rivera.
Member News
- The League of Voters, Republican and Democratic parties of Montour County will sponsor a Meet the Candidates night tonight, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. at the Pine Barn Inn ballroom for candidates running for Montour County treasurer. The event is free and open to the public and food will be provided. A debate will be held starting at 7:15 p.m.
- LIFE Geisinger will hold an open house to celebrate 20 years of LIFE services in Pennsylvania tomorrow, Nov. 2, from 3-6 p.m. at its Kulpmont center, located at 1100 Spruce St., Kulpmont. LIFE stands for Living Independently For Elders, and it is the Pennsylvania version of PACE, a national program administered by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services that aims to help seniors stay in their homes while still receiving the medical care they require. Attendees at Thursday’s open house can learn about the program, eligibility guidelines and more. RSVP to Wendy Rishel by email or call 570-373-2100.
- The Bucknell Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will hold a pair of training sessions for those interested in learning Quickbooks. The first session, titled Basic Quickbooks, will be on tomorrow, Nov. 2, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the DeWitt Building third floor, 416 Market. St., Lewisburg, and is intended for beginners or those new to Quickbooks. The second session, titled Intermediate Quickbooks, will be on Friday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the same location. The cost is $75 per class. For more information or to register, visit online or call Shelley at 570-577-1249. Veterans are welcome to attend at no charge.
- The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) is holding a three-part training series on supply chain strategy. All sessions in the series are free. The second and third parts of the series will be held tomorrow, Nov. 2 and Wednesday, Dec. 6, respectively. The Nov. 2 session will be held at the TekRidge Center, 50 Alberigi Dr., Jessup, and the Dec. 6 session will be held at the NEPIRC Training Center, 75 Young St., Wilkes-Barre. Dates, times and titles of each remaining session along with links to more information and to register, are below.
Nov. 2, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Total Cost of Ownership
Dec. 6, 8:30 a.m. – noon – Competition is no Longer Between Companies – it is Between Supply Chains
- The Ziegler College of Business at Bloomsburg University will host entrepreneur Kristopher B. Jones for a talk on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 11 a.m. in Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall. It is free and open to the public. Jones, who resides in Shavertown near Wilkes-Barre, has founded several successful businesses based in northeastern PA, including Pepperjam, which he sold to eBay in 2009. For over 20 years, Jones has been in pursuit of developing specific answers to the question – why do only 10% of entrepreneurs succeed? In this talk, Jones will present real world tips and strategies, while making a case that a primary function of entrepreneurship is about community impact and inspiring tomorrow’s entrepreneurial leaders.
- In honor of Veterans Day, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital will hold a dinner celebration for veterans on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the GBH dining room in which it will provide a complimentary meal for all veterans and one guest each. There will be four seatings at 3, 4, 5 and 6 p.m. All veterans and a guest are invited as Geisinger celebrates your service to the United States. Reservations are required by Nov. 3, as seating is limited. Call 570-387-2145 to reserve your seat. The buffet dinner includes carved roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn, green beans, beverages and cake and ice cream.
- Members Choice Financial Credit Union won the Pink Whisk Award at a recent breast cancer awareness and fundraising event.
(L-R) Victor Tsui, COO; Karen Rowe, MSR; Jim Barbarich, CEO
Cookin’ Men was held on Oct. 19 at Rusty Rail Brewing Co. in Mifflinburg. This annual event brings the community together for an evening of fun and good food while raising funds for the Thyra M. Humphreys Center for Breast Health at Evangelical Community Hospital. The MCFCU team raised $3,100 and were declared the “Top Chef” winner of the event. MCFCU thanks all that donated to the effort.
- Innotek Computer Consulting will host its annual Technology and Security Expo on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at Sand Springs Country Club, 10 Clubhouse Dr., Drums. This annual event, billed as “Northeast Pennsylvania’s biggest technology and security expo,” brings together IT managers, executives and business owners to discuss the impact of technology and security on business. There is no cost to attend. For more information or to register, visit the event page on Innotek’s website, or the Facebook event page.
- The Bucknell Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will hold the last portion of its HR 20/20 workshop series on Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at its DeWitt Building location in downtown Lewisburg. This session will focus on conflict management and will feature Tina Welch, from Welch Performance Consulting. The cost to attend is $40. Visit online to register or for more information, or call Shelley at 570-577-1249.
- Along with the Bloomsburg University Regional STEM Education Center, the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber will co-sponsor the Future Careers Expo on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Kehr Union Ballroom on the BU campus. The annual event allows attendees to explore career in science, technology, engineering and math and it open to all students in grades 7-12, as well as their parents. Participants can receive a BU application fee waiver just for attends, and there will also be door prizes for those that sign up. For more information and to register, visit here.
- State Rep. Dave Millard will help dedicated State Route 93 as Stuart Tank Memorial Highway, with a ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. at the Atomic Academy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu lot, located at 1901 Orange St., Berwick.
- State Rep. Dave Millard will host his third annual Veterans Expo on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 9 a.m. – noon at Central Columbia High School, located at 4777 Old Berwick Rd., Bloomsburg. Exhibitors with veteran-related information will be available.
- The Bloomsburg Municipal Airport, which is operated by the Bloomsburg Municipal Authority, will hold a Fly-In/Drive-In/Walk-In Breakfast on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 8 a.m. – noon at its location at 301 Airport Rd., Bloomsburg. The event is free and open to the public, however donations are suggested. It will feature both pumpkin and plain pancakes, eggs, sausage, ham and more.
From PA Chamber of Business & Industry
Last week in a tight 216-212 vote, the U.S. House passed the Senate’s budget – a move that gets them one step closer to achieving sweeping and long overdue federal tax reforms. With this action, U.S. House Republicans unlocked procedural powers that allow the Senate to pass a tax bill with just 51 votes and sidestep Democratic attempts to stymie the bill’s progress.
While opponents of the legislation have raised concerns about potential changes to 401(k)’s in the tax plan (President Trump has promised there will be none) and state and local tax deductions contained within the legislation, the text of the bill has yet to be unveiled, with plans to introduce it on Nov. 1.
Though passage of tax reform legislation remains several actions away, the House’s approval of the Senate budget was a critical step in the process. Last month, the PA Chamber signed on to a U.S. Chamber-led, national coalition letter urging Congress to take the necessary steps so that the nation’s tax laws can be amended for the first time in 31 years and attract new investment into the country. PA Chamber President Gene Barr has also authored recent opinion editorials making the case for tax reform to be enacted by the end of this year. Further details on the U.S. Chamber’s nationwide push for federal tax reform can be found at TaxReformforAmerica.com.