Culver Sworn in to PA Senate
Source: PA Senate Republicans Newsroom
HARRISBURG – Yesterday in Harrisburg, State Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-27) was sworn in to serve as the new senator for Pennsylvania’s 27th District representing residents in Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Snyder counties, and part of Luzerne County.
“It is an honor to serve in the state Senate and represent the people in our district,” said Culver, who won a special election on Jan. 31 to fill the vacancy left by the departure of former Sen. John Gordner. He stepped down late last year to accept a position in the office of Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-39).
“When I travel to Harrisburg, I take the values and the priorities of the people in the 27th District with me,” Culver said. “I try to bring the commonsense approach that works in our district and apply it to the issues facing our commonwealth.”
Culver’s arrival gives Senate Republicans a 28-22 seat majority.
Prior to joining the Senate, Culver was elected to serve seven terms in the state House representing the people in the 108th District. She was elected to that position after serving for more than 20 years as the staff leader in the office of former state Rep. Merle Phillips (R-108).
“Public service isn’t just what I do. It’s a part of who I am,” Culver said. “I feel blessed to live in our area and enjoy serving the people in our district. I will work hard to make our communities and our commonwealth a better place to live, work and raise a family.”
Culver will serve the remainder of a four-year term begun by Gordner. Her Senate term will last until the end of November 2024.
The 27th District includes all of Columbia, Montour, Northumberland and Snyder counties, and part of Luzerne County, including Black Creek, Butler, Conyngham, Dorrance, Fairview, Hollenback, Huntington, Nescopeck, Rice, Salem, Slocum, Sugarloaf and Wright townships, and Conyngham, Nescopeck, New Columbus, Nuangola and Shickshinny boroughs.
More information about Culver is available online at SenatorCulver.com. Residents can follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SenCulver for updates about legislative action in Harrisburg and news in the 27th District.
Video of Culver discussing her eagerness to get to work is available here.
Video of Culver discussing her legislative priorities is available here.
Media Contact: Sean Moll
717-783-0192
Welcome New Member: Aloysius, Butler, & Clark
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is delighted to welcome one of its newest members, Aloysius, Butler & Clark, one of the largest full-service, independent ad agencies in the mid-Atlantic and one of Adweek's 50 "Top Shops" in America. Some agencies are purely PR shops. Other firms are paid search experts. In 45 years, Aloysius, Butler, & Clark has yet to find a client who only needs one thing to help their business grow. With industry experts spanning all disciplines, they work to bring the best practices to all of their clients, across all industries and verticals. Healthcare campaigns get a strong retail call to action. Retail clients get B2B warming drawer strategies. Recruitment clients get a deeper understanding of human psychology, thanks to their behavior change experience. Their integrated approach has produced remarkable results.
Their average client tenure is 10+ years, they have an average of 8.8 years tenure per employee, and they've won hundreds of awards.
Aloysius, Butler & Clark has three locations, including Wilmington, DE, Philadelphia, PA, and Bloomsburg, PA. Some of their expertise includes brand building & identity, market research & planning, interactive design & development, media planning & buying, public relations & crisis management, social media & social monitoring, motion graphics & animation, diversity & inclusion, and inbound marketing.
Welcome to the Chamber!
For more about Aloysius, Butler & Clark, visit www.abccreative.com.
A New Type of Retirement Plan: The PEP
Source: A New Type of Retirement Plan: The PEP, by McKonly & Asbury
In the U.S., employees generally rely on 401(k) plans for retirement savings. However, surprisingly, almost half of U.S. employers do not offer this benefit, including 70% of small businesses. This forces employees to seek alternative means and, oftentimes, results in no savings at all. The SECURE Act passed a few years ago introduced a solution: the pooled employer plan or “PEP.” At that time, the PEP discussion centered mainly around 401(k) plans, but PEPs are back in the spotlight again with the passing of SECURE 2.0 as they may become available for 403(b) plans.
PEPs are designed to make defined contribution plans more affordable and accessible for small business and their employees. They allow multiple unrelated employers to participate in one retirement plan under a single “pooled plan provider,” or PPP. This is different from the multiple employer plan (MEP) of the past where businesses were required to be part of the same industry or association.
The new PEP model is a sensible solution if a company does not currently offer a retirement plan but has considered doing so, or if a company has a plan and is looking to significantly reduce its involvement with plan administration. A PEP is a professionally administered retirement plan that includes reduced liability, simplified plan administration for employers, and potential savings due to the pooling of resources.
Several notable benefits of a PEP include:
- Potential administrative cost savings for employers – By pooling assets into a single, large plan, employers may save on administrative costs and achieve economies of scale.
- Less fiduciary risk – Because the PPP assumes most fiduciary responsibilities, employers are not subject to the same level of liability.
- Less administrative burden – The plan is a “do it for you” approach where the PPP takes on most of the day-to-day plan administration from the employer. The PPP is responsible for plan documentation, required governmental filings, and ongoing plan compliance, which reduces the number of resources an employer needs to allocate to benefits administration.
- Tax credit opportunities – To offset startup costs, the SECURE Act provides that eligible employers may be able to receive up to $5,000 in tax credits annually, with an additional $500 tax credit available for using automatic enrollment in the plan, for the first three years that the plan is effective. Under SECURE Act 2.0, additional credits, such as the employer contribution credit, are available.
- Employee stability and satisfaction – Employers can provide their employees with peace of mind by making a high-quality retirement plan, such as the popular 401(k), more accessible and easier to afford.
PEPs are still relatively new and can be complex, so it is important to educate yourself about this emerging strategy before testing the waters. That said, many retirement experts agree that the PEP has the potential to be a game changer for millions of Americans who currently don’t have a way to save for retirement.
Please contact McKonly & Asbury if you have questions about the information outlined above, their seasoned and experienced employee benefit plan professionals are here to help. You can also learn more about their Employee Benefit Plan Audit services by visiting their website.
FTC Rule Would Ban Noncompete Agreements for All Employees and Independent Contractors
The U.S. Chamber is calling on Congress to oppose the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule banning almost all non-compete agreements. The U.S. Chamber is very concerned that the FTC’s proposed rule exceeds its statutory legal authority, and they argue that if it is allowed to proceed, it will represent only the beginning of a larger effort by the FTC to regulate American business. The Columbia Montour Chamber is seeking your feedback regarding support of the coalition letter, by way of a member survey about the potential impact on your business. Please consider answering the survey below to better inform the Chamber's Governmental Affairs Committee on this matter.
In a coalition letter written to Congress, the U.S. Chamber says,
"We write to unequivocally oppose the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) proposed rule to impose a nationwide ban on almost all noncompete clauses. The FTC lacks the constitutional or statutory authority to issue such a rule and, in attempting to do so, the agency is improperly usurping the role of Congress.
Moreover, this sweeping rule would invalidate millions of contracts around the country that courts, scholars, and economists have found entirely reasonable and beneficial for both businesses and employees. Accordingly, we ask you to exercise your oversight and appropriations authority to closely examine the FTC’s proposed rulemaking.
Congress never granted the FTC the statutory authority to issue rules regulating competition, such as the contractual relationship between employers and employees, which even advocates for action in this area, like Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), recognize. [i] Rather, Congress granted targeted statutory authority to FTC to issue rules to protect consumers, such as to prevent fraud and false advertising. The FTC’s authority with respect to competition issues is limited to adjudicating individual cases where competition issues are involved where the FTC must consider the factual context and reasonableness of conduct in each such matter.
The FTC has not attempted to promulgate a competition rule for decades, across administrations of both parties. In the past, Congress curbed FTC’s excesses with appropriations riders, and we encourage Congress to revisit such tools today.
The Supreme Court recently recognized the important Constitutional limitations on the ability of executive agencies to issue major rules such as that proposed here without clear guidance from Congress. Two years ago in AMG Capital Management v. FTC, for example, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected the FTC’s claims that it could interpret its own statutes to claim broad authority. In cases involving other agencies, courts have invoked the major questions and non-delegation doctrines to strike down agency excesses and to preserve the role of elected officials in addressing important issues. We urge Congress to reassert its Constitutional role to resolve issues of national importance and limit attempts to usurp this authority through unauthorized regulatory overreach.
Finally, the FTC’s blanket ban on noncompete clauses is vastly overbroad and likely will harm both employees and employers. Courts, scholars, and economists all have found that noncompete clauses, when properly used, encourage investment in employees and help to protect intellectual property. Forty-seven states permit noncompete clauses, which have traditionally been an issue of state law.
To be sure, courts do not and should not enforce unreasonably restrictive noncompete clauses, but therein lies the wisdom of our current system: reasonable, procompetitive noncompetes stand, whereas unreasonable, anticompetitive ones fall.
We thank you for your attention to this issue and we ask you to exercise your oversight and appropriations authority to reign in FTC’s unauthorized rulemaking banning noncompete agreements.
The deadline to join the letter is Monday, February 27th at 5:00 pm ET / 4:00 pm CT.
CANDIDATE ACADEMY OFFERS GUIDANCE ON RUNNING FOR PUBLIC OFFICE
The program is available at no charge to the public via this site and YouTube.
Panelists enjoy a laugh during the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce Candidate Academy, as they share about the rewards and challenges of public office. Pictured from left are: Chamber President Fred Gaffney, Montour County Commissioner Chair Ken Holdren, PA Senator-Elect Lynda Schlegel Culver, Berwick Borough Councilman Jay Jarrett, and Stephanie Andreacci, Bloomsburg Area School Board President.
As a continuation of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce's effort to encourage greater public engagement, the Chamber and its Foundation co-hosted a Candidate Academy on Thursday, February 16 for individuals interested in seeking public office. Held at Monty’s on the upper campus of Commonwealth University – Bloomsburg, the program highlighted the importance of civility, professionalism, and transparency in public service, while outlining the basic aspects of running for local office.
“We hope to see more people with the best interests of their neighbors and the community in mind be involved with their local school boards and government,” said Fred Gaffney, Chamber president. “The Candidate Academy is intended to help those people understand the process of running for office and what they might expect if elected.”
Held in conjunction with the Chamber Foundation’s Leadership Central Penn local government program, the Candidate Academy began with a panel discussion featuring local officials, including State Senator-Elect Lynda Schlegel Culver, Montour County Commissioner Chair Ken Holdren, Bloomsburg School Board President Stephanie Andreacci, and Berwick Borough Council member Jay Jarrett. Panel topics included: rewards and challenges of public office, campaigning basics, an overview of the election process, and candidate requirements and deadlines. The panels were followed by a presentation by Alvin J. Luschas, Esq., of Luschas, Naparsteck & Crane, LLP, concerning the Sunshine Act and the Ethics Act.
Watch the recordings on our YouTube Channel or embedded below:
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The mission of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is to represent local employers in supporting vibrant, sustainable communities in Columbia and Montour counties.
FIVE GROUP BENEFITS EMPLOYEES WILL LOOK FOR IN 2023
Source: My Benefit Advisor
Most small businesses are at a competitive disadvantage when trying to hire and retain employees compared to their larger firm counterparts. The smaller firms are typically more limited in their budgetary capabilities and unable to provide a high level of comprehensive benefit package. To attract their necessary workers, the focus for owners of small companies should be directed toward benefits that are most valued by the workforce they are looking to attract. Here are a few of the benefits most employees are looking for in 2023:
Healthcare…with heightened health concerns stemming from the pandemic and quests for enhanced personal well-being, a comprehensive portfolio of healthcare benefits has been and remains one of the most sought-after benefits.
Remote Work…the ability to work from home which became commonplace during the pandemic appears to have staying power. It remains to be seen whether the trend continues to grow or subsides to a lesser extent but for now this is something most employees are seeking.
Flexible Work Schedule…the ability to balance work responsibilities with personal obligations and the care of children and elderly parents has made a flexible work schedule a valued benefit in the post-pandemic world.
Paid Family Leave…Citing the positive benefits on physical health, mental well-being and stability for the entire family, workers are increasingly looking for companies that provide women with maternity leave and men with paternity leave.
Paid Time Off…employees continue to seek additional time off from work to reduce stress and recharge to maintain health and wellbeing. This actually has the potential to benefit employers in addition to the employee as the relaxation and clear mind attained through time off often leads to a higher level of employee morale and increased productivity.
The Columbia-Montour Chamber of Commerce offers its members access to My Benefit Advisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My Benefit Advisor, visit our website at cmcc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Stephen Lylo at (800) 377-3539.
Affordable Connectivity Program May Benefit Families with High Internet Bills
Source: Matthew Hess, Executive Director, Columbia County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities
Qualifying families who are struggling with high internet bills may find relief through the Affordable Connectivity Program, a federal program administered by the FCC. The program may also help with one-time purchases of computers. Interested parties need to apply through the link below.
A household is eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if a member of the household meets at least one of the criteria below:
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
- Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income internet program;
- Participates in one of these assistance programs:
- Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools.
- SNAP
- Medicaid
- Federal Housing Assistance, including:
- Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program (Section 8 Vouchers)
- Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)/Section 202/ Section 811
- Public Housing
- Affordable Housing Programs for American Indians, Alaska Natives or Native Hawaiians
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- WIC
- Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits
- or Lifeline;
- Participates in one of these assistance programs and lives on Qualifying Tribal lands:
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribal TANF
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Tribal Head Start (income based)
Member News – February 22, 2023
The Exchange Listening Room Jam Session Tonight
Tonight at 7 pm (after the Business After Hours, perhaps?), swing over to the Exchange Listening Room for a unique jam session with Gabe Stillman called "Four Great Guitarists". Check out more details here.
March Events at Lions Gate
Lions Gate continues to hold regular community events for all ages, including yoga, spin, movie matinees, kids canvas painting, open houses, trivia and live music. Check out the calendar here.
Upcoming Bucknell Small Business Development Center Workshops
Don't miss these free workshops offered by the Bucknell SBDC:
- March 2, 2023 - 12 pm - The Power of Building a Subscription Business
- March 9, 2023, 9:30 am - Business Startup Basics for Central PA: The First Step
- March 23, 2023, 12 pm - Basic Legal Considerations for Startups and Small Businesses
Columbia County Placemaking Initiative Requests Your Input
Over the next several months, the Columbia County Placemaking Initiative will create and implement a county-wide placemaking plan that makes Columbia County an even better place to live, work, play, and learn. The information gathered through this survey will inform the plan. It takes 15 minutes, and all responses are anonymous. Residents, businesses, and community leaders are strongly encouraged to participate! Complete the survey here.
This project is funded through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge.
Artspace Gallery Closed This Week
The space is closed for renovations this week but reopens and looks forward to its next show on March 2, 2023.
Encina Plans Community Engagement Opportunity March 1
Encina will be holding a telephone event for those interested in learning more about The Point Township Circular Manufacturing Facility. This phone event will take place on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Prior to 6:30 pm, simply dial 877-228-2184 from a cell phone or landline and you will be prompted to enter a participation pin number which is 111947.
Montour County Human Services Coalition Senior Expo
On Thursday, March 9, MCHSC will offer free resources and support, 2023 tax filing assistance, a cooking demo, and more for seniors at the Montour County Admin Building. Registration is not required. Share the flyer. Sign up to be a vendor.
IMC Bringing No-Cost Electrical Safety Training for General Industry to Central PA
in partnership with The Manufacturer's Association, this training is now available at no cost thanks to an OSHA grant. Open enrollment will be offered, and companies are also able to host training sessions onsite with a minimum of 10 participants.
Training Topics Include:
- General Electrical Safety Information
- General Electrical Safe Work Practices
- Common Hazards
- Permitted and Non-permitted uses
- Arc Flash
- Energy Control Procedures (ECPs) & Lockout/Tag-out (LOTO)
This NO COST training is available to workers and employers covered under the OSH Act of 1970, SEC. 4, codified at 29 U.S.C. 653 (Appendix B). This also includes multiple small businesses and temporarily unemployed workers who are planning to reenter the workforce in a position covered by the OSHA Act within the next three months.
To schedule Electrical Safety Training at YOUR location or to be added to the list to receive information on open enrollment classes, please contact Lauri Moon at (570) 329-3200×8085 or by email at laurim@imcpa.com. You can also visit IMC’s Events page for these and all our open-enrollment classes.
Columbia County EMA Announces CodeRED Community Notification System
Residents and businesses are encouraged to go to ema.columbiapa.org and click on the CodeRED logo located on the home page to ensure all of the data in the system is accurate and current. Learn more.
Guest Post (Brookdale Senior Living): 5 Things to Declutter Your Kitchen
Sometimes, decluttering is the key to better living. Keep these criteria in mind when you’re choosing what to keep and what to discard: how often the item is used, how difficult the item is to clean, how versatile it is, and how many duplicates of the item you have. Read more.
Solicitation Open for the FY22-23 Spring 2023 Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program
This is a grant program with awards that range from $5,000 to $150,000 (A match is required for awards over $25,001) for nonprofit organizations that principally serve individuals, groups, or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single-bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics publication. Applicants are eligible for security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of the users of a facility located in the Commonwealth that is owned or operated by the nonprofit organization. The 30-day period to submit your funding request is from Tuesday, January 31 to Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 11:45 PM.
Service 1st Invites Amateur Photographers to Participate in the 2024 Calendar Photo Contest
Kawneer Launches Redesigned Website
Architects, planners, and specifiers can now easily find sustainability credentials on every page. Visit Kawneer.com
Member News – February 15, 2023
Columbia County Placemaking Initiative Requests Your Input
Over the next several months, the Columbia County Placemaking Initiative will create and implement a county-wide placemaking plan that makes Columbia County an even better place to live, work, play and learn. The information gathered through this survey will inform the plan. It takes 15 minutes, and all responses are anonymous. Residents, businesses, and community leaders are strongly encouraged to participate! Complete the survey here.
This project is funded through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge.
Save the Date: Encina Plans Community Engagement Opportunity March 1
Encina will be holding a telephone event for those interested in learning more about The Point Township Circular Manufacturing Facility. This phone event will take place on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Additional details on how to participate are forthcoming.
SERVPRO Urges Bloomsburg Property Owners to Focus on Disaster Readiness as Spring Approaches
Property damage remediation specialist says the importance of advance planning grows as severe weather and climate events become more frequent. Read more.
IMC Bringing No-Cost Electrical Safety Training for General Industry to Central PA
in partnership with The Manufacturer's Association, this training is now available at no cost thanks to an OSHA grant. Open enrollment will be offered, and companies are also able to host training sessions onsite with a minimum of 10 participants.
Training Topics Include:
- General Electrical Safety Information
- General Electrical Safe Work Practices
- Common Hazards
- Permitted and Non-permitted uses
- Arc Flash
- Energy Control Procedures (ECPs) & Lockout/Tag-out (LOTO)
This NO COST training is available to workers and employers covered under the OSH Act of 1970, SEC. 4, codified at 29 U.S.C. 653 (Appendix B). This also includes multiple small businesses and temporarily unemployed workers who are planning to reenter the workforce in a position covered by the OSHA Act within the next three months.
To schedule Electrical Safety Training at YOUR location or to be added to the list to receive information on open enrollment classes, please contact Lauri Moon at (570) 329-3200×8085 or by email at laurim@imcpa.com. You can also visit IMC’s Events page for these and all our open enrollment classes.
Local Musician Patrick Sullivan Live at Lions Gate - February 16
Live music and light refreshments in the Lions Gate Club House from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm tomorrow night. Not able to make it? See a full calendar of free community events at Lions Gate. 
Columbia County EMA Announces CodeRED Community Notification System
Residents and businesses are encouraged to go to ema.columbiapa.org and click on the CodeRED logo located on the home page to ensure all of the data in the system is accurate and current. Learn more.
Solicitation Open for the FY22-23 Spring 2023 Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program
This is a grant program with awards that range from $5,000 to $150,000 (A match is required for awards over $25,001) for nonprofit organizations that principally serve individuals, groups, or institutions that are included within a bias motivation category for single-bias hate crime incidents as identified by the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics publication. Applicants are eligible for security enhancements designed to protect the safety and security of the users of a facility located in the Commonwealth that is owned or operated by the nonprofit organization. The 30-day period to submit your funding request is from Tuesday, January 31 to Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 11:45 PM.
EPA Virtual Public Hearing on National Ambient Air Quality Standards
The EPA has a virtual public hearing on plans to reconsider the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter (PM2.5), taking place February 21-22. The proposed rule would impose stricter PM2.5 standards, which could hurt the economy and slow manufacturing growth. The NAM is advocating for the EPA to reconsider the proposal and instead focus on ensuring current strong air standards already on the books are being met before instituting new regulations. Register to speak at the upcoming hearing by clicking here.
Application Deadlines Approaching for Berwick Grants
Tomorrow is the last day to submit for Community Giving Foundation: Berwick's 2023 competitive grant round. (This grant round includes the Berwick Health & Wellness Fund.) The deadline for requests $10,000 and under is February 16th, and requests over $10,000 are due March 9th. Learn more about the application process and apply at csgiving.org/grants
Service 1st Invites Amateur Photographers to Participate in 2024 Calendar Photo Contest
Winter Weather Safety Tips from Columbia County & PennDOT
- Flashlight and batteries
- Cell phone and charger
- Snow shovel
- Jumper cables
- Blanket
- Battery-operated radio
For more supplies to include in your kit, check out Ready PA's Build a Kit for Your Vehicle here.
2D Hydraulic Modeling Analysis of the West End Flood Mitigation Study Final Report Published
The final report for the Two-Dimensional (2D) Hydraulic Modeling Analysis of the West End Flood Mitigation Study is now published. The Columbia County Board of Commissioners, working with SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG), engaged Borton-Lawson to develop the West End Flood Mitigation Study. This supplemental 2D report is an addendum to the Final Report for the West End Flood Mitigation Study published in June 2022.
The Final Report outlined the recommendations for a levee system to mitigate flooding risks from Fishing Creek and the Susquehanna River. The purpose of this supplemental 2D hydraulic study was to determine the impacts of a proposed levee more accurately during the Base Flood (100-Year flood flows) on Fishing Creek and the neighboring municipalities and residents. Based on the impacts determined in the 2D hydraulic modeling analyses, the viability of various proposed mitigation solutions was assessed to minimize or eliminate any induced flooding impacts.
In the initial phase of the West End Flood Study, it became evident that the complexity of the Fishing Creek hydraulics exceeded the capability of One-Dimensional (1D) analysis. Due to the size and breadth of the floodplain and floodway, multiple occurrences of split flow and flow junctions, density of development in the floodplain, and superelevated water surfaces around channel bends, a 2D hydraulic model was determined to be required for analysis of existing and proposed Fishing Creek hydraulic conditions related to the recommended flood mitigation project for the West End of the Town of Bloomsburg. Advanced hydraulic modeling with 2D software offers powerful computational methods to better understand the behavior of flows under existing conditions and to predict flows under the proposed conditions with a levee system.
SEDA-COG assisted Columbia County in the grant administration of the studies. The study was financed by grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority and the Department of Community and Economic Development.
The results of the study can be found on the Columbia County website.
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SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania. SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.