Scranton Chamber of Commerce News

WIB Funding Helps Local Students Attend International Trade Show

administrator — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:56:48 +0000

Skills in Scranton, the workforce development affiliate of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, collaborated with the Workforce Investment Board (WIB) of Lackawanna County to underwrite costs for Mid Valley, Old Forge and Valley View High School students to participate in an international trade show in New York City.

Each high school offers virtual business/entrepreneurship classes to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Virtual business programs allow students to learn components of business, such as financial activities, hiring, marketing and business development skills and day-to-day operations of a business through the use of technology. The classes provide “real world” experiences in developing and operating a business and allow students to put textbook concepts into action.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

From left to right: Bill Schoen, Skills in Scranton representative; Virginia Turano, executive director, WIB of Lackawanna County; Jason Helcoski, teacher, Mid Valley Secondary Center; Austin J Burke, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; Chad Vinansky, principal, Mid Valley Secondary Center

From left to right: Christopher Thomas, principal, Old Forge High School; Virginia Turano, executive director, WIB of Lackawanna County; Tori Tansley and Reilly Boyd, students; Austin J Burke, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Diane Smith, teacher, Old Forge High School

From left to right: Virginia Turano, executive director, WIB of Lackawanna County; Carolyn Serio and Alec Sebastianelli, students; Lisa Paone, teacher, Valley View High School; Tom Swift, student; Austin J Burke, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; Kevin Kozlowski, student and Donald Kanavy, superintendent, Valley View School District

The League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County Provide Information about Home Rule Charter Study Commission Candidates

administrator — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:46:48 +0000

All registered voters in Lackawanna County –Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Green, Reform, registered in any other party – will play an important part in determining the direction of County government. On May 21st you’ll be asked to vote Yes or No to this question: Shall a government study commission of seven members be elected to study the existing form of government of Lackawanna County, to consider the advisability of the adoption of an optional form of government, and to recommend whether or not an optional plan of government should be adopted?

Click Here to find out about the CANDIDATES

ModSpace Hanover Township Hosts Grand Opening Event

administrator — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:31:44 +0000

Please join ModSpace for the grand opening of their new Hanover Township branch on Wednesday, May 22^nd, from 11:00- 2:00 pm. An 11:30 ribbon cutting will kick-off the event at 2221 San Souci Parkway. The Scranton Chamber of Commerce and local officials will be in attendance.

Stop by for a free lunch and see what’s new in permanent and temporary construction. ModSpace will raffle off Pocono Raceway tickets and prizes and giving tours of its full range of products.

ModSpace is the largest American-own provider of permanent and temporary modular buildings and portable storage. Headquartered in Berwyn, PA, ModSpace has 45-plus years of experience, and 80 sales and service offices throughout North America.

The new Hanover Township location will allow ModSpace to better serve its many customers in Northeastern, PA.

RSVP to mike.hoover@modspce.com by May 20^th at 570-733-4917

NEPIRC Hosts Educational Seminars

administrator — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:28:40 +0000

NEPIRC is offering free educational seminars to local businesses. NEPIRC is a regional not-for-profit corporation that provides consulting services and industry programs designed to avail manufacturers to profitable growth.

Training Within Every Industry Workshop Flyer

Innovation Seminar Flyer

TekRidge Center Hosts Grand Opening

administrator — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:13:58 +0000

New Technology Incubator Facility Opens in Jessup

TekRidge Center Offers State-of-the-Art Facility to Tech Companies in Northeastern Pennsylvania

The Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO), The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce’s industrial development affiliate, announces the opening of TekRidge Center, an $8.3 million technology incubator office facility at the Jessup Small Business Center.

The new facility will house technology-related companies and provide business incubator space to start-up and expanding small business ventures in northeastern Pennsylvania.

“TekRidge Center is a testament to our commitment to investing in projects that support and foster entrepreneurialism in our region,” said Andy Skrip, vice president, SLIBCO. “We are pleased to offer a modern office space that includes an incubator program designed to help small businesses and startup companies grow and succeed.”

The 45,000 square-foot, one story, glass and steel building can house eleven incubator offices ranging in size from 425 to 832 square feet. The building includes 30,775 square feet of anchor tenant space, which can accommodate one to eight companies. Hemmler & Camayd were the project architects for this project and Sordoni Construction Services was the general contractor.

The building is located on Lot 5, which is a 13.6 acre site. The facility is situated within a Keystone Opportunity Expansion Zone (KOEZ) offering tax benefits through 2020.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to commemorate the completion of the building on Thursday, May 14, 2013 at 4:00pm, immediately followed by a networking event.

Sponsorship Opportunities Available with Leadership Lackawanna

administrator — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:09:10 +0000

Leadership Lackawanna’s “Celebration of Leadership” event will be held on Thursday evening, June 20, 2013 at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple in Scranton. This exciting evening pays tribute to the Leadership of our area and highlights the achievements from our past year. It will also honor the hard work and dedication of the Leadership Lackawanna Core Program Class of 2013.

Will you support our 31st year of success by becoming a sponsor or advertiser? Various levels of sponsorship are available and advertising rates are reasonable. Sponsors/Advertisers must submit payment, the form below and a copy of their artwork (if applicable) no later than Friday, June 7. Artwork can be submitted to nbarber@scrantonchamber.com

LL Graduation Sponsorship Opportunities Form

The Small Business Spotlight is on NEPA Career and College Counseling Associates

administrator — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:46 +0000

A little over a year ago, Jennifer Severini-Kresock decided to follow her passion and use her 20 years of guidance counseling experience to become a business owner. She founded NEPA Career and College Counseling Associates. Her business provides education and assistance relating to job and college applications and essays, career counseling and success.

We had a chance to sit down with Jennifer to find out more about her business and how she has been able to help her clients.

Scranton Chamber: What made you want to be a college counselor?

Jennifer Severini-Kresock: For my entire life, I have been interested in education. I was a guidance counselor for 20 years. With an abundance of students, I never felt as though I was able to provide an adequate amount of time to help my students make choices about their higher education plans or career goals. I wanted to be able to focus on that and that’s when

I started my business.

SC: What is the most rewarding part about being a college counselor?

JSK: I enjoy working with the students and their parents. It’s satisfying when dreams are fulfilled such as students finding the schools they were looking for, receiving scholarship money and eventually finding a career that they love. It’s rewarding when you hear back from past clients and they tell you their success stories.

SC: How do you stay updated on the college recruitment process?

JSK:The world is so fast paced and changing and it can be diffi cult to keep up sometimes. I am constantly attending professional development seminars and events to make sure I have the most up-to-date information for my clients. I’ve also been able to make connections with individuals at colleges and universities too. It’s extremely important that I’m knowledgeable in regards to what resources are available to my clients.

SC: What is the process you use in preparing one of your clients?

JSK: I work with students on all different levels, so the process starts differently for everyone. I currently have a client that is in 8th grade that I arranged a career shadowing experience for. I often get clients who are juniors and have a better idea of what they want to do, so we jump right into the college process with applications, essays, putting together a resume, and planning college visits. I also have adult clients who bring their resumes and cover letters to me for career counseling, and students who are already in college but have come back to ask for advice about scholarships.

SC: In what ways does your business help the community?

JSK: I offer free presentations throughout the area. So far for this spring, I have 16 presentations scheduled. I also have a Facebook page and Twitter page (@NEPACareerandCo) with more information about my presentations. I want to use my knowledge to benefi t the community.

SC: How has the Chamber helped your business?

JSK: I have been able to network with Chamber members at events and have received referrals too. The Chamber staff has been helpful with providing information on how I can continue to grow my business.

This program is sponsored by:

Leadership Lackawanna Fundraises for StART! Project

administrator — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:29:25 +0000

Come support Leadership Lackawanna’s StART! project at Jilly’s Restaurant & Bar, 524 Court St, Scranton on Friday, April 13, 2012 from 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM.

The cost is $20 per person which includes endless drinks and appetizers. There will also be 50/50 and raffles.

StArt! is a collaborative project with First Friday Scranton which will further the revitalization efforts in downtown Scranton by uniting artists and building owners. The project will be two-fold with a live art competition in May 2012 where the winners’ masterpieces will be unveiled in vacant storefront windows at the June First Friday.

Leadership Lackawanna Jilly’s Fundraiser Flyer

The University of Scranton Named Among Nation’s Top 25 Healthiest Universities

administrator — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:25:38 +0000

The University of Scranton ranked as the 25th “Healthiest” college in the United States, according to a new listing posted on Greatist.com, an online source for health and fitness information.

Greatist.com reviewed nearly 100 colleges noted for “exceptional food, fitness facilities, health services, heath-related programming, and just plain old happy students” to find “The 25 Healthiest Colleges in the U.S.”

The ranking reviewed student satisfaction surveys for food, fitness, health services and programming. Each area was weighted evenly and colleges were given a score based on a number of factors, including price, hours of service, quality and innovativeness.

The University of Scranton and the University of Pittsburgh are the only two schools in Pennsylvania to make the national ranking. Scranton is the only Jesuit university to be listed.

The listing noted that Scranton had the newest fitness center of the schools ranked. The posting also noted student comments that the University offered “good healthy food” as inexpensively as “fast food, encouraging healthy eating.” Students also ranked the quality of the food as “very high.”

In addition to other athletic facilities on campus, The University of Scranton opened a fitness center in Pilarz Hall in October 2011, which includes 46 pieces of cardio equipment, 22 Cybex units and an extensive, state-of-the-art free weight area. The University’s dining options for students, provided by ARAMARK, include the Fresh Food Company and other dining options in the DeNaples Center, as well as a P.O.D. (Provisions on Demand) Market and the Mulberry Food Court, which opened in Montrone Hall in October 2011. The P.O.D. Market is designed to engage students about the foods they eat, offering information about the food item’s place of origin and nutritional value. Also, product cues clearly identify food items as vegan, organic, kosher, locally-grown, gluten-free, low-carb or fair trade.

In July of last year, The Huffington Post ranked The University of Scranton sixth among the “friendliest colleges” in the nation. The University has also been listed in The Princeton Review’s “The Best 376 Colleges” for a decade and among U.S. News & World Report’s top 10 “Best Regional Universities in the North” for 18 consecutive years, among other national rankings.

The list of “The 25 Healthiest College in the U. S.” was published for the first time on April 9, 2012.

Photo: The University of Scranton is ranked in a new listing of “The 25 Healthiest College in the U. S.” The national ranking noted that Scranton had the newest fitness center of the universities recognized. The fitness center in Pilarz Hall opened in October 2011.

Local Photographer Receives Blue Ribbon

administrator — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:56:18 +0000

Certified Professional Photographer Cheryl Kaiser of Scott Township, owner of Kaiser Fine Photography, Carbondale, recently received a blue ribbon for her portrait titled “Quiet Rebel”. The state print competition was held at the April convention of the Professional Photographers of Pennsylvania in State College, Pa. Three other portraits that Cheryl entered were also scored and received red ribbons. All images that were entered were from client portrait sessions.

Cheryl is currently working toward her Master Photographer Degree through the Professional Photographers of America.

“I am thrilled with the results. I put my passion and creativity into each portrait I create and this is the quality that my clients have come to expect and deserve,” Cheryl said.

A panel of four national jurors from around the country, approved by the PPA, judge each submitted print. Prints are given a score based on the combination of twelve elements that include impact, creativity, style, presenation, color, center of interest, lighting, subject matter, print technique and story telling.

Cheryl has been a member of the Professional Photographers of Pennsylvania for over ten years and is beginning her second three-year term on the Board of Governors.