Marianne Gilmartin, Esq. – EMPOWER Conference Panelist Shareholder, Stevens & Lee Presentation: Managing Conflict Panel The ability to resolve conflict in the workplace is an essential ability for leaders in any organization. When there is open and transparent processes for identifying, resolving, and managing conflict, it is proven to improve productivity and job satisfaction of employees. In this session, our panelists will discuss techniques on how to engage in meaningful conversations and manage conflict in the workplace. Bio: Attorney Marianne Gilmartin focuses her practice in litigation issues in the areas of construction, toxic torts, product liability and catastrophic casualty, banking, insurance, manufacturing and complex commercial litigation. She represents public utilities, owners and developers, contractors, subcontractors and material suppliers, as well as colleges and universities, utilities, banking institutions, local government, manufacturers and insurance companies in a wide range of litigation matters. She is board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a civil trial advocate and is a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. Marianne serves as a commercial and construction arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. Attorney Gilmartin counsels clients regarding risk avoidance and manages construction litigation and dispute resolution proceedings, including mechanics’ lien claims. She has tried and mediated dozens of significant catastrophic casualty cases throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, including some at the appellate level. Marianne has tried cases involving shareholder disputes, commercial transactions and trade secrets and proprietary information. She also has experience with real estate litigation, including eminent domain/condemnation, quiet title and oil and gas lease litigation throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, including the Marcellus Shale Region, where she litigates federal claims under the Natural Gas Act. As published in Philadelphia magazine, Marianne was recognized as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer from 2009 through 2020 by being selected by her peers as among the top 5 percent of lawyers in the Commonwealth. She also was a Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal’s Top 25 Women in Business Honoree for 2010. Attorney Gilmartin is the recipient of Marywood University’s Award of Excellence in Liberal Arts and Sciences for 2016. GET TICKETS
Lisa Rigau – EMPOWER Conference Speaker Registered Nurse & Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional Presentation: Learning to Surf the Waves of Life: A Mindfulness Approach to Cultivating Resilience Mindfulness is an inherent quality that we all possess. Paying attention without judgment is a skill that can be learned and practiced so that we can better care for ourselves. During the presentation, you will practice mindfulness, cultivate qualities of being present, attentive, and curious, and learn about simple opportunities to foster self-awareness, wellness, and resilience. Bio: Lisa Rigau is a registered nurse, nutrition counselor, and community educator of health, wellness, mindfulness, and nutrition. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and a Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware. Lisa received her master’s degree from Marywood University in Sports Nutrition and Exercise Science. Since 2003, she has been the owner of Healthy Lifestyle Management where she provides private and group nutrition counseling and educates clients on the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine: Plant-Predominant Nutrition, Exercise, Stress Management, Sleep, Social Relationships, and Avoidance of Risky Substances. For the past eighteen years, Lisa has worked as a private contractor for the University of Scranton as a health and wellness professional. Currently, she is teaching mindfulness meditation classes for the weekly, Wellness Mindfulness Meditation Classes for faculty, students, and staff provided by The University of Scranton’s Center for Health Education and Wellness.Lisa is a certified Mindful Eating-Conscious Living™ teacher & certified mentor through UC San Diego. She is a qualified teacher of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction through The Center for Mindfulness at UMASS Medical School & the Mindfulness Center at BrownUniversity. Lisa teaches the 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course and the 8-week Mindful Eating- Conscious Living Course to the community. She regularly teaches Drop-In Mindfulness classes in person and online. Lisa is a regular speaker of mindfulness for corporate groups, physician and healthcare professionals, and the community. Her passion is to help people to gain awareness and empower their own optimal healthand well-being. GET TICKETS
Karen Darby – EMPOWER Conference Speaker Wealth Management Advisor, Jacobi Capital Management Presentation: Take Up Space In this session, Karen focuses on you and how you show up in the room. Are you present and part of the conversation? As women we need to get out of our own way and go after what we want. Join Karen to learn about the past, evaluate today, and create our tomorrow with all our voices. Your voice is special and deserves to be heard. Bio: Karen joined Jacobi Capital Management in 2021 following an eight-year career in the financial services industry. Her natural interest in helping people led her to pursue a career as a financial advisor. Karen started her career as a financial advisor at MassMutual Eastern Pennsylvania focusing on helping families that have a loved one with special needs plan for their futures. Karen works with individuals, families and business owners who are often too busy and overwhelmed with all the decisions that go into building and preserving wealth. She is passionate about educating her clients and being a resource for them. As a single mother to 2 young boys she understands the challenges her clients face especially during a time of transition. When working with her clients she takes them through a simple process to uncover their goals and help them automate their savings so they can focus on what’s important to them. Karen is very involved in her community and enjoys donating her time to various causes and nonprofits. She is a member of the Pittston Rotary Club and the 2020 Women on Boards Wilmington Leadership Committee. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, yoga, and her favorite, Friday date nights with her sons, Levi and Tyler. GET TICKETS
Elika Almeida – EMPOWER Conference Speaker Motivational Speaker & Life Coach Presentation: Am I in Burn Out? Understanding the Stress Cycle and Breaking the Patterns that Lead to Burnout Burnout is the state of mind that comes with long-term, unresolved stress that negatively affects your work, your health – including mental health – and your life. Understanding when you are in burnout, accepting that you are in burnout, and learning how to manage it is the formula to a more fulfilling life. In this session, Elika shares strategies to help you understand burnout and how to come out on top. You’ll be surprised at how simple it is. Bio: Elika Maria Almeida is a motivational speaker, life coach, and advocate for women and youth with a mission to help them find and use their voices to create and drive positive change in their communities and the world at large. As a young mom at the age of 18, Elika knew that she would one day be a business owner. In 1999, she realized that goal by launching EA Wedding Planner & Elysian Events, which still thrives. Her love and passion for helping youth comes from her own experiences of not feeling seen or heard. In 2009, Elika co-founded a non-profit called Youth Infusion, focusing on service-learning, social-emotional learning, and school-based youth programming fulfilling her philanthropic heart and commitment to providing youth with a platform to be seen and heard. Her move to the Pocono Mountains, PA, from New Jersey left Elika looking for employment in the corporate world, while remaining involved with her philanthropic endeavors, and her passion for helping youth and women in business was always at the forefront. A significant life setback put Elika on her current path as a motivational speaker and life coach. In 2019, she thought she was entering the next stage of her corporate career but was unexpectedly fired. Simultaneously, she suffered the loss of a wonderful young woman and friend to leukemia. It didn’t take long to realize it was time for her life to go in a new direction. She was burnt out and had spent years in the corporate world being mistreated as a woman. Being fired at such a critical point in her life was a true blessing in disguise. “What am I going to do next?” played on a loop in her mind every single day for months. She was free to do anything; the world was her oyster. Throughout her journey of self-reflection, she found consistent love and support through a circle of strong women. One day, she had an “Aha!” moment. When women speak, change happens. Her new mission was going to be using her voice. There is tremendous power in connecting, engaging, and supporting other women. This moment led to the H.E.R!, Heal. Empower, Rise! podcast and her new life goal to use her voice to connect with and support other women. After launching the podcast, she began speaking at community events like Women in Business luncheons and serves as the Pocono Mountain Chamber of Commerce’s Chairwoman for the Women in Business Council. Since then, she hasn’t stopped speaking up for women and youth. Elika lives in Monroe County, PA with her summer love, her husband, Jorge. They have two grown children, Angelika and Jorge, a strong-willed little chihuahua, Belle and a flock of 11 chickens, who brought them so much joy during the COVID-19 pandemic. GET TICKETS
Dr. Katie Leonard – EMPOWER Conference Speaker President & CEO, Johnson College Presentation: Wanted: Women Who Work This session covers topics that are close to Dr. Katie Leonard’s heart, including how women affect the workforce, how the workforce affects women, what or who sabotages your success, how to overcome obstacles, and most importantly, how to mentor others and help yourself, so you stay in the workforce and thrive. A lot goes into empowering oneself, and during this session, you’ll learn how to rock it!!! Bio: Dr. Katie Leonard joined Johnson College in January of 2007 as the College’s Coordinator of Grants and Annual Fund. From there, she had continued success in fundraising and community outreach, which led to several positions within the College leading up to her becoming Executive Vice President, overseeing all campus operations. In her time with the College, Dr. Leonard formed industry relationships, reestablished the alumni program, increased annual giving, and initiated the College’s rebranding in 2011. She executed the College’s first-ever capital campaign in 2013, which raised, comprehensively, over $5 million to build the new Health Science Technology Center on campus, the College’s largest building project to date. After a nationwide search, Dr. Leonard was selected Johnson College’s 8th President & CEO in January of 2018. Under Dr. Leonard’s leadership as President & CEO, Johnson College joined the rankings of premiere technical education in 2018 by being ranked #10 on Forbes Top 25 Two-Year Trade Schools. Two new programs, Heavy Equipment Technology and Building Property Technology, have been developed and have started accepting students. Total donor investments in the College have reached over four million dollars, and the College has received over 2.8 million dollars in grants awarded. The College continues to enhance its relationships with new and long-standing industry partners and continues to develop ways to get students into the workforce faster through programs like Industry Fast Track and Industry Immersion. In 2021 the College reached record enrollment numbers for the third year in a row and was granted accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The College will launch four new academic programs during the 2021-2022 academic year. Dr. Leonard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from York College of Pennsylvania, a Master of Arts degree in organizational leadership from Mansfield University, and a doctorate of education from Capella University. Before bringing her talents to Johnson College, Dr. Leonard held multiple positions in York, PA, working with government officials and non-profit organizations. In York, she was the Executive Director of Downtown Inc., York’s Main Street Program. Dr. Leonard has also made significant contributions to the community outside of her roles with Johnson College. She serves on the board of directors of NeighborWorks of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Outreach Center for Community Resources, Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and serves as a Trustee for her undergraduate alma mater, York College of Pennsylvania. GET TICKETS
Colbert & Grebas to Host Estate Plan Webinar A comprehensive and effective ESTATE PLAN is the key to Protecting your legacy. Join your LOCAL Certified Elder Law Experts, Attorneys Brenda D. Colbert and Kevin R. Grebas on Saturday, January 22nd, 2022 10:00 to 11:30 AM for a FREE Webinar to gain valuable and practical planning techniques to achieve your future goals. Call 570-299-7909 to register or go to our website: ElderLawNEPA.com Advance registration is required. After registering you will receive a link to access the Webinar.
Transportation Webinar Please join the Office of US Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Department of Transportation officials for an educational conversation on available grant and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding opportunities through DOT for Pennsylvania communities. Any questions or concerns may be directed to grace_nelson@casey.senate.gov
Geisinger Encourages Ordering Free, At-Home COVID-19 Tests Geisinger is encouraging the community to take advantage of ordering free, at-home COVID-19 tests through the new federal website. Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests at CovidTests.gov and have them shipped right to their doorstep. “COVID-19 testing is an essential tool in stopping the spread in our communities,” said Kurt J. Wrobel, Geisinger Health Plan president and executive vice president of insurance operations for Geisinger. “Over-the-counter tests can save you a trip to your doctor’s office, an urgent care clinic or a testing center. In fact, if you have mild or no symptoms, at-home testing is your most convenient and safest testing option, especially with the long wait times at urgent care clinics and testing centers. Due to high demand and limited supply, the easiest way to find at-home tests is through CovidTests.gov.” Tests available through the federal website are rapid antigen at-home tests. They can be taken anywhere and give results within 30 minutes, with no lab drop-off required. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or you’ve been around someone suspected or confirmed to have COVID — you meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines for testing. If you have mild or no symptoms, at-home tests are an appropriate first step. If you test positive on your at-home test, follow the latest CDC guidance for isolation. If you test negative, you should test again within a few days with at least 24 hours between tests. Learn more in our Coronavirus Resource Center at geisinger.org/coronavirus.
The Wright Center President/CEO Becomes Certified in Obesity Medicine Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education, recently earned board certification in obesity medicine, better preparing her to help patients manage obesity and its many comorbidities and to lose weight. Obesity – the nation’s most prevalent chronic disease – is associated with many of the leading causes of preventable, premature death, yet physicians and patients sometimes struggle to directly address the sensitive topic and tailor plans that allow for long-term success. Thomas-Hemak received the certification from the Colorado-based American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM), which gives physicians the insights and tools to help patients who are struggling with the complex issue of obesity. The condition is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, sleep apnea, arthritis, certain cancers and many additional comorbidities. Two-thirds of U.S. patients are either overweight or obese, according to ABOM’s website. Obesity medicine represents Thomas-Hemak’s fourth board certification. She also is board certified in internal, pediatrics and addiction medicine. Thomas-Hemak teaches and provides comprehensive primary health care, inclusive of addiction and recovery and weight-related services at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn, offering treatment to multi-generational families and individuals of all ages. Under her executive administrative leadership, The Wright Center for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education consistently strive to respond to community health and health care workforce needs. Its health care providers, for example, have been at the forefront of confronting challenges such as the ongoing opioid crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasingly, The Wright Center’s health care providers emphasize prevention to improve health outcomes among Northeast Pennsylvania’s residents. In 2020, The Wright Center introduced both a lifestyle medicine curriculum in its graduate medical education programs and a corresponding lifestyle medicine service line for the benefit of patients. Lifestyle medicine, one of the fastest growing fields of medicine, encourages individuals to avoid or potentially reverse chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes by focusing on six pillars of health: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management, relationships and the avoidance of risky substances. A Wright Center for Community Health dietitian and behavioral health counselors are available to meet individually with patients to develop and empower plans for healthier lifestyles and weight management. For more information or to schedule an appointment at The Wright Center for Community Health’s Mid Valley Practice, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019.
Johnson College and York College of Pennsylvania Sign Articulation Agreement Johnson College and York College of Pennsylvania recently signed an articulation agreement. It allows students to complete their two-year degree at Johnson College and then transfer to York College of Pennsylvania to complete a bachelor’s degree or transfer credits and continue their education. Students transferring to York College of Pennsylvania must meet minimum cumulative grade-point average requirements and satisfy all transfer requirements. This agreement becomes effective for the fall 2022 semester. “Establishing this articulation agreement with York College creates an opportunity for our students to build on the hands-on education they receive at Johnson College by continuing their education toward a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Katie Leonard, President & CEO of Johnson College. “This agreement is special to me because it connects Johnson College with York College where I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in English and where I am now a proud member of their board of trustees.” “Both Johnson College and York College will benefit from this agreement,” said Dr. Pamela Gunter-Smith, President of York College of Pennsylvania. “We are pleased to welcome Johnson College students to our campus and our educational experience.”
