NBT Bank will host a four-week webinar series educating business leaders on the latest information surrounding all facets of addressing cyber threats from awareness to prevention and response.

Presenters will include NBT Bank’s Director of Information Security Terra Carnrike-Granata, Director of Cash Management & Government Banking Margaret Scopelianos, Information Security Manager Andrew Frisbie and NBT Insurance Agency President Tucker Lounsbury.

The events are free to attend, and guests may join one or all sessions.

• The Current State of Cybersecurity: Protecting the Intangible on Friday, April 16, will educate on why and how cyber criminals are targeting businesses for financial gain. Common threats discussed will include business email compromise and ransomware. 
• Are You Covered? Proactive Controls You Need Now on Friday, April 23, will outline how to integrate cyber liability insurance into your cybersecurity program while also leveraging banking controls to protect your financial assets.
• After A Breach: Effective Incident Response on Friday, April 30, the team will share the fundamentals of incident response planning, and tips on how to respond to a ransomware attack or an email account takeover in Microsoft 365.
• Cybercrime Survivors: Stories & Lessons Learned on Friday, May 7, will feature a virtual roundtable hosted by all four of our presenters. Together, the team will discuss valuable lessons from actual cyber-attacks, as well as answer questions submitted on topics from cybersecurity to cash management and more.

To register, visit www.nbtbank.com/CybersecurityRSVP.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Office of Public-Private Partnerships (P3) announced today that it is accepting unsolicited proposals for transportation projects from the private sector through April 30.

The submission period applies to PennDOT-owned projects and infrastructure. During this period, the private sector can submit proposals offering innovative ways to deliver transportation projects across a variety of modes including roads, bridges, rail, aviation, and ports. Proposals can also include more efficient models to manage existing transportation-related services and programs.

Unsolicited proposals are being accepted through 11:59 PM on April 30. Instructions on how to submit a project and information on the unsolicited proposal review process can be found on the state’s P3 website, www.P3.pa.gov. 

PennDOT holds an unsolicited proposal period in April and October each year.

The private sector may also submit applications for non-PennDOT-owned assets directly to the P3 board during this time. Transportation entities outside of the governor’s jurisdiction, such as transit authorities, may establish their own timelines or accept proposals year-round.

The state’s P3 law allows PennDOT and other transportation authorities and commissions to partner with private companies to participate in delivering, maintaining, and financing transportation-related projects.

As part of the P3 law, the seven-member Public Private Transportation Partnership Board was appointed to examine and approve potential public-private transportation projects. If the board determines a state operation would be more cost-effectively administered by a private company, the company will be authorized to submit a proposal and enter into a contract to either completely or partially take over that operation for a defined period of time.

The next unsolicited proposal acceptance period will occur in October. To learn more about P3 in Pennsylvania, including active projects, visit www.P3.pa.gov.

Marywood University will hold a Virtual Music Information Session on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at 7 p.m. This information session is free and open to anyone who wishes to learn more about Marywood University’s Music Programs. To register, visit marywood.edu/progs/ug/music-performance.

The only educational institution in Northeast Pennsylvania that offers bachelor of music degrees, Marywood University provides all the benefits of larger schools, but with great flexibility, more individual attention, and a friendly, welcoming campus.

For additional information about Marywood University’s Virtual Music Information Session, please visit marywood.edu/mtd, or call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234.

Rep. Karen Boback (R-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Wyoming) announced the unanimous House passage of her bill, House Bill 464, that would expand the criteria of the Family Caregiver Support Program to mirror federal eligibility standards.

“This bill is not only important to caregivers and their families in my district, but all of Pennsylvania,” said Boback. “Expanding the protections that are provided for under the Family Caregiver Support Act, and removing maximum reimbursement rates for out-of-pocket expenses, home medications and assistive device expenses, is necessary. Changes to this act have not occurred in roughly 25 years and I am proud to see this legislation moving forward. Enactment of this bill will enable Pennsylvania to further assist those across the Commonwealth who need it most.”

Act 204 of 1990, the Family Caregiver Support Program, aims to ease the stresses of caregiving by supporting the well-being of the caregivers. Those providing care for older adults or those with Alzheimer’s Disease or related disorders, grandparents raising grandchildren, and grandparents raising adult children living with disability may be eligible to receive supports under the program.

The bill to expand the program now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Are you looking to make a difference in your community?

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Young Professionals Executive Challenge is an 8-week fundraising competition among young professionals locally in the Northeast PA area and nationwide. All funds raised support the 2021 Scranton Volunteer Hosted Light The Night Walk being held on  September 25 at Nay Aug Park. Being a part of LLS matters and as a Young Professional Challenger, you have the exclusive opportunity to earn LinkedIn Endorsements from LLS for your critical skills.

You can be a part of a future world without cancer. Your investment of time and dollars to fund life-saving treatment means that each day we are closer to finding a cure not only for blood cancer but all cancers. The mission of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is: Cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Through the Young Professionals Executive Challenge, you are raising critical funds to support LLS’s mission.

Upon commitment to the Young Professionals Executive Challenge, you will receive the following LinkedIn endorsements: Strategic Planning, Critical Thinking, and Persuasion. Once you raise $2,500, you will receive the Leadership endorsement. Upon raising $5,000, you will receive a unique skill endorsement: Creativity, collaboration, public speaking, etc…

In addition to LinkedIn endorsements, Challengers who raise $5,000 will also receive recognition in an online Buzzfeed article. Those Challengers that raise $10,000 will be included in the 2022 Executive Challenger Forbes Ad.

For more information, please email Jessica.Kutza@lls.org or call 610-462-3650.

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center took one step closer to completing the enhancement of the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center during a small, physically distanced beam-topping ceremony on March 31.

The $80 million investment brings world-class cancer care closer to home for patients and their support systems, which is critical in improving outcomes for those battling cancer. Since 2008, Geisinger has invested more than $325 million into better and more accessible care for people in Luzerne County. This latest update to the Henry Cancer Center means patients in northeastern Pennsylvania won’t need to seek advanced cancer care in cities like Philadelphia and New York. 

“Managing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities has been our main focus this past year, but today we are proud to take a moment to further our mission of making better health easier for the communities we serve,” said Jaewon Ryu, M.D., J.D., Geisinger’s president and CEO. “This commitment in Luzerne County ensures our neighbors in northeastern Pennsylvania can stay close to home for the most advanced, life-saving cancer care. It’s the fulfillment of the vision that the Henry family and Geisinger established 30 years ago.”

The 92,150-square-foot, four-story cancer center expansion will boost state-of-the-art care by constructing an 18-bed inpatient unit to serve patients who formerly had to seek care outside the region, like those with complex blood cancers such as leukemias and aggressive lymphomas. Consolidation of treatment services under one roof at the cancer center will produce a more centralized care model for patients, which delivers more efficient care services, a better patient experience and improved outcomes. A redesigned reception and lounge area, along with a new 51-bay infusion center, which doubles the previous number of bays used for chemotherapy and other intravenous treatments, will improve accessibility to care by reducing wait times and increasing availability for appointments. All of these enhancements complement a comprehensive cancer program that already features technology like CyberKnife, a highly targeted radiation treatment otherwise unavailable outside of major metropolitan areas like Philadelphia or New York.

The expansion project also includes a new, modern façade and lobby at the hospital’s main entrance, and the more-inviting entryway will include a retail pharmacy, healthy food options, and a specialty retail boutique offering products commonly used by patients in cancer treatment. All of these additional amenities and services have been designed with patient comfort, convenience and wellness in mind.

These additions at the Henry Cancer Center, which opened in 1992 thanks in part to a transformative gift from long-time donors Frank M. and Dorothea Henry, will bolster a cancer program that already offers advanced, individualized care delivered by multidisciplinary teams of hematologists and medical oncologists, genetic counselors, nutritionists, social services professionals, spiritual care counselors and an entire surgical suite of specially trained providers. These teams provide a comprehensive suite of services including: chemotherapy, infusion therapy, sophisticated imaging, comprehensive lab services, pharmacy services, palliative medicine, and research and clinical trials.

“For nearly three decades, Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center has developed a program that brings exceptional cancer care to northeastern Pennsylvania residents,” said Rajiv Panikkar, M.D., chair of the Geisinger Cancer Institute. “This project is another step forward. We are expanding cancer services for our neighbors and their caretakers, providing what they need in their own community.”

The investment reinforces Geisinger’s pledge to offer the best quality care to northeastern Pennsylvanians.

“When our patients enter Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, they’ll know they’re getting world-class care in the same hospital that’s taken care of generations of people in the region,” said Ron Beer, chief administrative officer of Geisinger’s northeast region. “Our patients will no longer have to travel outside our region for advanced cancer treatment, thanks to the continued support of our community. The Henry family’s vision for state-of-the-art cancer care in northeastern Pennsylvania has changed the lives of countless members of our communities, and that vision lives on today.”

For more information on cancer care at Geisinger, visit Geisinger.org/cancerexpansion.

Lackawanna County police departments, in cooperation with the Lackawanna County Police Traffic Services Project, will join the Pennsylvania State Police and over 200 municipal police agencies to conduct a targeted aggressive-driving enforcement wave through April 25, 2021.

The Lackawanna County Police Traffic Services Project is administered by the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office and supports traffic enforcement activities in the county.

As part of the Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Education Project, the wave will concentrate on reducing the number of aggressive driving related crashes, injuries, and deaths on roadways throughout the state. Any aggressive driver stopped by police will receive a ticket.  

The enforcement wave will focus on speeding, distracted driving, and work zone awareness. Motorists exhibiting other unsafe behaviors such as driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, or other aggressive actions will also be cited.

Municipal police agencies that participated in last year’s campaign wrote 43,349 citations, including 22,353 for speeding, 1,003 for occupant protection violations, 3,077 for red light violations, and 126 impaired driving arrests. 

The enforcement is part of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Education Project and is funded by part of the department’s investment of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

For more information on aggressive driving, visit PennDOT.gov/Safety.

Golden Technologies announced that Alyssa Golden has been named Content Coordinator in the Marketing Department. Alyssa previously served as Marketing Assistant on the team since last fall. She will continue to support all divisions in her activities. Alyssa is the first third-generation Golden to work at the family-owned business.

In her new role, Alyssa is responsible for leading the ongoing strategy to develop written and video content for use on social media and other digital marketing platforms. Delivering engaging content is more important than ever to help grow Golden’s following on multiple social media channels to drive traffic to the company website and build overall brand awareness of all product lines.  

“Over the past few months, Alyssa has impressed the Marketing team with her dedication, passion, and eagerness to learn all she can about the company,” said C.J. Copley, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “We look forward to her bringing her creativity and enthusiasm to developing content,” he added.

Alyssa will continue to produce the monthly employee newsletter, the Golden Voice, which highlights employee milestones, recent community relations activities, upcoming events, and new product launches to help boost company knowledge as well as company comradery by showing how all employees work for a common goal – helping people live better lives thanks to Golden products.

Alyssa will also create monthly editions of a new Retailer Rundown digital newsletter for retailers that will include product information and updates, articles on how to effectively market Golden products, and news on other marketing initiatives and promotional offers.

Prior to joining Golden, Alyssa served as a Marketing Intern at Universal Music Group in Philadelphia, PA. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from Berklee College of Music and a master’s degree in Communication from Drexel University. Alyssa is also a freelance Event Vocalist performing live locally and nationally at professional sporting events. Visit www.goldentech.com for more information.

A new program at Tobyhanna Army Depot helps Airmen worldwide defend the people and property of the U.S. Air Force.

The depot recently onboarded the Base Defense Operations Center workload (BDOC), a shelterized command and control center that serves as the central hub for Air Force base protection systems. Staffed 24 hours a day, the BDOC’s staff monitors all aspects of installation/location security, including physical security, radio transmission and flight line activity.  The workload was acquired through a collaborative effort with the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and the Air Force Security Forces Center. 

The acquisition of the new mission is directly aligned with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, dubbed Toby 2028.  The plan, which focuses on posturing the depot to be competitive in the year 2028, has lines of effort dedicated to expanding an already diverse portfolio as well as securing new workload.  BDOC represents growth for the depot’s enduring support to the U.S. Air Force, which includes a variety of range threat and missile guidance and control programs.

Unlike other depot programs that focus on repairing legacy equipment, BDOC is a cross-organizational new production effort. Assets originate at Berg, an expandable shelter manufacturer in Spokane, WA, then are shipped to Tobyhanna. Depot artisans populate the blank shelter with a host of electronic equipment and required cables, wiring, and hardware. Finally, the BDOC travels to an SAIC facility near Ft. Bliss in Texas, where final integration of the Harris radio suite is completed. Prior to hand-off to the Air Force, SAIC technicians conduct extensive final testing to ensure a quality product.

Donald Vozzi, chief of the Systems Integration and Support (SIS) directorate’s Electronic Shelter Systems Branch, says the workload requires inputs from many members of Team Tobyhanna.

“Getting this system out the door requires inputs from many different SIS organizations.  Items are fabricated in both SIS machine shops, and our co-workers in the System Assembly Branch provide kitting support.  We also couldn’t do it without the fantastic support we received from Production Engineering, Production Management and Quality,” they said.  Project Manager Anthony Capone agreed.

“This team has been doing a great job from the get-go, which is especially impressive because BDOC is like no other program I’ve worked on here at Tobyhanna.”

While the program is currently funded for 24 assets, Project Manager Anthony Capone says he expects the workload will increase in the future.

“Both the Air Force and SAIC are pleased with our work.  We are confident BDOC will be the first step towards many more partnerships allowing Team Tobyhanna to better support the Air Force.” 

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.

Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters. About 4,000 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.