Leadership Lackawanna Applications Open for Executive Program

Leadership Lackawanna, the premier community leadership and professional development affiliate of the Chamber, is now accepting applications for its Executive Program.

This five-week Executive Program engages high-level professionals more deeply in the greater Scranton region, broadening their social network, and increasing their overall knowledge of the community. Participants meet key business and community leaders as they receive an overview of Lackawanna County’s history and culture, economic and political structures, community events, civic groups, recreational activities and nonprofit organizations. 

Sessions are held one evening per week for five consecutive weeks at various locations and include cocktails and dinner. Leadership Lackawanna’s Executive Program accepts applications from public and private sector administrators and professionals in an executive level position who live or work in Lackawanna County. Sessions start in September.

To apply, visit www.leadershiplackawanna.com. Applications will be accepted through September 8, 2021.

SLIBCO Receives $100,000 for Talent Attraction Campaign


From left to right: Bob Durkin, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; Rep. Kyle Mullins, Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski, Senator Marty Flynn, Rep. Mike Carroll, and P. Timothy Kelly, Esq., Needle Law, attend a meeting and luncheon at the Chamber.

The Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO) – the economic development affiliate of the Chamber – received a $100,000 Local Share Account (LSA) grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a national advertising campaign targeted at remote workers and talent attraction. The goal is to draw awareness of career opportunities available and recruit new talent to Lackawanna County.

The campaign, which will be managed by The Scranton Plan, the economic development marketing arm of the Chamber and SLIBCO, will consist of digital marketing – including web, social media, and video – in the metro areas of New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Audience segments will include remote workers, corporate executives, real estate professionals, entrepreneurs, millennials, retirees, and more.

“The demand for a highly-skilled workforce has never been greater. We are grateful to have the engaged support of our local state-elected officials in these efforts to attract and retain talented individuals for career opportunities in Lackawanna County,” said Bob Durkin, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

As an extension of The Scranton Plan’s Rediscover Scranton campaign from earlier this year, the messaging will highlight Lackawanna County’s affordability, lifestyle, and location benefits for young professionals, families and retirees, as well as the advantages for being a well-positioned region for real estate development and company relocation or expansion.

The Chamber would like to thank our local state-elected officials for their support in receiving the grant, including Senator Marty Flynn and state representatives Mike Carroll, Bridget M. Kosierowski, and Kyle Mullins.

Sebastian Maniscalo Adds Arena Dates for Second Leg of Nobody Does This Tour

Tickets ON SALE Friday, July 30 at 10 a.m.

Touted as “…the hottest comic in America,” by The New York Times, Sebastian Maniscalco, has celebrated heights only a few comedians ever achieve. A string of record-breaking, sold-out arena shows include a comedy record for Chicago’s United Center with 21,286, the highest gross for a single event at Boston’s TD Garden and a historic four show run at Madison Square Garden breaking the record for most shows sold in a weekend for the venue. That blockbuster success coupled with Netflix original comedy specials and a starring role alongside Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated The Irishman, it’s no surprise that both Pollstar and Billboard have honored the standup with their top touring awards.

Currently on the road for his new Nobody Does This Tour, the man Vulture said, “built a tremendous fan base the old-fashioned way: one joke at a time, one audience at the time,” announces over 15 arena dates for the second leg of the blockbuster tour. With so many new experiences to draw from this last year, Maniscalco is sharing his unique comedic perspective with the masses with this brand-new show.

“I’ve been unable to share my comedy for over a year,” Maniscalco shared exclusively with Billboard earlier this year. “I’m busting at the seams to get back out on the road and share my observations about life and family on this brand-new tour!”

Launching in November, the new tour dates will find him returning to many of the arenas he sold out with his last performance including LA’s The Forum, Boston’s TD Garden and returns to Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena and Montreal’s Bell Centre in 2022. Long-time opener and fellow Chicago native Pat McGann continues as opener on the cross-country trek. Tickets for Nobody Does This tour dates will go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, July 30, at 10:00 am local time. Tickets for the Wilkes-Barre show on Sunday, December 5th at 7:00pm will be available at Ticketmaster.com and in person at the NBT Bank Box Office at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Maniscalco’s tour itinerary also includes a number of rescheduled shows from 2020 that were moved due to the pandemic. For rescheduled shows, all previously purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates listed below.
 
During the last year the comic NBC’s Nightly News dubbed, “comedy’s new superstar,” found new ways to connect with fans and flex his comedic muscles including hosting several virtual dinners with friend and chef, Dominick DiBartolomeo. Billed as “Sebastian’s Sunday Supper” the events have offered the ultimate virtual dinner party, filled with amazing food and packed with special guests including Jerry Seinfeld, Lester Holt, J.J. Watt, Christopher Lloyd and Rick Caruso.

The comedian also still managed to notched several career firsts in 2020 including a two-night run guest-hosting ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” In addition to adding late night host to his growing list of hyphenates, Maniscalco also add executive producer with the release of Sebastian Maniscalco presents Pat McGann: When’s Mom Gonna Be Home?

On top of coming to a city near you fans will also find the always bothered comedian on their TV exploring the world of food in his new series, Well Done with Sebastian Maniscalco. The show premieres on discovery+ Aug. 12.

Maniscalco will also make a return the big screen with a number of high-profile films. Projects in the works include a role in an untitled dramedy from Ray Romano, starring along-side Michelle Monaghan, Wiz Kalifa, Jason Derulo and more as legendary producer Giorgio Moroder in the upcoming Neil Bogart biopic Spinning Gold as well as opposite Robert DeNiro in About My Father a film loosely based on Maniscalco’s life. Stay tuned for news on the films’ release dates.

Marion Munley Re-elected to Executive Committee of the American Association for Justice

At its annual convention this month, Marion Munley was re-elected to the Executive Committee of the American Association for Justice (AAJ) for the 2021-2022 year. In addition, she received two awards in recognition of her service to AAJ.

AAJ “is a broad-based, international coalition of attorneys, law professors, paralegals, and law students which promotes justice and fairness for injured persons, safeguards victims’ rights—particularly the right to trial by jury—and strengthens the civil justice system through education and disclosure of information critical to public health and safety. With members worldwide, and a network of U.S. and Canadian affiliates involved in diverse areas of trial advocacy, AAJ provides lawyers with the information and professional assistance needed to serve clients successfully and protect the democratic values inherent in the civil justice system.”

Marion received the Distinguished Service award which recognizes members of AAJ Board of Governors who, during the past year, have been of special assistance to the President of the Association. She also earned the Above and Beyond Award which honors AAJ members who have made exceptional contributions to sustain and strengthen the organization.

A champion of victims’ rights and the civil justice system, Marion is known for her compassionate approach to representing the catastrophically injured and her tireless devotion to her clients and their families. Triple Board Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy in Civil Trial, Civil Practice, and Truck Law, Marion has earned an AV-Preeminent designation from Martindale-Hubbell, the industry’s highest ethical and client satisfaction rating.

Marion has long been active and committed to helping the AAJ. In 2018, she became the first woman to become Chair of the AAJ Trucking Litigation Group. She is also a past chair of the AAJ’s Women Trial Lawyers Caucus. Marion is the second woman in Pennsylvania to become Board Certified as a Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Among her other professional affiliations are the American Board of Trial Advocates, the International Society of Barristers, and the Summit Council.

Named to the Best Lawyers in America list by Best Lawyers since 2012, Marion was named “Lawyer of the Year: Personal Injury – Plaintiffs” for the Allentown Metro Area in 2021. Marion has also been selected to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for the last 15 years and has been consistently recognized as one of the “top 50 Women Lawyers in Pennsylvania” in Super Lawyers Magazine. A graduate of Temple University School of Law (J.D., 1986), Marion received her undergraduate degree from Scranton University in 1983.

Scranton Chamber Announces Community Block Party

We are excited to announce our plan to host a Community Block Party featuring entertainment, shopping, children’s activities, music, dining and more. “The Chamber Community Block Party” will take place on First Friday, May 7, from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 8 from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. on the 200 & 300 blocks of Penn Avenue in downtown Scranton and is in lieu of the Chamber’s Annual Dinner this year. The event will follow all CDC guidelines.

“The Chamber exists because of our local businesses, and we are here to support them. After the turbulent year of 2020 – and as we continue to come out on the other side of the pandemic – our board and staff wanted to plan a safe, family-friendly event that supports all businesses and celebrates our community,” said Bob Durkin, Chamber president.

The Chamber is grateful for the local support from businesses already, including “The Chamber Community Block Party” chairs Peter Danchak, regional president of PNC Bank; and Sarah Effertz, owner of Blu Elefante Event Consulting and Management. The family-friendly event will include three stages featuring 24 bands and multi-cultural performance groups, as well as vendor marketplaces, children’s activities, art exhibits and more. Beginning May 2 and running through May 8, the Chamber will also celebrate and promote “Chamber Restaurant Week” across the greater Scranton community.

Small business members of the Chamber can apply for a FREE vendor booth in one of our three Marketplaces along Penn Avenue. To secure a vendor booth and learn more, visit our event page.

State of the City with Mayor Cognetti

Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti will give the 2021 State of the City address from Scranton City Hall on Wednesday, March 3 at 4:30 p.m.

Mayor Cognetti will give remarks on Scranton’s challenges and opportunities and illustrate how our community has come together during this unprecedented period of crisis.

The address will be live streamed via Zoom, at Youtube.com/ECTV, and Comcast Channel 19.

Viewers can dial-in at +16465588656,,88596704167# or use Meeting ID: 885 9670 4167 (no password required).

Progressive Care Unit Opens at Geisinger Community Medical Center

A new Progressive Care Unit (PCU) featuring private rooms and a modern, evidence-based design is now open at Geisinger Community Medical Center and specializes in caring for the complex needs of trauma, medical and surgical patients.

Located on the hospital’s fourth floor, directly above the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the PCU houses 18 private rooms and nursing alcoves that allow direct visual oversight of patient rooms through large glass windows. The care model decentralizes nursing stations to improve surveillance of each patient and enhances the care team’s communication with patient families, giving family members closer access to nursing staff.

“The nursing model used in the new PCU allows for improved monitoring of critically ill patients from the nurses’ station that extends around the entire unit,” said Glenna Barletta, nursing operations manager at Geisinger Community Medical Center. “Nursing alcoves are located outside each room to ensure the care team is always close by.”

Development of the PCU is part of a $16 million project that also begins the hospital’s approach to a private-bed model.

Designed to improve patient experience, quality of care and efficiency of operation, the unit’s spacious, state-of-the-art, private rooms meet the need to care for critically ill patients.

“We know the benefits of the private-room model on clinical quality and patient experience are well-studied and indisputable,” said Ujwal Tuladhar, M.D., hospitalist at Geisinger Community Medical Center. “They include reduced risk of hospital-acquired infection, reduced patient stress levels due to improved privacy and reduction of unwanted noise, and better facilitation of care. Private rooms cater to patient comfort, better rest and more room for caregivers and loved ones.”

The PCU’s private rooms are larger than the semi-private rooms of the previous step-down unit with enough space to accommodate critical care technology, allowing the care team to treat higher-acuity patients, such as ventilator patients who require medications that elevate blood pressure.

“The room size allows for more sophisticated equipment to fit into the space and provides our care team with greater ability to move around the patient to deliver care,” Barletta said. “This allows us to broaden the criteria of patients the unit can accept.”

The PCU has two waiting rooms — a quiet room and another with a television — and features multiple family meeting rooms, a wellness room with massage chairs, and two bariatric patient rooms with showers.

To get to the PCU from the main lobby at Geisinger Community Medical Center, take the C elevators to level 4, then take a right off the elevator and follow signs to the PCU.