The Scranton Area Community Foundation Creates Flood Relief Fund Scranton, PA – In response to the severe storms that struck our county on Saturday, September 9th, 2023, the Scranton Area Community Foundation has established the Lackawanna County Flood Relief Fund to support community organizations directly affected by flood events and which are experiencing financial hardship as a result. Identifying the need for a rapid response to severe conditions brought on by flood events, the Lackawanna County Flood Relief Fund was created with seed money by the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The Lackawanna County Flood Relief Fund will solicit additional charitable donations from other organizations and individuals in order to respond effectively. “In critical situations like this, we know the needs are going to be great, so as a Community Foundation we are trying to prepare for how best to serve those who will need assistance. We have a very generous community, and I believe that others will also step up and support this very important cause,” said Laura Ducceschi, President & CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. The fund is currently accepting charitable donations, 100% of which will go toward supporting those affected in Lackawanna County. Donations to the fund can be made online at https://scranton.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4598f. Donations can also be mailed via check to The Scranton Area Foundation, 615 Jefferson Ave., Suite 102, Scranton PA 18510, and made payable to “Scranton Area Foundation” with “LC Flood Fund” in the memo line. Donations may also be made by using the QR code below. Additional program information, including eligibility, parameters, and how to apply for support from the Lackawanna County Flood Relief Fund, will be released early next week. For more information about the Lackawanna County Flood Relief Fund, please contact Frank Caputo, Grants & Communications Coordinator at the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
Tobyhanna Celebrates Newest Employees of the Quarter Every quarter, Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) recognizes one junior and one senior member of its world-class workforce with an Employee of the Quarter (EoQ) award. With many great candidates supporting TYAD’s vast and varied mission, selection is never easy. For the third quarter of FY23, the honorees are Jaret Edwards and Brian Hampton in the junior and senior categories respectively. Edwards began his career on the depot in May 2004 as a contractor for Lockheed Martin. Edwards has always prided himself on hard work and that dedication yielded immediate success. Edwards held several positions providing outstanding support as a contractor before officially joining Team Tobyhanna in 2007. The various positions prepared Edwards well for his transition to a TYAD employee in September 2007. Currently an electronics worker, Edwards has worn several hats as a member of Team Tobyhanna. No matter what role he is in, Edwards said the ability to support the warfighter serves as his chief motivation. Edwards said being named an EoQ was an unexpected honor that he shares with his fellow team members. “I am extremely honored to be an EoQ. I never would have expected to receive this recognition for doing something I really enjoy,” said Edwards. “It is absolutely a team effort, and there has to be communication from the supervision, work leaders, engineering, production management, quality and many others who play a vital role in supporting the warfighter.” Edwards’ supervisor and Chief of the Infared and Optics Branch Dennis Redding nominated Edwards for the honor because of his dedication to mission, willingness to be a team player, excellent work ethic and meticulousness in providing only the best to our nation’s warfighters. “Jaret’s work is always completed on time and, in most cases, early. His work is impeccable; there is never a reject or re-work on his assets, and his work area is well-organized to be as efficient and practical as possible following the Lean/6S principles. Jaret can always be counted on to meet and deliver any task that may be assigned to him,” said Redding. When the team is in need, Edwards steps up to lead by example and represent his branch in several ways including volunteering as the shop’s quality auditor, acting as a subject matter expert (SME) for visitor tours, attending customer meetings, maximizing the efficiency of work areas and identifying areas of improvement. Redding said Edwards is “the SME for almost every product and system within the branch”. This expert knowledge and his willingness to “help wherever, whenever and whomever may need a hand” make Edwards a model member of Team Tobyhanna and a fitting choice as one of the newest TYAD EoQs. Hampton joined Team Tobyhanna in August of 2006 as a member of the Paint Branch. After taking advantage of the many training opportunities at TYAD, he worked his way onto the Night Vision System. Currently, he serves as a subject matter expert working on the Common Remotely Operated Weapons Station (CROWS) system within the Sensors/Thermal Targeting Branch of the C4ISR directorate. Hampton embodies the “team” aspect of “Team Tobyhanna.” He is a strong advocate for passing along the knowledge he has obtained from his experience working on the system and ensures the people he works with have the training and knowledge they need to ensure work is accomplished effectively and efficiently. He’s also embracing leadership qualities and paying attention to his co-worker’s questions and capabilities to make sure all technicians are producing top-quality systems for the warfighter. Sensors/Thermal Targeting Branch Chief Aaron Kimble emphasized Hampton’s willingness to go the extra mile to ensure the team’s success. “Brian is always willing to help anyone out with the correct process or procedure. He goes above and beyond to train teammates, support operations during increased workload, and willingly picks up the workload when teammates are required to perform other training duties,” said Kimble. Upon learning he had received the EoQ award, Hampton said it felt nice but emphasized that he couldn’t be successful with the strong team around him. “It is definitely nice getting that pat on the back showing that your hard work is being noticed,” said Hampton. “As much as this is an individual award, I would never receive this without the support around me. Whether it’s the logistics management specialists having my back to get me the parts I need and ensuring the assets are here or others around me, it is not one person accomplishing anything here, it is a team.” When it comes to supporting our Nation’s warfighters, Hampton is truly passionate about the system he works on and the capability it provides on the battlefield. The CROWS is a remotely controlled weapon station for light and medium caliber weapons that can be mounted on any type of platform. He notably took the lead in re-establishing the CROWS workplace in a new location at TYAD. He designed and tested a new layout and process flow, ensured all support equipment was tested, and helped the Production Engineering directorate adjust the route to the new process. When asking what motivates him to go above and beyond, Hampton said it comes down to having passion for what he does. “I love the system I work on. I truly believe it works, it saves lives and that it provides value to the safety of soldiers,” said Hampton. “If you have passion for what you do, it makes you enjoy your job and I really do feel that way about where I’m at.” The Employee of the Quarter awards and other employee recognition programs align with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035 – specifically the Investing In Our People line of effort. The plan aims to posture the depot for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense’s premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.
FNCB Bank Donates New Scoreboard to Girls Softball Program FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, is pleased to announce its latest project supporting the community with the donation of a brand-new scoreboard for the Hanover Area Girls Softball program. The scoreboard is located at the Bobby Strish Memorial Park in Ashley, PA. The scoreboard donation represents part of FNCB’s larger Community Caring initiative. Through outreach programs, donations, and an employee volunteer network, FNCB is committed to helping the communities they serve. About FNCB Bank FNCB Bank, locally based since 1910, continues as one of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s premier community banks — offering a full suite of personal, small business and commercial banking solutions with industry-leading mobile, online, and in-branch products and services. FNCB remains dedicated to the communities it serves with an ongoing mission to make your banking experience simply better. For more information on the BauerFinancial 5-Star rated FNCB, visit www.fncb.com. ATTACHED PICTURE Representatives from FNCB Bank and Hanover Area Girls Softball recently dedicated a new scoreboard at Bobby Strish Memorial Park. The scoreboard was donated by FNCB Bank as part of their community giving program. Pictured: L-R (front row): Allison Johnson; Ella Grillz; Giana Pericci; Gabby Pericci; Ayla Schappert; Stelia Styczen; Destiny Valenzuela. L-R (middle row): Olivia Mihalchik; Maddy Spencer; Nicole Nevel, Community Office Manager, FNCB Bank; Paisley Hliwski; Emily Weinbrect; Jules Morio; Lizzy Miscavage; Jillian Weidner; Cam Wellington; Lena Maclusky. L-R (back row): Mike Hliwski; Brian Hogan; Tony Johnson; Matt Noss; Tenley Mishanski; Abby Miller; Maddy Martin; Jason Styczen; Mike Conahan; Jude Shappert.
PEMA’S Public Damage Assessment Link The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) has launched a Public Damage Assessment Link (below) for area residents and businesses to report the damage done to their properties in the affected municipalities by the September 9 storm. PEMA and Lackawanna County 911 and EMA officials stress the reporting link is not an application for assistance nor a guarantee of assistance. It is a step in the State’s process to alert Commonwealth and local officials where to go for damage assessment. The link will be open from today (September 13) through Sunday, September 24. The link of Public Damage Assessment is link https://damage-assessment-3-pema.hub.arcgis.com After clicking on the link, residents must then look for the incident name/title from the drop-down box 09/09/2023 Northeast PA Flooding Public Report. This is the only location where the information can be submitted and accepted. It vitally important to fill out the assessment to help State and local officials gauge the damage and then plan the recovery effort. County staff will be available at the Multi Agency Resource Center (MARC) to assist residents and business owners in filling out the assessment if they are experiencing difficulties in navigating the form. It is also very important that all residents and business owners document all of the damage to their property via written copy and photos. Everyone should also keep track of the expenses and hold onto all receipts involved in the cleanup and recovery of their properties. Next Steps For Those Impacted By The September 9th Storm Lackawanna County’s Emergency Management and 911 agencies are working with PEMA and State officials on the next steps needed to provide information to the residents and businesses affected by the Weather Event that occurred on September 9th. Lackawanna County EMA and 911 are also collaborating with PEMA and State officials on setting-up a Multi Agency Resource Center (MARC) where impacted residents and businesses can obtain information on available programs, learn what the next steps would be for their repair and cleanup work, and connect with resources and personnel that can help. The proposed dates for the MARC would be September 21, 22, and 23, with a location to be determined. Over the next several weeks, State and local officials will be out assessing damages for the purpose of meeting State and Federal guidelines for Emergency Declarations. The Lackawanna County Commissioners, Lackawanna County Emergency Management, and 911 stress once again that all residents and business owners must document all the damage to their property via written copy and photos. Everyone should also keep track of the expenses (receipts) involved in the cleanup and recovery of their properties in case individual assistance becomes available in the future. Residents and business owners should check the County’s website, social media, and the news for updates on the storm recovery initiatives.
PS Bank Hosts Chamber Business Card Exchange The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce held its Business Card Exchange at PS Bank’s South Abington Twp. location. Business members joined to network and enjoyed food from local restaurants and bakeries. Tony Gabello, president and CEO of PS Bank, and Bob Durkin, president and CEO of The Chamber, announced the Disaster Relief Fund for those affected by the flooding from the past weekend. The Scranton Area Community Foundation established the fund. Check out more photos in The Chamber’s photo album. No Caption No Caption No Caption No Caption
University of Scranton Small Business Center Development News Gretchen Kukuchka Honored as Pennsylvania’s State Star at SBDC Annual Conference Gretchen Kukuchka, Business Consultant, has been named the (Pennsylvania) State Star, an award celebrating outstanding performance and client satisfaction, and recently had the opportunity to celebrate the award at America’s SBDC 44th annual conference during the State Star Reception. The State Star Award is the highest honor that the PASBDC awards, celebrating one exceptional individual who has truly made a difference in their state network. Develop a Strong Business Idea in 8 Simple Steps Tuesday, 9/19/23 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Discover the essential steps to turn your business idea into a reality. This webinar will guide you through: Choosing your business idea: Learn how to select a viable business concept. Resource assessment: Understand the financial and time commitments required. Navigating industry regulations: Get insights on industry-specific rules. Target market definition: Identify your ideal customers. Competitive advantage: Determine what sets you apart from competitors. Business plan writing: Recognize the importance of a well-structured business plan. Register here. Applications Are Now Open for StartUP’s Fall Series StartUP is a six-week series where participants learn through live sessions on Zoom and meet weekly on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Sessions kick off on Tuesday, September 26. Topics covered include: Business start-up basics Legal and insurance considerations Marketing and social media essentials Business plan development Accounting and budget skills Financing options and requirements Goal setting and other essential skills… Apply here. Horizon Farm Credit Announces Third Annual ‘Farmers on the Rise’Award Competition Horizon Farm Credit is hosting the third annual Farmers on the Rise award competition this fall. Established in 2021, the Farmers on the Rise program was created to honor outstanding beginning farmers (three to ten years of experience) within the diverse agricultural community who excel in their field. This year’s program will award up to ten $10,000 awards. The application is now open and closes on October 6, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. Visit the link below for additional details, including eligibility requirements. Learn more here. Creative Entrepreneurs: You May Be Eligible for Financial Support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Partner Organizations The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the PCA’s Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA) partner organizations are pleased to make available the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Program. This program is designed to pair access to existing small business consulting services with financial resources up to $2,000 for creative entrepreneurs who aspire to start their own for-profit business or who operate an existing for-profit micro business Learn more here. Master Online Marketing for Freewith this Webinar from the PennWest Clarion SBDC Tuesday, 9/19/23 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Getting your business online is one thing, making sure the content is engaging and actionable is another. Now, more than ever, businesses need to have a strong brand and web presence. Doing so can seem overwhelming, from a time and monetary perspective. This webinar will go over tips and tricks to marketing online that cost $0! We will go over no-cost solutions to help you create and diversify your marketing, such as Canva, Unsplash, Bit.ly, and a few other free programs. Register here.