Chamber Welcomes New Vice President
The Columbia Montour Chamber is pleased to welcome Chris Berleth, an accomplished chamber executive and sales professional with thirteen years of business and nonprofit experience, as its new Vice President. Chris, who started on August 8, will provide leadership in delivering a high return on investment to members and supporting economic stability and growth in the region through the development and coordination of communications, programs, and events of the Chamber and its Foundation.
“We are thrilled to have Chris join our team,” said Fred Gaffney, Chamber President. “His talent, professionalism, and sincerity will help us provide additional value to our members and better support our area.”
Prior to joining The Columbia Montour Chamber team, Chris was most recently with the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber in Shamokin Dam as Executive Director of Membership and Leadership. He is an Eagle Scout and a 2015 graduate of Leadership Susquehanna Valley, and holds a B.A. in Political Science and French from Gettysburg College. Chris and his wife Kali have called Columbia County home since 2012, and together they are raising two boys, Remington and Rutledge.
Leadership Central Penn (LCP) celebrated the graduation of the class of 2022 last Thursday at the Pine Barn Inn. This year’s class was the largest in history with 25 graduates and marked the 23rd cohort. The program included a Keynote address from Holly Morrison, President and CEO of the Community Giving Foundation. Holly shared that she has seen first hand the benefits of LCP on individuals as a donor, employer and mother. She hopes that everyone in the program grew in their capacity as community leaders as she has seen with so many graduates in the past. This program allows you to develop the 76% of leadership that is learned according to statistics Holly has seen. It is up to all of us to work on understanding ourselves, our capacities and our areas for improvement. The class is the start of that journey, and it should continue.
This year’s class presenter was Brian Houser, PPL. The first focus of his speech was about the Leadership component of the program. He shared the program was never just a lecture or death by Power Point but was an engaging experience in a safe and trusted environment. This was created by Jeff Emanuel, Director and Rick Flynn, Leadership Facilitator. Brian shared that the theories taught in the program were immediately useful back in the work setting. The second focus was on the community portion of the program. The class introduced the class to many organizations that help our community move and thrive. Brian shared his appreciation for the challenges facing the people of our communities and all the organizations like nonprofits, the judicial system, education, economic development and more that work together to help. Brian shared this experience made him realize “it turns out there is a lot more to leadership than just commanding a group. It isn’t about forcing others to listen, but about listening to others.” After going through this program, he understands why there are over 60,000 books for sale on leadership and he appreciates having more insight and knowledge thanks to LCP.
Before the certificates were awarded, there was a third component of the celebration. Recognizing the community impact projects of this year’s class. The first was group that assisted AGAPE with their move to their new location. They loaded food, clothing, pet food, household items and more onto pallet, into trucks and relocated and organized it all to help AGAPE continue its mission from their new home. The second group shared with involvement with the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum’s Hak4Kids program. This kid-friendly hacking event is the only one of its kind in PA. The event was free and included 28 workshops and activities for kids ages 7-17. Finally, the third project was in partnership with the United Way of Berwick and their Day of Caring. This project included alumni from previous LCP cohorts who work at First Keystone Community Bank. The team assisted with clean-up of the Berwick YMCA to assist with preparing the facility for construction project improvements in the coming weeks. All of the projects were demanding, but fulfilling to the LCP members, nonprofit partners and community members served by these organizations.
The event concluded with honoring the LCP Graduating Class of 2022:
Kevin Ball – Geisinger
Scott Bellum – SEKISUI KYDEX
Tiffany Bienkowski – First Keystone Community Bank
Lisa Brelsford – Columbia Child Development Head Start
Audra Briggs – Bloomsburg Carpet
LuCinda Craig – Rural Business Innovation Corp.
Taryn Crayton – Press Enterprise
Daniel Diehl – First Columbia Bank & Trust
Benjamin Gonzalez – Geisinger
John Harahus – Geisinger
Brian Houser – PPL Electric
Trygve Jensen – Geisinger
Hamid Khan – Autoneum
Holly Madden – Hope Enterprises, Inc.
Christopher Matthews – First Keystone Community Bank
Alyssa Meyers-Sanonu – Berwick YMCA
Dawn Orzehowski – Maria Joseph CCC
Jessica Pastuszek – Geisinger
James Pensyl – Girton Manufacturing
Angela Prajzner – Autoneum
Kristy Strain – Geisinger
Melisa Thomas – Service 1st FCU
Danielle Velkoff – United Way CMC
Rebecca White – Columbia Child Development Head Start
Phillip Yoder – Columbia County EMA
The newest member of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is the Columbia County Farm Bureau. Located in Nescopeck on 612 Hetlerville Road, the Farm Bureau is an organization representing farm families engaged in all types of agriculture – from farms of every size and commodity to craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, and cideries to farm-to-table restaurants and agritourism experiences.
Its mission statement includes growing communities, many voices, united vision. Farm Bureau members are leading together from the grassroots up. The direction of the organization and its stances on issues are shaped by the men and women of Pennsylvania agriculture.
“People united around food, environment, and community.” Reads the mission statement from the Columbia County Farm Bureau. You can find out more information at www.pfb.com/columbia.
The Columbia County Farm Bureau joins over 420 members of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
The newest member of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is JLink Inc., a privately held company for over 20 years, providing internet services, computer sales, and service networking.
The complete IT company offers tailored services that will optimize your company’s IT Service. JLink has that small-town connection with an enterprise class network. They can be located in Bloomsburg at 390 Montour Blvd., or by phone at 570-389-6400.
You can find out more information on JLink Inc. by visiting their website at www.jlink.mobi or by visiting their official Facebook page.
JLink Inc. joins over 425 members of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
What’s So Cool About Manufacturing program is a video based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths in manufacturing. MRC developed this innovative career awareness program that at its core is “peer marketing” (kids telling kids what’s so cool about manufacturing jobs). The contest is showcased on the What’s So Cool website and shared nationally through the Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership platforms.
This contest gives students the opportunity to connect with local manufacturers, document their experiences and present them in an educational and “cool” way. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students towards manufacturing career paths, and CTE and STEM education. The Central Susquehanna WSCM contest is made possible by The Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, Innovative Manufacturers’ Center (IMC), Advance Central PA, Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU) and Blast IU.
The contest featured schools from Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties.
Best Overall Performance: Selinsgrove Middle School/Bright Farms
Viewer’s Choice: Selinsgrove Middle School/Bright Farms
Outstanding Team Spirit: Danville Middle School/Strong Industries, Inc.
Outstanding Brand Placement: Lewisburg Donald H. Eichhorn Middle School/Playworld Systems, Inc.
2 District and Manufacturer partners moving on to the State Competition: Selinsgrove Middle School/Bright Farms and Central Columbia Middle School/Kawneer
Chevrolet of Bloomsburg has been proudly serving the Columbia, Montour area for 16 years. A business dedicated to supplying the community with high-quality automobiles, expert automotive service, and friendly customer assistance.
As a full-service dealership, Chevrolet of Bloomsburg strives to meet their drivers’ every automotive need. Whether it’s finding a new family vehicle, automotive repairs, quality parts, or vehicle information, Chevrolet of Bloomsburg has you covered.
They are a five-time mark of excellence award winner with the highest service retention in the NEPA region. Customer experience has been their number one priority since they opened the doors in 2006. Another main objective is that you have a fast and easy car-buying experience. You can find out more information by visiting their website at www.bloomsburgchevy.com, or by stopping in for visit and seeing them in person at 420 Central Rd in Bloomsburg.
Chevrolet of Bloomsburg joins over 427 members of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
It’s About 2 Go Down is a mobile DJ service specializing in weddings, birthdays, corporate events and more. Headquartered in Berwick, it was founded with a simple idea in mind, pay it forward. Michael Reigle has created a business that can be accessible to anyone, as no matter what your background or financial situation is, IA2GD has a service option that will work for you.
With several years of experience, DJ Mike knows that performance and reliability are paramount to success. Customer service and flexibility are also built into this business. With the help of his wife, Tori, they take the stress out of booking a DJ and put you in control of your experience.
IA2GD Entertainment strives to offer the best sound, lighting, and overall experience at an affordable price.
You can visit their website at www.itsabout2godown.com to check out pictures and view wedding packages. IA2GD can also be viewed on their Facebook page, It’s About 2 Go Down Entertainment, and their official Instagram page, @ia2gd.
It’s About 2 Go Down joins over 426 members of The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the nominees for the organization’s 2022 Annual Awards. The awards will be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting, the 81st for the organization, being held virtually on Wednesday, Feb. 9th at 11:00 a.m. Click here to register.
This meeting provides an opportunity to recognize organizations and individuals for their extraordinary efforts in serving the community throughout the year. The Chamber will present five awards: Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year, Community Progress Award, and the Outstanding Citizen Award.
The Outstanding Citizen Award, the longest-tenured award, was first presented in 1970. The organization added the Small Business of the Year, Large Business of the Year, and the Community Progress Award in 2011. The Nonprofit of the Year was first introduced in 2020.
The recipient of each award is selected by the Awards Committee. Members are as follows:
- Jeff Emanuel, Chamber Foundation Director
- Renee Gerringer, Ronald McDonald House of Danville
- Lisa Makara, Geisinger | Wilkes-Barre
- Chris Stamatedes, PPL Electric Utilities
- Jeffrey Whitenight, First Columbia Bank & Trust
- Elaine Woodland, First Keystone Community Bank
- Melanie Ziegler, FirstLight Fiber
Nominees for the 2022 Annual Awards are as follows:
Small Business of the Year
- Martz Technologies, Inc.
- Ponduce Farms
- Shanty Secrets
Large Business of the Year
- Crispin Multiplex
- Great Dane
- North Shore Railroad
- Webstaurant Store
Nonprofit of the Year
- Columbia County Traveling Library
- Berwick Area United Way
- For the Cause
- The Hand in Hand Family Resource Center
- Ronald McDonald House of Danville
Outstanding Citizen
- Lissa Bryan-Smith
- Jeff Emanuel
- Harry Mathias
- Catherine “Kay” Mentrikowski
Community Progress Award
- Northeast Training Institute
- Tri County Lumber
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