The Hand in Hand Family Resource Center Has a Handful of Free Upcoming Events
Adaptive Swimming: is starting Saturday, April 16th at the Berwick YMCA. Hand in Hand Family Resource Center is providing this program to kids 4 and up who have a disability and would benefit from extra attention in the water. This is a free program open to anyone in Columbia, Montour and Lower Luzerne Counties.
Let’s Get a Job: Our career exploration program is underway and the next meeting will be May 14th at 10:00am at the N4Cs in Benton. We are learning about Culinary Arts and Turkey Hill Brewing will be with us to work on ‘front of the house’ skills.
All Inclusive Sports Day: Event for kids and adults with disabilities and their families and peers to experience different sports such as: Football, Softball/Baseball, Basketball, Volleyball, Lacrosse, Golf, Swimming and Field Hockey. Hand in Hand is excited to be collaborating with the BU Athletic Department and students from the BU Teams.
I Am Safe: Safety program where they are currently learning about themselves and their boundaries, to make the very best decisions about our lives. We are learning safety in the home/community, Internet/Social Media, and within ourselves. They meet the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Trinity House in Bloomsburg.
Hosted by My Benefits Advisor, the webinar, Benefits & Insurance Compliance, is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 26. MBA experts will provide an in-depth review of the insurance market to its clients, including compliance regulations and strategies for long-term cost containment. The webinar will discuss the latest trends in the world of health care compliance and legislation.
Click here to register for this free webinar.
Businesses in an 11-county region have the opportunity to complete a COVID-19 impact survey whose results will help SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) further respond to the needs of businesses during this time. This survey checks in approximately one year after our first survey that assessed how businesses in our area were coping in the midst of the pandemic.
This survey has been developed to gauge the impact of the pandemic on overall business operations, as well as if and how businesses have successfully adjusted.
The survey questions include, but are not limited to, if the business and their staff have adequate internet access; adaptations they’ve made; types of services and assistance they need; and if they are interested in collaborating with other business owners.
It takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and businesses are asked to complete the survey by May 7.
Businesses should be located within the following counties: Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, and Union.
SEDA-COG is a Lewisburg-based agency that builds strong economies and communities by partnering with, investing in, and revitalizing local companies and communities.
Betsy Lockwood, SEDA-COG Director, Project Development/Grants, said this is a tool to provide further assistance to businesses.
“While we have helped hundreds of businesses since the start of COVID-19, we created this 2nd phase survey realizing that businesses may still be struggling, perhaps with different issues. It is essential to capture the type of help and level of assistance businesses in our region need to continue fostering our local economy. The results also will identify ongoing and future responses needed during these unprecedented times,” Lockwood said. “The pandemic has created large gaps of need, and one of SEDA-COG’s primary roles is to bridge those gaps and help businesses and communities to meet their needs and empower them to reach their goals.”
The survey can be taken at https://seda-cog.org/covid-19-business-impact-survey/
For more information about the survey, contact Betsy Lockwood at elockwood@seda-cog.org.
In partnership with Turkey Hill Brewing Company and T-Mobile, The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce presented a $400 donation to The Women’s Center, Inc. of Columbia and Montour County on Friday, April 8. As T-Mobile has expanded coverage and services in the area, the company sought locations to promote those services. In exchange for providing T-Mobile space in their parking lot, Turkey Hill Brewing Company suggested the donation to The Women’s Center. The Chamber of Commerce facilitated the collaboration.
The Women’s Center, Inc. in Bloomsburg is a non-profit organization that provides free support services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and incest. The Women’s Center serves the residents of Columbia and Montour counties.
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce’s newest member, Encina, utilizes a proprietary process to convert post-consumer scrap plastic to valuable circular chemical products. The process, called PFCC, converts mixed hard-to-recycle plastics into petrochemical feedstock such as light olefins and BTX aromatics.
Based in Texas, the company announced last week plans to invest $1.1 billion in a new facility in Northumberland County along Route 11 in Point Township. The facility will be named Point Township Circular Manufacturing Facility. The plant will take post-consumer plastic and recycle it into chemicals to make new plastic items. The facility will be the first in the region to use advanced technologies to convert post-consumer materials into feedstock that can be used to manufacture thousands of new products.
Annually, the Point Township Circular Manufacturing Facility will process 450,000 tons of post-consumer materials, diverting the vast majority from landfills and away from incinerators. They would reduce the need to produce new plastic from oil and gas resources, providing circular solutions to customers committed to reducing their impact on the environment to build a circular economy.
The state-of-the-art facility will create hundreds of well-paid jobs and it is expected to be fully operational by the fall of 2024. Encina is hosting a community open house on Wednesday, May 11, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the American Legion Post #44 in Point Township.
Encina joins over 423 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 a private, 501(c)(6) non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors. The members of the board were elected at the organization’s annual meeting held February 9th. A goal in selecting Board members is to have diverse representation based on geography, organizational type and size, and other factors across the Chamber of Commerce’s membership. The following individuals began serving terms April 1.
Jeff Cerminaro, Walker’s Jewelers
Dan Good, Marr Development
Renee Gerringer, Ronald McDonald House of Danville
John Grabusky, Geisinger
Megan Kiliti, Berwick Brewing
Adrienne Mael, United Way of Columbia and Montour Counties
Holly Morrison, Community Giving Foundation
Josh Nespoli, Community Strategies Group
Travis Petty, Law Offices of Grieco & Petty LLC
Bruce Schlichter, Kawneer
Tim Wagner, Wagner Trophies & Engraveables
Jeff Whitenight, First Columbia Bank & Trust
Sharon Wilkin , Design Group
Karen Wood, Service 1st Federal Credit Union
Elaine Woodland, First Keystone Community Bank
The Board also elected the following as officers for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Chair – Chris Stamatedes, PPL Electric Utilities
Vice-Chair – Bob Stoudt, Montour Area Recreation Commission
Treasurer – Denise Stone, EXP Realty
President – Fred Gaffney
Immediate Past Chair – Dan Knorr, Bloomsburg University
Dan Knorr, outgoing Board Chair, recognized outgoing Board members Christian Force with PB&J Bar and Tom Kapelewski with SEKISUI KYDEX at the annual meeting for their service. Force has been engaged in a number of community organizations since starting his businesses in the past several years. Kapelewski has been engaged with the Chamber of Commerce as a Board member and previous Board Chair and also involved with the Chamber’s Foundation for decades.
Community Giving Foundation Announces New President/CEO
The Community Giving Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce Kara G. Seesholtz as the Foundation’s third President and CEO, effective October 1, 2022. Current President and CEO, Holly Morrison, announced her retirement in February but will stay on through December to facilitate a smooth transition.
Seesholtz has a long and fruitful relationship with the Foundation. She started in 2004, and has held various positions in grantmaking, communication, and development over her 18 years here. She has served in her current role of Chief Advancement Officer since 2018, where she has proven herself as a passionate visionary and respected community leader. Dedicated to the Foundation’s mission and the trusted relationships she has built with each of the stakeholders she serves on a daily basis, Seesholtz brings a renewed energy of unity and innovation to the partnerships that continue to grow across the region.
“As we began the process of finding our next President and CEO, the Governance Committee knew it would be critical to find a leader who would be able to carry on the mission of this wonderful organization. Our search process led us to Kara, who has dedicated the majority of her career to building relationships and growing the Foundation. Kara has a demonstrated track record of living the values of the Foundation. Through her work, Kara has established a high level of trust in the community and has a strong desire to continue the legacy of those that came before her. Her personality, work ethic, and experience made her the Board’s unanimous choice,” said John Kurelja, Community Giving Foundation Board Vice-Chair and Head of the Search Committee.
Seesholtz is a native to the area, reflected in her commitment to the advancement of the community and well-being of those who call it home. She is a proud alumna of Bloomsburg University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. She resides in Mifflinville with her husband, Kirk, where they raised their two sons, Ky and Koy.
Prior to her many roles at the Foundation, Seesholtz worked in communication roles with Geisinger Health Plan and the Berwick Area Chamber of Commerce. She has partnered with many community organizations and boards during her time at the Foundation. Seesholtz is currently a member of the Foundation of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce Board, Leadership Susquehanna Valley Board, Central Columbia Educational Foundation Board, SUSQ-Cyber Charter School Improvement Plan Steering Committee, Greater Susquehanna Valley United Way Regional Equity Committee, and Columbia-Montour Council Boy Scouts of America Nomination Committee.
“Through my years at the Foundation, I have enjoyed building and stewarding positive relationships with donors, grantees, agency leaders, staff, boards, committees, and community members across the region. These relationships and our staff’s investment in our mission have been crucial to cultivating the values that set us apart. I look forward to using my belief in personalized philanthropy and community giving to guide the Foundation’s growth and success in our region,” said Seesholtz.
Over the next six months, Seesholtz and Morrison will work closely together to ensure the transition be transparent and seamless for the entire Foundation family. In partnership with the Board of Directors and Foundation staff, they look forward to opportunities for conversation and relationship-building at one of the many Foundation events planned for this year. For the complete event calendar, visit csgiving.org/events.
The Community Giving Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that develops, manages, and distributes funds for charitable purposes in communities across the Central Susquehanna region. Serving as the region’s philanthropic hub for charitable giving, the Foundation currently houses more than 320 funds and serves five geographic affiliate foundations in Berwick, Bloomsburg, Danville, Selinsgrove, and Sunbury. Its regional footprint includes all towns and cities in the Columbia, Lower-Luzerne, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union Counties.
McKonly & Asbury Announces New Affiliate Company: M&L Compliance Management
McKonly & Asbury is excited to announce that M&L Compliance Management, LLC (MLCM) is becoming part of McKonly & Asbury, LLP (M&A) effective April 1, 2022.
MLCM was founded as a full-service housing compliance and management consulting firm that specializes in the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), Federal HOME, Section 8 and Rural Housing 515 Programs. McKonly & Asbury was founded in 1973 and began serving affordable housing developers in 1977. Affordable housing services remains a cornerstone for our firm, with deep, specialized experience in financial statement audits, tax return preparation, 10% and 50% tests, development cost certifications and other LIHTC-specific issues.
“The service offerings and compliance insights MLCM provides are a natural extension of our firm’s current affordable housing services,” said McKonly & Asbury’s Managing Partner, Michael Hoffner. “The fact that MLCM approached McKonly & Asbury is a testament to our understanding of the LIHTC market and our service model. Our organizations have a shared passion for serving clients in this sector. We are looking forward to the contributions and industry knowledge the MLCM team will bring.”
MLCM past President and CEO, Michael Kearny echoes this sentiment. “We sought out McKonly & Asbury based on the firm’s understanding of the low-income housing tax credit market and their commitment to client service, as well as our belief that MLCM employees would continue to thrive professionally and personally there. After meeting with them and exploring a potential partnership, we came away certain that M&A would meet both of those objectives.”
Spring Edition of the Digital Quarterly Magazine from the Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau has Arrived
Click here to view and read it
Bloomsburg University Earns Guard Friendly Recognition
The PNGAS Guard Friendly School designation is designed to help optimize taxpayer dollars, increase the positive impacts of the EAP/MFEP program for Guard recruitment and retention, promote and champion best practices of the schools that meet and exceed the ten Guard-Friendly standards adopted by PNGAS.
“This recognition demonstrates our university’s commitment to supporting and celebrating our students who proudly defend our nation,” said BU President Bashar Hanna. “As a university community, we strive to serve our military students in exemplary ways because they deserve nothing less than our very best.”
Since its inception, Pennsylvania has distributed almost $300 Million through the Education Assistance Program (“EAP”), the number one recruiting tool for the Pennsylvania National Guard. The EAP provides a tuition benefit equivalent to the yearly tuition rate set by the State System of Higher Education Schools. The Pennsylvania National Guard members can use EAP funds at one of the 488-PHEAA approved schools. With the July 2019 enactment of the Military Family Education Program (MFEP), there is a new non-lapsing Fund providing EAP-like tuition benefits to spouses and children of members of the Pennsylvania National Guard when a Guard member re-enlists for another 6-year term.
This year, EAP and MFEP tuition benefits will exceed $64,000 per Guard member, and state budget funds for these programs will exceed $30 million in tuition benefits.
Developed by the PNGAS Education Advisory Council, the PNGAS Guard-Friendly School standards were designed to recognize colleges, universities, and trade schools that meet or exceed ten (10) baseline criteria that create a supportive learning environment to assist members of the Pennsylvania Guard pursuing post-secondary degrees.
Bloomsburg University is the educational destination for over 300 military students and has been growing steadily in recent years. BU is different from many other colleges and universities in its unique appreciation that military students have different needs and attributes than non-military students.
The centerpiece of those efforts is the Office of Military and Veterans Resources. The Military Office works for current and former military members, spouses and dependents, and ROTC cadets. They have also developed strong relationships with area military recruiters to facilitate conversations for people interested in joining the military.
PNGAS is a non-profit organization not associated with or legally connected to the Pennsylvania National Guard, the state or federal government, the US Military, or the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
Spring is a fitting time for property owners in our area to revisit their flood insurance policies. On April 1, FEMA will begin implementing a new flood risk rating system, known as Risk Rating 2.0.
FEMA’s early estimates project that National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders in Pennsylvania could see their premiums decrease by as much as 30%.
Risk Rating 2.0 will provide a more accurate reflection of an individual property’s flood risk by including considerations for:
- the property’s elevation
- location within the flood zone
- distance from a source of potential flooding
- the dynamics of the watershed drainage area
- flood history
- design and type of foundation
- cost of repair
- mitigation efforts
“On behalf of the communities that we represent, we applaud FEMA for launching Risk Rating 2.0 and for taking steps to strengthen the program’s ability to support flood survivors. Given our region’s flooding history, it’s a much-needed policy that is long overdue,” says Teri Provost, Director of SEDA-COG’s Flood Resiliency program.
SEDA-COG’s Flood Resiliency Program offers services related to flood resiliency and mitigation assistance both within and outside of its 11-county region. Its goal is to help break the damage cycle and stop its drain on people and communities. For more information, visit http://seda-cog.org/departments/flood-resiliency/
Each year the IRS makes cost of living adjustments to many of the limits on contributions to, and benefits from, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans. As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2022, we thought it would be helpful to recap the new limits for the year. Note that all have been increased from the 2021 limits except for the catch-up contribution limit, which remains at $6,500.
401(k) and 403(b) Elective Deferrals
- A plan participant may defer up to $20,500 from their salary into a defined contribution retirement plan in 2022 (excluding catch-up contributions). Note that this amount includes both pre-tax and Roth contributions in aggregate, and it applies to all 401(k), 403(b), and SIMPLE IRA plans that an individual participates in for the year.
Catch-up Contributions
- If plan provisions allow it, an individual who is 50 or older in 2022 may make additional “catch-up” contributions of up to $6,500 over and above the $20,500 limit discussed above.
Defined Contribution Plan Limit
- The maximum annual contribution to an individual’s account in a defined contribution plan (a money-purchase, profit sharing and/or 401(k) plan) cannot exceed the lesser of 100% of the individual’s compensation or $61,000. This amount includes employer contributions, employee 401(k) contributions, and forfeitures.
Annual Compensation Limit
- The maximum amount of an employee’s annual compensation which may be used for contribution or benefit calculation purposes is $305,000.
Highly Compensated Employee (HCE) Threshold
- Employees are placed either into an HCE group or a non-HCE group for 401(k) plan nondiscrimination tests (i.e., ADP and ACP). An HCE is an employee who:
- Owns more than 5% of the employer at any time during the year or preceding year, or
- Earned more than $135,000 for 2022 from the employer and, if the employer elects, had compensation that ranked the employee in the top 20% of all employees.
Key Employee Threshold
- Key employee status is used to determine how employees are categorized for the top-heavy test, which measures whether plan assets are concentrated in the accounts of business owners or officers earning a certain amount of compensation. A plan is top-heavy if more than 60% of its assets are held in the accounts of key employees. The determination is made as of the last day of the preceding plan year. For 2022, the compensation paid to an officer that would cause him or her to be classified as a “key employee” is $200,000.
After reviewing the increases in the limits, plan sponsors should:
- Review the 2022 limits with your internal payroll staff or payroll service provider to make sure any necessary adjustments are made to incorporate the increased limits.
- Confirm that the correct definition of compensation from your plan document is being used to determine compensation for plan contributions.
- Identify your HCEs and key employees for 2021 and determine whether the increase in compensation thresholds will reduce the number of employees in these groups. If it does, your plan might be more likely to pass the nondiscrimination tests in 2022.
- If your plan fails any 2021 contribution limit or nondiscrimination tests, discuss potential correction options with your third-party administrator/service provider. Plan design changes may help your plan pass the necessary testing in the future.
The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome the newest member to the Chamber, Elmdale Inn. Built in 1868 by John A. Funston, this historic building is located on 503 Market Street in Bloomsburg and recently opened its doors as a bed and breakfast in 2021. The house previously served as a private residence prior to Elmdale opening its doors.
Newly renovated, the Innkeepers wish to share this historic home with visitors to the town of Bloomsburg. The B&B offers spacious rooms with luxurious linens, while also accommodations for relaxation and social connections.
Do you need more information about this unique B&B? Eldmale Inn’s website can be found here. Do you want to get in contact with them? You can call them at 570-854-4856 or interact with them on their Facebook page, Elmdale Inn.
Elmdale Inn joins over 425 members of the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce to receive benefits and support the Chamber’s efforts to enhance the region.