GRCA Commerce Quarterly Summer 2019 - 5

Board of Directors
2019-20
CHAIRMAN:
Peter Rye, Brentwood Industries, Inc.
VICE CHAIR:
Michele Richards, Senior Vice President,
Commercial Banking Group, Fulton Bank
TREASURER:
Toni Miller, Boscov's
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR:
Robert Firely, Herbein + Company, Inc.
LEGAL COUNSEL:
Tim Dietrich, Esq., Barley Snyder
DIRECTORS:
Marilu Rodriguez-Bauer, Owner,
RB Legal Counsel, LLC
Jennifer C. Rivera, Manager, External Affairs,
Met-Ed, A FirstEnergy Company
Gregg Bogia, President, Bogia Engineering, Inc.
Marianne Brown Egolf, General Manager,
F.M. Brown's Sons, Inc.
Johanny Cepeda, Owner/Manager,
Mi Casa Su Casa
Lucy Cortez, Chairman,
Berks County Latino Chamber
Lindsay Crist, Director of Community
Development, Reading Public Museum
Robert Firely, Partner,
Herbein + Company, Inc.
Andi Funk, CFO,
Enersys
John Gallen, President,,
EthoSource
Scott Gruber, President & CEO,
Tompkins VIST Bank
Dr. Jill Hackman, Executive Director,
BCIU
Laura Haffner, Area President, Central PA,
Wells Fargo
Bob Harrop, VP Personnel,
East Penn Manufacturing Company
Sara Kuzma-Stump, Director, Sales & Marketing,
Suburban Testing Labs, Inc.
Tracy Hoffmann, President,
Hoffmann Publishing
Brian Levan, President,
Levan Machine & Truck Equipment
William Long, Administrative Vice President,
M&T Bank
Toni Miller, Senior Executive Vice President Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial
Officer, Boscov's Department Store, LLC
Pete Molinaro, President,
Adhezion Biomedical, LLC
Ann Moll, President, Gallen Insurance
Dr. Khalid Mumin, Superintendent,
Reading School District
Michael Rivera, Realtor,
Keller-Williams
David Roche, President,
Dave Roche Electric Inc.
David Roland, Senior Vice President,
Market President, Berks, BB&T
Dr. Rudy Ruth, Director,
Alvernia University
Mark Schlott, Executive VP of Operations/Chief
Operating Officer, R. M. Palmer Company
Nicholas Stoltzfus, President,
DESCCO Design
Ira Tauber, President,
Triose
Scott Vaughn, CEO,
The Standard Group
John Weidenhammer, President,
Weidenhammer Systems
John Woodward, President,
Third & Spruce Café, Inc.

letter from the editor

GreaterReading.org

s summer fades into fall in Greater Reading, things are
getting busy in my house with a kid in elementary school
and one going back to college. With my children I'm
experiencing the thrill of possibilities as they discover who they
are and seek inspiration for careers. It's not without a little worry
that I support them on their journeys. Will they find a career that
allows them to use their talents to the best of their abilities? Where
will that pursuit take them?

In Berks, we have such great resources to help kids on their paths
and to show them new opportunities. Anderson Group's Chrissy
Faller writes in her cover story how businesses are connecting kids to
career by providing real life experience. In the range of experiences
from job shadowing to 'Shark Tank' young people and businesses
of all kinds can find a way to connect in Berks.

Lisa Scheid

But back to school isn't just for kids. Nic Thomas of Gage Personnel and Ellen Albright of GRCA
tell how manufacturers can address the need for skilled workers by building skills in their organization
through programs such as Berks Technical Institute's mechatronics program.
"Up-skilling" is a strategy that you can do right now to meet your workforce needs as GRCA's
Mark Dolinski shares upcoming professional training opportunities.
This fall we're focusing on building something powerful in Berks. On Oct. 1, join Women2Women
at our Evening of Empowerment for a night of connections and inspiration featuring Tala Raassi,
an Iranian American fashion designer, entrepreneur and author. This energizing event will be held
at Crowne Plaza Reading, 5-8 p.m.
On Oct. 16, we'll celebrate the residential, commercial, and industrial development projects in
our community at the second annual Building Berks Awards & Expo.
As always, we'll continue to connect you to the right resources for your success.
See you in the fall!

Lisa Scheid

Lisa Scheid
Director of Communications & Marketing
Greater Reading Chamber Alliance

Commerce Quarterly
Focus Group
Chrissy Faller
The Anderson Group
Kristi Gage-Linderman
GAGE Personnel
Dr. Jill Hackman
Berks County
Intermediate Unit

Alicia Hartman
United Way of Berks County
Dave Hessen
RACC
Tracy Hoffmann
Hoffmann Publishing
Carl "CJ" Joyner
TRIOSE
Nicole Kocher Muncaciu
Reading Health System

Lisa Schaeffer
Levan Machine &
Truck Equipment
Megan Maslar
Boscov's

Emily Walker
Goodwill
Andy Wernick
Industrial Plywood

Nic Thomas
GAGE Personnel
Sara Stump
Suburban Testing Labs
5

http://www.GreaterReading.org

GRCA Commerce Quarterly Summer 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRCA Commerce Quarterly Summer 2019