Corridors January 2023

Top Ten Reasons on Why Businesses Should Be a Member of the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber

The PNRC helps you build your network. With over 150 networking events planned for 2023, the chamber provides numerous opportunities for you to build relationships and expand your area of influence. Weekly Connections meetings, monthly Business After Hours and numerous other events allow you to choose the venue you prefer at a time that fits your schedule.

Boltz President

There are numerous ways that you can continue your professional development. The Marketing and Social Media Conference, the Nonprofit Conference, the Corridors emagazine, Women’s Leadership groups, Young Professionals activities, Nonprofit North meetings and the incorporation of presentations into many of our networking meetings help you stay up to date on current trends and problem solve.

The PNRC gives you a connection to the community. With events like the Cranberry Farmer’s Market, the Holiday Village Market and the Health and Wellness Fair, to name a few, the chamber gives local businesses a chance to get in front of the local community.

The PNRC helps you give back. There is a philanthropic side to the chamber. The Giving Tree program collects gifts during the holidays for those in need. In 2022, through exposure given by local businesses, we collected over 1000 gifts from generous local residents. The chamber also awards college and trade school scholarships, promotes Days of Caring for Nonprofit organizations and has “adopted” a local highway.

Add to your social calendar. With events like the Second Chance Prom and the Holiday Social, you can mix social with business.

You’ll have numerous ways to promote your business. In addition to networking, you can gain exposure for your business through your listing on our website, post member news, share your “deals”, post job openings, post on our Facebook members page, sponsor events, advertise in our communications and much more.

You can take advantage of special programs that are designed especially for small businesses. Whether it is healthcare, business insurance, energy, credit card processing, business coaching, legal help or a host of other needs, the chamber has partnered with providers to develop Affinity Programs that will meet your desires.

When you are in the market to buy something, you’ll be a better educated consumer. Everyone does business with people that they know, like and trust. Not only will that help you build relationships to sell your product, you’ll also know who you want to do business with when you have a need.

Membership comes with plenty of free benefits. Ribbon cuttings, networking at Connections meetings, membership to the PA Chamber, use of our bulk mail postage permit, an online business directory listing are just a few of the benefits that come free as part of your membership.

All employees in a member company are eligible for the benefits of chamber membership. That includes member discounts for events, member to member special deals, etc.

Bonus reason- a recent study showed that consumers are 63% more likely to use the products and services of a chamber member over a non-chamber member.

For more information about the chamber and/or becoming a member, check out our website at www.pghnorthchamber.com or call us at 724 934-9700.

Jim Boltz President, PNRC

Sincerely,

Jim

Greg “Skippy” Cottrell

“Skippy’s enthusiasm for the chamber goes unmatched. Within days after he moved to the area, he signed up for our golf outing. The next month, he joined the chamber. Since then, he has attended numerous events and even sponsored a couple. He quickly is making a name for himself and loanDepot in this area”.

-Jim Boltz, President PNRC

Thursday, January 19th 4 5:30 PM 1632 William Flynn Highway Glenshaw, PA 15116

Tuesday, January 17th

5—7 PM

936 Sheraton Drive Mars, PA 16046

Comcast Business: Ca$h Mob

By: Carrie Nolan-Robson, Director of Events, PNRC

At the start of 2022, Comcast Business approached the Chamber about a program that they were interested in funding that would help pump money back into the two heavily hit industries during the pandemic, retail and restaurants. The sought-out Chamber had the reach that Comcast Business was looking for with its strong 1000 organization membership. The vision of Comcast Business would be carried out through the year in many ways throughout small business retail and dining establishments while allowing for the community to take part and benefit from the donated funds.

The Chamber set up multiple events to distribute the $4000 in donated funds. Two dining establishments were the recipients during two of our Business Afterhours events, one in July at Walnut Grill in Wexford and the other in November at House of 1000 Beers in Warrendale. Gift Certificates were purchased from the businesses and then raffled off during the course of the night. Not only did the businesses receive immediate cash flow that evening, but the gift certificates allowed for additional cash flow throughout the year and encouraged repeat foot traffic.

What better time of the year to hold a CaSh Mob for retail than during the holidays? The Chamber kicked off the holiday season with the Holiday Village Market at the Cranberry Township Municipal Center on Saturday, December 3rd. Over 40 local and small business vendors took part in the three-hour long event. Shoppers had the opportunity to have half of their purchase paid for by Comcast Business (up to $50) that evening at randomly chosen vendors. Every thirty minutes, a vendor’s name was pulled to be the recipient of the funds. Once announced, shoppers had 15 minutes to Mob the vendor’s tent and buy products. When the timer went off, the Chamber pulled another vendor’s name. This continued throughout the entire evening until all of the money was distributed. Vendor, Sandy Nix had this to say about the evening, “The cash mob was quite the event of the evening!!! 15 minutes of selling items at a particular booth (picked out of a hat) for half price was amazing for shoppers! And vendors!” Hundreds of shoppers took advantage of the event and allowed for more shopping to be done over the course of the night. “At the Holiday Village Market, the Cash Mob provided twice the amount of business in 15 minutes than we did the rest of the event, said Jocelyn Roach of Paw & Order. “We have had several repeat customers from that event. On the flip side - our business was able to support two other local businesses this holiday season.”

Two small business retail Chamber members, Oil & Vinegar and Amy’s Embroidery and More, were also part of our Ca$h Mob give away. On December 13th and 14th the last of our remaining dollars were divided amongst the two businesses and distributed to customers. So many were shocked to find that Comcast Business in conjunction with the Chamber was paying for half of their purchases (up to $50). The reactions and comments made were, “This doesn’t happen to me” or “I’m going to pay this forward”. It was such a memorable thing to witness individual’s gratitude and joy that could be spread over the holiday season.

New Year’s Resolution Ideas: 17 Career Goals You’ll Be Able to Keep

Authored by: Tyler Omoth, freelance writer, TopResume

Don't let this year's resolutions be empty promises to yourself..

As one wild year comes to a close, it's time to lookforward to the upcoming newyear. For many, that means looking for NewYear's resolution ideas and settingnew goals. But if you're like most people, that also probablymeans seeingthose resolutions flyout the window before Valentine's Day(if you're lucky).

It's great to make resolutions; they're a wayfor us to lookforward to the newyear withoptimism that is active, rather thanpassive. It's a proclamationofhow you want the new year to be betterand howyou're goingto do it.The problemcomes whenthose resolutions are too generic and impossible to measure.

This year, lookat your career and set some firm, measurable goals that youcanactuallytrackand achieve. Here are17 workplace goals for the newyear that will make it your best work year ever.

1.

Do five things to stay healthier at work

Everyone is concerned about health, and losing weight is one of the most commonNewYear's resolutions out there. Youspenda lot oftime at work, so consider what youcan do for your health while you're there.Tryto thinkoffive simple ways to stayhealthier at work. Packa sensible lunch. Take the stairs. Get up and stretcheveryhour. Testout a standingdesk. Switch your office chair for anexercise ball.Thinksmall and you'll find that those little things add up.

2. Learn a new skill

No matter what field youare in, there are hundreds ofnewskills youcanlearnthat could benefit your career.Is there one you've beenmeaningto learn? Set it asone ofyour work goals for the year and get it done. You won't regret it. Ifit canenhance your workin your current job, your companymight evenbe willingto payfor it!

3. Read one career-related or motivational book

Readingdoes wonders for your mind. No matter your job, thereis a bookout there that canimprove your performance, your outlook, oryour personal habits. Evenif youthink youalreadyknow what youneed to know, readinga great bookonprofessional development cangive youa newperspective.

4. Update your resume

Whenis the last time you gave your resume a thoroughlook-through? Is the style of your resume modernand still current? Is the information correct? Make it a workgoal for the year to reviewand edit your resume, evenif youdon't planonapplyinganywhere. It's always best to update your resume periodicallybefore you lose trackofthe information youneed.

5. Create at least one new professional networking connection per month

There's no downside to increasingthe size of your professional network. Youprobably meet people all the time, but doyoutake the time to listen, grab their business card, and connect withthem? Tryto find at least one personper monthto add to your LinkedInconnections and watch your networkblossom.

6. Review and improve your LinkedIn profile

SpeakingofLinkedIn, howdoes your profile look? Inthe professional world, LinkedInis crucial to your overall personal bra resume, you need to keep the information, tone, and lookofit up to date. Checkout some of your connections'profiles and s anythingdifferent that positivelygrabs your attention. Ifso, tweak your page to create asimilar effect.If youdon't have inkedInprofile orwant help writinga winning LinkedIn profile for your job search, consider investinginTopResume's

7. Clean out your physical and digital file cabinets

This NewYear's resolutionidea candouble as one forhome too!Manyofus have file cabinets that are filled withold papers lyrelevant to our workanymore. It doesn't take longto cleanthemout, and you'll be glad youdid. Weed throughthose files, recycle what you don't need, and organize the rest.This goes for your computer files, too.

8. Sign up to follow one relevant blog

There is a world offree information, insider tips, and great motivational writers online. Find a blogthat youenjoy, whether it's specific to your industryor just someone who puts a little pep inyour step, and signup to followit. Don't know where to find one? Askaround the office. If you find one your co-workers like, it also becomes a topic for conversation. Win-win!

9. Find a work mentor

The right mentor canbe a powerful tool to propel your career forward. Is there a personat your company someone who is a step ortwo above you who you highlyrespect? Don't just lookup to them. Ask ifhe or she is willingto be your work mentor. It works best ifit is a recognized relationship betweenthe two of you. Set workplace goals together for the newyear and have a little fun while you're at it.

10. Get a new professional headshot

If youcringe everytime youlookat your profile photoonLinkedIn, thenconsider the newyear to bea great time to invest ina newone. Dependingon your career goals and thetype ofcompanyculture youlike best, your profile photo maybe casual or professional inits nature.The keyis to select a photo that is highquality at least 400 x400pixels, no larger than8MB infile size, and does not exceed20,000 pixels inheight or width. Most importantly, you want a picture that trulyrepresents who youare bothpersonallyand professionally.

11. Send at least one thank-you note per month

Sendinga handwrittenthank youis a great wayto showyour appreciationand professionalism. It feels good, too!Buya boxofthank-younotes that youlike. Then, eachmonth, thinkofsomeone who did somethingnice for you. It could have beena LinkedInrecommendation, anintroductionto a valuable networkingconnection, a free lunch, or a small, kind gesture at the office. Even ifit's not related to work, sendinga thank youto your mother-in-lawfor the soup she made when you were under the weather will make youfeel good about yourself and that positivitywill showin your work.

12. Join a professional organization

Yes, professional organizations usuallycost money. However, the benefits youcanreceive fromthe connections you'll make and what youcan learnis often well worththe cost. Lookfor one that is focused onyour favorite part ofyour careerand checkout anyconferences theyhold. A good conference canhelp youexpand your networksignificantlyand boost your workenergyfor weeks. Not sure howto find a professional associationthat's right for you? Start byfindingout which groups your colleagues and managers are active in. Youcanalso checkout resources like Meetup, 10times, and the DirectoryofAssociations for more options.

13. Measure your work-life balance

We all hear aboutwork-life balance, but howdo you measure it? The first step is decidingthat you want to see where youare at.Lookover your results and maybe discuss themwith your familyand friends. Withthe surveyresults and the feedbackofyour loved ones, you canstart working towards finding harmonyin your workand personal lives. trashina park, raise moneyfor a newlocal pool, whatever youlike. If youreallywant to step up your game, see if youcanget your office to make anofficial event ofit and recruit co-workers to volunteer with you.

14. Volunteer

Volunteeringhas manybenefits and is a great wayto positivelyaffect the world, and it's also another wayyoucanfeel good about yourself. Find a cause that is meaningful to youand signup to contribute. Youcanfeed the homeless, pickup trashina park, raise moneyfor a newlocal pool, whatever youlike. If youreallywant to step up your game, see if youcan get your office to make anofficial event ofit and recruit co-workers to volunteer with you.

15. Get one new professional certification

Is there anemptyspot onyour resume where you wish youcould put “XXXX Certified?” Stopwishingand make it happen!This is a great idea for one ofyour workgoals for the new year as it canadvance your career. Ifit costs money, just thinkofit as aninvestment in your future. You cando this!

COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Ace Handyman Services Pittsburgh North Alliance for Nonprofit Resources

Ameriglide

Another Level Ministries

Arvos Schmidtsche Schack, LLC

Atria’s Restaurant & Taverm - Fox Chapel Axis Business Consultants

Banc Card of America Big Spring Spirits Bill Few Associates, Inc.

Bosland Electric, LLC Butler County Symphony Butler Eagle

CHROME Federal Credit Union Clean Express Auto Wash

Clearview Federal Credit Union CTR Payroll Services

Charles P. Leach Agency, Inc.

Charter Homes & Neighborhoods

Choice Restorative Medicine Colbert Law

Coldwell Banker - Jan Stevens

Cole Management, Inc.

Common Sense Cleaning, LLC

Community Bank

Compass Self Storage-Gibsonia

Cranberry Highlands Golf Course

Cranberry Township

Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Co.

Cranberry Village Estates

Crea Excavating, Inc.

Creative Real Estate Development Co. Curio412, LLC

C.W. Howard Insurance Agency, Inc.

Direct Payment Consultants

Dollar Bank Dukovich & Associates

Edward Jones Investments- Andrew Dobies Express Employment Professionals

EZ Storage

Fairfield by Marriott Pittsburgh North / McCandless Crossing

Federated Mortgage Corp.

Find Your Destination, Travel Agency

First City Company-McIntyre Square

Fun Fore All Family Fun Park

Goddard School-Hampton Goldfish Swim School Wexford Guardian Storage-Hampton Guardian Storage-Ross H2R CPA

Handel's of McCandless HEARTH

Heritage Hospice

Holsinger

Home Depot - Cranberry House of 1000 Beers

I-Clean, Inc. IMA | ESS

InVision Human Services

Jason's Deli- Cranberry Twp Jeff Brooks Landscaping Jewelry by Alicia and Scott

Jireh Mobile

Joe Palmieri Construction, Inc. Junior Achievement of Western PA

Just In Thyme Catering and Events, Inc. Kress Restoration Laurel Business Institute

Laurelwood/West Realty Land & Development Co. Leathem Creation Co.

Legal Shield & Identity Theft Protection Liberty Insurance Agency Link to Visibility, LLC

Lisowski Tree Service & Landscaping, LLC

Masonic Village at Sewickley

MEDIA - The Creative Agency

Maria Valdez-In Memory of Bruce Conley Mars Bank

Mascari Auto Body, Inc. Masonic Fund Society

McCall Scanlon & Tice, LLC - CPA

McGuire Memorial Foundation

Mcintyre Square Associates

MSA - The Safety Company

Muhlenkamp & Company, Inc.

Mullin Landscape & Winter Management

Myers, Patsy, & Associates, LLC

Newt & Ruby Interiors

NexTier Bank

Nick Scotti Concrete Contractor Inc.

Thank you to our Members who have generously contributed to furthering the mission and vision of Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber!

COMMUNITY BUILDERS

Nicole Zirnsak State Farm Insurance

North Hills Family Dental

North Pittsburgh Greeting Company

North Star Buick GMC

Oliver Outdoor

OMEGA Federal Credit Union –North Hills

OMEGA Federal Credit Union- Wexford

Once Upon A Hero Organic Remedies, Inc.

Owl Cleaners, Inc.

Pawlowicz Dentistry

Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty

Pittsburgh Skin

Pittsburgh Mercy

Polesky Agency Erie Insurance

Priority2Work

R.M. Stoof & Associates Inc.

Restart, Inc. Richland Mall

Right Electric, Inc.

RiteRug Flooring

Riverview Carpet & Flooring, Inc.

Rj Community Management

Ross Township

Sarver Landscape Maintenance Co.

SERVPRO of Southern Butler County

SPARK SIGNS & GRAPHICS

Scolieri Law Group P. C. Sechler Law Firm, LLC

Sheeley Agency- Allstate Insurance

Special T Electronics

Specialized Staffing and Industry Recruiters, Inc.

Staples-Cranberry Twp.

Terry’s Plumbing, Inc.

The Arc of Butler County

The Block Northway

The Exercise Coach- Cranberry Twp.

The Lynch Law Group

The Pavilion at Star Lake – Live Nation

The Payroll Shop, LLC

The Wilson Group, LLC

Thought Process Enterprises

Three Rivers Paintball, Inc.

Tierra Realty Management

TownePlace Suites

Township of Hampton

Treasure House Fashions

Treesdale Golf & Country Club

Treesdale Life - BeLocal Cranberry

Trib Total Media

Ultimate Granite Surfaces, Inc.

Vincentian

Vitalant (Central Blood Bank) Wain Landscaping, LLC Walnut Grill

Weber Insurance Agency WesBanco Bank

West Penn Multi-List, Inc.

White Deer Run Treatment Network

Win-Son Inc.

Wine Concrete Products Inc.

Young Adult Survivors United

Thank you to our Members who have generously contributed to furthering the mission and vision of Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber!

The Best New Year’s Resolutions for Your Business in 2023

Thinking ahead to 2023? The beginning of a new year can be an exciting time for a business and an opportunity to make positive changes to your company. Much like people make resolutions in their personal life, you might find it helpful to set new year’s resolutions for your business as a way to guide your business in the right direction and set yourself up for a successful 12 months and beyond. There are many great resolutions to set, and this post will offer a few ideas for new year’s resolutions that should set your business up for a successful 2023. Keep reading to find out more.

Improve Employee Well-being

Employee well-being has been a major topic of conversation in recent times, and now many staff are leaving their jobs and seeking new roles in search of great well-being. This means that improving employee well-being will not only help you to keep hold of your employees but could also help you to attract new talent. To improve employee well-being, you will want to provide a healthy work-life balance, create a comfortable and welcoming workplace environment, provide career development opportunities, arrange social events and offer perks.

Reduce Your Environmental Impact

2023 should be the year for taking action when it comes to environmental impact. One of the best ways to do this for a business is to have solar panels installed, which will bring a range of benefits. Why solar for business? This will slash your energy bills, protect you from future energy price rises and help you to become more sustainable. This can also help to improve your brand reputation at a time when consumers are becoming increasingly eco-aware and will research the businesses that they use.

Article featured in Arcade Voice

Carry Out New Market Research

An enormous amount has changed in the world in the last couple of years. This means that the information that you gathered during your market research stage will now be outdated, and this could prevent your business from growth and higher levels of success. You should use the start of a new year as a chance to learn by carrying out fresh market research, which will help you to learn about new developments in the industry, the state of your competitors and any new consumer trends. This should then help you to adapt and make positive changes to stand out from the crowd and appeal to your target market.

Implement New Tech

It can be hard to keep up with tech these days when there have been so many strides made in recent times. The start of a new year could be a good time to learn about new tech and how it could help your business and there are lots of areas worth looking into. AI, virtual reality, cloud computing, 5G and Internet of Things are just a few technologies that you should be looking to implement in 2023.

Hopefully, this post will inspire you and give you a few ideas for resolutions that could set your business up for success in 2023.

To read the article, click HERE

Expanding Mental Health Benefits

In the past couple years, many employers have expanded their company’s mental health benefits as a show of support for potential jobseekers, employees and their families. The intention is to help promote employee wellbeing through better access and improved benefit levels for those feeling stressed about personal or work-life matters.

Workers seem to appreciate the efforts and are taking advantage of the services. Some of the changes business owners are making include:

• Increasing access to mental health services through methods like telehealth

• An expansion of access to in-network mental health providers

• Reduced cost sharing for mental healthcare visits

• The addition or expansion of employee assistance programs for mental health services

• Access to yoga, meditation and mindfulness sessions at the workplace or home

• Providing apps that support wellness, focusing on fitness, sleep and relaxation

By addressing issues like stress and anxiety on in a more proactive fashion, employers can reduce or even eliminate costly treatment for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and cardiac problems. The small financial investment the employer makes now can often save substantial costs in the future.

The Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber offers its members access to My BenefitAdvisor as a solution for employee benefits, including voluntary offerings. For more information about My BenefitAdvisor, visit our website at pnrc.mybenefitadvisor.com or contact Craig Pritts at (800) 377-3539.

Your Chamber membership is a valuable business tool that is complemented by our Affinity Program partners who allow you to save time and money. Save on everything from payroll to energy and you do not even have to waste time researching-your Chamber has done it all for you.

NONPROFIT

Nonprofit Name: Junior Achievement of Western Pennsylvania (JA) Mission: To strengthen communities byensuringever y child has an equal opportunityto succeed.

What impact does your organization wish to make in the world?

Junior Achievement of Western PA (JA) strengthens communities by ensuring every child has an equal opportunity to succeed. Through business leaders and community mentor volunteers, we provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school the knowledge and skills they need to enter the real world 100% ready.

Last school year, JA impacted over 30,000 students across 56 counties in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia.

What needs would help your organization to put your mission into action?

Junior Achievement of Western PA (JA) makes education, financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship available and accessible for students throughout western PA and northern WV. A 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, JA offers a variety of relationship and sponsorship opportunities for individuals, businesses and corporations that help fulfill its mission. Every dollar from every gift goes directly to funding JA educational programs and benefits children and the community. JA also strives to strengthen the economic vitality of our region with year-round programming initiatives that provide opportunities for students K-12. Businesses, organizations and individuals can also volunteer with JA’s various programs and initiatives including JA BizTown, in-school programming and JA events. For more information on available volunteer opportunities, please visit JA Engage..

Upcoming Events: 18 Under Eighteen: Nomination window: Sept. 6 Oct. 28, Recognition event at Acrisure Stadium: Feb. 7.

Information/Donation

Contact:

Phone: (412) -208– 4747 Email: info@jawesternpa.org

Donation Link: westernpa.ja.org/donate/index

NETWORKING EVENT STARTING JANUARY

Connecting Over Coffee

You asked for more networking events, and we have heard you!

Starting in January, we will be holding 'Connecting Over Coffee' from 8:30am to 10:00am on the third Wednesday of every month.

This will rotate around our various coffee members, so stay tuned to the event locations. This month we will be meeting at Maxine's Coffee in the Streets of Cranberry.

Wednesday, January 18th 8:30—10:00 AM

Maxine’s Coffee 20424 Route 19 Suite 430 Cranberry Township, PA 16066

A Letter to the New Governor, Josh Shapiro, Regarding PA Turnpike Commission Debt

Authored by: Eileen Anderson, Director, Government Relations, Manufacturer & Business Association

Dear Governor,

Since you are new, I wanted to take the time to welcome you and also alert you to a huge problem – the elephant in the room – to add to your “To Do” list. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s debt is a whopping $13.2 billion. That’s greater than Pennsylvania’s total debt of $11 billion, meaning all other outstanding obligations lumped together. That figure was revealed by Auditor General Timothy DeFoor’s audit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission released September 9, 2022.

General DeFoor noted annual toll increases to meet the Commission’s debt obligations place a heavy burden on turnpike users. One of the legislative recommendations included in the audit is to address the debt by eliminating or reducing the $50 million annual payment the turnpike commission makes to PennDOT, shifting the burden away from travelers.

DeFoor cited the PennDOT payments as the main driver for the commission's debt. Apparently, the debt problem has been known for many years. My Google search found “articles about pa turnpike commission debt” back to 2008. Did you know that according to TransForce, 6/2022, “The Pennsylvania Turnpike is the most expensive toll road in the United States”?

MBA Government Affairs advocates for a pro-business environment in Pennsylvania, thus we consider the turnpike debt part of employer and employee transportation issues which funnel back to worker shortages. This is what I find most troubling: For how long will businesses who receive and ship goods via the turnpike withstand the high price of gas and ever-increasing tolls without cutting back elsewhere? For how long will workers who commute via the turnpike cope with the high price of gas and ever-increasing tolls before saying “I can’t afford to do this any longer.”

A colleague who commutes from Plum to Cranberry said her roundtrip costs around $22.00 per day, $9.20 per day for tolls with EZPass, ($19 per day without EZPass) and roughly $12 per day in gas. EZMath=over $400 per month!

How did the commission arrive at this debt crisis? It’s important to go back to Act 44 of 2007. We are not playing a blame game here; that’s unproductive but the governor’s last name started with R and ended with L. It was designed as a way to help fund PennDOT who, unlike the turnpike commission, does not have the ability to issue bonds without the approval of the General Assembly. His goal was to convert I-80 into a toll road and create a lease agreement between the commission and PennDOT. That part of the plan fell apart when the Federal Highway Administration denied the I-80 tolling plan.

A default clause in Act 44 kicked in and required the commission to pay PennDOT $450 million annually for highways, bridges, and public transit. To get the money for those payments the turnpike commission had no choice but to borrow and hike tolls. As a result, tolls have increased every year since 2007 and the commission’s debt has risen to $13.2 billion.

Another governor helped provide some relief when Act 44 was amended by Act 89 of 2013. It modified the Act 44 payments to remain at $450 million through June 2022. Starting in fiscal year 2023, the commission's Act 44 payments drop to $50 million per year to PennDOT, paid from its cash receipts until 2057.

According to DeFoor, based on current traffic and revenue projections, the commission’s plan calls for toll increases of 5 percent through 2025, 4 percent in 2026, 3.5 percent in 2027, then 3 percent annually from 2028 to 2050!

The January 2023 General Assembly session will have more than 40 new lawmakers and an Executive branch headed by you. I know you have a lot on your list. We citizens are eager to see if you can get both groups to work together to solve the commission’s debt problem. After all, isn’t that why we send you to Harrisburg?

Best, Eileen Anderson

Eileen Anderson

Director, Government Relations Manufacturer & Business Association

600 Cranberry Woods Drive, Suite 190 Cranberry Township, PA 16066 Cell: 412-805-5707 eileenanderson@mbausa.org www.mbausa.org

The Giving Tree Program was a huge success in 2022 thanks to you. We worked with 17 Nonprofits this year and received over 1,000 gifts, spreading joy to those in need this holiday season. We would like to thank everyone who helped us with the Giving Tree, from our members, volunteers, and committees to nonprofits, ambassadors, and our communities. It was moving to see the support for the Giving Tree Program!

by: Annie Mersing, Director of Advancement, SV Foundation Director of Development

The Seneca Valley Foundation (SVF) is setting its sights high for the New Year. A look at how the SVF will lift-up students and staff of Seneca Valley School District in 2023.

The Seneca Valley Foundation (SVF) is incredibly excited for what it has in store for SV students and staff in 2023. As alway it promises to encourage excellence in academics, and beyond, through initiatives involving the arts, STEM, early literacy, diverse learning opportunities, community engagement and global citizenship.

Campus Beautification

Under the leadership of art teacher, Jason Woolslare, the SVF is funding a unique learning opportunity for Sr. High School students as they add a fresh new sight on SV’s secondary campus and begin the creation of an outdoor mural gallery, similar to Winwood Walls in Miami, FL. Students will learn from the incredibly talented female muralist, Ashley Hodder, whose works can be found across the Pittsburgh region. Most recently, Ms. Hodder and Mr. Woolslare collaborated on a mural at the new Candido restaurant in Cranberry Township. Both agreed a similar experience would be beneficial for students and would make the secondary campus even more beautiful. Pictured below is the first in a series of scenes and is a wonderful start to this exciting project.

Rewarding Readers

An important focus for the SVF has always been to encourage early literacy and a love of reading. In the past, the SVF has funded a book vending machine for a positive behavior program at Haine Elementary School – where students are rewarded with coins to use to “buy” books when they follow school rules and created a “rewarding readers” program to enhance the district’s four elementary CIRC centers with new books. This year, the SVF will fund a field trip for first graders at Connoquenessing Valley Elementary School to see the spectacular musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, “The Gruffalo.” This trip promises to bring smiles to our littlest SV faces and instill a love for reading as they enjoy the daring adventures of the much-loved monster, Mouse!

Mini-Grants for VoTech

Setting students up to soar in their careers is another goal for the SVF in this new year. We are proud to commit $5,000 in mini-grants to students-in-need to ease the financial burden of attending the Butler County Area Vocational-Technical School (BCAVTS) to encourage increased enrollment into the valuable programs being offered. Funding can be used to reimburse students for the materials needed (like supplies, apparel, equipment) to attend BCAVTS. By way of example, students in the Automotive Technology program need work boots that range in cost from $65 to $150, and students in the Computer Networking & Security program are required to purchase specific software that ranges from $168 - $247. This funding will provide a great opportunity for students entering the vocational-technical school. Students who attend vo-tech have a higher chance of graduating; are given real-world experiences; provided with job assistance; and are ultimately best prepared for in-demand careers, and the SVF is proud to help SV students explore this exciting path.

These projects are made possible through many generous donations from SV staff, community members and local businesses, as well as successful events like the annual “Gift of Hope Golf Classic” which will be held this year on August 3 at Cranberry Highlands. The SVF will also host the “Ryan Gloyer Run” in June - its first-ever 5K on the SV secondary campus – in memory of Sgt. 1st Class Ryan A. Gloyer (SV’00) and to benefit Ryan Gloyer Middle School initiatives.

The Seneca Valley Foundation (SVF) is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to encouraging excellence and innovation in the Seneca Valley Schools. Additional information can be found here: www.svsd.net/svfoundation. Questions and comments can be emailed to svfoundation@svsd.net.

Authored

North Hills Monthly Magazine Restore It

American Cancer Society

Diversified Plan Services Inc

McCandless Corporate Center

Minuteman PressCranberry

Three Rivers Paintball, Inc. Tierra Realty Management

Aging Gracefully

Ambrogio and Gallo Landscaping Services, Inc.

Anchor Wave Internet Solutions

ARMSTRONG

Blue Slate Accounting, LLC

Butler County Community College, Cr

Butler Radio Network

Clean Express Auto Wash

Consolidated Communications

Cranberry Messenger Service

Cranberry Twp. Volunteer Fire Company

Daniel Szwedko Graphics

Dillon McCandless King Coulter & Gr.

Fun Fore All Family Fun Park Brentwood

DQE Communications, LLC.

Enspra Antimicrobial Nano Coatings

First Energy Corp/Penn Power Gateway Rehab General Rental Center

Invest Pittsburgh IXOYE Designs

Kawneer Cranberry - An Arconic Company

Kontos Mengine Law Group LeafFilter North of Pennsylvania, LLC

Lisowski Tree Service and Landscaping,LLC

Lou Negley's Bottled Water Inc. Minuteman Press - Cranberry MSA - The Safety Company New York Life- Scott Hacker

North Pittsburgh Greeting Company

Panera Bread - McCandless Pittsburgh Plastics Manufacturing Polesky Agency, Scott BerneyErie Insurance

Positive Steps Therapy

Revive Upper Cervical Chiropractic

Rossman Hensley, Inc. Sarver Landscape Maintenance Company Sarver Management Sing Sing Sing!

Usi Insurance Services

Valpak of Western Pennsylvania Your CBD Store- Gibsonia

*as of 12/22/2022

Alicia Photography

The Dog Stop

Jim Boltz

Gregg Hill

Lisa Hunt

Kelvin Mack Mark Prentice

Carrie Nolan-Robson Brian Stevens

Small businesses are what keep our communities vibrant - that's why a growing group of companies have come together to provide support to them during this time. Visit StandForSmall.com to learn more.

#StandForSmall

Board of Directors

Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber

Lisa Hunt Board Chair U$X Federal Credit Union

Mark Prentice Past Chair Valpak of Western Pennsylvania

Sheila Talarico Vice Chair Glade Run Foundation

Rakesh Unnithan Chair Elect WesBanco Bank

Carolyn Keller Foundation Chair Curio412, LLC

Kathleen Kuznicki—Secretary The Lynch Law Group

Jada Lehman Treasurer Expense Reduction Analysts

Jim Boltz President Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber

Tom Baker North Hills Community Outreach

Niki Campbell The Flourish Group

Rich Coyner– Treasurer Minuteman Press– Cranberry

Steve Diffenderfer Dollar Bank

Sherrie Dunlap Gallagher United Way

Ryan Kociela Butler County Community College Carolyn Keller Curios412, LLC

Perry Latimer Butler County Tourism

Sally Power Treasure House Fashions Craig Pritts My Benefit Advisor Chuck Reese Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids Bradley Wilkins Key Bank

Felipe Valdez Nothing Bundt Cakes