FEBRUARY 2017
CHAMBER CENTRAL
A PUBLICATION OF THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS FEBRUARY 2
7:45 am - MBPA Chapter Networking Breakfast, Dick’s Diner, Murrysville
FEBRUARY 8
12:00 pm - Ribbon Cutting, LabCorp, Greensburg
FEBRUARY 9
8:00 am - Marketing Committee Meeting 11:30 am - Monthly Luncheon, Rizzo’s Malabar Inn, Crabtree
FEBRUARY 10
8:00 am - SabeSoft Manufacturing Session
FEBRUARY 11
12:00 pm - Ribbon Cutting, FLOW Spine & Sport, Greensburg
FEBRUARY 14
8:00 am - Golf Committee Meeting
FEBRUARY 15
8:30 am - Staff Appreciation Luncheon Committee Meeting 5:00 pm - Chamber BASH, American Architectural Salvage, Mount Pleasant
FEBRUARY 21
7:45 am - Networking Breakfast, Courtyard by Marriott, Greensburg
FEBRUARY 22
1:00 pm - WANT Job & Career Expo, Ramada Greensburg
FEBRUARY 23
8:00 am - Government Affairs Committee Meeting
FEBRUARY 24
8:00 am - Ambassador Committee Meeting 11:30 am - SabeSoft Manufacturing Session
FEBRUARY 28
7:45 am - Coffee & Connections, Hayden’s Pharmacy, Mount Pleasant *Events held in Chamber office unless otherwise noted.
State of the County Luncheon Draws Record Crowd On January 12, all three county commissioners presented their vision of the county’s future to a near-capacity crowd of roughly 350 business people at the fifth annual State of the County luncheon at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Greensburg.
Kopas said this year, as in past years, the commissioners had to rely on funds from the county’s “once-robust” reserve fund to balance the spending plan. A decade ago the fund had a balance of approximately $60 million and it has since dwindled to $16 million.
Chamber staff members were thrilled with the attendance at the luncheon, but not surprised During a Q & A session, Kopas and Anderson because they understand the state of the said one way to balance the budget without county plays a sigdipping into renificant role for serves is possibly by every business selling county asperson no matter sets – properties, the industry. buildings and other assets – that are “County governnot being used or ment has a tremenare not needed. In dous impact on our addition, the comdaily lives and in missioners for the your businesses,” first time will meet said Chad Amond, with department President of the heads monthly to Chamber. discuss budget isRecently, the board sues, making the of commissioners budget planning a unanimously apyearlong process. proved a nearly Commissioner Gina $311 million budgCerilli took the opportunity to talk about the et, which funds a variety of services provided by the county, including public safety, human county’s drug overdose epidemic. services, senior services, the county-run nurs- “Every single one of us has been affected by ing facility Westmoreland Manor, parks and this drug epidemic,” said Cerilli, who said inrecreation, economic development, and the creasing awareness and removing the stigma criminal justice system, according to Commis- has become a passion of hers. sioner Ted Kopas, who gave an overview of the county’s budget and financial outlook Continued on page 6 at the event.
THE WESTMORELAND COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RECOGNIZES FOTORECORD PRINT CENTER AS THE “OFFICIAL PRINTER” OF THE CHAMBER CENTRAL NEWSLETTER. WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICES.
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