We’re teaming up with community partners all over Northeastern Pennsylvania to bring you a closer look at what makes our amazing counties, cities, towns and villages so unique. Keep your eye on this space for regular contributions from local organizations, visitors’ bureaus, tourism boards, chambers and so much more.
Check Out What’s Going On With Our Chamber Volunteer Councils
Keep an eye out for awesome Chamber events this February.
The Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce wants to keep you updated each month with everything that their volunteer councils have planned this year, including featured upcoming events, community programs, and business community features!
The Chamber’s Councils include the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council, Women’s Council, Young Professionals Council, Nonprofit Council, Government Affairs Council, and Ambassadors Council.
Council Event Spotlight – 2022 International Women’s Day Luncheon
Celebrate the strong women of NEPA.
Our Women’s Council will be hosting the International Women’s Day Luncheon on March 4th, which is presented in collaboration with Dress for Success Luzerne County to celebrate International Women’s Day. This luncheon is an amazing opportunity to connect with other incredible women in our region, and benefits Dress For Success Luzerne County, an organization committed to long-lasting solutions that enable women to break the cycle of poverty. In-person tickets are limited to comply with social distancing, so make sure to grab yours today!
Additionally, we invite you to also check out our Women In Power Campaign, in honor of both International Women’s Day & Women’s History Month. All of the dollars raised will also go to Dress For Success Luzerne County.
Through this campaign, we invite you to choose a sponsorship level and nominate yourself or an inspiring woman you know to be highlighted. And during the entire month of March, we will be highlighting these incredible women throughout our local community!
Community Opportunities – Become a Speaker at Our Upcoming Conferences
Speaker applications are now open for both our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum and our Young Professionals Conference.
Our 4th Young Professionals Conference will be happening on March 23rd, 2022, in partnership with the United Way of Wyoming Valley and our regional chambers. This day-long conference is aimed at developing our area’s talented professionals, featuring amazing speakers in our region between the ages of 20-45. Apply to speak at the Young Professionals Conference here.
The 3rd Annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum is presented by the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and in partnership with our regional chambers. This year, we will be taking what used to be our webinar series and offering a full day of DEI-focused sessions. We are looking for business owners, entrepreneurs and individuals who have dedicated themselves to building diversity, equity, and inclusion practices in their workplaces and in their community. Apply to speak at the DEI Forum here.
Presentations will be part of a break-out session format and will be 30 minutes in length. Please complete the RFP form(s) before the close of business on February 10th.
For any questions regarding the Young Professionals Conference, please email Michaela@wyomingvalleychamber.org.
For questions on the DEI Forum, please email everal@wyomingvalleychamber.org.
Get Involved in Community Initiatives
Bringing Young Professionals together for a greater good.
A new philanthropy program has just launched through the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, The Luzerne Foundation, Leadership Northeast, and AllOne Charities, in partnership with the Chamber’s Young Professionals Network. The Ignite Giving Program introduces young professionals in the Greater Wyoming Valley to opportunities to leave a lasting impact on their community through a local giving platform and helps cultivate our next generation of philanthropists.
Participating young professionals will be able to work together to choose local nonprofit recipients for the collected funds. Donations can be made in a variety of tiers, and can come from a personal donation or crowd sourcing, or can also be turned into a match opportunity by local employers. Donation tiers allow young professionals to contribute at their financial comfort level, to create an inclusive and accessible philanthropic experience. The program hopes to raise $25,000 from community donations. AllOne Charities will be matching community donations to this program dollar for dollar. Click here to donate!
All contributors will be a part of the decision-making process to select the recipient of the collected funds raised. This effort will evolve into a continuous program which will be held each year for our area’s upcoming leaders. Nonprofits in the region that are certified 501c3 organizations and have a project or mission to alleviate poverty in Luzerne County are invited to apply to be considered to receive a grant through this program here. Nonprofit applications have just been extended and are now due on February 18th, 2022.
Spotlighting Our Amazing Chamber Members
The Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber councils have also started to highlight some of the amazing small businesses and nonprofits in our community that make our area unique. The Young Professionals Council and Women’s Council have two amazing organizations and their leaders spotlighted below!
Meet this month’s Young Professionals Network Small Business Highlight: Brett Withjack, Sr. Graphic Designer for Intermetro
InterMetro has been the world’s leading manufacturer of storage, transport and technology solutions for the foodservice, healthcare and commercial products markets for over 90 years. Brett’s role there is cultivating and supporting our marketing initiatives with video production, print production, web-based media, top-tier puns, and more.
“I think I speak for everyone here by saying we need to do our absolute best in ending this virus already. It’s not a community without the community, ya know? Supporting your local restaurant is big too. Lately, we’ve been hearing more and more about staffing shortages, pay cuts, and even closures within the food industry. At the start of the pandemic, we developed new products at Metro that are perfect for take-out and contactless pickup to try and mitigate closures but at the end of the day, it still comes down to community-driven support for both staff and ownership alike,” says Brett.
Learn more about InterMetro.
Meet this month’s Women’s Network Small Business Highlight: Clarissa Tarnowski, Spa Manager at Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa
Clarissa has been the Spa Manager for Hand & Stone since its opening in November 2020. The organization offers professional massage, facial, and hair removal services tailored to clients’ individual needs. She says that she has received ongoing support from a brand that has a philosophy of “providing the highest quality professional massage and facial services at an affordable price seven days a week.” Clarissa says that Wilkes-Barre Township and the surrounding areas have welcomed Hand and Stone to the area with open arms! Their local Licensed Massage Therapists and Estheticians continue to make a name for themselves each and every day, and for that Clarissa is very proud.
Learn more about Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa.
