The Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce announces a new season of Breakfast Programs for members and guests. Meetings are held monthly on the third Friday, and the series opens on Sept. 18 with a tax reform panel led by Senators Judy Schwank and David G. Argall. Robert J. Hobaugh, Jr., Esq., Stevens & Lee P.C. is the program sponsor.
Doors open at 7:30 a.m. at Berkleigh Golf Club, 14623 Kutztown Road (Route 222), for a catered breakfast, scheduled program and networking. Advance $15 reservations are preferred; $20 admission is collected at the door and for non-members of the Chamber. Payments can be processed securely online at www.northeastberkschamber.com. Call Michelle Schilling, Assistant Director, with questions or phone payments.
Our two State Senators will address the issues and challenges facing business taxpayers.
Senator Judy Schwank recognizes that the needs and concerns of residents of the 11th Senatorial District are not limited by its boundaries. Her achievements in government, education and nonprofit realms reflect her interest in and advocacy for sustainable growth and prosperity, both locally and statewide.
A former Berks County Commissioner, Judy has been committed to serving the people of Berks County. Her passion for promoting sustainable growth, prosperity and preserving agricultural integrity has been exemplified through her many accomplishments in public service.
As president of 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, a non-profit smart growth advocacy agency, Judy provided support to organizations and individuals committed to improving the quality of life for all residents. Prior to her election to the PA State Senate, she served as the Dean of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Delaware Valley College.
Elected to the PA State Senate in 2011, Schwank serves as Democratic Chair of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and a member of the Appropriations, Public Health and Welfare, Aging and Youth and Senate State Government Committees. Her legislative initiatives have focused on education, economic development, public welfare and domestic violence issues.
Judy received her B.S. and M.Ed. in agricultural education from Penn State University and completed the Executive Leadership Program through the Institute for Conservation Leadership and the Institute for the Management of Life-Long Education at Harvard University. She attributes her success to her family who taught her that public service, a strong work ethic and personal integrity were the keys to a rewarding life.
Senator David G. Argall serves as Chairman of the Senate Majority Policy Committee and is the first member from the 29th District to serve in a leadership position in the State Senate since 1861.
As the proud grandson of local Cornish, Welsh and German farmers, coal miners and factory workers, Senator Argall’s top legislative priorities are promoting job growth, eliminating the school property tax burden on homeowners and revitalizing our downtowns and older industrial areas. He led the successful fight to pass a new anti-blight law which has been hailed as “a significant step forward for Pennsylvania” by newspapers across the state.
In the Senate, he chaired a bipartisan Government Management and Cost Study Commission which unanimously recommended more than $400 million in savings to the taxpayer. Senator Argall has also played an active role in conservation initiatives, locally as a volunteer Scout leader and across the state as the author of the Waste Tire Recycling Act, which has helped to clean up more than 95 percent of Pennsylvania’s waste tires.
In 2014, the National Eagle Scout Association presented him with the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award for “distinguished service to his profession and community.”
Senator Argall earned a bachelor’s degree from Lycoming College, where he earned the college’s highest student award. He earned a master’s degree and his Ph.D. in public administration from Penn State. His doctoral dissertation reviewed the benefits and drawbacks of Pennsylvania’s tax-free “Keystone Opportunity Zones” for economic development. As time permits, Dr. Argall serves as a part-time public policy instructor at Penn State.
He has been awarded a “Guardian of Small Business” by the National Federation of Independent Business and a “Defender of Liberty” by the American Conservative Union. Citing Senator Argall’s votes on tax reform, rooting out wasteful government spending and improving the regulatory climate, the ACU said the 100 percent perfect score reflects his consistent support on a wide range of issues.
From September 2015 through May 2016, the Northeast Berks Chamber of Commerce will present eight Breakfast Programs with engaging keynote speakers, panel discussions, student recognition programs and nonprofit partners, as well as a holiday luncheon. The programs, which run from 7:30 to 9 a.m., are held at various venues throughout the Chamber’s region, including Moselem Springs Golf Club, Kutztown Fire Company, Hamburg Area School District, Keystone Villa at Fleetwood, the Lutheran Home at Topton and Berkleigh Golf Club.
In addition to the September program, presentations in 2015-16 will include partnering with businesses on a new internship program across five Northeast Berks school districts on Oct. 16; main street managers with Hamburg’s Our Town Foundation’s Deena Kershner and Kutztown Community Partnership’s Nancy Brooks on Nov. 20; a Member Holiday “Ugly Sweater” Luncheon on Dec. 4; Annual Meeting and Economic Forecast from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on Jan. 15; the Greater Reading Convention & Visitors’ Bureau on Feb. 19; Know When It’s Time for a Career Change with Carol Anne Minski on Mar. 18; From Profit to Nonprofit with Sallie Weaver on Apr. 15; and Dr. Martha Geaney, Dean of the College of Business, Kutztown University on May 20.
Find the detailed schedule at www.northeastberkschamber.com. To be considered as a speaker for 2016-17, contact Lori B. Donofrio-Galley, Executive Director, at 610-683-8860 or nbcc@ptd.net.
