ATHENA Award Eligibility Qualifications: Nominee must demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in her business or profession.Nominee must demonstrate an ongoing advancement or progressive job growth in her career including significant leadership accomplishments and milestones along the way.Nominee must possess a minimum of 10 (Ten) Years of professional business experience.Nominee must provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in the community.Nominee must actively assist women in achieving their full leadership potential. Eligibility: Previous Athena Award recipients are not eligible for nomination.The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce staff are not eligible for nomination.The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce Board Members are not eligible for nomination.Athena Committee members are not eligible for nomination.Athena Committee members may not score an application that they submit for nomination.Nominees must own or be an employee of a business that is a member in good standing of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.Nominations must be received no later than January 29, 2021 at 4 p.m. Incomplete nominations will not be reviewed. Selection Process: Nominations will be live on www.scrantonchamber.com on January 11, 2021.Nominations must be received by January 29, 2021 at 4 p.m.The Athena Award Committee will review all nominations and score independently.The Athena Award Winner will be announced by February 12, 2021.The Athena Award will be presented at the International Women’s Day Celebration on March 8, 2021.
James Bognet Jim Bognet is a conservative Republican preparing to run for Congress in PA-8 against impeachment enabler Matt Cartwright, the Democratic incumbent. Jim believes Cartwright has abandoned his constituents by joining the liberal witch hunt and voting to impeach President Trump. Jim held a senior appointment in the Trump Administration in Washington, D.C. and resigned his position to move home to Hazleton, PA to lead the fight in the 8th congressional district against the Democrat’s fatally flawed impeachment crusade and Matt Cartwright’s political war against President Trump. Jim Bognet was born and raised in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Jim grew up in a big Italian-Irish family, surrounded by dozens of uncles, aunts, and cousins in a tight-knit community at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church, where he was an altar boy. Jim’s dad is a small business owner, a mechanical contractor building schools and doing plumbing and heating projects for factories and commercial buildings across northeastern Pennsylvania. Working construction with his dad taught Jim how to dig a ditch, knock down a wall, and the value of hard work and saving money. Jim’s mom is a high school teacher who taught him the value of education, discipline, and compassion. Jim is proud to have had one grandfather who was an Italian immigrant, and a grandmother (Army) and grandfather (Navy) who served abroad in World War II in Europe and the Pacific. Jim played football, basketball, and baseball at Hazleton Area High School before attending Penn State University on an academic scholarship. Jim was awarded a half-tuition scholarship to UCLA, where he earned a law degree and a MBA.Jim opposes illegal immigration and strongly supports President Trump’s policies to reverse illegal immigration and finish building the Wall. Jim has witnessed the personal tragedy of the opioid epidemic in his family, and believes we must get serious about cracking down on drug kingpins and traffickers with greatly enhanced criminal penalties, increased treatment for addicts, and counseling for their families. Jim has spent his career fighting for conservative economic policies, to cut taxes,create jobs and help small businesses. He worked on manufacturing and small business issues in the Trump administration, and believes we must rebuild our industrial heartland. Jim wants good jobs at good wages, to allow people in Northeastern Pennsylvania to thrive. Jim will fight to protect social security, and health care for seniors, families, and people with pre-existing conditions. Jim interned for Rick Santorum in the U.S. Senate, and worked on Rep. Lou Barletta’s first campaign for Congress. Jim since has worked on Governor and Senate races over 17 years, and as campaign manager for three statewide campaigns and worked for three presidential campaigns. Jim founded his own small business, a firm helping companies and organizations across the country with public affairs and communications issues. Jim believes deeply in education, and contributes to Penn State, UCLA, Shriners’ Hospital for Children, and Operation Smile.
U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright Matt Cartwright has spent his entire career sticking up for working people, first as a trial attorney and now as the Congressman in Pennsylvania’s Eighth District. He is a fighter for all hardworking northeastern Pennsylvanians, especially when it comes to protecting and expanding access to health care, and growing our local economy. Matt was named one of the most effective Democrats in Congress for his ability to work across the aisle and get things done. Matt is a strong advocate for better wages and economic security for middle class Americans; job-creating federal investments in northeastern Pennsylvania; high-quality care for our veterans; and protecting our environment for future generations. Since taking office in 2013, Matt has introduced more legislation supported by both Democrats and Republicans than any other House Democrat. In 2019, the Center for Effective Lawmaking named him one of the most effective members of the U.S. House for his record of advancing real solutions to the biggest issues our nation faces. In the past few years, Matt has gotten bills signed into law by the president that protect low-income veterans from being scammed out of their hard-earned benefits, prevent government officials from using taxpayer dollars on personal expenses, and safeguard the rights of child pornography victims.
Twenty-Three Norris McLaughlin Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® The law firm Norris McLaughlin, P.A., has announced that nineteen of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the list of The Best Lawyers in America© for 2021, including three recognized as Best Lawyers® 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” in Woodbridge. An additional four attorneys were named in the inaugural edition of “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.” “We are very happy for so many of our attorneys to be selected for this honor. It is an acknowledgment of the hard-earned respect of their peers and their dedicated work for our clients,” said John N. Vanarthos, Chairman of the firm. The following attorneys were recognized in The Best Lawyers in America: Morris S. Bauer, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization LawMartha N. Donovan, Environmental Law; Litigation – EnvironmentalWilliam A. Dreier, Arbitration; MediationVictor S. Elgort, Trusts and EstatesDaniel R. Guadalupe, Commercial Litigation; Litigation – ConstructionEdward A. Hogan, Energy Law; Environmental Law; Litigation – Environmental; Natural Resources LawBarbara L. Hollenbach, Workers’ Compensation Law – EmployersPeter D. Hutcheon, Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Securities / Capital Markets Law; Securities RegulationJoel N. Jacobson, Banking and Finance LawSteven A. Karg, Product Liability Litigation – DefendantsJames H. Laskey, Communications Law; Energy LawJack L. Lintner, Appellate Practice; Arbitration; MediationKenneth D. Meskin, Trusts and EstatesSvetlana (Lana) Ros, Health Care LawRichard J. Schachter, Commercial LitigationRichard B. Somach, Real Estate LawLauren L. Sorrentino, Family LawEdward G. Sponzilli, Commercial LitigationBruce J. Wisotsky, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation – Bankruptcy Three of those attorneys listed have been recognized as the Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” in Woodbridge for 2021: Bauer for Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Donovan for Environmental Law, and Drier for Mediation. In addition, the following four attorneys have been recognized as “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch:” Eric Alvarez, Commercial LitigationNicholas A. Duston, Commercial Litigation; Criminal Defense: White-CollarMichael J. Locke, Corporate Law; Mergers and Acquisitions LawJulie Macomb, Health Care Law
Chamber Event Updates Empower: Women’s Leadership Conference (April 17) – Rescheduled to September 10, Kalahari Resort All April Chamber events postponed until further notice – Additional details to come soon SKILLS 2020: Workforce Resource Summit (April 21) – Moving to virtual event, new date coming soon Build a Better Brand Seminar (March 26) – Postponed until further notice “The Office” Book Launch YP Mixer at Scranton Art Haus (March 25) – Postponed until further notice The Office: A Book Launch at The Marketplace at Steamtown (March 25) – Postponed until further notice Member Welcome Lunch (March 19) – Postponed until further notice Business Breakfast Briefing with McNees Wallace & Nurick (March 13) – Postponed until further notice
Other Important COVID-19 Resources We’ve compiled a list of other COVID-19 resources that may be useful: COVID-19 and Cancer Resources from the American Cancer SocietyNEPA Together PartnershipGreater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce ResourcesNew York Times Guide – Answers to Your Coronavirus QuestionsBusiness Closure Compliance Resource Center
Webinars From Other Organizations Coronavirus Impact and Mitigation for Small BusinessesCharityHowTo – Coronavirus, and Nonprofits: How to CommunicateBaker Tilly WebinarsU.S. Chamber of Commerce Webinars
Local Alternative Food Service Options The Woodlands POSH Restaurant Bar Pazzo Coopers Seafood House Deep Roots Cider Fit AF Nutrition Happenings Magazine – List of Restaurants Offering Take Out Space Time Mead & Cider Works Gerrity’s – Offering senior citizen shopping hours, continuing sales, updates online Everything Natural – Open for business M – F 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. , offering curbside pick up, immune enhancing products available The Garden Mediterranean Cafe DeLeo’s Catering TGIFridays South Side Farmers Market – Monitor Facebook page for vendor offerings Honey Baked Ham Domino’s Paradise Soulfood & Sweets Downtown Victoria’s Andy Gavins Capra Collina Winery – Operating limited hours, Saturday Noon – 5:00 p.m., email thefermentoria@gmail.com Schiff’s – Store open, also taking order by phone for curbside pick up Pizza by Pappas Purple Pepper Deli Mansour’s Market Cafe Glider Diner Harvest Grill Keystone Mission – Operating an Emergency Food Assistance program Electric Grill at Four Points by Sheraton Scranton Salvation Army Scranton Food Pantry – Important updates Saint Francis of Assissi Kitchen – Important changes made to services Basilico’s Pizzeria Alfredo’s Cafe Fratelli’s Peculiar Slurp Hilton Scranton Arcaro’s Pizza, Taylor – Offering take out, call 570-961-6032 Food & Fire Zuppa Del Giorno – Offering take out, curbside pick and delivery, e-gift cards available PJ Scanlan’s – Open for take out and delivery, 570-348-1133 Nibbles & Bits Edible Arrangements (Dickson City) The Black Box Gertrude Hawk National Pastry Bake Shop – Open for business, offering curbside pick up Northern Light Espresso Bar and Cafe Settlers Hospitality Group Krispy Kreme