Geisinger Doctor Named EMS Physician Of The Year Geisinger’s Chris Berry, M.D., has been named the 2026 EMS Physician ofthe Year by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Emergency HealthServices Council, an independent advisory committee to EMS agencies across the state. Dr. Berry has been a physician in Geisinger Medical Center’s emergency room since 2024 andis the associate medical director for Geisinger EMS. He personally responds to emergenciesusing the Geisinger Physician Response Vehicle, working alongside EMS crews when not in theemergency room, and is the medical director for multiple central Pennsylvania EMS agenciesand fire departments. “I’m deeply grateful to receive this award from a community that means so much to me,” saidDr. Berry. “EMS professionals provide lifesaving care and are a cornerstone of our community,and it’s a real honor to be recognized by my colleagues in this way.” The EMS Physician of the Year award is chosen through peer nomination and an EMS votingcommittee. After reviewing nominations from across the state, the committee makes their finalchoice based on the nominee’s contributions to the delivery of EMS, clinical leadership andmentorship of EMS providers. Mark Bertollo, emergency medicine services coordinator and award nominator, says, “Chris isvery good at what he does and is very involved — he does trainings and education, he will workwith EMS on his day off and he often invites hospital residents to join him to further theireducation.” Dr. Berry was honored at a ceremony at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville on May 5 and willalso be recognized at the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg during EMS Week,May 17 to 23. This year’s award is in honor of Deno Gualtieri, D.O., a Pennsylvania EMS physician, agencymedical director and emergency department director who passed away earlier this year.
Marywood University To Host Third Annual Veterans And Community Partners Wellness Summit The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Veterans & Community Partners, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), and the Scranton Vet Center are presenting the Third Annual Veterans and Community Partners Wellness Summit at Marywood University on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., at Nazareth Student Center. This free, one-day conference will provide opportunities for continuing education and networking for healthcare professionals, community leaders, veterans, family members, and nonprofit organizations working directly with veterans in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Participants will connect, learn, and recharge through interactive wellness breakout sessions, supportive talks, and valuable networking opportunities. A light breakfast and a lunch will be provided.
Junior Achievement Of Northeastern Pennsylvania To Host Celebration Happy Hour Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania had a successful year, impacting more than 13,000 students throughout the region. To celebrate another outstanding year of service and achievement, JA will host a Happy Hour Celebration on Thursday, June 4, 2026 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Jonathan’s Deck Bar. The cost to attend is $20 with pre-registration or $25 at the door. The evening will feature live music, appetizers, a cash bar, door prizes, raffles, and networking opportunities. Guests are encouraged to attend and celebrate JA’s continued impact on students across Northeastern Pennsylvania.
NEPIRC Announces Leadership Appointments And Promotions NEPIRC, a not-for-profit technical assistance firm serving manufacturers across an 11-county region, has named Marla Hager Evans as its new President and CEO. Hager Evans formally assumed her responsibilities in December 2025 after spending the past decade with the organization. She joined NEPIRC in 2016 as the Business Advisor for northern Luzerne County and has since taken on expanded leadership responsibilities in business development, strategic sales and marketing initiatives, and organizational growth. As President and CEO, she will continue overseeing and coaching NEPIRC’s Business Advisor team while guiding the organization through its next phase of transformation and long-term sustainability. NEPIRC also announced the promotion of Leo Gilroy to Senior Director of Training and Consulting Services. Gilroy brings more than 40 years of experience in the manufacturing and Department of Defense sectors, with expertise spanning engineering, product and business development, marketing, and sales. Throughout his career, he has helped more than 3,500 professionals strengthen leadership and project management skills through relationship building, emotional intelligence, and performance coaching. Additionally, Charles Wallinger joined NEPIRC as Controller in December 2025. Wallinger brings more than 35 years of experience in finance and accounting within governmental, grant-funded, and nonprofit organizations. His background includes working closely with boards of directors and executive leadership teams to strengthen financial management and organizational accountability. “Leo and Charles are both seasoned, experienced leaders who have already brought so much value to our organization,” said Hager Evans. “They are aligned with NEPIRC’s mission and are in tune with the evolving needs of our clients, funders, and partners. We are thrilled to recognize Leo with this well-deserved promotion and look forward to the positive impact Charles will make on NEPIRC in the months and years ahead.”
Misericordia Sports Camps Open For Registration Keep your student active, engaged, and growing this summer with Misericordia University’s Summer Sports Camps. With a variety of options led by experienced coaches and collegiate athletes, these camps provide a fun and supportive environment where participants can build skills, gain confidence, and enjoy the game. Camp offerings include Field Hockey (June 22–25), Cheer (June 23–25), Co-ed Soccer (June 29–July 2), Boys Lacrosse (July 6–9), Girls Basketball (July 27–31), and Boys Basketball (August 3–7), giving young athletes opportunities throughout the summer to learn, compete, and connect with others who share their passion.
The Honesdale National Bank To Sponsor Big Screen Summer Series The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts is proud to announce The Honesdale National Bank as the official series sponsor of its popular summer film program, now rebranded as The Honesdale National Bank Big Screen Summer Series. Building on the success of last year’s season, the 2026 series feature eight weeks of family-friendly programming, featuring beloved children’s films every Tuesday at 1:00 PM throughout the summer. All screenings will take place on The Luzerne Foundation Screen at the Kirby Center, offering a classic big-screen experience in a historic theater setting. “Following the incredible response to last year’s series, we’re excited to welcome families back to the Kirby for another summer of making memories together,” said Joell Yarmel, Executive Director. “We’re especially grateful to The Honesdale National Bank for their support in making this series more accessible to our community. We are proud to continue building this tradition in downtown Wilkes-Barre.” “Our local communities are stronger and more vibrant thanks to the incredible programming offered by the Kirby Center,” said Elizbeth Nagy, VP, Director of Sales, Marketing, and Digital Banking for The Honesdale National Bank. “Bringing families and communities together with joy and core memories is a privilege our Foundation is proud to be a part of.”
The Wright Center Names New Vice President, Enterprise Chief Operating Officer An experienced health care executive with deep ties to Northeast Pennsylvania has joined The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education as its vice president and enterprise chief operating officer. David Hall will oversee all business operations within The Wright Center, working closely with clinical and administrative leadership. He will play a key role in developing and implementing enhanced clinical delivery models supporting innovative care redesign in the communities served by The Wright Center. Hall earned his bachelor’s degree in biology and allied health sciences from Bloomsburg University and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in health care administration from Eastern University. He has been a certified medical practice executive since 2018. Before joining The Wright Center, Hall served as the chief executive officer of Hazleton-based DermDox, a division of Seven Isles Capital, and as the chief operating officer of Mission Autism Clinics in Hazleton, also a Seven Isles Capital division. He has also held leadership roles, including associate vice president at Guthrie Medical Group in Sayre, further building his experience in advancing patient-centered care within community-focused, nonprofit systems. He resides in Beach Lake, Wayne County. The Wright Center is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026. Founded in 1976, The Wright Centers for Community Health, Graduate Medical Education, and Patient & Community Engagement are a physician-led, community-owned nonprofit and a cornerstone of health care in the region. The organization employs more than 677 professionals – including nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians – and trains more than 200 interprofessional health care learners each year. In fiscal year 2024-25, The Wright Center served about 38,300 unique patients across its growing network of community health centers in Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, as well as its mobile medical and dental unit, Driving Better Health. As a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike and safety-net provider, The Wright Center serves all patients, regardless of insurance status, ZIP code, or ability to pay. No patient is turned away due to an inability to pay.
Friendship House Board Of Directors Executive Committee Announced Friendship House recently announced its Board of Directors Executive Committee leadership team. The Executive Committee includes Laurie Cadden as Board Chair; Daniel Santaniello as Chair-Elect; Jeff Kelly as Treasurer; Gretchen J. Van Dyke as Secretary; and Judge Thomas M. Blewitt as Immediate Past Chair. Also serving on the Executive Committee are Attorney Frank J. Bolock Jr. and Alex J. Hazzouri, President and Chief Executive Officer of Friendship House.
The University Of Scranton To Have NYT Best-Selling Author As Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Douglas Brinkley, Ph.D., a best-selling author, award-winning producer and nationally celebrated historian and scholar, will serve as the principal speaker at The University of Scranton’s 2026 undergraduate commencement ceremony. Dr. Brinkley will address Scranton’s Class of 2026 on Sunday, May 24, at Mohegan Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township. Dr. Brinkley’s prolific career has included authoring, editing and contributing to dozens of books and hundreds of essays. He has covered topics including American foreign policy, the presidency and the environment, as well as the lives of transformative figures such as Jack Kerouac, Rosa Parks and Hunter S. Thompson. Among Dr. Brinkley’s New York Times best-selling books are his biography of Walter Cronkite, which won Fordham University’s Ann M. Sperber Prize, and “The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” which earned the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book Award. He also won a pair of GRAMMY awards as a co-producer of the albums “Presidential Suite” and “Fandango at the Wall in New York.” “We are honored to welcome Dr. Brinkley to Northeastern Pennsylvania, where he will address our graduating students at an important moment in their lives,” said Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., University president. “Dr. Brinkley has demonstrated that history, when researched with care and written with authority, can inform, inspire and endure.” Additionally, Dr. Brinkley is a leading voice in the environmental conservation and historic preservation community with service that has included board membership and advisory leadership in support of organizations at the forefront of protecting America’s natural beauty. “Dr. Brinkley’s writing invites readers to see history not as possession, but as gift, entrusted to each generation anew,” Father Marina said. “In that spirit, he has taken his words and thoughts and put them into action, advocating for the preservation of our nation’s natural and historic treasures. He reminds us that the finest form of scholarship comes when intellect and action align in service of the common good.” Dr. Brinkley was born in Atlanta, Georgia, before moving as a child to Perrysburg, Ohio. He pursued the study of U.S. history at Ohio State University and was awarded a fellowship to Georgetown University, where he immersed himself in the study of U.S. diplomatic history, and received master’s and doctorate degrees. Dr. Brinkley’s early career included faculty positions at the U.S. Naval Academy, Princeton University and Hofstra University. As part of his “American Odyssey” course at Hofstra, he traveled across the country with students to historic landmarks that shaped America. The ambitious nature of his course drew national attention with writeups in publications like The New York Times and SPIN magazine. Dr. Brinkley has since taught at the University of New Orleans and Tulane University. He is currently the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Professor in Humanities at Rice University. He is also CNN’s presidential historian and a Vanity Fair contributor. Dr. Brinkley will receive an honorary degree at the undergraduate commencement ceremony, which will be followed by the graduate commencement ceremony, also held at Mohegan Arena. Doors open at 9:45 a.m. Undergraduate commencement activities are set to begin at 11 a.m. and graduate activities at 4:30 p.m.
Dave & Buster’s Offering Double Game Play Dave & Buster’s is helping groups level up the fun this summer with a special limited-time promotion for hosted events. Groups that host an event by August 31, 2026 will receive double gameplay on every Power Card purchase of $25 or more, in addition to already discounted special event Power Cards. The offer provides added value for team outings, client appreciation events, camp groups, summer socials, and other group gatherings without increasing overall event spending. Organizations and groups are encouraged to take advantage of the promotion while planning their upcoming summer events and celebrations.
