Chamber Names New Board and Office Administrator The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Amanda Byron as its board and office administrator, a newly established position within The Chamber. As the board and office administrator, Byron will be the point of contact between The Chamber and its affiliate boards and committees. Her responsibilities encompass board management, communication, and reporting. In addition, Byron will provide essential administrative support to The Chamber office and affiliate organizations, Skills in Scranton and Leadership Lackawanna. Byron received an associate degree in paralegal studies from Lackawanna College. She also served as a litigation paralegal at multiple law firms, worked as an insurance customer service representative, and later as a customer care office manager, where she managed a team, handled finances, and enhanced customer satisfaction. With previous experience in office management and legal affairs, coupled with her understanding of the unique needs of organizations like Skills in Scranton and Leadership Lackawanna, Byron brings a wealth of experience to The Chamber.
Keystone Mission Introduces New CEO Keystone Mission introduces Danielle O. Keith-Alexandre as their new CEO & Executive Director. Her vision is to continue the journey together with the NEPA community for Keystone Mission to be a beacon of hope for the homeless and marginalized in Northeast PA.Keith-Alexandre has a background of 20+ years working with individuals experiencing HIV+/AIDS, substance abuse, homelessness, and other marginalized communities through non-profit programming and contract management.She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Human and Social Services from Walden University.
Doctor Joins The Wright Center The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have named Dr. Richard Weinberger as deputy director for Allied and John Heinz Services and core faculty for the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs. He will oversee the development and execution of strategies to enhance The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s programs at Allied and John Heinz as deputy director. He will also assist the designated institutional official in assessing, implementing, and developing new graduate medical education programs and will serve on the Graduate Medical Education Committee. In addition, Dr. Weinberger will serve as a core faculty member of the Internal Medicine and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Residency programs. In that role, he will treat patients and supervise resident physicians, medical students, and interprofessional health learners at The Wright Center for Community Health and Allied and John Heinz clinical learning environments. He will also see patients at The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley Practice in Jermyn. Dr. Weinberger is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine and a fellow of both the American College of Physicians and American College of Osteopathic Internists. He has a long history with The Wright Center. After graduating from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, he completed his internal medicine residency at the Scranton-Temple Residency program, the precursor to The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education. For decades, he has worked in private practices in Lackawanna County, most recently with Horizon Medical Corp. For more information about the locations and services provided by The Wright Center for Community Health, go to TheWrightCenter.org or call 570-230-0019. Call 570.866-3017 or email GMErecruitment@TheWrightCenter.org for more information about The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education.
Moses Taylor Foundation Welcomes New CFOO Tom Bisignani has joined Moses Taylor Foundation, a private foundation with a mission to improve the health of people in Northeastern Pennsylvania, as its Chief Financial and Operations Officer. He will be responsible for all aspects of the Foundation’s financial and business operations, along with supporting strategy development, program implementation, and grants management within the Foundation’s 11-county service area. Bisignani is a highly accomplished, results-driven financial executive with 20 years of experience in hospital operations and finance. He brings notable expertise in the healthcare sector with demonstrated success in blending quality and fiscal management to improve outcomes and satisfaction for physicians, patients, and team members. Most recently, Bisignani served as Commonwealth Health’s Market Chief Financial Officer – Scranton Market, overseeing fiscal operations for its two-hospital integrated healthcare delivery system and Physicians Health Alliance. Bisignani previously held Chief Financial Officer roles at Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital. “Tom has built an impressive career in healthcare leadership and is deeply familiar with our regional community health needs. In this new role, Tom will provide leadership and expertise as we continue to advance the Foundation’s mission across our service area,” said Danielle Breslin, President and CEO of Moses Taylor Foundation. Bisignani assumes this role in advance of the planned July 14, 2023, retirement of the Foundation’s long-time Chief Financial Officer, Thomas Kelly, Jr. Bisignani holds a Master of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Scranton. He assumed his responsibilities at Moses Taylor Foundation on June 12, 2023.
Dean Appointed at Marywood University Sister Mary Persico, IHM, Ed.D., president of Marywood University, Scranton, Pa., recently announced that Shelby W. Yeager, MEd, LAT, ATC, CSCS, was appointed as Dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Marywood University, effective July 1, 2023. She had been serving as the college’s Interim Dean since March 2022. Prior to this role, Dean Yeager was a long-term faculty member and department chair within the College of Health and Human Services. She began her academic career at Marywood in 2004. Before that, she was an Athletic Trainer at Wilkes University, then assumed clinical and administration roles at John Heinz Rehabilitation Institute and Keystone College. Additionally, Dean Yeager worked as part of the Sports Injury Prevention Program at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City. Dean Yeager earned her bachelor of kinesiology and sports medicine degree from Temple University and a master’s in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg University. She is a licensed athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach with an emphasis on movement assessment, injury reduction, and corrective exercises. She also holds multiple specialty certifications from the USA-Weightlifting, National Academy of Sports Medicine and Functional Movement Screening.
HNB Welcomes New Branch Manager Thomas E. Sheridan, President, & CEO of The Honesdale National Bank, announced James Marsh has joined HNB as a Branch Manager of the HNB Forest City Office. In this role, he is responsible for oversight of the operations of staff and customer service in our Forest City office. He will provide opportunities for staff to grow by coaching and leading by example. Marsh will retain any relationships this bank has with all current customers and expand or create relationships with new customers. President & CEO, Thomas E. Sheridan Jr., noted, “We are excited to have James join our team in Forest City, and his enthusiasm mirrors HNB’s interests in supporting our communities. He said, “His overarching career experience will allow ease of development internally while ensuring the provision of great costumer service for our current and future customers of HNB.” Marsh has eight years in the financial industry, previously working at another area financial institution as a Teller and Customer Service Representative. He also has seven years of experience teaching at Stroudsburg Area School District and Commonwealth Charter Academy. He grew up in Clarks Summit and currently resides in Lake Ariel. He is a graduate of Abington Heights High School, attended Keystone College for a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in psychology, and currently attending The University of Phoenix for a master’s degree. In mentioning his role at HNB, Marsh noted, “Working with HNB has given me ample opportunity to grow professionally and learn not only about this company, but about myself. Each employee has been very gracious, kind, and very helpful with my entering the company.” He continued, “This point in my career has been very rewarding to say the least. I hope to learn and grow with this company for many years to come.” Outside of work, he likes to sing, cook, play with his 3 dogs, and be outside whenever possible.
Leadership Lackawanna Hires Program Coordinator The Chamber is proud to announce the addition of Jennifer Strzelec as program coordinator for its affiliate Leadership Lackawanna, the area’s premier community leadership and professional development organization. In this role, Strzelec primarily supports the Tomorrow’s Leaders Today program – a seven-month initiative for high school juniors. This includes recruitment, marketing, evaluations, and administrative support. Strzelec has several years of experience as a preschool aide at Bright Beginnings Preschool in Mt. Cobb and at the YMCA in King George, Virginia. She also served in the United States Army in the avionics division at both Fort Hood in Texas and Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. Strzelec earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University and is currently earning her MBA at West Chester University.
Wright Center Establishes New Post, Director of Health Humanities The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education have appointed Allison LaRussa, Scranton, as Director of Health Humanities. In this newly introduced position, LaRussa will promote emotional wellness by engaging the organizations’ physician trainees, employees, patients and community members in artistic activities. For patients and the general public, there will be art therapy initiatives addressing trauma and addiction as well as community art projects to help alleviate social isolation and foster connections. For health professionals, activities also will be designed to support their professional identity development and growth by providing opportunities for shared experiences, awareness, reflection and expression. “As a valued member of our team, Allison will nurture positivity and resiliency within individuals and at the organizational level, which is particularly relevant as we collectively emerge from the pandemic experience,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, President and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. A special focus of LaRussa’s work will be The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s resident physicians and fellows. These trainees, like their counterparts in programs across the country, deal with the dual pressures of delivering top-notch care to patients and simultaneously completing rigorous graduate medical education requirements. “Our art activities at The Wright Center will be designed to decrease a lot of stress and burnout,” said LaRussa. “The projects will allow people to be more mindful, to process more, so that they are better able to handle their work.” A 2010 Marywood University graduate, LaRussa, 34, has long been active in the region’s arts scene, including First Friday Scranton.
Gunn-Mowery, LLC Hires Amanda Krotzer, Allie MacGregor and Iris Statler We are pleased to welcome Amanda Krotzer, Allie MacGregor and Iris Statler to Gunn-Mowery, LLC. Amanda joins the Gunn-Mowery team as a Personal Lines Agent. In her role as a Personal Lines Agent she reviews applications, prepares quotes, and evaluates risks for our clients in order to best meet their coverage needs. She graduated from Kutztown University with a degree in art education. She began her career in insurance in 2011 when she worked as a part-time office assistant. Later, in 2013 Amanda obtained her Property and Casualty license, CISR (Certified Insurance Service Representative, and her CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor). Learn more about Amanda Krotzer by visiting her Meet the Team page on our website. Allie joins the Gunn-Mowery team as a Commercial Account Administrator. Her role as Commercial Account Administrator consists of commercial auto changes, issuing insurance certificates, processing policies and endorsements, working with carriers and more. Allie received her Bachelor’s from Penn State Harrisburg and her Master’s from Lock Haven University. While completing her Master’s, she worked full-time at Consumers Insurance Agency as a Licensed Agent. Learn more about Allie MacGregor by visiting her Meet the Team page on our website. Iris joins the Gunn-Mowery team as our Accounting Administrator. In her role, Iris processes direct bill commissions, cash receipts, vendor and carrier payments, as well as assist our Accounting Department using our Agency Management System. Iris has an extensive background in accounting, including her role as a Senior Financial Analyst at IBM. She also recently served as a Board Member and Treasurer for the Central Pennsylvania Suzuki Association. Iris is a graduate of the University of Maryland where she earned her B.A. in Finance. Learn more about Iris Statler by visiting her Meet the Team page on our website.
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center Adds to its Team of Experts To better assist manufacturers in capitalizing on growth opportunities, addressing workforce challenges and implementing new technologies, NEPIRC continues to add to its team of experts. Steven Goul recently joined the firm as a Mechanical Engineer. Mr. Goul brings with him an impressive resume, which includes ownership of two patents and more than 20 years of engineering experience with companies like Sanofi Pasteur, Honeywell Aerospace and Lockheed Martin. Within those companies, and through ongoing professional education, Mr. Goul received Six Sigma Black Belt, ISO9001, AS9100 and Lean Manufacturing designations and certificates. Additionally, Steve has been an active member of the U.S. Navy for 31 years, including deployment to Afghanistan. Mr. Goul still proudly serves one weekend a month at the U.S. Navy Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center in Norfolk, VA. Mr. Goul’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University and a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Wisconsin, where his thesis focused on teamwork and conflict resolution. In addition, NEPIRC added Brandon Henrie as the organization’s newest Business Advisor. Mr. Henrie possesses 14 years’ experience in the medical sales industry. Throughout that tenure, Mr. Henrie obtained numerous recognition awards for exceptional client service and territory development. Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Kutztown University. Through continuing education and personal development, Mr. Henrie was a contributing author to “Job’s Analysis of the Range of the ‘Dalton Syringe Rocket.,’” which appeared in the Journal of Chemical Education, and obtained his Lean Specialist certification. Brandon is also an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and teaches evening and weekend youth classes at Phoenix Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Nescopeck. In his role at NEPIRC, Brandon will maintain and cultivate valued client relationships throughout Lackawanna, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties.
