The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce was honored to host U.S. Senator Bob Casey on January 18.

In attendance for the Senator's visit were: Neal Goodman, Allen-Goodman & Associates, LTD and former PA State Representative; Bob Allen, Allen-Goodman & Associates, LTD and former PA State Representative; Schuylkill County Commissioner Gary Hess; Schuylkill County Commissioner Barron Boots Hetherington, Chairman; Kim Lorimer, Chair of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, The Evans Network of Companies; Cynthia Mensch, First Vice Chair of the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Alvernia University; Ed Winkelbauer, Chairman, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, Richard B. Ryon Insurance, Insurance Agency Alliance; Tom Yashinsky, Chairman, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Committee, ARRO Consulting, Inc.; Frank Zukas, President, Schuylkill Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO); Samantha Chivinski, Executive Vice President, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce; Robert S. Carl, Jr., President & CEO, Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce.

Topics that were addressed included:

• Broadband and the importance of enhanced deployment through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act of 2021 and the money from same being allocated to the Commonwealth of PA
• PA State Route 61---the importance of this connector from I-78 to I-81 and the continued progress of restoration of the last 4.4 miles from St. Clair to Frackville, PA scheduled for 2023-2027 and enhanced by a $ 21 million INFRA grant with the assistance of Senator Casey and the T.I.P. prioritization of PennDOT
• Workforce development Initiatives and federal assistance to support
• Affordable market based housing to attract workforce from surrounding areas as business recruitment and development continue
• Infrastructure enhancements and funding related to water, sewer, etc.
• Child care and the importance of federal and state initiatives to support greater workforce enhancements through more child care opportunities
• Community revitalization efforts underway in many of our communities