Committees - Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce

Make a Difference & Expand Your Professional Network

The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce has many committees that work tirelessly to help improve business and life in Schuylkill County. Many of our achievements over the years can be directly attributed to these committees.

Volunteering is a great way to expand your professional network and create meaningful connections. When you volunteer for a cause or organization that aligns with your professional interests or values, you are likely to meet like-minded individuals who share those interests. Help others, focus on building meaningful relationships, and making a positive impact within the organization or community.

Our committees give our members the opportunities to get their employees engaged.

Chamber Committees

Nonprofit Committee

The Nonprofit Committee is dedicated to supporting and promoting the chamber's nonprofit members through advocacy, education seminars, workshops and community outreach.

Chair: Amanda Campbell, Schuylkill Area Community Action

Chamber Staff Liaison: Cierra Abrachinsky, Member Development & Events Director

Schuylkill Women in Business (SWIB) Committee

The mission of the Schuylkill Women in Business Committee is to create an environment where women inspire women to achieve success in business through education, networking and building relationships.

Chair: Cynthia Mensch, Alvernia University Pottsville CollegeTowne

Chamber Staff Liaison: Cierra Abrachinsky, Member Development & Events Director

Member Services Committee

The Members Services committee continues to keep the interests of members and investors at the forefront of conversation and development of programs and services.

The Member Services Committee meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 8:00 a.m. at the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce.

Chair: Mark Jeffrey Wessner, Tompkins
Chamber Staff Liaison: Tony Merchlinsky, Member Relations and Marketing Director

Infrastructure Committee

The Schuylkill County Infrastructure Committee is a collaborative and diverse coalition of industry leaders united by a shared commitment to advancing the economic prosperity and business climate of Schuylkill County through strategic infrastructure advocacy. Our mission is to promote sustainable growth, innovation, and resilience by addressing the critical infrastructure needs that support a healthy and growing community.

Infrastructure includes roads, bridges, public transportation, water, sewer, broadband deployment, airport; all central to economic development and strong business operations.

Meetings: The Infrastructure committee meets on the second Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m.

Chair: Thomas Yashinsky, ARRO Consulting, Inc.

Co-Chair: Chris Bentz, Benesch

Chamber Staff Liaison: Samantha Chivinski, Executive Vice President

The Infrastructure Committee is proudly sponsored by

The Broadband Task Force is a sub-group of the Infrastructure Committee. Representatives from a cross-section of industries, including government, education, libraries and municipalities are working collaboratively with one common goal in mind – “broadband for all in Schuylkill County,” The task force is working toward a common goal of finding solutions to bring broadband to areas around the county that are underserved or not served at all. Efforts include a collaborative approach to secure finding and establishing project partners.

Chaired by Mark Barnett, Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29

Education & Agribusiness Committees

The Education & Agribusiness Committees focus on matters related to education and workforce development within our community. The committee has a primary role to address issues, identify employer needs and develop and carry out programing that promotes initiatives that enhance quality of education and training available to employers and workers. Along with the staff, the committees look to bridge the gap between the business community and the education sector to help create a skilled workforce and a thriving local economy.

Roles of the Education & Agribusiness Committees:
-serve as advocates for education and agribusiness-related policies and reforms that benefit the business community.
-facilitate collaborations between local educational institutions (such as schools, colleges, and vocational training centers)
-organizes and supports educational programs, workshops, and events aimed at providing resources and information to businesses, nonprofits, educators, students, and parents
-collect data and workforce trends from members to help make information decisions on how the schedule educational programming

Meetings: The Education & Agribusiness Committees meet on the third Wednesday of every month at 8:00 a.m. at the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce

Chairs: Maureen Donoval, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Jenna St. Clair, Schuylkill Conservation District
Staff Liaison: Samantha Chivinski

Government Affairs Committee

The Government Affairs committee set forth the following legislative priorities for 2022:

Responsible State Spending and Responsible On-Time Budget
Improvement of Business Tax Structure a) CNIT Reduction; b) Eliminate NOL cap
Health Care---Affordable for Employers to Offer Employees; Medical Liability Reform
Energy and Environmental—Eliminate Unnecessary Environmental Regulations
Civil Justice---Eliminate Frivolous Lawsuits; Legal Reform to Prevent Lawsuit Abuse
Transportation and Infrastructure Reform via Infrastructure & Jobs Act of 2021
Roads/Bridges/Public Transportation
Water & Sewer Infrastructure
Broadband Funding and Deployment
Labor and Employment---Improve UC System and WC; Oppose Union Mandates
Education; Workforce Development Programs; Close Jobs Skills Gap
State/Local Government Reform; Liquor Reform
Workforce Development “Start the Conversation HERE” Initiative for In-Demand Jobs
Minimum Wage via Business Competitiveness NOT Government Mandate
Grow PA Local Awareness and Support Key Element—Infrastructure; Healthcare; & Education

Meetings: The Government Affairs committee meets on the first Thursday of each month at noon at the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce.

The Government Affairs Committee is proudly sponsored by

Chair: Ed Winkelbauer, The Ryon Agency
Staff Liaison: Samantha Chivinski