Featured – Page 9 – SEDA Council of Governments

SEDA-COG Announces New Fiscal Controller

Posted on January 23, 2023 by

SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is pleased to announce that Jamie Carnes, a 5-year staffer, has been promoted to Fiscal Controller.

Carnes began her career in finance over 10 years ago, gaining experience in financial statement preparation, general ledger activity, and capital spending management. Her career with SEDA-COG began with her role as a Finance Analyst where she served several different departments.

Throughout Carnes career, she is especially proud to have worked on correcting and updating outdated and inefficient policies and procedures. “In previous positions, I felt my work only benefited larger corporations. At SEDA-COG, I feel our work in the organization provides a much more direct impact to our local communities and the individuals who reside there,” Carnes said.

One of Carnes’ major goals includes supporting the varied programs that SEDA-COG provides.

“I look forward to the opportunities this position offers for the growth and advancement of my accounting knowledge. I am grateful for my past experience that will enable me to continue to provide support to the many diverse programs that SEDA-COG provides,” Carnes said.

SEDA-COG Executive Director Kim Wheeler said Carnes is well equipped to take on the larger role.

“Jamie’s experience in the world of finance and the guidance and training she was able to receive from her predecessor, Bo Hornberger, has made her the perfect person to take on this endeavor. I believe that under her financial direction and management, SEDA-COG will continue to make a major difference in our local communities for generations to come,” Wheeler said.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting from Lycoming College in 2011.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.

Mifflin County Academy Awarded Appalachian Regional Commission Funds

Posted on January 17, 2023 by

The Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology was recently awarded an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant in the amount of $500,000 to support the school’s expansion project.

With the assistance of Delta Development Group, Inc. in Camp Hill, The Academy has secured over $7 million in state and federal funding to construct a heavy equipment/diesel technician training facility. The project will be located at The Academy’s existing campus at 700 Pitt Street, Lewistown, PA. The ARC funds will be used to purchase the heavy equipment utilized in the new programs.

“The goal of this expansion project is to provide local, affordable training opportunities and address the demand for a skilled workforce in rural PA,” explained Mike McMonigal, Supervisor of Adult Education at The Academy. “We are very grateful for the support of the Appalachian Regional Commission for investing in our local workforce development.”

The need for postsecondary education has been growing in recent years, as businesses report a lack of skilled workers to fill their open positions, and as the income gap between college and high school graduates widens. The need for a skilled workforce is also fueled by the manufacturing, construction, and transportation industries relying more heavily on technology. Employers in these industries and organizations are demanding that new hires and incumbent workers possess applicable skills and achieve industry certifications and licensures.

The Academy expansion project is expected to allow regional employers to create and fill currently vacant jobs rather than exporting related service work to other regions. This program will also help retain local talented youth who currently need to relocate to other areas to become properly trained to pursue these jobs. The Academy intends to train 20 students per program for a total of 40 students per year.

The Academy’s partnering employers estimate that they will be able to create 24 new jobs collectively in the first year that trainees are available. In total, these employers anticipate that during the nine-year analysis period, approximately 125 new jobs will be created, and 15 jobs will be retained.

SEDA-COG’s Betsy Lockwood, Director of Project Development and Grants, submitted the ARC application for the equipment on behalf of the Academy. The application itself was prepared by the Delta Development Group.

Regarding the benefits of the grant, Lockwood said, “The ARC investment into this project will enable industry sectors in the areas of transportation, warehousing, and construction to expand within Mifflin County and the SEDA-COG Region.”

The Appalachian Region Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments including Pennsylvania. PA’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) partners with ARC to identify and support projects that will build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in the Appalachian counties of Pennsylvania to reach socioeconomic parity with the nation.

SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania. SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.

New Hire in SEDA-COG’s Transportation Department

Posted on December 14, 2022 by

SEDA-COG recently welcomed Bryce Buck as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst in the Department of Transportation.

Buck has over five years of experience in mapping, technical assistance, and data management. He previously worked as the GIS Analyst and Planner for Schuylkill County. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography with minors in GIS and Wildlife & Fisheries Science and a certificate in Landscape Ecology from Penn State University. While at Penn State, Buck served as a Dendrochronology Assistant in the Penn State Vegetation Dynamics Lab, GIS Teaching Instructor for the Geography Department, and Entomology Lab Technician in the Center for Pollinator Research.

SEDA-COG is a community and economic development agency in Lewisburg and is one of seven Local Development Districts in Pennsylvania. SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in the 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives.

SEDA-COG’s 2023 Board Officers Elected

Posted on December 14, 2022 by

Board officers for SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) were elected at the Dec. 7 public meeting.

The 2023 SEDA-COG Board of Directors’ officers will be Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins, President; Lycoming County Commissioner Scott Metzger, First Vice President; Snyder County Commissioner Joe Kantz, Second Vice President; Larry Reisinger of Perry County, Secretary; and Dennis Van Benthuysen of Snyder County, Treasurer. (In attached photo, from left, Kantz, Higgins, Reisinger, and Metzger. Van Benthuysen not pictured.)

The 2022 officers were Mifflin County Commissioner Kevin Kodish, President; Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins, First Vice President; Montour County Commissioner Ken Holdren, Second Vice President; Larry Reisinger of Perry County, Secretary; and Dennis Van Benthuysen of Snyder County, Treasurer.

Higgins said he is looking forward to serving as board president in the new year.

“Serving as board president for 2023, I look forward to continued service with our dedicated board of directors and our professional staff. Together, we will continue to administer existing programs and identify new opportunities to encourage and support long-term economic growth through our local small business community. These efforts serve to strengthen the quality of life throughout our 11-county SEDA-COG region.”

SEDA-COG Executive Director Kim Wheeler thanked outgoing board President Kevin Kodish for his service to the agency.

“Board President Kodish has led the SEDA-COG Board through some unprecedented times. We deeply appreciate his commitment and guidance to serving this region and ensuring the Board is attentive to critical matters of importance for our future,” Wheeler said. “We are looking forward to seeing what else we can accomplish in the new year with Commissioner Higgins at the helm.”

The SEDA-COG board is a 22-member, county-based policy board representing both public and private sectors.

As a community and economic development agency, SEDA-COG enhances the quality of life and economic advantage for residents and businesses in 11 central Pennsylvania counties through its vital partnerships and initiatives. SEDA-COG also is an advocate for the interests of its communities at the state and federal levels. For more information, visit www.seda-cog.org.