Sep. 25—Everal "Ben" Eaton, Senior Director of Operations of the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce, said whether you are new to government affairs or have been involved in politics for several years, the upcoming Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) will have sessions that you'll find useful and informative.

"We are excited this year to partner with our regional chambers representing Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties," Eaton said. "Community leaders and advocacy efforts are such an important part of the success of any community. Our area has so many amazing community leaders that we are excited to feature this year. LEAD is shaping up to be a day that truly showcases government affairs across the Wyoming Valley."

Eaton said Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) will take place on Friday, Oct. 14, at the Woodlands Inn, 1073 Route 315, Plains Township. He said the event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with multiple sessions planned.

Luke Bernstein, President & CEO of PA Chamber of Business and Industry, will be the keynote speaker for the event.

A seasoned financial, government, and public policy professional, Bernstein came to the organization in 2022 with more than 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors. Before leading the PA Chamber, Bernstein was most recently Executive Vice President, Chief Operations and Technology Officer at Orrstown Financial Services. He had served as Orrstown's Corporate Spokesperson since 2017.

He was previously Senior Vice President of External Affairs at the Pennsylvania Bankers Association from 2015 to 2017 and Deputy Chief of Staff for former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett from 2011 to 2015.

Sessions will include: Mayor's Roundtable, Transportation Panel, Workforce Panel, DEI in Politics, Women in Politics, Politics 101, and Chamber Advocacy.

Eaton said the event will also be a partnership with the Back Mountain Chamber, the Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce, Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce and co-chaired by Alana Roberts, Regional Affairs Director of PPL, and Holly Pilcavage, CEO of Coal Creative.

"We are looking forward to bringing Chamber and community members together for this exciting, revamped half-day event," said Holly Pilcavage, President & CEO of Coal Creative. "It is our hope that we will see new faces 'at the table' who will ultimately engage in important discussions with our speakers as well as other attendees across all of the topic areas, which impact our region on a daily basis. The goal is for attendees to become more informed, and perhaps more importantly, leave feeling energized to take their own personal next steps to LEADing in their own way."

Eaton said tickets are available at $75 per ticket. You can register to reserve your spot now at — business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/chambercalendar.

Event sessions:

—Mayor Roundtable — Mayors are the leaders driving our towns and cities forward. The rapidly changing environment of the pandemic has changed the landscape of our communities and how they operate. Learn from our area's mayors on where our communities are and where they are trying to take them to.

—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Politics — Over the past few years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has become more central to our national dialogue. As our communities continue to become more diverse, it is important for us to have discussions around DEI. Learn from some of our local elected officials how they are addressing DEI within our area.

—Workforce Panel — Workforce remains a major topic for many employers in the Wyoming Valley. Learn how these community leaders are tackling some of the challenges with workforce that we are facing to not only prepare our communities for the opportunities that exist today, but also for those that will exist in the future. Speakers for this session will be announced soon!

—Chamber Advocacy Panel — One of the core functions of a Chamber of Commerce is advocacy. Learn from our area's Chamber Executives how to utilize your Chamber membership for advocacy and how to bring issues forward for the chamber to advocate on your behalf. Speakers for this session will be announced soon!

—Women in Politics — This session will feature a panel of women who have spent part of their careers in public office. Learn about their perspectives and challenges they faced as women in politics.

—Transportation Panel — Our roadways and transportation systems are vital to businesses within our area. With the recent passage of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, there has been more dialogue around improving our current systems and what the future of transportation looks like. This session will dive into transportation and its future within the Wyoming Valley.

—Politics 101 — Are you interested in getting more involved in your community and helping move the needle forward. There are many ways to get involved in politics. From running for an elected position, volunteering on county and city boards, volunteering, and countless other ways, learn from this panel how to start your journey into community politics.

Keynote speaker

In addition to his executive leadership roles in the private sector and state government, Bernstein has experience working at the federal level, as a former appointed advisor in the Administration of President George W. Bush and as an aide in the U.S. Senate.

He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and policy studies from Dickinson College, where he also served as an adjunct professor.

Bernstein also completed the Duke Leadership Program at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

He is a very active member of his community, serving on numerous boards and as a youth sports coach.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.