Congratulations to the 2023 SAGE Award winners!

Posted on December 6, 2023 by The Dunmorean

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce hosted its Chamber Gala on November 3, where they presented the 2023 SAGE Awards—the Scranton Awards for Growth and Excellence. Verizon presented this year’s event at the Scranton Art Haus Theater and Cinema Club.

Chamber board chair, Jerry Musheno, opened the ceremony by thanking all finalists, award sponsors, and Gala sponsors for their dedication to the NEPA community. The following were presenters for the evening— John Basalyga, owner of Scranton Art Haus, Marketplace at Steamtown, and JBAS Realty, and Robert McGuckin, manager–state and local government affairs for Verzion. Mike Castellano, special projects manager, United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike Counties, served as the emcee for the evening.

The SAGE Awards honor outstanding local businesses for their talent, creativity, and innovation.
The Chamber received nearly 90 SAGE Award applications. A team of volunteers scored the applications. The top three scoring applications were named finalists.

The 2023 SAGE Awards offered a new category to highlight businesses and their significant milestones, the Milestone Awards. 14 businesses were recognized throughout the award show: DBA Architects, LLC, Fidelity Bank, Goodwill Industries of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Highland Associates, Ltd., Inspired Studio, Montage Mountain Resorts, Needle Law, PC, Outreach – Center for Community Resources, Ski Shack, Space Time Mead & Cider Works, Talerico’s Tropical Winery, Tobyhanna Army Depot, WVIA, and WNEP.

The Chamber congratulates all finalists and winners of the 2023 SAGE Awards. The winners in each category are: Business of the Year, Titan Tree Service, Inc.; Community Involvement Excellence, Tobyhanna Army Depot’; Customer Service Excellence, Tech42, LLC; Marketing & Communications Excellence, Honesdale National Bank; New and Emerging Business of the Year, LFG Life Fitness Goals; Nonprofit Organization of the Year, WVIA; Product & Services Excellence, Merut Construction; People’s Choice, United Sports Academy; Small Business of the Year, Ski Shack; Workplace Excellence, Woodloch Resorts.

International Women’s Day Luncheon

Posted on April 4, 2023 by The Dunmorean

The Greater Scranton of Chamber of Commerce hosted their International Women’s Day Luncheon, sponsored by The Honesdale National Bank at Marywood University.

Pictured above from left are: Bob Durkin, president of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; Sister Mary Persico, president of Marywood University; Donna Barbetti, Laura Ducceschi, president and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation and ATHENA Award recipient; Dr. Damary Bonilla-Rodriguez, keynote speaker; Elizabeth Nagy, VP, director of sales, marketing and digital banking from The Honesdale National Bank; Mari Potis, director of membership and events at The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, and Deborah Kolsovsky, board chair at The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

ATHENA Leadership Award winner announced

Posted on March 1, 2023 by The Dunmorean

Shown with this year’s ATHENA Award recipient Laura Ducceschi are, from left: Kristine Augustine, vice president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; Bob Durkin, president, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce; Laura Ducceschi, president & CEO, The Scranton Area Foundation and 2023 ATHENA Award recipient; Donna Barbetti, and Mari Potis, director of membership and events, The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce.

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce has announced Laura Ducceschi, MBA, MA, CAP, CFRE, president & CEO of The Scranton Area Community Foundation, as the 2023 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient.

The ATHENA Award, sponsored locally by Michael A. Barbetti LLC Certified Public Accountants, honors an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in their business or profession, has served the community in a meaningful way, and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals, and leadership skills. Laura Ducceschi embodies these characteristics wholeheartedly.

For over 10 years, Ms. Ducceschi has made significant strides as a nonprofit leader to make lasting and meaningful changes in the region. Since being named president and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the organization has witnessed exponential growth. Under her leadership, the Foundation has established programs like NEPA Gives, The Center for Community Leadership, NEPA Moves, Women in Philanthropy, and the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative.

Ms. Ducceschi is actively involved with numerous communities. Currently, she serves on the Geisinger Advisory Board, the University of Scranton Advisory Board, NEPA Grant Makers Steering Committee, the Lackawanna County Women’s Commission, The Chamber’sLackawanna Industrial Fund Enterprises (LIFE) Board of Trustees, and is a Board Governor for the Indraloka Animal Sanctuary. In addition, she serves as a mentor for the Kirby Center for Entrepreneurship, is a Schwartz Mack Foundation trustee, and participates with the Funder’s Network racial equity group.

“Ms. Ducceschi is no doubt making positive and inspiring advances in the local nonprofit sector by implementing projects and programs that support our community,” says Bob Durkin, president of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. “We commend her for the work she has done so far and congratulate her as the 2023 recipient of this prestigious award.”

The ATHENA Award will be presented to Ms.Ducceschi at The Chamber’s International Women’s Day Luncheon on March 8, held at Marywood University, and is sponsored by The Honesdale National Bank. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.ScrantonChamber.com.

The ATHENA Award was first presented in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan, and has grown to include presentations to more than 5,000 individuals in hundreds of cities in the United States as well as in Canada, China, Russia, and the United Kingdom. The award takes the form of a hand-cast bronze sculpture symbolizing the strength, courage, and wisdom of the recipient.

The ATHENA Award® Program is nationally underwritten by General Motors and National City Bank.