de Silva, Stover honored at CCEP annual dinner
LOCK HAVEN, PA – Clinton County Planning Director Katie de Silva and SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Executive Director Jeff Stover were honored at the Clinton County Economic Partnership’s annual dinner held Wednesday night at the Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center on the campus of Commonwealth University-Lock Haven.
de Silva, retiring as planning director later this month after a decade with county government, was presented the Partnership’s Carl Bergdahl Tourism Award. For de Silva, the award was her second major recognition this year; in August the county named the Bald Eagle Valley Trail converted railroad bridge across the Susquehanna River in her honor.
Stover, a former county planner, received the Frank D. O’Reilly award for community service. Stover’s presenter was Clinton County Commissioner Jeff Snyder who noted Stover’s work on multiple rail projects within the SEDA-COG region and specifically in Clinton County.
Keynote speaker was Dr. Bashar Hanna, President of Commonwealth University-Lock Haven and campuses in Bloomsburg and Mansfield. In his first talk to the community since the integration of the three schools became official on July 1 of this year, he said demographics show that for the next decade the local university will not be seeing an enrollment of 5,000 students which had been the case earlier in this century. Instead, Hanna said, Lock Haven “can fly” with an enrollment of 3,100 students and the current enrollment is 2,800. He urged those in attendance to assist the school in its effort to reach that number and stressed the importance of internships in helping students secure jobs when they graduate from college.
Hanna touted a new scholarship program of $7,000 a year available for four years, part of an effort to allow students to leave college “with as little student debt as possible,” rather than $30,000 to $60,000 in debt. He also talked of a new tie-in with state community colleges whereby community college graduates with an associate degree will be able to attend Lock :Haven, Mansfield or Bloomsburg to secure a bachelor’s degree.
The CCEP annual dinner returned after a several year absence due to the pandemic. Partnership President/CEO Mike Flanagan served as event emcee. In brief remarks, Flanagan said, This is our first dinner in three years. I believe our greater community has had a nice bounce back business wise since the essential/nonessential approach in March 2020. It hurt our small businesses, while the big box stores stayed open. Nevertheless, we are here and although the hospitality areas might not be up to pre-covid levels, we are trending the right way. Croda has great plans for the former Baker Hughes site and so does Pine Creek Seed.” Flanagan indicated there could be additional good economic news to come in 2023.
