Chamber road map providing direction for Washington County
Courtesy of Hardy World LLC
Jeff Kotula and his Washington County Chamber of Commerce staff have unveiled Washington Forward, a plan to boost the county.
Holeczy
Michael Rooney, a vice president of Florida-based Rye Development, discussed renewable hydropower at W&J’s first Energy Series Lecture for the academic year.
Petroplus
Road maps are not as commonplace as they once were, but the Washington County Chamber of Commerce has developed one that it believes will provide positive direction.
The chamber on Wednesday introduced its Washington Forward agenda, a collaborative policy road map that, according to a news release, “is designed to underscore the ongoing significance of economic, workforce and community development priorities” in the county. The chamber referred to the agenda as “a blueprint for achieving enduring prosperity for present and future generations.”
The initiative outlines four areas of strength within the county, with a focus on building future growth: maintaining a diverse economy; having sufficient industrial and commercial sites; increasing population; and effective governance and collaboration.
And with change ahead on the board of county commissioners and state elections scheduled for 2024, the chamber is pushing for collaboration between “the business community to understand elected leaders’ positions … and that our elected leaders know what is important to the businesses and industries.”
Chamber president Jeff Kotula said in a statement: “Through conversation and collaboration with our board and member businesses … we have recognized there was not a unified message from the business community to communicate issues of local and countywide growth to our elected leaders, and those who seek to hold elected offices (in the county). We wanted to provide direction to our elected leaders for our county’s future growth.”
The chamber also is developing a questionnaire for candidates for commissioner to state their positions related to these topics.
CEPM
The Center for Energy Policy and Management at Washington & Jefferson College will host a webinar on hydropower on Sept. 27.
“Clean Hydropower from the Three Rivers” will be the topic of the free, hourlong event, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. It is part of CEPM’s Energy Lecture Series.
Michael Rooney, vice president of project management for Rye Development, will make the presentation. Rye Development, based in Florida, is a leading developer of new low-impact hydropower energy generation and energy storage in the United States.
Hydropower is a large, longtime source of renewable energy that accounts for 28.7% of total U.S. renewable electricity generation, and about 6.2% of total U.S. electricity generation.
Rye Development plans to modernize existing dams along the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers, which are used for navigation, to add power-generating capabilities.
To register, visit wjenergy.org or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clean-hydropower-from-the-three-rivers-tickets-710274529237?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Banking
Bill Petroplus has retired as director of Community Bank following nearly 40 years of service.
“After almost 40 years of exemplary leadership, vision, and dedication, Community Bank is celebrating the contributions of William ‘Bill’ Petroplus,” the company said in a statement. “Under his guidance, the bank has achieved numerous milestones, expanded its client base, and strengthened its position in the market.”
Petroplus said: “It has been an incredible privilege to serve as director. I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished together as a team. The Bank is well-positioned for continued success, and I have every confidence in the capable hands of our talented staff and leadership.”
And, Finleyville resident Timothy Holeczy has been named manager at First Commonwealth Bank’s Green Tree office at 339 Mansfield Ave.
He has joined the bank, based in Indiana, Pa., after serving at WesBanco, Citizens Bank and Fidelity Banks.
As Financial Solutions Center manager at the Green Tree location, Holeczy will strive to build new customer relationships and expand current relationships to support customer needs.
AHN
Allegheny Health Network has appointed Rebecca McClaine, M.D., as chief medical officer of Jefferson Hospital. McClaine will lead the medical staff and clinical operations at the hospital and its affiliated sites in the South Hills, Lower Mon Valley and surrounding areas.
A general surgeon, McClaine is a key member of the AHN physician leadership team, as a clinician and in medical staff leadership roles. McClaine has been a practicing surgeon with AHN since 2014.
She succeeds Mark Gannon, M.D., who became chief marketing officer during the COVID-19 pandemic. He will continue to work as a breast cancer surgeon out of the Jefferson Hills Surgical Specialists practice.
And, for the fifth consecutive year, Forbes Magazine has named Allegheny Health Network one of “America’s Best Employers by State.”
AHN is one of 13 Pennsylvania-based hospitals or health systems to be named among the nation’s “Best Employers” this year. AHN has appeared on the list each year since Forbes first published it in 2019.
James Benedict, AHN’s president, said in a news release: “We are incredibly honored to be consistently recognized among America’s and Pennsylvania’s best employers, by one of the country’s most respected business journals.”