July 31, 2025 • 36 mins
Hi This is Brad Weisman - Click Here to Send Me a Text Message
Lucine Sihelnik, the First Female President and CEO of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA), discusses the economic development landscape and exciting future projects in Berks County. She shares insights about significant changes in the business community and explains how GRCA is breaking the traditional chamber (of commerce) model with 900 members while many chambers nationwide are struggling.
• GRCA formed eight years ago by combining three organizations: Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce, Greater Brooks Development Fund, and Greater Reading Economic Partnership
• Reading's housing crisis requires comprehensive solutions beyond first-time buyer incentives—new construction and creative repurposing of existing properties are needed
• Passenger rail service expected to return (Reading Railroad) within five years, with the station located at the original Franklin Station
• Reading, PA offers higher competitive wages than surrounding counties, especially in manufacturing
• Major employers include East Penn Manufacturing, Amazon, Reading Hospital, and Giant Food Stores
• Family-owned businesses like Redner's Markets (employee-owned) play significant roles in the local economy
• "Meet Greater Reading" campaign highlights individuals who relocated to Reading to help with workforce development and talent retention
• Downtown revitalization efforts focus on mixed-use development near the future train station
Visit greaterreading.org for information about GRCA's 70+ annual events and initiatives.
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Welcome to The Brad Weisman Show, where we dive into the world of real estate, real life, and everything in between with your host, Brad Weisman! 🎙️ Join us for candid conversations, laughter, and a fresh take on the real world. Get ready to explore the ups and downs of life with a side of humor. From property to personality, we've got it all covered. Tune in, laugh along, and let's get real! 🏡🌟 #TheBradWeismanShow #RealEstateRealLife
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
from real estate, that's the market as a whole,
which then sometimes will affectthe right.
You know the real life.
We all learn in different ways.
If you think about it, waynedyer might not attract everybody
and everything in between.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Mission was really to help people just to reach their
full potential the brad weismanshow, and now your host, brad
Wiseman.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, we're back , hugo, it's Thursday again.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It is.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Thursday.
That's right.
It's so funny how quick theweek goes.
Yep, it goes really quick andit's wet and rainy.
It's wet and rainy.
It's been wet and rainy for avery long time.
There's thunderstormsconstantly, but that's summer.
I mean, that is summer.
That's what we're supposed toget.
So we have a local guest inhere today and we don't get as
many local guests anymore, butit's great when we do, and I'm
(00:54):
excited about this.
Hugo actually was really theproponent on this whole thing
and said, hey, you got to gether in here.
She's awesome.
We're going to have a goodconversation.
So there is chamber conferencespretty much everywhere in the
United States.
As far as I know, we also havea local chamber of commerce.
It's called the Greater ReadingChamber Alliance and the CEO
(01:15):
and president is LuceneSahelnick and she is in the
studio here with us tonight andI just want to say hello.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Hi, brad, I'm doing really well awesome thanks for
coming in yeah, I swam here foryou.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You did swim here we had a bad thunderstorm it's
unbelievable, yes and we hadwhat we had last night too, I
mean it's just constant, I know,so carry an umbrella.
You can't even use an umbrellain this weather, though it's
impossible, right because?
Fly away.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It just, it just fold up it Do you see those like
fishermen that wear like thefull suit.
That's what you need in thisweather, I think yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Well, you notice, hugo has a hat on and his hat is
.
Look at that hat, it'sspectacular.
See, that is just amazing.
So that's for all kinds ofweather, all kinds of weather.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Really.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Snow, rain heat the sun.
It keeps the sun off his face.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
He's on to something.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
He is on to something .
He's either on something or onto something, I'm not sure which
one it is.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Hey, now Don't miss my words.
What kind of show is this?
Speaker 1 (02:13):
That's right All right, we're going to talk about
the chamber.
We're going to call it thechamber because it's easier to
say than Greater Reading ChamberAlliance.
So we greater reading chamberalliance, so we'll call it the
chamber, for sure am I allowedto do that or not?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
are you gonna tell me no?
I would like to encourage youto call it grca grca I will.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
She's encouraged me to say grca, which is easier
than than saying greater readingchamber alliance right go, grca
sounds good, we can call itthat.
I might slip in chamber once ina while, just so you know.
But yeah, so you are the ceo, Iam president and the president
which I never understood thatwhole thing, but we won't even
get into that.
But no, you're the present CEOof GRCA.
(02:49):
Yes, and that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
It's a big deal, and I'm going to add something that
I'm very proud of I'm the firstfemale president, and CEO of
GRCA.
That is cool.
Thank you, yes, nice, that iscool.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Thank you.
Yes, nice Now, this even makesthis podcast more important.
You know, Hugo was right.
We needed to have you in here.
First female, isn't thatsomething?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It is, it's about time.
Thank you, we agree too.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
It's about time.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And it's a great role to have.
Yeah, and I'm about a year anda half into it now.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Wow, and is that an elected position?
How's that work?
No, unlike some other thingsthat.
I've done.
It is not.
It's not.
It's an appointed position bythe board chairman of GRCA, and
you know so.
This really was the next thingthat was kind of in line, for
you know, what was I going to do?
That's a question that you know, I think many of us ask right
it doesn't seem like the path islinear any longer.
(03:48):
You know a lot of what.
Maybe you're just going tosurmise here what you grew up
with, or what I grew up with interms of this is what you do.
This is what you're supposed todo.
You know, it's all different.
It's all different, Right?
So this is where I am right nowand I'm loving it.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Cool, very cool, and and you know what?
You always have a smile on yourface whenever I see you always
seem to, and people like you,and it's a good thing.
I think you're in a goodposition.
I think you're doing it at theright time too, so that's cool.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, this is a wonderful time right now.
It is for our businesscommunity, for economic
development, for communitydevelopment.
So, and oddly, um, maybe not somuch, but to me, initially, you
know, I thought is this theright job?
Right, like, I'm just not sure.
And there were so many boxesthat you know I was able to
check from my experiences, kindof in that timeline, leading up
(04:34):
to like, yes, this is it Right.
So the the background inbusiness, entrepreneurial, you
know, government, it all came tofruition.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Cause it's all in this job, it's all in there,
it's all in this job.
You've done a little government, you've done the economic part,
you've you're an entrepreneuralso.
I mean, you know, that's all init, you know, so you get it.
You get what it takes to be inbusiness.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
And it's exciting, it's not for the faint of heart,
right Like that's not.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
but if you're not, if , if you're not going through
some pain, there's no gain inanything.
I mean, it doesn't matter whatit is.
I hear this a lot in otherpodcasts.
It's not just people talk about.
Oh, you have to have pain togain muscles.
It's in everything in life.
If you're not outside the box,if you're not feeling a little
uncomfortable, those things arewhat you need.
(05:22):
And I'm sure you wereuncomfortable the first day you
walked into that office and say,holy shit, I'm the CEO of this
company.
You know what I mean.
Like that had to be thisorganization.
That's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, it's a big deal .
You know you walk in.
I had a box in my arms andfortunately I wasn't leaving.
I was coming in.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah, that's always good, always good from across
the street right.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So, um, on the heels of being a commissioner for the
county, which was a total honor,uh, you have a small box of
things carrying it across courtstreet one building to the other
, where our headquarters are Um,you know, and you have a little
bit of imposter syndrome right.
And if you don't, then you kindof have to check yourself at
the door.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Um then, the ego is getting in the way there.
Um and you know we walk into606 court street, which is where
we're headquartered.
We have other uh buildings andyou know land and assets and
properties here um in BerksCounty and greater running, but
that's where we call home, Uh,and you know, walk in with this
box and go to the third floor.
At the time and they said,don't unpack anything.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I thought, oh wow, there's really not a lot of
confidence here.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Okay, but what they were priming me for is that you
know, we own the building, weare tenants, we have other
tenants and we had people movingin right, and so we were
consolidating our entire GRCAteam out of that location to the
first floor, which is reallycool and I'd invite you and
people to come see it and reallysee how we envision activating
(06:51):
spaces in our downtown for allkinds of use.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Yeah, exactly, that's cool.
The organization sees the cityas an amazing opportunity and a
possibility to have more of that, to have more people downtown
and being in those spaces.
Because I think if you're goingto talk about it, you kind of
got to do it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
If you haven't met me yet, right, and you're
listening to this, you're goingto have to know I'm a diehard
Like I love Reading.
Reading is amazing andwonderful.
Why would I choose anywhereelse to live?
Sure Reading is amazing andwonderful.
Why would I choose anywhereelse to live?
And I think that was a reallyimportant part of you know the
culture and the vision andmission of of GRCA Right.
So, like you said, we embody it.
You know, we live it every day.
We go to work downtown, youknow, and as the city goes, so
(07:39):
does the County, and so whywouldn't everybody be rooting
for?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
an awesome downtown I'm always rooting.
I mean, I I love going downtownand you know I go there for
concerts and to see theater andthings like that, and I'd love
to go down there for more things.
Yes, we were at the sciencecenter with our kids.
Yeah, that was cool.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
It's incredible yeah, it's very cool I was really
surprised.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
uh, you know, it was something we were just uh
messing around on a saturday, Ihad nothing to do.
We're like, let's go there andcheck it out.
And the kids loved it, I lovedit.
It's cool, it's fun so yeah, solet's go into some of the other
stuff here.
What, what are you hearing?
I mean, it's been a long timesince I've talked to anybody
from the GRCA and what are thechallenges that you're hearing?
(08:27):
Uh, from business, uh, owners,and how is?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
the chamber.
I see, I said chamber.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, How's the the GRCA able to help with that?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I don't want to deflect your, your, your
question, right.
Because, as a politician.
We do that.
We're trained to do that.
Yeah, it's just a little pun alittle joke.
But one thing I'd want to do,because you said oh, I said
chamber, that's okay, you'reallowed to say chamber.
Let me take a minute just tosay like, GRCA is the chamber
(09:00):
right, so eight years ago, webecame the alliance that we are
now, which is.
Greater Reading Chamber Allianceand at that time, our thought
leaders around the boards.
They said, let's bring ittogether.
You know, let's bring theGreater Reading Chamber of
Commerce, the Greater BrooksDevelopment Fund and the Greater
Reading Economic Partnershiptogether as one.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Right, there's enough .
So, those were all separate.
They were all separate entities, and is that a common thing
throughout the country to havethree different things, or is
this something different forReading Area?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, no, it's some form of combination.
You're seeing that more andmore and we were just having
this conversation with kind ofbest practice in our industries
with the southeast region of ourstate.
And so we're seeing it there.
Some are EDCs, some arechambers, some are together, and
(09:52):
a lot of it, too, is that thatchamber model that you know what
you think of as yourgrandfather's chamber, that
mailbox membership type of thing, is passe right.
People are not excited aboutthat.
So you know how are we movingit forward, and I can't wait to
tell you about how we are doingit for cause.
We're doing a really well.
We're like breaking the mold.
Um, you know, when we look atnational standards and
(10:13):
statistics, uh, you knowchambers a lot.
Our local chambers are notgrowing, they're folding and
that's kind of and that's likethat's what I remember seeing
locally for a while.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Right yeah, it was diminishing more and more of the
membership and things like that.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So you guys are doing things to change that.
We are, yeah, and you knowwe're kind of setting the tone
and we're getting noticed.
Our marketing andcommunications team has, for the
second year in a row now, beenrecognized with a national award
for their storytellingcampaigns that they're doing for
our members.
Good, you know, and we havegive or take 900 members.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And you know, brad, I didn't realize that right
Because I'm not coming from thechamber world when I came into
this role and so when I startedgoing to find my peers, you know
, and go to conferences andwe're sitting around and talking
, you know, kind of likeexecutives to executives and
like well, how big is yourchamber?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Oh yeah, Right Chamber envy.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Oh my gosh.
Well, we've got 900 members.
How big is yours?
Yeah, and you know, so thattype of thing, Right.
I don't think I really realizeduntil I had those conversations
with with you know, other peers, how special we are.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So are we on the higher end.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
We are on the higher end.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
For our population?
I would think it goes bypopulation yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, and you know it kind of makes sense.
Like you know, we have in BerksCounty Redding.
Redding is the fourth largestcity in the Commonwealth and
when you talk about what am Ihearing from businesses?
So I'll take it back to yourquestion.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah, absolutely, she was going to dodge the question
.
She was going to dodge thequestion she was going.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
She's trying to.
Hey, I'll bring out the eightball if I have to.
I mean, we'll ask this thing.
Questions Actually.
Yeah, please do so.
You know, with those 900members, a lot of we have a very
diverse member group.
The diversity comes withindustries, right.
So our major industries that wefocus on are manufacturing,
healthcare, education,agriculture, but then also the
(12:12):
size of businesses.
So you know, the federaldefinition for a small business
is anybody who employs less than500 people.
Wow, small business.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
That's not what I consider small business, exactly
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So how are we defining it's?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
under 50.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Yeah, 50 and under, 100 and under would be more like
in Berks County.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
That's a small business, I would think you know
, yeah, and we have got somepowerhouses right.
So if you look at our list oftop employers, the size of the
workforce, right East Penn.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yes, exactly, Huge what 10,000?
.
What is it Moved up there?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
And We've got, yeah, amazon East Penn Reading
Hospital.
You know Huge employers.
Giant is a very large employer.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Really Well, think about it.
They do have a bunch of grocerystores in the area, so that
makes sense yes.
Yeah, thank goodness.
I mean, we all love food,that's good, that's good.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
It's Berks County it.
We love food, so no, that'sinteresting.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Giant is actually.
It is the biggest grocery store, probably.
Well, redner's, though, is verylarge too.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Redner's is large and Redner's is employee owned,
which is really cool.
I love Redner's.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
The family.
The owners are amazing.
Yeah, Ryan Redner's on ourboard and Gary and Ryan are
amazing, which is really cool.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
And we see what's done, you know with when they
consider and look back at ourcommunity and say, well, how can
we invest?
And really you know.
So you see the Redner's eventcenter and you see those, you
see their fingerprintseverywhere, which is what makes
us so special.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I think Absolutely.
That's a good plug for Redner's.
Right there there's acommercial for Redner's grocery
stores.
We'll have to.
We'll have to collect from himlater.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
So you know what am I hearing from business owners,
right?
So if you're an entrepreneur ora mom and pop shop, right.
What I'm hearing is a littlebit different.
You know we need extra help andsupport in marketing ourselves,
right, using AI, integratingthat.
You know.
Workforce we got to find peopleto work here.
Minimum wage is a concern forus, right.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Those types of things , scalability, and then maybe
even like some sex sessionplanning because they're a
family owned business you know,and that's tough, right, cause
we have a family owned business,comfort pro is my, my dad and
my brother.
So they, you know it's toughbecause it's a family owned
business and you know those arenot always easy, not always easy
(14:22):
.
No, and they make it work.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
And you know what, when you make it work, it's that
grit that we were talking aboutearlier, Um, and I think that's
the the beauty and the tenacityof of what they have.
And so then you have businessesthat are growing, um, you have
businesses that areheadquartered locally, that are
global.
Um you know you think aboutsweet street you know, you've
(14:46):
got Brentwood you've.
I I mean so on and so forth.
Right her buying you're sodiverse we're very diverse you
know, so what?
what am I hearing from you knowsome of those larger businesses
or manufacturing business aswell.
Obviously, with the change inadministration, you know, we've
had changes in things.
We've heard a lot about tariffswait, what's a tariff?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
never heard, I never heard anything about what.
What do you mean, tariff?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Um, you know, and so certainly businesses are talking
about that, right, they're likeis this a good thing for me?
Is this a bad thing for me?
Is this going to, how will thisimpact me?
Some people, um, in ourcommunity and of course we were
doing polling, we were makingphone calls, you know, kind of
like as it was rapidly rollingout.
We all we've lived through thisright, we can put that on the
list too.
Um, you know, and it's whatdoes this mean for you?
(15:32):
Some saw a boon, like they sawactually a growth right and some
are like well, I've got to findother places to source you know
or?
Some are like short term, thisis causing total chaos.
Long-term, I can see where thisis going going and I think
that's a really important partof what we do.
Through our advocacy work, wefocus on pro-business policy,
right.
So it's not economicdevelopment is not Republican or
(15:54):
Democrat.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yeah, I agree 100%.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
We make sure that we are supporting our businesses
with the right policy in placeand representation.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That's cool, very cool.
So what do you see?
As far as growth, is the Countygrowing?
Speaker 2 (16:09):
as far as businesses, yeah, it is Well population's
growing population's growingright and so, if there's a
correlation there, we're alsodoing a wage and survey study
right now with Lancaster Um, andwe did that intentionally, uh,
for a regional approach, tounderstand a little bit larger
than you know, Berks County initself.
(16:29):
So it's showing us yes, we'vehad population growth.
Yes, you know, we believe thatcorrelates to economic growth.
There's a lot of things thatare queued up on the horizon
that we're very excited about.
That also leads to that.
And when you look atcompensation and wages in Berks
County, greater Reading, we areoffering a higher competitive
wage, especially in ourmanufacturing industry.
(16:50):
We are, we are.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
And so it's drawing people to come and work in
Reading.
You know from the region, fromLancaster, from York.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Right.
So because the income makessense for the travel, right,
that's right.
They're making enough that thetravel makes sense at that point
.
Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, so other cool things that speak to the
competitiveness and potentialgrowth.
Future growth that we see is alot of that work to restore the
passenger rail.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Right and yes, uh, yes, we've been talking about
this for a very long time, um,but you know, I keep saying it's
not if it comes back, it's when, and that when is forecasted
less than five years from todaywhich is crazy.
Yeah, people need to befollowing it.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yeah, that's faster than it took for us to get to 22
.
Just so you know route 222 usedto be the road to nowhere.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Oh my gosh yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Okay, so that took 30 years.
I think 35 years it took to getthat highway done.
Yeah, and it's justunbelievable.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
It is.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So rail will have, hopefully in five years.
Yes, things are looking up forus Things are looking up, and
also the airport which.
I'll have to say, oh, we needregional air, yes, we need
commercial regional air, yeah,so they're working on it.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
When I was a commissioner, I was on the
airport authority board.
And I was all in in terms ofcreating that proprietary FBO or
flight based organization to beable to use the airport as a
catalyst for economicdevelopment.
We're starting to see thatcommissioners, as well as the
other board members, are doingwell.
(18:19):
They've created ReadingAviation and we're gearing up
for some really big thingsstatewide next year, in 2026,
that aren't going to impacteconomic growth for us, too,
that's awesome, the airport'sreally important.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Really is.
It makes you a hub.
You know what I mean.
I mean it just really does itmakes you a hub, and you know
Lancaster's doing it now.
They are they just starteddoing some commuter flights in
and out of there.
That's right, is bigger, if I'mnot mistaken I used to fly, so
I used to be a pilot and I'mpretty sure that lancaster's
smaller, you know, yeah, but uh,yeah, that's, that's good stuff
(18:51):
, really good stuff.
So, going back to that and andum is the housing thing, uh-huh,
yeah, I had tim in here, I haduh steve in here.
We're talking about from fromgreater, yeah, from the greater
redding housing authority.
Thank you yeah, now you got methinking.
Greater Reading Chamber of Life.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
It's part of our family.
It's okay.
Yeah, it's part of the family.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
But they were in here and we talked about housing in
that workforce.
Housing is huge, is an issue.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Yeah, it's a crisis.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Yeah, and I think what I'm seeing.
I was just up in Harrisburglast week for real estate.
I met with Eric Weeknack as anew representative, which I love
, eric.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Good guy, yeah, and we kept saying this is a crisis.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
You know and they know they know but I think the
good thing is is now everybodyknows, yes, but but how do we
all come together, right, andwe're working on that as a force
of one and say, okay, we allknow this is an issue, because I
see some things that they'retrying to do to fix?
It is to make get more buyersinto the, into the marketplace.
(19:58):
That's great, and I want tohelp out first time buyers.
I want to help out everybody.
Right, everybody should be ableto buy a home, as long as your
income and everything is goodand credit.
But that won't solve theinventory issue.
In fact, it makes it worse.
Correct, so we need to buildhomes, apartments, homes,
townhouses, condos, whatever itis, maybe the Berkshire mall.
Just get rid of it.
Let's just get rid of theBerkshire mall.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Get rid of the sinkholes and put put houses
there, or apartments or condos.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
And I think you know, I know that the county and many
of the people that youmentioned, you know we're all
working, you know, in terms of acomprehensive plan, so that we
are all rowing in the samedirection and when we're going
to Harrisburg.
All of our Berks delegates andrepresentatives know that right
and they're hyper-focused on it.
This is what we're doing in ourarea.
No-transcript.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Well, the Berkshire Mall is blighted.
Yes See, I can say what thehell I want you really can.
But seriously, I mean, you lookat that, it's a problem.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Oh, it is a problem, and they recognize it.
You know, and they know.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And all we're saying is it would be great to
repurpose that property.
But there's also properties inthe city of Reading.
There's properties everywherewarehouses, things like that
that can be repurposed.
That could be beautifulapartments.
But we need, you need investorsto have help.
We do, because not everybodyhas the money to do it, that's
right, yeah, we need investmentand we need a strategy and this
(21:47):
all again, like, let me get intomy government, east right, like
.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
So that falls under the comprehensive plan.
You know the County, throughPam Shepman it just rolled out
um.
You know initial needsassessment, study, um, so
they're on track, really tryingto aggregate who is working on
what and when.
What pieces of you know tobelong to GRCA versus NHS versus
, you know someone is our barand et cetera, right, um, and
that's important to identifyRight, and so then we put the
plan together, then we knowwhere the funding has to go and
(22:17):
you know it will help educate umand bring awareness for the
people who are NIMBY right Like,not in my backyard.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
We don't want to tear up green space and that's a
municipality thing.
That's a municipality.
I'm on a municipality.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It is.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I'm planning, commissioner, for, yeah, for
Spring Township.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
And you know, and we're pretty open to building
and things like that, which isgood, but there's some townships
that you get out more into thesuburbs and rural and they.
You know there's, sometimesthey it's not my backyard
Exactly, or I got mine, youcan't have yours.
Yeah, yeah, it's so true, and alot of it also used to be three
acre minimum for a house.
(22:55):
That to me, I get it back then,but we can't be doing that
anymore.
Yeah, I mean yeah, it should bea little different than that.
We should have some areas thatare high density that you can do
more homes in one little area.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah.
So I'm glad you brought upplanning.
That's really important in thisconversation and you know, I
think also that when we look atdowntown right, because I'm
going to talk a lot aboutdowntown you know we've been
focused on helping with atransit oriented development
plan.
That's going to be an overlayfor where the train is coming.
So that's station location issomething we worked on two years
(23:29):
ago and newsflash if you hadn'theard.
The station location is goingto be at the original station
which is, you know, sauconyCreek.
Franklin Station, and so we puta kiosk there and lo and behold,
we don't have to lay new tracks, we don't have to elevate
platforms, there's plenty ofparking because I imagine
initially, many people who willstart and adopt the early use of
(23:50):
this train are going to bepeople who will be driving and
parking and then commuting toPhiladelphia for work or or
pleasure, Right, so we need thatparking, entertainment or
whatever Exactly.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
But seventh and Franklin can't look the same as
it does now.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
No, and so what you see is that rapid development
that occurs when things likethis happen change in major
infrastructure, Stores food yeah.
So mixed use Right Exactly.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Mixed use, which is great, because now all of a
sudden, everybody wants to livethere, because now there's a
train.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
If I could hop on the train and I live right next to
the train and go to Philly,that's, that's awesome.
Can you imagine that.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I can it was rhetorical.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
It wasn't supposed to answer the question.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I get paid to imagine that.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
No, I can't imagine that.
But you're right, I'm sorry.
No, it's okay, tell me more.
I'm going to get the eight ballout.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
He's like and you're done?
No.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
I just think it's awesome.
To me it's just a dream it is.
It's like a dream come true tobe able to get on a train.
And I think the thing is too isI've gotten used to that.
My wife's from Long Island, sowe visit her parents all the
time up there and we do tripsinto New York City from her
right.
I mean literally like twoblocks from her house.
Get on the train and I'm in NewYork city in like an hour and a
(25:05):
half, but I can be on my phone.
I can be doing nothing,whatever I want to do, listen to
music, and that is the mostamazing thing, and we just don't
have that.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah, we got cut off from all of that.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
We did like probably about 45, almost 50 years ago,
right, like we just got cut off.
Yeah, we did, and we're we'rebuilding it back.
Who, who did that?
It was how to be hugo's fault.
We're gonna blame it on hugo,the guy with the hat, you know,
but yeah, so, uh, that's amazing.
I'm excited about that.
So you are, people are workingon the housing thing it is it is
(25:37):
.
It's a buzzword.
It's out there, yep, and I'venoticed that, um, and one of the
comments that was made when wewere up there was about how we
the.
It's going to be very importantto make sure that Franklin
Street and that area is becausewe're not going to get people in
here if they come up andthere's not a good looking area
to come to.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
That's right, that's right so that's going to be
important.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So that's going to take a community to do it.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
It is, and I can't say things out of turn, but
there's going to be some bigannouncements coming that are
really going to help to activatethe downtown space and the
corridor.
And you know, I'm sure peoplehave talked about CRIZ.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Yeah, that was a term up in Harrisburg.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yeah, so you know we've got the right tools.
I'm really excited about a newdirector of community
development that was justannounced by the mayor, you know
, with a very impressive resumeand background.
Is that who?
Speaker 1 (26:31):
is that.
So hold on, oh me so oh, I putyou on the spot, don't worry
about it.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
That's okay.
That's okay.
I know I don't want to misspeak.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I don't know, that's okay.
Make sure you got the rightname.
That's good.
That's good.
But anyway we're gonna take acommercial break.
No, just kidding.
Have you heard of Comfort Pro?
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Yes, I have, yes, I have.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Yeah, but yeah so, so there's a new person.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
David Barr.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
David Barr.
Okay so this is the person whois now in charge of what is it.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Community development .
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Awesome For the city of Reading.
Good, good, good.
And that's somebody that'sgoing to kind of be charging the
way for all that.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
A lot, of, a lot of what we're talking about will
fall under his purview.
You know permitting and um youknow community development, just
generally speaking putting itall together.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Yeah, that's great, that's great.
So, uh, what else is going?
Speaker 2 (27:22):
on in the chamber Like tell me, tell me what you
guys?
Speaker 1 (27:23):
I know that you guys do a big picnic every year.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Oh, we do.
So.
The picnic is around the cornerin August and people can still
sign up.
I'm just going to say right now, no matter when you're
listening to this, you canalways visit greater Redding dot
O-R-G-R-E-A-D-I-N-G.
For those who aren't local, andyou know, all of our events are
there, because we have morethan 70 events a year that we do
, and they're not all memberexclusive, but a majority of
(27:46):
them are for our members.
The picnic is a signature event, just like the dinner that we
had where I did not go.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
this year it was magical.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I tell you that much.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Cause it was a magician.
Yeah, that's right, that'sright.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So I got to be part of pen gillette's act on stage.
Well, he obviously didn't makeyou disappear because you're
here.
No, and he didn't sell me inhalf.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Okay, that's good, that's good yeah, because
otherwise you'd be just cartingyour body and your upper half
your body.
That'd be awkward.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yeah, that would be um so you know we ran out the
santander arena for that event.
You know we had about seven,eight hundred people this year
of our closest business friendsand business award recognitions,
which is really important, um,for those working really hard.
And so now we play with thepicnic and we ran out the um
first energy stadium, uh and now?
Speaker 1 (28:38):
is this the first time you're at the first energy,
or is it?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
No, we've had it for a couple of years there.
Um and a lot of um, funactivities where you know we
want all of our business membersto bring their employees right.
This is like everybody's bigsummer.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Oh my gosh, I used to go to all of them when I was
much younger.
It was a little crazy back then.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Yeah Well, we're a little more PG.
I would say, Um, and you knowwe still have.
Uh, we have a cornholetournament, we have a batting
derby, which I got toparticipate in last year.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
It was really fun With the batting derby.
Batting derby yeah, how'd youdo?
I did awesome, of course, ofcourse I didn't know that you
were MLB.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I didn't realize why not Add it to my list of titles?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
She's done everything .
Speaker 2 (29:19):
What can't she do, gosh?
I played softball in highschool.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
So let's go into that .
Where are you from?
Where are you from?
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Well, I was really raised in Berks County.
My family moved here when Istarted high school, so imagine
being transplanted from.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Washington DC to Berks County.
As high school, as a freshman,Were you kicking and screaming
the whole way.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I hated it.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yeah, absolutely, isn't it amazing.
Well, because we were talkingabout public transportation and
now you're the head of theChamber Lines.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
That's crazy, I know Well, because I chose.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the story, right.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
I chose to be here to make my life here, to live,
work, play, learn pray all thethings here.
What school I went to Y MissingDid you?
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I did oh, that's so then.
Okay, did you go to college?
Speaker 2 (30:03):
I did go to college.
I did my undergraduate degreeat Loyola in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
And then I eventually found my way back here and I
did my master's degree atAlvernia Okay, what do you have
a master's in?
In leadership Very good,perfect match.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Oh my gosh, that's cool.
Yeah, really cool.
Good for you, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
And I think too.
I want to spend a little timetalking about Meet Greater
Reading, because that isdropping this week.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
We'll end with that.
How's that?
Okay, cool, okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I mean thanks for asking about me, but it's really
not about me.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
It's nice that people know who you are and where
you're from.
I mean, it makes sense, yeah,yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
But you know that whole concept of choosing to be
here, encouraging people.
You know this workforce andtalent recruitment and retention
.
So you asked me where I went toschool.
Well, we're really fortunate tohave how many universities and
you know also technicalinstitutes, right, because
that's very important right nowin our backyard.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Okay, so, um, with that, you know, we have that
workforce right there, you know,uh, and we've got to figure out
a way to continue to encouragethem to stay here and not go
somewhere else.
And so our campaign that wefocus around, uh that, and also
for our employers that we talkedabout a little bit earlier.
You know how do we help themfind their best employees Right,
(31:27):
so people will choose to movethemselves their families here,
you know, start those lives,like you know, we're discussing.
If they're good, keep them.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Let's get them to do here, whether it's recreational
or cultural or food based orarts based entertainment.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
We do.
You can really get it all here.
We've really really become anarea.
Years ago and when I was reallyyoung it was not quite the same
, it was a little bit moreboring.
But the fact that we havepeople come here from you know,
new York, long Island and thingslike that, and we take them
places and they're like this isreally cool, like West Reading,
and things like that, the thingsthat we have.
It's neat and it's cool to see,because we didn't always have
(32:11):
that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
No, and you said West Reading.
There's a handful of mainstreets that have been popping
up, absolutely.
Kutztown and Boyertown.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Oh, we love the train Boyertown.
The train's unbelievable.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Right, so we've got more than one right.
And if you put all these thingstogether, you know it's it's
really that draw.
So our campaign that we doevery year, it's called Meet
Greater Reading and you knowthat's the campaign to
compliment what our visitorsbureau or our destination
marketing, you know organizationis doing.
They're working on bringing thetourists here, right, they're
really highlighting our area inour region, um, you know, to
(32:44):
just come and enjoy, because thetheory there is, if you get
them here, you know, forOktoberfest or the World War II
show or a sold out concert orsomething they may be like, oh,
but you know puts writing ontheir radar.
Um, and then you know, then wecan kind of take over and say,
oh, you've been here before,right, so and so's recruiting.
Or have you considered theschools here?
(33:04):
Have you considered the qualityof life?
And it's so close andaccessible to, even to
Philadelphia, to everywhere else?
And so then we highlight thoseindividuals who have made that
choice.
So that issue is dropping thisweek.
It's a magazine.
It's also online.
It has its own website, meetGreater Reading.
It handles on social media, buttake a look, because it's
(33:28):
telling the story of the peoplewho chose to come here from
Philadelphia to come here fromNew York or anywhere else.
What are they doing?
What jobs do they have?
Where do they chose to live?
That's cool.
Where is their favoriterestaurant?
What do they like to do?
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Yeah, that's cool, that's good stuff.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Really good stuff.
There you go yeah that'sawesome.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Hugo, do you have any quick questions before we?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
end I have so many questions but I'm going to we're
going to give you one.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I'm going to live it myself.
The music's coming on.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
You got to hurry up rapid fire, let us have it cake,
all right.
So we're talent, we're talent.
I was a whitewater rafting,guide say something in spanish
gracias and last year.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
What is your ultimate satisfaction in life?
My family all right there yougo very cool good answers that
was.
I'll tell you what.
I would be so nervous answeringthose questions that fast.
I'm like sitting here I'm stillon your first question.
I'm like I couldn't even getthere.
Thanks so much for coming.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
You are welcome to come back anytime you want.
Maybe you can talk about someof the new things going on as
the years go on and we'll getyou in here to talk about it.
I would love that.
Thanks so much.
All right, lestine Sahelmick,greater Reading Chamber Alliance
, or GRCA, of course, we can'tsay chamber anymore.
We get yelled at no, that'sabout it.
So come see us every Thursdayat 7 pm.
(34:48):
We have local people, we havepeople from all over the world
and we love the fact that you'retuning in.
All right, that's about it.
from real estate, that's the market as a whole,
which then sometimes will affectthe right.
You know the real life.
We all learn in different ways.
If you think about it, waynedyer might not attract everybody
and everything in between.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Mission was really to help people just to reach their
full potential the brad weismanshow, and now your host, brad
Wiseman.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
All right, we're back , hugo, it's Thursday again.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It is.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Thursday.
That's right.
It's so funny how quick theweek goes.
Yep, it goes really quick andit's wet and rainy.
It's wet and rainy.
It's been wet and rainy for avery long time.
There's thunderstormsconstantly, but that's summer.
I mean, that is summer.
That's what we're supposed toget.
So we have a local guest inhere today and we don't get as
many local guests anymore, butit's great when we do, and I'm
(00:54):
excited about this.
Hugo actually was really theproponent on this whole thing
and said, hey, you got to gether in here.
She's awesome.
We're going to have a goodconversation.
So there is chamber conferencespretty much everywhere in the
United States.
As far as I know, we also havea local chamber of commerce.
It's called the Greater ReadingChamber Alliance and the CEO
(01:15):
and president is LuceneSahelnick and she is in the
studio here with us tonight andI just want to say hello.
How are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Hi, brad, I'm doing really well awesome thanks for
coming in yeah, I swam here foryou.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
You did swim here we had a bad thunderstorm it's
unbelievable, yes and we hadwhat we had last night too, I
mean it's just constant, I know,so carry an umbrella.
You can't even use an umbrellain this weather, though it's
impossible, right because?
Fly away.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
It just, it just fold up it Do you see those like
fishermen that wear like thefull suit.
That's what you need in thisweather, I think yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Well, you notice, hugo has a hat on and his hat is
.
Look at that hat, it'sspectacular.
See, that is just amazing.
So that's for all kinds ofweather, all kinds of weather.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Really.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Snow, rain heat the sun.
It keeps the sun off his face.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
He's on to something.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
He is on to something .
He's either on something or onto something, I'm not sure which
one it is.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Hey, now Don't miss my words.
What kind of show is this?
Speaker 1 (02:13):
That's right All right, we're going to talk about
the chamber.
We're going to call it thechamber because it's easier to
say than Greater Reading ChamberAlliance.
So we greater reading chamberalliance, so we'll call it the
chamber, for sure am I allowedto do that or not?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
are you gonna tell me no?
I would like to encourage youto call it grca grca I will.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
She's encouraged me to say grca, which is easier
than than saying greater readingchamber alliance right go, grca
sounds good, we can call itthat.
I might slip in chamber once ina while, just so you know.
But yeah, so you are the ceo, Iam president and the president
which I never understood thatwhole thing, but we won't even
get into that.
But no, you're the present CEOof GRCA.
(02:49):
Yes, and that's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
It's a big deal, and I'm going to add something that
I'm very proud of I'm the firstfemale president, and CEO of
GRCA.
That is cool.
Thank you, yes, nice, that iscool.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Thank you.
Yes, nice Now, this even makesthis podcast more important.
You know, Hugo was right.
We needed to have you in here.
First female, isn't thatsomething?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
It is, it's about time.
Thank you, we agree too.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
It's about time.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
And it's a great role to have.
Yeah, and I'm about a year anda half into it now.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Wow, and is that an elected position?
How's that work?
No, unlike some other thingsthat.
I've done.
It is not.
It's not.
It's an appointed position bythe board chairman of GRCA, and
you know so.
This really was the next thingthat was kind of in line, for
you know, what was I going to do?
That's a question that you know, I think many of us ask right
it doesn't seem like the path islinear any longer.
(03:48):
You know a lot of what.
Maybe you're just going tosurmise here what you grew up
with, or what I grew up with interms of this is what you do.
This is what you're supposed todo.
You know, it's all different.
It's all different, Right?
So this is where I am right nowand I'm loving it.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Cool, very cool, and and you know what?
You always have a smile on yourface whenever I see you always
seem to, and people like you,and it's a good thing.
I think you're in a goodposition.
I think you're doing it at theright time too, so that's cool.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, this is a wonderful time right now.
It is for our businesscommunity, for economic
development, for communitydevelopment.
So, and oddly, um, maybe not somuch, but to me, initially, you
know, I thought is this theright job?
Right, like, I'm just not sure.
And there were so many boxesthat you know I was able to
check from my experiences, kindof in that timeline, leading up
(04:34):
to like, yes, this is it Right.
So the the background inbusiness, entrepreneurial, you
know, government, it all came tofruition.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Cause it's all in this job, it's all in there,
it's all in this job.
You've done a little government, you've done the economic part,
you've you're an entrepreneuralso.
I mean, you know, that's all init, you know, so you get it.
You get what it takes to be inbusiness.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
And it's exciting, it's not for the faint of heart,
right Like that's not.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
but if you're not, if , if you're not going through
some pain, there's no gain inanything.
I mean, it doesn't matter whatit is.
I hear this a lot in otherpodcasts.
It's not just people talk about.
Oh, you have to have pain togain muscles.
It's in everything in life.
If you're not outside the box,if you're not feeling a little
uncomfortable, those things arewhat you need.
(05:22):
And I'm sure you wereuncomfortable the first day you
walked into that office and say,holy shit, I'm the CEO of this
company.
You know what I mean.
Like that had to be thisorganization.
That's a big deal.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Yeah, it's a big deal .
You know you walk in.
I had a box in my arms andfortunately I wasn't leaving.
I was coming in.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Yeah, that's always good, always good from across
the street right.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So, um, on the heels of being a commissioner for the
county, which was a total honor,uh, you have a small box of
things carrying it across courtstreet one building to the other
, where our headquarters are Um,you know, and you have a little
bit of imposter syndrome right.
And if you don't, then you kindof have to check yourself at
the door.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Um then, the ego is getting in the way there.
Um and you know we walk into606 court street, which is where
we're headquartered.
We have other uh buildings andyou know land and assets and
properties here um in BerksCounty and greater running, but
that's where we call home, Uh,and you know, walk in with this
box and go to the third floor.
At the time and they said,don't unpack anything.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
I thought, oh wow, there's really not a lot of
confidence here.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Okay, but what they were priming me for is that you
know, we own the building, weare tenants, we have other
tenants and we had people movingin right, and so we were
consolidating our entire GRCAteam out of that location to the
first floor, which is reallycool and I'd invite you and
people to come see it and reallysee how we envision activating
(06:51):
spaces in our downtown for allkinds of use.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Yeah, exactly, that's cool.
The organization sees the cityas an amazing opportunity and a
possibility to have more of that, to have more people downtown
and being in those spaces.
Because I think if you're goingto talk about it, you kind of
got to do it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
If you haven't met me yet, right, and you're
listening to this, you're goingto have to know I'm a diehard
Like I love Reading.
Reading is amazing andwonderful.
Why would I choose anywhereelse to live?
Sure Reading is amazing andwonderful.
Why would I choose anywhereelse to live?
And I think that was a reallyimportant part of you know the
culture and the vision andmission of of GRCA Right.
So, like you said, we embody it.
You know, we live it every day.
We go to work downtown, youknow, and as the city goes, so
(07:39):
does the County, and so whywouldn't everybody be rooting
for?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
an awesome downtown I'm always rooting.
I mean, I I love going downtownand you know I go there for
concerts and to see theater andthings like that, and I'd love
to go down there for more things.
Yes, we were at the sciencecenter with our kids.
Yeah, that was cool.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
It's incredible yeah, it's very cool I was really
surprised.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
uh, you know, it was something we were just uh
messing around on a saturday, Ihad nothing to do.
We're like, let's go there andcheck it out.
And the kids loved it, I lovedit.
It's cool, it's fun so yeah, solet's go into some of the other
stuff here.
What, what are you hearing?
I mean, it's been a long timesince I've talked to anybody
from the GRCA and what are thechallenges that you're hearing?
(08:27):
Uh, from business, uh, owners,and how is?
Speaker 2 (08:34):
the chamber.
I see, I said chamber.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, How's the the GRCA able to help with that?
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I don't want to deflect your, your, your
question, right.
Because, as a politician.
We do that.
We're trained to do that.
Yeah, it's just a little pun alittle joke.
But one thing I'd want to do,because you said oh, I said
chamber, that's okay, you'reallowed to say chamber.
Let me take a minute just tosay like, GRCA is the chamber
(09:00):
right, so eight years ago, webecame the alliance that we are
now, which is.
Greater Reading Chamber Allianceand at that time, our thought
leaders around the boards.
They said, let's bring ittogether.
You know, let's bring theGreater Reading Chamber of
Commerce, the Greater BrooksDevelopment Fund and the Greater
Reading Economic Partnershiptogether as one.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Right, there's enough .
So, those were all separate.
They were all separate entities, and is that a common thing
throughout the country to havethree different things, or is
this something different forReading Area?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, no, it's some form of combination.
You're seeing that more andmore and we were just having
this conversation with kind ofbest practice in our industries
with the southeast region of ourstate.
And so we're seeing it there.
Some are EDCs, some arechambers, some are together, and
(09:52):
a lot of it, too, is that thatchamber model that you know what
you think of as yourgrandfather's chamber, that
mailbox membership type of thing, is passe right.
People are not excited aboutthat.
So you know how are we movingit forward, and I can't wait to
tell you about how we are doingit for cause.
We're doing a really well.
We're like breaking the mold.
Um, you know, when we look atnational standards and
(10:13):
statistics, uh, you knowchambers a lot.
Our local chambers are notgrowing, they're folding and
that's kind of and that's likethat's what I remember seeing
locally for a while.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Right yeah, it was diminishing more and more of the
membership and things like that.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
So you guys are doing things to change that.
We are, yeah, and you knowwe're kind of setting the tone
and we're getting noticed.
Our marketing andcommunications team has, for the
second year in a row now, beenrecognized with a national award
for their storytellingcampaigns that they're doing for
our members.
Good, you know, and we havegive or take 900 members.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
Yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
And you know, brad, I didn't realize that right
Because I'm not coming from thechamber world when I came into
this role and so when I startedgoing to find my peers, you know
, and go to conferences andwe're sitting around and talking
, you know, kind of likeexecutives to executives and
like well, how big is yourchamber?
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Oh yeah, Right Chamber envy.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Oh my gosh.
Well, we've got 900 members.
How big is yours?
Yeah, and you know, so thattype of thing, Right.
I don't think I really realizeduntil I had those conversations
with with you know, other peers, how special we are.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
So are we on the higher end.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
We are on the higher end.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
For our population?
I would think it goes bypopulation yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Yeah, and you know it kind of makes sense.
Like you know, we have in BerksCounty Redding.
Redding is the fourth largestcity in the Commonwealth and
when you talk about what am Ihearing from businesses?
So I'll take it back to yourquestion.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah, absolutely, she was going to dodge the question
.
She was going to dodge thequestion she was going.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
She's trying to.
Hey, I'll bring out the eightball if I have to.
I mean, we'll ask this thing.
Questions Actually.
Yeah, please do so.
You know, with those 900members, a lot of we have a very
diverse member group.
The diversity comes withindustries, right.
So our major industries that wefocus on are manufacturing,
healthcare, education,agriculture, but then also the
(12:12):
size of businesses.
So you know, the federaldefinition for a small business
is anybody who employs less than500 people.
Wow, small business.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
That's not what I consider small business, exactly
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So how are we defining it's?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
under 50.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
Right.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
Yeah, 50 and under, 100 and under would be more like
in Berks County.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
That's a small business, I would think you know
, yeah, and we have got somepowerhouses right.
So if you look at our list oftop employers, the size of the
workforce, right East Penn.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yes, exactly, Huge what 10,000?
.
What is it Moved up there?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
And We've got, yeah, amazon East Penn Reading
Hospital.
You know Huge employers.
Giant is a very large employer.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
Really Well, think about it.
They do have a bunch of grocerystores in the area, so that
makes sense yes.
Yeah, thank goodness.
I mean, we all love food,that's good, that's good.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
It's Berks County it.
We love food, so no, that'sinteresting.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Giant is actually.
It is the biggest grocery store, probably.
Well, redner's, though, is verylarge too.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Redner's is large and Redner's is employee owned,
which is really cool.
I love Redner's.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
The family.
The owners are amazing.
Yeah, Ryan Redner's on ourboard and Gary and Ryan are
amazing, which is really cool.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
And we see what's done, you know with when they
consider and look back at ourcommunity and say, well, how can
we invest?
And really you know.
So you see the Redner's eventcenter and you see those, you
see their fingerprintseverywhere, which is what makes
us so special.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
I think Absolutely.
That's a good plug for Redner's.
Right there there's acommercial for Redner's grocery
stores.
We'll have to.
We'll have to collect from himlater.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
So you know what am I hearing from business owners,
right?
So if you're an entrepreneur ora mom and pop shop, right.
What I'm hearing is a littlebit different.
You know we need extra help andsupport in marketing ourselves,
right, using AI, integratingthat.
You know.
Workforce we got to find peopleto work here.
Minimum wage is a concern forus, right.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Those types of things , scalability, and then maybe
even like some sex sessionplanning because they're a
family owned business you know,and that's tough, right, cause
we have a family owned business,comfort pro is my, my dad and
my brother.
So they, you know it's toughbecause it's a family owned
business and you know those arenot always easy, not always easy
(14:22):
.
No, and they make it work.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
And you know what, when you make it work, it's that
grit that we were talking aboutearlier, Um, and I think that's
the the beauty and the tenacityof of what they have.
And so then you have businessesthat are growing, um, you have
businesses that areheadquartered locally, that are
global.
Um you know you think aboutsweet street you know, you've
(14:46):
got Brentwood you've.
I I mean so on and so forth.
Right her buying you're sodiverse we're very diverse you
know, so what?
what am I hearing from you knowsome of those larger businesses
or manufacturing business aswell.
Obviously, with the change inadministration, you know, we've
had changes in things.
We've heard a lot about tariffswait, what's a tariff?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
never heard, I never heard anything about what.
What do you mean, tariff?
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Um, you know, and so certainly businesses are talking
about that, right, they're likeis this a good thing for me?
Is this a bad thing for me?
Is this going to, how will thisimpact me?
Some people, um, in ourcommunity and of course we were
doing polling, we were makingphone calls, you know, kind of
like as it was rapidly rollingout.
We all we've lived through thisright, we can put that on the
list too.
Um, you know, and it's whatdoes this mean for you?
(15:32):
Some saw a boon, like they sawactually a growth right and some
are like well, I've got to findother places to source you know
or?
Some are like short term, thisis causing total chaos.
Long-term, I can see where thisis going going and I think
that's a really important partof what we do.
Through our advocacy work, wefocus on pro-business policy,
right.
So it's not economicdevelopment is not Republican or
(15:54):
Democrat.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yeah, I agree 100%.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
We make sure that we are supporting our businesses
with the right policy in placeand representation.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
That's cool, very cool.
So what do you see?
As far as growth, is the Countygrowing?
Speaker 2 (16:09):
as far as businesses, yeah, it is Well population's
growing population's growingright and so, if there's a
correlation there, we're alsodoing a wage and survey study
right now with Lancaster Um, andwe did that intentionally, uh,
for a regional approach, tounderstand a little bit larger
than you know, Berks County initself.
(16:29):
So it's showing us yes, we'vehad population growth.
Yes, you know, we believe thatcorrelates to economic growth.
There's a lot of things thatare queued up on the horizon
that we're very excited about.
That also leads to that.
And when you look atcompensation and wages in Berks
County, greater Reading, we areoffering a higher competitive
wage, especially in ourmanufacturing industry.
(16:50):
We are, we are.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
And so it's drawing people to come and work in
Reading.
You know from the region, fromLancaster, from York.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Right.
So because the income makessense for the travel, right,
that's right.
They're making enough that thetravel makes sense at that point
.
Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, so other cool things that speak to the
competitiveness and potentialgrowth.
Future growth that we see is alot of that work to restore the
passenger rail.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Right and yes, uh, yes, we've been talking about
this for a very long time, um,but you know, I keep saying it's
not if it comes back, it's when, and that when is forecasted
less than five years from todaywhich is crazy.
Yeah, people need to befollowing it.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Yeah, that's faster than it took for us to get to 22
.
Just so you know route 222 usedto be the road to nowhere.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Oh my gosh yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
Okay, so that took 30 years.
I think 35 years it took to getthat highway done.
Yeah, and it's justunbelievable.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
It is.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
So rail will have, hopefully in five years.
Yes, things are looking up forus Things are looking up, and
also the airport which.
I'll have to say, oh, we needregional air, yes, we need
commercial regional air, yeah,so they're working on it.
Speaker 2 (17:59):
When I was a commissioner, I was on the
airport authority board.
And I was all in in terms ofcreating that proprietary FBO or
flight based organization to beable to use the airport as a
catalyst for economicdevelopment.
We're starting to see thatcommissioners, as well as the
other board members, are doingwell.
(18:19):
They've created ReadingAviation and we're gearing up
for some really big thingsstatewide next year, in 2026,
that aren't going to impacteconomic growth for us, too,
that's awesome, the airport'sreally important.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
Really is.
It makes you a hub.
You know what I mean.
I mean it just really does itmakes you a hub, and you know
Lancaster's doing it now.
They are they just starteddoing some commuter flights in
and out of there.
That's right, is bigger, if I'mnot mistaken I used to fly, so
I used to be a pilot and I'mpretty sure that lancaster's
smaller, you know, yeah, but uh,yeah, that's, that's good stuff
(18:51):
, really good stuff.
So, going back to that and andum is the housing thing, uh-huh,
yeah, I had tim in here, I haduh steve in here.
We're talking about from fromgreater, yeah, from the greater
redding housing authority.
Thank you yeah, now you got methinking.
Greater Reading Chamber of Life.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
It's part of our family.
It's okay.
Yeah, it's part of the family.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
But they were in here and we talked about housing in
that workforce.
Housing is huge, is an issue.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Yeah, it's a crisis.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
Yeah, and I think what I'm seeing.
I was just up in Harrisburglast week for real estate.
I met with Eric Weeknack as anew representative, which I love
, eric.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Good guy, yeah, and we kept saying this is a crisis.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
You know and they know they know but I think the
good thing is is now everybodyknows, yes, but but how do we
all come together, right, andwe're working on that as a force
of one and say, okay, we allknow this is an issue, because I
see some things that they'retrying to do to fix?
It is to make get more buyersinto the, into the marketplace.
(19:58):
That's great, and I want tohelp out first time buyers.
I want to help out everybody.
Right, everybody should be ableto buy a home, as long as your
income and everything is goodand credit.
But that won't solve theinventory issue.
In fact, it makes it worse.
Correct, so we need to buildhomes, apartments, homes,
townhouses, condos, whatever itis, maybe the Berkshire mall.
Just get rid of it.
Let's just get rid of theBerkshire mall.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
Get rid of the sinkholes and put put houses
there, or apartments or condos.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
And I think you know, I know that the county and many
of the people that youmentioned, you know we're all
working, you know, in terms of acomprehensive plan, so that we
are all rowing in the samedirection and when we're going
to Harrisburg.
All of our Berks delegates andrepresentatives know that right
and they're hyper-focused on it.
This is what we're doing in ourarea.
No-transcript.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Well, the Berkshire Mall is blighted.
Yes See, I can say what thehell I want you really can.
But seriously, I mean, you lookat that, it's a problem.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Oh, it is a problem, and they recognize it.
You know, and they know.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
And all we're saying is it would be great to
repurpose that property.
But there's also properties inthe city of Reading.
There's properties everywherewarehouses, things like that
that can be repurposed.
That could be beautifulapartments.
But we need, you need investorsto have help.
We do, because not everybodyhas the money to do it, that's
right, yeah, we need investmentand we need a strategy and this
(21:47):
all again, like, let me get intomy government, east right, like
.
Speaker 2 (21:56):
So that falls under the comprehensive plan.
You know the County, throughPam Shepman it just rolled out
um.
You know initial needsassessment, study, um, so
they're on track, really tryingto aggregate who is working on
what and when.
What pieces of you know tobelong to GRCA versus NHS versus
, you know someone is our barand et cetera, right, um, and
that's important to identifyRight, and so then we put the
plan together, then we knowwhere the funding has to go and
(22:17):
you know it will help educate umand bring awareness for the
people who are NIMBY right Like,not in my backyard.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
We don't want to tear up green space and that's a
municipality thing.
That's a municipality.
I'm on a municipality.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
It is.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I'm planning, commissioner, for, yeah, for
Spring Township.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
And you know, and we're pretty open to building
and things like that, which isgood, but there's some townships
that you get out more into thesuburbs and rural and they.
You know there's, sometimesthey it's not my backyard
Exactly, or I got mine, youcan't have yours.
Yeah, yeah, it's so true, and alot of it also used to be three
acre minimum for a house.
(22:55):
That to me, I get it back then,but we can't be doing that
anymore.
Yeah, I mean yeah, it should bea little different than that.
We should have some areas thatare high density that you can do
more homes in one little area.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah.
So I'm glad you brought upplanning.
That's really important in thisconversation and you know, I
think also that when we look atdowntown right, because I'm
going to talk a lot aboutdowntown you know we've been
focused on helping with atransit oriented development
plan.
That's going to be an overlayfor where the train is coming.
So that's station location issomething we worked on two years
(23:29):
ago and newsflash if you hadn'theard.
The station location is goingto be at the original station
which is, you know, sauconyCreek.
Franklin Station, and so we puta kiosk there and lo and behold,
we don't have to lay new tracks, we don't have to elevate
platforms, there's plenty ofparking because I imagine
initially, many people who willstart and adopt the early use of
(23:50):
this train are going to bepeople who will be driving and
parking and then commuting toPhiladelphia for work or or
pleasure, Right, so we need thatparking, entertainment or
whatever Exactly.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
But seventh and Franklin can't look the same as
it does now.
Speaker 2 (24:04):
No, and so what you see is that rapid development
that occurs when things likethis happen change in major
infrastructure, Stores food yeah.
So mixed use Right Exactly.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
Mixed use, which is great, because now all of a
sudden, everybody wants to livethere, because now there's a
train.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
If I could hop on the train and I live right next to
the train and go to Philly,that's, that's awesome.
Can you imagine that.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I can it was rhetorical.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
It wasn't supposed to answer the question.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I get paid to imagine that.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
No, I can't imagine that.
But you're right, I'm sorry.
No, it's okay, tell me more.
I'm going to get the eight ballout.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
He's like and you're done?
No.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
I just think it's awesome.
To me it's just a dream it is.
It's like a dream come true tobe able to get on a train.
And I think the thing is too isI've gotten used to that.
My wife's from Long Island, sowe visit her parents all the
time up there and we do tripsinto New York City from her
right.
I mean literally like twoblocks from her house.
Get on the train and I'm in NewYork city in like an hour and a
(25:05):
half, but I can be on my phone.
I can be doing nothing,whatever I want to do, listen to
music, and that is the mostamazing thing, and we just don't
have that.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah, we got cut off from all of that.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
We did like probably about 45, almost 50 years ago,
right, like we just got cut off.
Yeah, we did, and we're we'rebuilding it back.
Who, who did that?
It was how to be hugo's fault.
We're gonna blame it on hugo,the guy with the hat, you know,
but yeah, so, uh, that's amazing.
I'm excited about that.
So you are, people are workingon the housing thing it is it is
(25:37):
.
It's a buzzword.
It's out there, yep, and I'venoticed that, um, and one of the
comments that was made when wewere up there was about how we
the.
It's going to be very importantto make sure that Franklin
Street and that area is becausewe're not going to get people in
here if they come up andthere's not a good looking area
to come to.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
That's right, that's right so that's going to be
important.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
So that's going to take a community to do it.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
It is, and I can't say things out of turn, but
there's going to be some bigannouncements coming that are
really going to help to activatethe downtown space and the
corridor.
And you know, I'm sure peoplehave talked about CRIZ.
Speaker 1 (26:14):
Yeah, that was a term up in Harrisburg.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yeah, so you know we've got the right tools.
I'm really excited about a newdirector of community
development that was justannounced by the mayor, you know
, with a very impressive resumeand background.
Is that who?
Speaker 1 (26:31):
is that.
So hold on, oh me so oh, I putyou on the spot, don't worry
about it.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
That's okay.
That's okay.
I know I don't want to misspeak.
Speaker 1 (26:39):
I don't know, that's okay.
Make sure you got the rightname.
That's good.
That's good.
But anyway we're gonna take acommercial break.
No, just kidding.
Have you heard of Comfort Pro?
Speaker 2 (26:48):
Yes, I have, yes, I have.
Speaker 1 (26:50):
Yeah, but yeah so, so there's a new person.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
David Barr.
Speaker 1 (26:55):
David Barr.
Okay so this is the person whois now in charge of what is it.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Community development .
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Awesome For the city of Reading.
Good, good, good.
And that's somebody that'sgoing to kind of be charging the
way for all that.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
A lot, of, a lot of what we're talking about will
fall under his purview.
You know permitting and um youknow community development, just
generally speaking putting itall together.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
Yeah, that's great, that's great.
So, uh, what else is going?
Speaker 2 (27:22):
on in the chamber Like tell me, tell me what you
guys?
Speaker 1 (27:23):
I know that you guys do a big picnic every year.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
Oh, we do.
So.
The picnic is around the cornerin August and people can still
sign up.
I'm just going to say right now, no matter when you're
listening to this, you canalways visit greater Redding dot
O-R-G-R-E-A-D-I-N-G.
For those who aren't local, andyou know, all of our events are
there, because we have morethan 70 events a year that we do
, and they're not all memberexclusive, but a majority of
(27:46):
them are for our members.
The picnic is a signature event, just like the dinner that we
had where I did not go.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
this year it was magical.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I tell you that much.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Cause it was a magician.
Yeah, that's right, that'sright.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
So I got to be part of pen gillette's act on stage.
Well, he obviously didn't makeyou disappear because you're
here.
No, and he didn't sell me inhalf.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Okay, that's good, that's good yeah, because
otherwise you'd be just cartingyour body and your upper half
your body.
That'd be awkward.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Yeah, that would be um so you know we ran out the
santander arena for that event.
You know we had about seven,eight hundred people this year
of our closest business friendsand business award recognitions,
which is really important, um,for those working really hard.
And so now we play with thepicnic and we ran out the um
first energy stadium, uh and now?
Speaker 1 (28:38):
is this the first time you're at the first energy,
or is it?
Speaker 2 (28:40):
No, we've had it for a couple of years there.
Um and a lot of um, funactivities where you know we
want all of our business membersto bring their employees right.
This is like everybody's bigsummer.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Oh my gosh, I used to go to all of them when I was
much younger.
It was a little crazy back then.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
Yeah Well, we're a little more PG.
I would say, Um, and you knowwe still have.
Uh, we have a cornholetournament, we have a batting
derby, which I got toparticipate in last year.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
It was really fun With the batting derby.
Batting derby yeah, how'd youdo?
I did awesome, of course, ofcourse I didn't know that you
were MLB.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
I didn't realize why not Add it to my list of titles?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
She's done everything .
Speaker 2 (29:19):
What can't she do, gosh?
I played softball in highschool.
Speaker 1 (29:23):
So let's go into that .
Where are you from?
Where are you from?
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Well, I was really raised in Berks County.
My family moved here when Istarted high school, so imagine
being transplanted from.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Washington DC to Berks County.
As high school, as a freshman,Were you kicking and screaming
the whole way.
Speaker 2 (29:39):
I hated it.
Speaker 1 (29:40):
Yeah, absolutely, isn't it amazing.
Well, because we were talkingabout public transportation and
now you're the head of theChamber Lines.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
That's crazy, I know Well, because I chose.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's the story, right.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
I chose to be here to make my life here, to live,
work, play, learn pray all thethings here.
What school I went to Y MissingDid you?
Speaker 1 (29:59):
I did oh, that's so then.
Okay, did you go to college?
Speaker 2 (30:03):
I did go to college.
I did my undergraduate degreeat Loyola in Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (30:08):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
And then I eventually found my way back here and I
did my master's degree atAlvernia Okay, what do you have
a master's in?
In leadership Very good,perfect match.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Oh my gosh, that's cool.
Yeah, really cool.
Good for you, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
And I think too.
I want to spend a little timetalking about Meet Greater
Reading, because that isdropping this week.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
We'll end with that.
How's that?
Okay, cool, okay, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
I mean thanks for asking about me, but it's really
not about me.
Speaker 1 (30:38):
It's nice that people know who you are and where
you're from.
I mean, it makes sense, yeah,yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
But you know that whole concept of choosing to be
here, encouraging people.
You know this workforce andtalent recruitment and retention
.
So you asked me where I went toschool.
Well, we're really fortunate tohave how many universities and
you know also technicalinstitutes, right, because
that's very important right nowin our backyard.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
It's amazing.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Okay, so, um, with that, you know, we have that
workforce right there, you know,uh, and we've got to figure out
a way to continue to encouragethem to stay here and not go
somewhere else.
And so our campaign that wefocus around, uh that, and also
for our employers that we talkedabout a little bit earlier.
You know how do we help themfind their best employees Right,
(31:27):
so people will choose to movethemselves their families here,
you know, start those lives,like you know, we're discussing.
If they're good, keep them.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Let's get them to do here, whether it's recreational
or cultural or food based orarts based entertainment.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
We do.
You can really get it all here.
We've really really become anarea.
Years ago and when I was reallyyoung it was not quite the same
, it was a little bit moreboring.
But the fact that we havepeople come here from you know,
new York, long Island and thingslike that, and we take them
places and they're like this isreally cool, like West Reading,
and things like that, the thingsthat we have.
It's neat and it's cool to see,because we didn't always have
(32:11):
that.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
No, and you said West Reading.
There's a handful of mainstreets that have been popping
up, absolutely.
Kutztown and Boyertown.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Oh, we love the train Boyertown.
The train's unbelievable.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Right, so we've got more than one right.
And if you put all these thingstogether, you know it's it's
really that draw.
So our campaign that we doevery year, it's called Meet
Greater Reading and you knowthat's the campaign to
compliment what our visitorsbureau or our destination
marketing, you know organizationis doing.
They're working on bringing thetourists here, right, they're
really highlighting our area inour region, um, you know, to
(32:44):
just come and enjoy, because thetheory there is, if you get
them here, you know, forOktoberfest or the World War II
show or a sold out concert orsomething they may be like, oh,
but you know puts writing ontheir radar.
Um, and then you know, then wecan kind of take over and say,
oh, you've been here before,right, so and so's recruiting.
Or have you considered theschools here?
(33:04):
Have you considered the qualityof life?
And it's so close andaccessible to, even to
Philadelphia, to everywhere else?
And so then we highlight thoseindividuals who have made that
choice.
So that issue is dropping thisweek.
It's a magazine.
It's also online.
It has its own website, meetGreater Reading.
It handles on social media, buttake a look, because it's
(33:28):
telling the story of the peoplewho chose to come here from
Philadelphia to come here fromNew York or anywhere else.
What are they doing?
What jobs do they have?
Where do they chose to live?
That's cool.
Where is their favoriterestaurant?
What do they like to do?
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Yeah, that's cool, that's good stuff.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
Really good stuff.
There you go yeah that'sawesome.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
Hugo, do you have any quick questions before we?
Speaker 2 (33:46):
end I have so many questions but I'm going to we're
going to give you one.
Speaker 1 (33:49):
I'm going to live it myself.
The music's coming on.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
You got to hurry up rapid fire, let us have it cake,
all right.
So we're talent, we're talent.
I was a whitewater rafting,guide say something in spanish
gracias and last year.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
What is your ultimate satisfaction in life?
My family all right there yougo very cool good answers that
was.
I'll tell you what.
I would be so nervous answeringthose questions that fast.
I'm like sitting here I'm stillon your first question.
I'm like I couldn't even getthere.
Thanks so much for coming.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
You are welcome to come back anytime you want.
Maybe you can talk about someof the new things going on as
the years go on and we'll getyou in here to talk about it.
I would love that.
Thanks so much.
All right, lestine Sahelmick,greater Reading Chamber Alliance
, or GRCA, of course, we can'tsay chamber anymore.
We get yelled at no, that'sabout it.
So come see us every Thursdayat 7 pm.
(34:48):
We have local people, we havepeople from all over the world
and we love the fact that you'retuning in.
All right, that's about it.
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