Penn State Beaver Chancellor Gary Keefer will participate in Building the New Beaver County Economy: Higher Education — Partners in Economic Development Forum from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, at Starting Gate, a regional small business incubator in Beaver Falls. The event is cosponsored by Geneva College, Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and the Beaver campus.
The forum’s goal is to identify ways that local colleges can collaborate with local industries to assist in the economic development of the region by training people not only for jobs but for careers as well.
A panel discussion will be moderated by Bill Flanagan, executive vice president of corporate relations for the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. Flanagan is a veteran broadcast journalist and host of “Our Region’s Business,” a business affairs program airing on WPXI-TV, PCNC-TV, WJAC-TV (Johnstown-Altoona) and WTOV-TV (Wheeling-Steubenville).
Two groups of panelists will be featured during the discussion. One group will be comprised of Keefer, Geneva College President Kenneth A. Smith and CCBC President Joe D. Forrester.
The second group will include Eaton Corp. Plant Manager Robert Griffin, Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse President and CEO John Manzetti, and Heritage Valley Health System CEO Norm Mitry.
Following the panel discussion, Barbara McNees, president of the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, will introduce keynote speaker C. Alan Walker, Pennsylvania’s secretary for the Department of Community and Economic Development. Walker will share his remarks and then hold a question-and-answer session for audience members.
Walker will also hold a separate media Q&A at the conclusion of the forum, followed by a light reception immediately afterward.
For more information, contact the Beaver campus Chancellor’s Office at rxm70@psu.edu or 724-773-3553.