The Local Business Community Update

Join Bob Durkin, President and CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, as he breaks down the staggering numbers behind our local economy. From the fact that 85% of Chamber members have ten employees or fewer to the revelation that $73 of every $100 spent locally stays in the community, this episode explores why small business is truly the heartbeat of the country. We dive into the specifi...

Jason welcomes back Bob Durkin, President and CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. In This Episode: The Empower Conference (April 30): Celebrating its 10th year, this high-energy, all-day event at Kalahari Resorts has grown into one of the nation’s top professional development programs. Leadership Lackawanna Core Program: This 10-month "flagship" experience is designed for emerging pro...

Scranton earned its name as the Electric City, but the current landscape is being powered by a new kind of energy: data, connectivity, and innovation. In this episode, Bob Durkin, President and CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, joins us to discuss the launch of a new strategic plan designed to navigate the NEPA economy through the next three to five years. From the rapid rise of dat...

The blueprint is drawn, but can Scranton actually deliver? In this episode, we go behind the scenes of Scranton Plan 3.0, a massive economic recalibration designed to span from 2026 to 2030. Amy Lester, VP of Business and Workforce Development, joins us to explain why the Chamber is moving past traditional models to embrace a high-stakes, nonprofit strategy. It’s not just about business—it’s about...

Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Bob Durkin, returns to discuss the Chamber's ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between education and the workforce. This month, the focus is on emerging career pathways for students. Get the details on the exciting "Groundhog Day" job shadowing event (Skills in Scranton's initiative) taking place on February 2, 2026, aimed at exposing 5th thr...

Bob Durkin, President & CEO of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, highlights two critical upcoming programs. Get the details on the Leadership Lackawanna Civity Workshop, a one-of-a-kind session designed to foster social trust and respectful conversations in our polarized environment. Plus, learn about the vital Leadership Collegiate Program—a low-cost, credit-earning course from Marywood U...

This month, Nancy, Jason, and Bob Durkin (President and CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce) talk about AI from the perspective of local business owners who may be unsure about integrating AI into their day to day operations. If you’re a local business owner who believes “AI isn’t for us,” prepare to be challenged. We also talk about the upcoming EDGE Summit: AI for Small Business even...

Advice for entrepreneurship- Local Business Community Update.

In this episode, Bob Durkin, President and CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, discusses the vital role the Chamber plays in advocating for local businesses, from pushing for permanent small business tax cuts to tackling the ongoing workforce crisis. Discover how the Chamber is addressing critical challenges and fostering a thriving business community through new initiatives like Scra...

(Disclaimer: This episode description was written by AI). Join Bob Durkin, President and CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, along with Nancy Kman and Jason Barsky from WILK News Radio's "The Morning News". During this month's podcast, we take a deep dive into the world of Artificial Intelligence and its (present and future) impact on our local small businesses. Are you a small busine...

This edition of the Local Business Community Update focuses on "the career path." Nancy and Jason speak with Bob Durkin about how he rose to President/CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. Was this always his career goal? You'll learn the importance of taking job interviews even if you don't want the job. There's so much great information packed into this edition of the Local Business C...

This is the Local Business Community Update featuring Bob Durkin, President/CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. During this episode, we discuss one of the biggest local events of the year: EMPOWER, The Leadership Experience. EMPOWER, The Leadership Experience is the areas largest business event and regional conference in northeastern Pennsylvania! Details: EMPOWER, The Leadership Expe...

This is the Local Business Community Update featuring Bob Durkin, President/CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. During this edition, we do a deep dive into the good, bad, and ugly regarding the future for Penn State Hazelton, Penn State Wilkes-Barre, and Penn State Scranton.

Discussing the perks/benefits of becoming a member of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, with President/CEO Bob Durkin.

New year, new possibilities for NEPA. Nancy and Jason speak with Bob Durkin, President/CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and ask him to fill in the blank regarding NEPA. "I believe 2025 will be the year _____ happens." Bob fills in the blank not once, but three times, in what is a really in depth look at what "could be" this year in NEPA!

Get ready to DREAM BIG! This podcast is “a mini symposium” on creativity and ideas, inspired by the theme of the 2025 Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce Annual Membership Directory. The theme is about bold vision and transformative ideas, and this month, you’ll learn the history of a few well-known NEPA destinations and how they grew from concepts into realities. We discuss how to cultivate crea...

During the November, 2024 edition of the Local Business Community Update, Bob Durkin, President/CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce talks with Jason Barsky about the great strides local businesses are making leading into the festive holiday season.

Bob Durkin, President/CEO of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce joins Nancy and Jason for the Local Business Community Update! This month, Bob shares how the chamber is helping local business tackle their biggest problems, with the issues being delivered straight to the candidates running in the 8th Congressional District. Plus, Bob shares details on the 2024 SAGE awards!

During this podcast, you'll hear Bob talk about an in person event called LEAD (Legislative Education Advocacy Day). This event takes place on Friday, September 13th, from 7:30am - noon, at Mohegan Pennsylvania.   In this episode: Bob Durkin returns after time off to recover from a surgery. Sadly, he now admits he'll never achieve one of his dreams. That dream is revealed in the first 30 seconds o...

This month, we're joined by Amy Luyster.  Amy is the Vice President of Business & Workforce Development of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce .  In this WILK Local Business Community Update, Amy goes into detail about two programs that she's helped champion during her time at "the Chamber." The two programs we discuss are: 1) Educator in the Workplace, a hybrid learning experience, bridg...

In this episode, Jason Barsky and Bob Durkin discuss: How NEPA's low unemployment (good news) is at a crossroads with a housing crisis (bad news). More importantly, how does the housing crisis directly affect local business and the NEPA economy?  Bob shares the details you'll want to know, and offers up some real world ideas which could lead to possible solutions as NEPA navigates through these tr...

In this episode, we discuss: What Bob sees in NEPA that makes him believe our business landscape is in great shape. The changing mindset leading to FRANCHISES joining the Chamber.  How businesses can get thousands of dollars in free marketing and advertising. The homegrown "boutique" business boom in NEPA. An positive update from Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport on the performance of Br...