Gus Fahey, President of Valley in Motion, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss his career and professional background, the mission and vision of Valley in Motion, positive trends in the community, how to shape a positive vision and pathway for our future as a region, and more!

Julie Schumacher Cohen and Daysi Carreto from The University of Scranton Office of Community Relations, join hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss their career and professional backgrounds, the ways their office connects the University of Scranton and the greater Scranton community, highlights from initiatives they have organized, how their activities reflect the university's Jesuit mission, and more!

Lori Rudalavage (NMLS #142504), Vice President and Senior Mortgage Lender at PS Bank (Equal Housing Lender | NMLS#456076), joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss her career and professional background, her work in partnering with our homeownership team, current trends and changes in the homeownership landscape, best steps for aspiring homeowners to begin the homebuying process, and more!

Owen Worozbyt, Director of Operations at the Lackawanna Heritage Valley, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss how he got into his current position, the history and mission of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley, the development of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, other community assets that are important to the Trail’s long-term health and development, and more!

Michele Bannon, the Mayor of Carbondale and NeighborWorks board member, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss her journey to her current community service endeavors, what a typical day as mayor looks like, how she first became involved with our organization, her involvement with our ongoing community development work, and more!

Amy Cusick, founder of Christmas Miracles from Heaven, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss the nonprofit's mission, their work in cleaning the Washburn Street Cemetery, their various other community service activities, inspiration for starting said work, plans for the future, and more!

Ryan Hnat, West Scranton High School art teacher and muralist from Northeast Art Project, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss how he came to Scranton, the teaching work he does on a daily basis, examples from his teaching experiences on how students' lives have been impacted, his experiences creating murals with the Northeast Art Project, and more!

Brianna Keeler, Comparion insurance agent, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. She has collaborated with us on several of our West Scranton events and her husband is from West Side. We were excited to discuss her career, evolutions and changes in the insurance industry that could be helpful information to Scranton residents, what it was like learning West Side, and more!

Kimberly Crafton, Oral Histories Coordinator from Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story, and Doreen Fazzi, lifelong West Scranton resident and former Scranton School District teacher, joins hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss how the Scranton's Story, Our Nation's Story campaign has developed, upcoming events regarding the story, the story that Doreen shared for the campaign and her experiences in West Scranton, Doreen's involvement with our Beautiful Blocks program, and more!

Dr. Douglas Boyle and Andy Chomko, president and treasurer of the West Scranton Wrestling Alumni Association, respectively, join hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. Both are alumni of West Scranton High School wrestling. In this episode we discuss the West Scranton Wrestling Alumni program: how it got started, their plans for the community center and other activities, and how the community at large can support and assist. Douglas is also the department chair and professor of the accounting program at the University of Scranton. Andy is also the funeral director at Edward J. Chomko Funeral Home & Cremation Services.