#21: Ninety-Seven Point Three Five Percent

John Cosgrove, Jesse Ergott, and Shane Powers join hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman for this 45th anniversary special of the Be a Neighbor podcast, featuring a past and present NeighborWorks President & CEO roundtable. We were excited to discuss their time with NeighborWorks, how the organization has changed and evolved over the years, meaningful challenges they’ve faced, community leaders they’ve learned from, where they see the organization in the future, and more!

Nicole Curtis and Stefanie Colarusso, organizers of the Carbondalien Festival, join hosts Parker Dorsey and Gerard Hetman in this episode of the Be a Neighbor podcast. We were excited to discuss the origins of the festival, how the event has grown over the past three years, the story behind the 1974 UFO sighting in Carbondale, advice for other communities to capitalize on their local history, and more!

Michael Lombardo, Mayor of the City of Pittston, 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, key steps and milestones for Pittston's ongoing revitalization, how to maintain and advance progress at the municipal level, partnering with NeighborWorks to bring Beautiful Blocks to the city, and more!

Conor Kelly O'Brien, co-founder and executive director of the Scranton Fringe Festival, 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 growth of Scranton Fringe over the past decade, the mission and programming of the Youth Arts Coalition of NEPA, positive trends and challenges in the arts within our community and more!

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!