PROGRAM:

The Honorable Kelly Lewis, 44, President &, CEO of the TECHQuest Pennsylvania and the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania, innovatively leads strategies to build strong industry partnerships, robust technology infrastructures, and a strengthened technology workforce in order to discover, demonstrate and deploy advanced technology and innovations across Pennsylvania.

To jumpstart Pennsylvania’s technology business development, TECHQuest Pennsylvania helps lead the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Group and its Infrastructure Agenda for Pennsylvania to improve infrastructures. Member companies led the creation of The Pennsylvania Health Information Exchange (PA-HIE) and its efforts to improve patient safety and healthcare quality, and the Military Information Exchange (MiX 2009) to grow the homeland and defense technology industry, and related innovations and connections between academia, government and industry.  TECHQuest-Broadband helps accelerate the deployment of advanced broadband networks across Pennsylvania.  TQ-Broadband has helped organizations secure over $5.2 million in advanced broadband contracts. 

TECHQuest Workforce Training provides best-of-breed workforce training at the most affordable prices to Pennsylvania companies so they can attract, retain and train the best possible workforce.  Since 2005, TQ-Workforce Training has leveraged $1.2 million in state, federal and corporate grants into more than $4.2 million in training for more than 4,700 professionals.  TECHQuest-Internship is one of the largest fully-managed Internship systems in the nation, connecting companies and students into PAID Internships.   www.techquestpa.com.

A public servant, in 2000 through one of the biggest upsets in PA House history, Lewis won a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.  Lewis served four years and his legislative record includes the nation’s first heart defibrillator (AED) Bill for Schools, placing more than 3,200 AEDs in PA school buildings, savings dozens and dozens of lives to date.  His passed legislative initiatives included Pennsylvania’s EITC law, highway safety corridor legislation, tort reform language against venue-shopping, and the growth supplement in the state budget to aid fast-growing schools.  Lewis’ toll-equity efforts at the Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge cut toll rates and continue to save local residents and businesses more than $4 million per year.  Locally, Lewis started the Safe80 Task Force, Team Monroe, the Pocono Telecommunication’s Task Force, and The Reasons for Christmas Project, among many successful initiatives.  Lewis’s political career was highlighted by his leadership in helping secure millions of dollars in state and federal funding for the Pocono region and Pennsylvania.
An attorney with an MBA and finance degree, Lewis served four years as the Monroe County Controller, overseeing its $110 million budget, financial operations, pensions and audits. 

A twin, Lewis is a 1982 graduate of East Stroudsburg Area High School, where he served as class president. He continued his education at Bloomsburg University, where he earned a degree in 1986 in Finance, and served as the student government treasurer. In 1993, Lewis earned a law degree and an MBA (JD/MBA) from the Widener University School of Law.  He and his wife Lisa, proud parents of Nashua and McKenna, live in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS / MEETING LOCATIONS:                                                 
April 6             Kathleen Howley, Ass’t Vice Chancellor, PA State System of Higher Education Hilton            
One in five Pennsylvanian’s has a disability. Yet most employment cultures do not foster an environment of inclusiveness.
Join our speaker Dr. Kathleen M. Howley, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs for PASSHE, as she
shares her humorous yet thoughtful perspective as a “visual spy.” Her talk “Confessions of a Spy”  will remind us that we each
have the ability and responsibility to foster workforce cultures of compromise and inclusion.

April 13         NO MEETING

April 14, 15 and 16       Foose Vision Project   8:30-2:30 PM

For complete programming go to our website: hbgrotary.org and click on calendar.
For meeting cancellations due to inclement weather.... Tune to ABC27-TVor check your e-mail or call the Rotary office at 234-1208.

NEWS AND NOTES:  
• Congratulations to Deb Abel for being honored as one of the 50 Best Women in Business.

• Roster Information sheets were placed in the badge boards.  Please review to make sure your contact information is correct, select your 2009-10 committees and return to Linda.

• The Whitaker Center offers reduced tickets to Rotariand and their guests for 3 shows.  Please contact Linda if you would like tickets held for you at will call.  Price is $23/pp and checks should be made payable to Rotary Club of Harrisburg.

Tibetan Monks  4/12/09  7 PM          The Flatlanders 4/15/09  7:30 PM           Kathy Mattea 4/17/09  8 PM 

• Sign up sheets (April 14, 15, 16) are available for the Foose School Vision Project.

• NOMINATING COMMITTEE:  Below is the recommendation from the Nominating Committee and approved by the Board.  Vote will be taken at the Annual Meeting in April.
2009-11     
President                      President-Elect                         Vice President                                       Imm. Past-President                
Carolyn Dumaresq         John P. Judson (2010-11)          Robert S. Saline (2011-12)                     Barry Ramper

Secretary                                  Treasurer                                   Sergeant-at-Arms
Carrie W. Thomas                      William B. Boles                        William M. Tillett

BOARD OF DIRECTORS                                  
Caryn J. Carr                             ‘10                                John R. Detweiler           '11
Lawrence M. Means                   ‘10                                Kent E. Frese                '11       
Andrew R. Rebuck                     ’10                                John J. McHenry           ‘11
Maria B. Persico                        ‘10                                Karen F. Snider              '11

• DISTRICT INFO: 

     2008-9 District Conference April 30-May 2

Check out the tentative schedule:

Thursday, April 30 Golf Tournament—Country Club of York                                    Saturday, May 2—Yorktowne Hotel - Plenary Sessions
Friday, May 1– Yorktowne Hotel Plenary / Breakout Sessions                     Lunch/ Downtown/Historical Tours/ Governors Banquet
Lunch/ Factory Tours including Harley Davidson
Dinner at Sovereign Bank Stadium

Registration materials will be available shortly!!

ATTENDANCE:
LAST ROTARY MEETING:  3/23/09       59%                      
Rotarians  73     Active Specials   9    Guests  38    Visiting Rotarians  0  = 120

Minutes by Steve Baloga: 
President Barry brought the meeting to order at the Hilton as customary with singing, the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation.

Jeannette Archer-Simons introduced guests and visiting Rotarians.

Marion Alexander gave an update on our corporate membership initiative indicating that Capital Blue Cross will be our club’s first corporate member.

John Judson, Tom Johnston and Dave Warren gave a report on their Joining Hands mission to Mississippi to help re-build a house damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

Carolyn Dumaresq introduced the students and teachers of the quarter.

Jewel Cooper introduced our speaker Joseph Robinson, Jr., Executive Director, Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Development Institute.

Mr. Robinson’s topic was entitled “Harrisburg Through Ebony-colored Glasses.” He explained how he was born in Charlotte, NC and moved to Harrisburg with his family as a child. He was the first college graduate in his family. He explained how Harrisburg was a community populated with mostly small businesses and how important the Police Athletic League and Camp Curtin YMCA were to him as a child. He gave some examples of racial discrimination encountered in Harrisburg in the past.

Mr. Robinson touched very briefly on many concepts/ideas too numerous to mention, but here are some – Think morally not materially; closing the Camp Curtin Y would be devastating to the children who use it; some things can’t be justified by just the bottom line; the Leadership Development Institute challenges people to move beyond success to significance; injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (a quote from MLK Jr.). Mr. Robinson has authored a book dealing with the 7 Basic Leadership Imperatives. He indicated that on May 12, 2009 a Forum was to be held focusing on anchoring institutions.

Peggy Grove indicated that the Rotary Scholarship deadline for this year is April 10, 2009 and not many applications have been received. There is a great opportunity for high school students to apply.

President Barry announced that our club’s Harrisburg School District Vision Project will be held at Foose Elementary School on April 14, 15 and 16. Volunteers are needed and sign up sheets are available through Linda.