Central Penn Business Journal

Artificial intelligence (AI) can give busy people something that they lack and need: More time. That concept is one of the core ideas behind a conference planned for October in Hershey and sponsored by Goodwill Keystone. Open to all nonprofit organizations, the Goodwill AI Networking Summit (GAINS) is intended to show attendees how to improve their operations and to better assist their clients by harnessing the power of AI.

Messiah Lifeways Board of Directors has renewed the contract of president and CEO Karl Brummer for an additional five-year term. According to a release, the announcement comes as the Mechanicsburg-based organization marks 130 years of providing Christ-centered services to older adults and their families. “The 130th anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate not only where we’ve been, but where we’re going,” Messiah Lifeways Board of Directors Chair Dave Warren said in a statement.

The PA Agricultural Business Development Center is now accepting applications for up to $15,000 in Farm Vitality Planning Grants. The 2026-27 state budget includes $500,000 for the PA Farm Bill grant program which supports strategic business planning to expand, diversify, or transition farms to new owners. “Pennsylvania farmers know how to grow crops and raise livestock, but growing a successful business takes planning,” State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said.

Dr. Robert Ricca has been appointed by Penn State Health Golisano Children’s Hospital as surgeon-in-chief to lead pediatric surgical services and advance care. The appointment is effective on Sept. 1. Ricca succeeds Dr. Thomas Samson, who has served as surgeon-in-chief since 2022. Samson helped advance pediatric surgical care across the organization. A pediatric surgeon, Ricca has more than 20 years of experience in clinical care, academic medicine, and military service.

Two Central Pennsylvania natives are making their mark in one of America’s premier wine regions. York County native Stephen Jeremias and his wife Brenda, along with fellow York native and Etters resident Rob Lane, have founded Valkyrie Crafted Libations, a boutique winery overlooking Seneca Lake in New York‘s Finger Lakes region. The focal point of the winery’s portfolio is Geistwein, a style of fortified wine.

For Pennsylvania manufacturers and large-scale energy users, electricity is not just another utility bill. It is one of the most important inputs that determines whether they can operate and thrive. Manufacturers, processors, and other large energy users depend on power that is available when they need it and priced in a way that allows them to compete.

James Steeley, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEEA), is stepping down following more than a decade of service that included modernizing technology, expanding student loan programs, and navigating the agency through the pandemic. The board has appointed an interim leader and started a search for a successor. “Serving as president and CEO of PHEAA has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” Steeley said in a statement.

Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that his administration has secured a $2.1 million investment from Gerard Daniel Worldwide to expand its manufacturing operations in York County. The Shapiro administration is investing $200,000 in the project, which will create 35 new jobs over the next five years and retain 107 existing, full-time positions. Gerard Daniel is North America‘s largest manufacturer and distributor of porous media to the filtration, separation, and barrier markets, according to a release.

State Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El and Nikki Rivera, both D-Lancaster, will host a workshop to help small businesses and nonprofits secure state grant funding. The workshop is scheduled to be held from 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sept. 2 at the Conference Center at IU-13, 1020 New Holland Ave in Lancaster. “This workshop’s goal is to give local organizations the tools to craft successful state grant applications,” Smith-Wade-El said in a statement.

Despite what appears to be a surge in inflation resulting from the Iran conflict, York County exhibited a strong labor market in the second quarter of 2026. The York County Economic Report reveals that employment increased in June with over 6,000 more York County residents employed in the year prior. The county’s unemployment rate in Q2 was 0.5% lower than during the same period, and labor force participation has reached record levels.