The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce is planning to hold meetings in April with legislators, including U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, and the county commissioners.
Cartwright, D-17, will be the guest speaker at the chamber's 95th annual luncheon, slated for noon May 2 at the Pottsville Club, according to Robert S. Carl Jr., chamber executive director.
In recent years, the chamber has been inviting top legislators to be the keynote speakers for these events. In 2011, it was U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, D-17, of Saint Clair. In 2012, it was U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.
"One reason why is because we've had such great relations in the region with Congressman Holden. And now we want to make sure Congressman Cartwright is familiar with our chamber and our county," Rebecca M. Wagner, the chamber's member services director, said Thursday.
Holden was respected by Schuylkill County leaders in the political and business spectrum during his 20 years in Washington.
A Scranton lawyer, Cartwright bested Holden in the April 24, 2012, primary election, then won the Nov. 6 General Election. Cartwright is a Moosic resident whose district includes all of Schuylkill and parts of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe and Northampton counties
The luncheon is only open to chamber members, who pay $25 per plate. While the chamber has 948 members as of Thursday, "well over 250" come to the annual luncheon, she said.
"It's huge," she said.
The other two events are open to the public, Wagner said.
On 11:30 a.m. April 17, the chamber will hold its first "Commissioners Lunch" at the Pottsville Club.
Commissioners Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier and commissioners George F. Halcovage Jr. and Gary J. Hess have been invited to the event, Carl said.
"We've never done anything like this. The only thing we've ever done with the commissioners was an election debate. This will be the first time that I'm aware of that we'll have a forum to field questions from our members," Carl said.
Carl was a county commissioner. He was elected in 2003 and lost his bid for reelection in 2007.
A "Coffee Talk with Legislators" will be held 7:45 a.m. at the Health and Wellness Building at Penn State Schuylkill, Schuylkill Haven.
The chamber invited state Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123; state Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124; state Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125; and state Sen. David Argall, R-29.
"We've been doing the coffee talk with legislators for years and years and years. We just ramped up the event. Now we go in to talk about timely topics of the day, from transportation to pension reform, and each of them get a chance to give their perspective," Carl said.