Northeastern Pennsylvania -
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA Alliance) serves as the Economic Development District (EDD) for the seven-county region consisting of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne Counties. As part of this designation, NEPA Alliance is federally required to develop a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) for the region every five years.
A CEDS is a strategy-driven plan designed to build capacity and guide the economic prosperity and resiliency of a region. This process brings together individuals, organizations, local governments, educational institutions, and private industry to discuss what initiatives would best serve economic development efforts.
To gather regional input, NEPA Alliance hosted the first of three CEDS Planning meetings on February 4 at PNC Field in Moosic. Titled "Reflecting on Our Region," the event convened over 100 community leaders to assess Northeastern Pennsylvania’s strengths and weaknesses and identify key goals to shape future planning efforts. Insights from this meeting will serve as the foundation for the next two planning sessions in the coming weeks.
Rachel Hawk, Marketing Director at Penn’s Northeast, attended the event on behalf of Penn’s Northeast as a committee lead for the CEDS development process.
“The CEDS process is a vital opportunity for collaboration among leaders across NEPA. By working together, we can develop a strategic plan that fosters economic resilience and growth,” said Rachel Hawk. “Penn’s Northeast is proud to be part of this effort, ensuring our region remains a top destination for business investment and development.”
Jeffrey Box, President & CEO of NEPA Alliance, emphasized the importance of regional collaboration in shaping the CEDS.
“We view the CEDS development process as a chance to bring leaders from all corners of Northeastern Pennsylvania together to plan for the future of our region,” said Box. “It’s a rare opportunity when planners from Schuylkill County and Pike County, or nonprofit leaders from Lackawanna County and Carbon County, can get together and collaborate. The CEDS provides us with that opportunity, and NEPA Alliance is proud to serve as a convener.”
Dr. Katie Pittelli, President of Johnson College, and Mary Frances Postupack, Vice President of Economic Development and Entrepreneurship at East Stroudsburg University, are serving as co-chairs for the CEDS development process.
NEPA Alliance will complete the 2025–2029 Northeast Pennsylvania Regional CEDS in May, at which time it will be available for a 30-day public comment period.
