Looking Ahead
CRANBERRY TWP — County business leaders, captains of industry and elected officials at the annual meeting of the Community Development Corporation of Butler County Friday were excited about the theme “Energizing the Future,” but many said the CDC has done just that all along.
“We love to support the CDC,” said Tom Nist of Huntington Bank, the event's sponsor. “They are at the middle of all the economic development and growth in the county.”
The CDC's annual meeting was held at the Regional Learning Alliance in Cranberry Woods.
Nick Neupauer, president of Butler County Community College and a CDC board member, said he hopes residents and business owners realize that Butler County is exemplary because of its award-winning health system, involved and active county commissioners, top-notch community college, thriving southwestern hub including Cranberry and Adams townships and healthy chamber of commerce.
“The beauty of the CDC is all of those groups are represented on our board,” Neupauer said. “The CDC is the economic driver of Butler County with the coordination of the new (county) chief of economic development, Mark Gordon.”
Gordon said the CDC provides an excellent connection between the county and local businesses.
“And that's what fuels America,” Gordon said.
The annual meeting, Gordon said, is the time when the CDC celebrates all of its successes.
“This year, we welcome our newest member, the Allegheny Health Network,” Gordon said.
Dr. David Parda, AHN Cancer Institute chairman, spoke to the audience of about 200 CDC members. He said that Drew Keys, a Butler native and AHN vice president of development, informed him that the new Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute — Butler is being built where the Bantam Car Co. developed and turned out the first Jeep.
“I think that is a really great legacy for us, because our whole approach is to innovate and transform cancer care to a better state for all of us,” Parda said.
The $30 million, 34,000-square-foot, two-story cancer center now being built on Hollywood Drive in Pullman Square will have a grand opening and accept its first patient in one year, Parda said.
He said in many cases, cancer patients receive treatment for months or even years. With a world-class cancer institute at Pullman Square, Butler residents will no longer need to travel to Pittsburgh to receive the best care.
Parda said 80 percent of cancer cases in Pennsylvania are diagnosed outside of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.“It's not good for a patient's health and well-being to pluck them out of their community and send them to academic centers,” Parda said.Because 30 percent of cancer patients in the U.S. go bankrupt and 70 percent face “financial toxicity,” the AHN Cancer Institute will also focus on the financial end of treatment, Parda said.“If patients have an adverse financial outcome, that affects them clinically as well,” he told the CDC members.Parda said AHN is planning to add 200 employees over the next few years, and many of them will live, work and do business in Butler as employees of the cancer institute.He said AHN looks forward to serving the patients of Butler County next year at the Pullman Center facility.“We really need to grow and meet this need and Butler is growing too,” Parda said, “so we're excited to be here.”The event's keynote speaker was Butler native Steve Gilliland, an author and former Major League Baseball announcer who has built up a multimillion dollar company as a speaker and is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame.Using a light and comical delivery, Gilliland shared several nuggets of advice for advancing in and enjoying life.“Stop giving people the opportunity to ruin your day,” “prepare hard and finish easy,” and “the true job of life always has been and always will be to enjoy the trip” were among the pieces of wisdom shared by Gilliland.He encouraged all in attendance to never give up on their dreams or allow someone to tell you that “you can't.”“The checks of those who can't are usually signed by those who can,” Gilliland said.Leslie Osche, chairman of the county commissioners, spoke after Gilliland and said his speech had an effect on her.“I will never let anyone ruin my day again,” she said.Osche said she always marvels at the diversity of organizations in Butler County, where manufacturing, finance, education, health care, technology, logistics and many other enterprises thrive.“Our outlook for the region is tremendously exciting right now, with new technologies being tested and developed,” Osche said. “We should build on the assets we have while demanding change.”She also expressed her appreciation for all the innovators and business leaders who belong to the CDC.“You really do truly encourage our future here in Butler County,” Osche said.An engraved clock and gold rifle embossed with the CDC logo and four Steelers tickets were presented to Jeff Elser of First Energy Corp.Elser is the outgoing president and 27-year member of the CDC.“To me, this group of leaders has taught me much more than what I've put into this organization,” Elser said. “This is the best organization I've ever been involved in.”He then surprised the CDC board members by announcing a $25,000 donation to the CDC from First Energy.
