Greater Reading Chamber Alliance

GRCA’s 2025 Q1 Impact Report

GRCA’s Work Adds Up

As we began 2025, the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) focused on supporting business growth, fostering meaningful connections and strengthening our community through collaboration.

In Q1, we worked directly with local employers, helped companies apply for funding opportunities, welcomed new members and delivered programs designed to grow leadership and skills across industries. We continue to market our region’s strengths through the Meet Greater Reading platform to support talent attraction and economic investment.

These accomplishments reflect the collective energy and commitment of our team, partners, and members. Thank you for being part of this work. We are greater together.

Warm Regards,

Lucine Sihelnik
President and CEO

Advance

  • To support the growth of Berks County companies,$3.4 million is in the funding pipeline through programs such as the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) and PA Catalyst Loan Fund.
  • Worked directly with 19 Berks-based companies, focusing on manufacturers representing over 3,380 Berks-based jobs.
  • Delivered 25 tailored programs and webinars to 260 participants representing 42 organizations. Program highlights included Lead Worker Certificate Program, Executive Leadership Academy, Principals of Supervision, Customer Service Coaching and more. Learn more about professional development & training opportunities>
  • Released the Q4 Economic Intelligence report providing insights into trends in the labor market, consumer spending and economic growth. Access the Q4 Berks County Economic Intelligence Report>
  • In partnership with the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, a Wage & Policies Survey was launched. The survey intends to gather wage and policy data from businesses across Berks County to create a valuable resource for local employers. More details on the survey> (closes on Friday, June 13)

Connect

  • Onboarded 28 New Members who joined, contributing $15,536 in revenue.
  • Cheered on local businesses with 7 ribbon cuttings across a diverse range of industries in Greater Reading 
  • Celebrated 25 member anniversaries of 5+ years, highlighting strong retention and long-term engagement.
  • Launched the annual Economic Development Investor campaign to grow private-sector support for GRCA’s business retention, expansion and attraction efforts in Greater Reading. Join the movement>
CBL Custom Apparel recently celebrated 25 years of GRCA membership!
We thank them for their support.

Engage

  • Events hosted 16 events with 700+ attendees in Q1, including:
    • Kicked off the year with 150 people at the Reading Regional Airport for the Commissioners’ Breakfast
    • GRCA hosted engaging, high-impact events including a sold-out Women2Women + Breakfast4Success panel featuring women leaders in male-dominated industries, along with additional programs on AI, philanthropy, and career growth—drawing strong participation from Berks County’s professional community.
    • Three networking events, including a Regional Networking event with Upper Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce and TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce
    • A Coffee&Convos on networking and a Lunch&Learn on maximizing survival during an active shooter incident
  • Hosted the first Business and Community Advocacy Council (BCAC) meeting of the year with guest speakers from the U.S. Chamber and PA Chamber. Interested in attending? Reach out to Alex Roche, Director of Advocacy.
  • The Healthcare Industry Partnership kicked off 2025 at Penn State Berks with 24 attendees from healthcare, education and partner organizations. The meeting featured healthcare programs and enrollment updates, employment trends and a tour of the campus science labs.
  • GRCA continues to elevate Greater Reading, Pa.’s visibility through the Meet Greater Reading platform, promoting the region’s strengths and opportunities to attract talent, support employers and encourage business investment.

Champion

  • Highlighted an average of 163 members per month through GRCA marketing channels, including social media, Commerce Quarterly magazine and e-newsletters. 
  • Sent 64 emails to membership and community stakeholders, achieving an averageopen rate of 32.46% and a click rate of 2.35%.
  • GRCA continued its partnership with Bell Media Group and Lauren Little Photography to showcase the stories of Greater Reading businesses and organizations. The first quarter featured Reading Hospital Tower Health. The story reached over nearly 19,000 people via social media and over 50,000 via print media. Check out more inspiring stories>

These results and work are made possible by the entire GRCA Team – Mark Dolinski, Leah Fassnacht, Aaron Gantz, Melissa Hassler, Kayla Hayick, Katie Johnsen, Steph Koch, Audrey Krupiak, Anna Lisa, Deb Millman, Alex Roché, Keith Stamm, Lucine Sihelnik, Sally Stewart, Jackie Stiles, Denise Vaquero and Dallan Yoh. Meet the team>

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