Podcasts about grca

It took a while to get here, but the Grand River Conservation Authority membership last month approved a management plan for the Niska lands, aka: the old Kortright Waterfowl Park, but this is not the end of the journey. For nearly 20 years there's been a fierce back and forth about what comes next for the property and who's responsible for its protection, but even with a plan in place now it doesn't mean that the controversy is over. When we last tackled this topic on the podcast it was October 2023 and the draft land management plan had just been presented to the GRCA board. That plan was adapted by the GRCA board at their June meeting along with its three recommendations: To engage with the City of Guelph and others about future maintenance and use; to manage and monitor the sensitive environmental demands; and dispose the portion called “Agricultural Field B”, which is on the south side of Niska. Now, what you have to understand is that it's the plan that's been approved, not necessarily those directions. Just because it's been recommended that some land be sold necessarily means that it will be sold, and there's an entirely separate process that needs to happen before any decisions are made, so let's talk to some of the decision makers. In this case, Guelph/Eramosa Township Mayor and GRCA Chair Chris White and GRCA Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Lawson. White and Lawson will talk about the next steps, where responsibility lies for the City of Guelph and the Conservation Authority, and who the other stakeholders might be when it comes to the fate of the lands. We will also talk about protecting the environment, the concerns raised by the public about protecting the area's ecosystem, the pressures from the provincial government, and how the role of conservation authorities has changed as a result of those pressures. So let's talk about the Niska Land's future on this week's episode of the Guelph Politicast! You can rewind to episode #392 to hear the first part of this two-parter with Dr. Hugh Whitely and get his point of view on the issue here. You can see coverage of the issue on Guelph Politico, and you can see the Niska Landholdings Management plan on Grand River Conservation Authority's website here. The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, TuneIn and Spotify. Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday. Programming Note: The Guelph Politicast will be taking the next two weeks off and will be back with new episode on Wednesday August 28.

This is one of those episodes that's based on events that predate many of us that have come to call Guelph home in the last few decades. It's also a story about land issues, and the desire to protect sensitive land from development. It's had a lot of names over the years including the Kortright Waterfowl Park, the Niska Lands, and the Hanlon Creek Conservation Area, but the story around this property is just as complicated to sort out. Perhaps the most concise history of the area was written in an article by Cameron Shelly for Metroland in 2021. It starts with a man named Horace Mack, a person of unique vision who bought a piece of property at the mouth of the Hanlon Creek for a bird sanctuary in 1948. He called it Niska Farm, “Niska” being the proper Cree name for the Canada Goose, but Mack only got to live his vision a short time. He died in 1959, but his dream would live on till 2005 when the area was finally closed to the public. Now, nearly 20 years later, there's a plan on the floor about how to proceed with the four portions of the Niska Lands now under management of the Grand River Conservation Authority, and there's pretty much one person to thank for this. Dr. Hugh Whiteley, a retired professor and hydrologist from the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph, secured a pathway to ensure a public process for the redevelopment of this area. So how does he think it's going? That's one of the questions Dr. Whiteley will answer on this week's podcast along with discussion of the site's vast history, the various plans for the area that have come into play over the last seven decades, and the City of Guelph and the GRCA's roles in determining the property's future. We will also talk about his decision to bring the appeal of the Official Plan to the Ontario Municipal Board, and whether he thinks all sides have lived up to the spirit of that agreement. Plus, what does the future look like? So let's dig into the past of the Niska Lands before we dig into the future on this week's Guelph Politicast!  You can see background and information on the Grand River Conservation Authority website. You can also see the GRCA's future plans for the site and some of the notes provided by the members at their last meeting in the latest Guelph Politico coverage. A final decision about the Niska Lands is likely to come before the GRCA membership at their November 24 meeting The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, Google, TuneIn and Spotify . Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday. Photo credit: Former Kortright Waterfowl Park executive director Eileen Hammill in 1975 from the Guelph Public Library archives. 

I have a hard time saying no. I am often asked to attend events, contribute to community efforts, or simply give money, and the first word out of my mouth is always, Yes! But this time, it was almost more of a benefit to me than the actual organization asking for help. I had the amazing opportunity to interview Candace Nelson at the 2023 Greater Reading Chamber Alliance Dinner because she requested it be in that type of format. She had no interest in just showing up and speaking, so that opened the door for me to be that guy. Putting myself in an uncomfortable position put the fear of god in me. I was terrified. I stood up in front of over 800 people and had to be me. Freddy Vasquez. The guy with the white beard isn't afraid of anything. Well, this evening, that was being put to the test. Show Notes GRCA: https://greaterreading.org/ Social Clover Marketing: https://socialclovermarketing.com/ Candace Nelson: https://candace-nelson.com/ Connect with FXV Digital Design Website: https://fxvdigital.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fxv-digital-design/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fxvdigital/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fxvdigital

The business of managing the City of Guelph goes beyond the confines of the council chambers, so starting this year Guelph Politico has expanded its meeting coverage to nine local boards and shared services committees. It's five months now, and a lot of different business has been done in those first five months, so we're going to stop and use this podcast to do a high-level overview. These are the regular meetings that Guelph Politico covers: the Accessibility Advisory Committee, Committee of Adjustment, the Grand River Conservation Authority membership, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Board of Health, Heritage Guelph, the Guelph Public Library Board of Directors, the Guelph Police Services Board, Wellington County Social Services Committee, and the Transit Advisory Committee. Now this is not a complete list of the existing committees, but they are arguably the most important ones. Some of them manage ratepayers' money that funds these services, but they all have a bearing on policy and planning and other directives at the City of Guelph. Often, before you see something brought to council, it's been raked over the hot coals of once of these committees, and covering them helps gives us a broader picture of how the proverbial sausage is made. In that spirit we will look at some of that business from the first five months of 2023 including Public Health's re-calibration to get back to regular order now that the pandemic is officially over and the growing controversy around separating big plots of land at Committee of Adjustment. We will also look at how the Accessibility Advisory Committee has been using its authority, the growing need to recognize the library as a social service agency, and the rapid pace of structural changes at the GRCA. So let's look at what's been happening at some of the local committees and boards on this week's edition of the Guelph Politicast! You can stay up to date about the latest doings at various local boards and committees by clicking that tab at the top of the Guelph Politico site (or by clicking here). Many committees will be taking the summer off after June, but it will be back to business as usual for everyone when September begins. The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple, Stitcher, Google, TuneIn and Spotify . Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Rachel Romig is the Senior Director of Events and Special Programs at the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance and the owner of Just Breathe Wedding and Event Planning. I was lucky enough to connect with Rachel on LinkedIn after she sent me a message about an upcoming GRCA event. I knew her from gracing local magazine covers and being a community leader, so I figured why not take a shot and ask her to be on the show? Let me tell ya, that was one of my best moves because the conversation we had was awesome! We talked baseball, Parks and Recreation, The Office, feminism, masculinity, and a slew of other subjects that we both hold near and dear to our hearts. This was an episode for the books! Learn More About Rachael Romig Website: Greater Reading Chamber Alliance Wedding Wire: Just Breathe. Facebook: @JustBreatheEventsCo Instagram: @JustBreatheEventsCo LinkedIn: @RachaelRomig Connect with FXV Digital Design Website: FXV Digital Design LinkedIn: @fxv-digital-design Instagram: @fxvdigital TikTok: @fxvdigital Show Notes Produced By: Joseph Alexander Media Music By: Beats by Dai

Our 11am service on Easter Sunday included readings by the students of GRCA showing how all the books of the Bible reveal Jesus Christ. Then Pastor Mat shared a brief, but inspiring, teaching on the resurrection of Christ and of believers. We finished with a glorious time of baptism, where many had an opportunity to follow the Lord's example of being baptized, and to publicly identify with the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord.

Jonah Hadley is a former Assisting Pastor at Great Rock Church who has gone on to plant a thriving new fellowship -- Mercy Chapel in Sanford, Maine.Listen as Pastor Jonah presents a powerful message on the worthiness of Christ, based in Revelation Chapter 5.Before the message, we will see a powerful skit performed by students at GRCA, portraying the reality of the spiritual battle as described by Paul in Ephesians 6:12.

This recording begins with a powerful drama put on by Great Rock Christian Academy's talented students. Then Pastor Mat takes us through James Chapter Five, looking at various aspects of faith and how they blend together to develop a mature believer.

This recording begins with a powerful drama put on by Great Rock Christian Academy's talented students. Then Pastor Mat looks at an account of Jesus delivering a young man who is demon-possessed - a deliverance that the disciples were not able to accomplish. It inspires the question: Do we limit God moving in our lives? If we do, what can break that cycle of behavior?

Take a listen as Rachael Romig gives nugget after nugget on how leaders use their phones and calendars differently from others, brings their teams together in our new Hybrid and Silo Work Environment, and how to have the best of both worlds doing the job you love AND your side hustle... you don't always have to choose one or the other!Rachael Romig oversees 100+ events annually for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) as their Senior Director of Events & Special Programs. She directs the initiatives of the Women2Women program of the GRCA with the mission to develop women leaders by connecting women from diverse backgrounds to learn and share ideas. By night, Romig is the owner of Just Breathe Weddings & Events, an event and wedding planning company, working with clients locally, regionally, nationwide, and internationally!Find out more about Greater Reading Chamber Alliance:https://greaterreading.org/about-grca/Find out more and book Rachael Roming's Just Breathe Wedding & Events:https://www.justbreatheevents.co/Listen to all You Evolving Now Podcast Episodes:https://www.buzzsprout.com/1066093

It's a difficult time for conservation authorities across Ontario. Pandemic? Yeah, that’s part of it. Conservation authorities can’t take part in their usual programming, and they’ve lost normally dependable funds because of that, plus there are all the new precautions they have to take in areas of their parks that are open. But that’s just the beginning of the current headaches for conservation authorities. Back in November, the Ontario government announced the 2020-21 provincial budget, and like their previous budget there was some very non-budget related stuff in the fine print. Schedule 6 of the budget bill, Bill 229, took away some autonomy from the province’s 36 conservation authorities including a clause that forces those authorities to issue permits at the insistence of the minister. There was some disagreement on that. The person now charged to work through those disagreements on our end through the Grand River Conservation Authority is Guelph/Eramosa Mayor Chris White. White has been mayor of Guelph/Eramosa since 2006, he was Warden for the County of Wellington from 2011 to 2014, and he’s been part of the GRCA board since 2014. He was appointed chair of the board just last month, and the complex situation coming out of Bill 229 is a lot to deal with for someone with less than two months on the job, so how's he coping? That’s one of the questions Mayor White will answer, and he will also talk about why the GRCA is so important to him, and the current stresses the GRCA is facing because of the pandemic. On the issues with the Province, White will talk about why he intends to proceed with the working group in good faith, and the legitimate issues concerning the management of conservation authorities that really do need to be addressed. And finally, White will discuss his goals and concerns for 2021. So let's talk about the view from the GRCA board on this week's Guelph Politicast! You can learn more about the Grand River Conservation Authority at their website. The next meeting of the GRCA board of directors is this Friday at 9:30 am, which is also the annual general meeting for the GRCA, and you can find the agenda and links to the virtual meeting here. The host for the Guelph Politicast is Podbean. Find more episodes of the Politicast here, or download them on your favourite podcast app at Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, and Spotify. Also, when you subscribe to the Guelph Politicast channel and you will also get an episode of Open Sources Guelph every Monday, and an episode of End Credits every Friday.

Jim Gerlach is the current President and CEO of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. (GRCA); an impactful organization dedicated to bringing jobs, keeping jobs, and evolving Berks County! Before coming to GRCA, Gerlach served as president and CEO of the Business-Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC) - the oldest bipartisan business political action committee in the nation! Also, Jim's time in Congress proved to be impactful as he sponsored the 1996 law to overhaul the state’s welfare system, and was the lead legislator on the state’s “Growing Smarter” land use legislation signed into law by Gov. Ridge in 2000. Additionally, he sponsored numerous criminal justice reform laws, including a juvenile offender fingerprinting measure, legislation to allow family members of murder victims to provide impact testimony at sentencing hearings, and legislation authorizing the use of audio and video recordings by police officers at traffic stops.Take a listen as Jim shares powerful tips for leading a team and making an impact!https://www.youevolvingnow.com

Kirsten talks to Audrey Krupiak, Digital Marketing Coordinator for GRCA. Just because we are home doesn’t mean we can’t introduce you to our staff and members! Excuse the Zoom but we want you to meet Audrey Krupiak!

Kendra Cook, the Curator at the Boyertown Museum of History joins GRCA’s Director of Membership, Kristen Haas to talk about the mission and goals from Boyertown’s Museum of History! They have loads of amazing vehicles built in Pennsylvania to show and teach the history of Pennsylvania and Berks County! If you want to see the history of vehicles and learn about them too, come to the Boyertown's Museum of History, you’ll see dozens and dozens of retro vehicles!

Sara Frassinelli, Director of Marketing at Spherion joins Kirsten Haas, Director of Membership of GRCA to talk about Spherion Staffing and how they work alongside their clients to find the right place for you! Spherion loves to give back to the community and they recently donated 10K to a charity to celebrate their 10th anniversary! Sara is very passionate about her work and loves to give back to the Berks County area!

Kirsten Haas of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance sits down with her colleague Leah Fassnacht, Director of Communications and Marketing. They discuss what her role entails with the GRCA and how she came to Berks County from Northeast Ohio.

In this episode, we speak to Bangalore based Architect Gaurav Roy Choudhury who is the founder of GRCA.  Gaurav completed his Bachelor of Architecture from Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture in 2002 and then went on to work with Mathew & Ghosh Architects in Bangalore till 2007. He then decided to start on his own and has since completed numerous projects that has helped him National & International awards. We dwell into topics such as his time in College and how the rigor there helped him in the long run, Architecture being a dying profession, being lucky to have less projects, importance of having a honest dialogue with your clients, Minimalism not just being a style, and loads more philosophical talks. For more on the episode, head to archgyan.com/23  And if you would like to get in touch with Gaurav, you can mail him at  gauravroychoudhury@gmail.com

Dan sits down with one of the newer BIG Vision Foundation board members, Jobany Bedoya to talk about what drew him to want to get involved with the organization. Jobany is the Small Business and Latino Outreach Coordinator for the GRCA and has an extremely busy schedule. He saw the value in what BIG Vision brings to the community and our youth to make time to get involved. He has been a huge asset to the organization since getting involved. Thanks for the conversation Jobany!

Dan sits down with one of the newer BIG Vision Foundation board members, Jobany Bedoya to talk about what drew him to want to get involved with the organization. Jobany is the Small Business and Latino Outreach Coordinator for the GRCA and has an extremely busy schedule. He saw the value in what BIG Vision brings to the community and our youth to make time to get involved. He has been a huge asset to the organization since getting involved. Thanks for the conversation Jobany!

As part of our #GRCA series on romantic comedies the gang discussed the decidedly middling Kannada film Katheyondu Shuruvagithe. Listen, and hopefully it will get you in the mood for romance as we have better films coming up for discussion!

Kirsten Hass, Director of Member Services, interviews one of the GRCA's very own. Meet Derek Harris, Data and Research Specialist for GRCA. How does a Political Science Major end up at GRCA as a Data and Research Specialist? Find out the answer to that and also how Derek's job is critical to investors and/or companies that are looking to grow or move here to Berks County!

Kirsten Haas, Director of Member Services, interviews another one of GRCA's shining stars! Shanon served for four years in the Navy, worked in Management in the baking industry and now is working for GRCA. Listen to her journey here on this latest episode of Chamber Spotlight!

Are members using their membership to the fullest? They do when Missy's in charge! Kirsten Haas speaks to Missy Hassler, Member Specialist for GRCA about her responsibilities around taking care of their members. Missy also has a birthday on St. Patrick's day so Kirsten ends the interview with a fun rapid round of all things St. Patrick's Day! A fun interview with a great team member of GRCA!

"Learning and listening to our customers are the keys to success!" - Sarah Hunter-Lascoskie, Director of Communications and Marketing, GRCA. Karen Marsdale talks to GRCA's Sarah about her journey with GRCA. Sarah talks about how important it is to keep the recipe of communication clean and simple - if you know your audience and listen to your audience - then trust the process!

Kirsten Haas, Director Of Membership Services, takes over the hosting chair this week and interviews Deb Heffner, Director of Business Outreach for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance. Deb shares her journey with Kirsten and makes it very clear that the work she does, and the work she has done in the past is all about helping the community. Deb also talks about Building Berks, the GRCA's new signature events!

Randy talks to Karen about the progress of the last two years, the focus on the six strategic themes and the 2019 Total Berks Economic Development Initiative. GRCA is building collaboration and connections all through Berks County!

Ensuring that businesses have all they need to thrive and grow! Karen Marsdale talks to Mark Dolinski about his role in helping GRCA grow your business by growing your talent. It's all about transforming your people to be the best they can be!

Did you know that every unit in the National Park system has a unique four-letter acronym called an "alpha code?" Listen to Episode 0 of The Lavocast to learn how you can figure out the code for your favorite park!

Kirsten talks about her background, her experience and her journey that lead her to her new position of Director of Member Services for GRCA!

Still in the post-Valentine hangover the cabal decides to go over the 2017 Kannada rom-com Ondu Motteya Kathe. We dive into the disparities of self-valuation vs. 3rd party valuation and the range responses the arranged marriage systems creates as a result.All in all this is a #GRCA certified podcast. Music, of course, sponsored by the great Rajkumar. (listen to the pod to find out why)

Karen Marsdale interviews Jobany Bedoya, Small Business Coordinator for the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance, they discuss the invaluable support that they are providing to the Small Business and Entrepreneurs including the Spanish Community. Watch or Listen to this great interview and learn how you can take advantage of this free support that GRCA is providing.

​Karen speaks with Sara Dickey, Development Director for the local chapter of the American Heart Association about heart disease (it isn’t just a man’s disease!) and advises to mind the signs, as it’s not always a “Hollywood” heart attack.

She manages the challenges at the moment to find the balance through her company's amazing growth. Listen as Karen talks to Courtnie about her strategies for success and discover how the Chamber helped to keep her company in Berks County!

Shannon describes her comfort and care approach to her clients who are undergoing cancer treatments. She helps people feel good during these tough times by helping with their skin care, that often becomes damaged during treatments.

Dr. Kulp talks to Karen about her practice and her approach to your well being. She is asking questions such as "what can we do to fix your overall health?" "What brought you here and what pieces need to be fixed?". It's a very informative interview!

Chris Bujak and Pam Vecellio, from Continual Impact LLC, speak to Greater Reading Chamber Alliance's Karen Marsdale about their philosophy, "It’s About the People" to create lasting successes. Continual Impact LLC was founded with a basic premise— to help others achieve sustainable performance, beyond what is thought possible, by unlocking the limitless capacity of an organization’s most valued resource – its people.

Merlin Weaver, of Berkshire Hathaway, speaks to GRCA's Karen Marsdale on how he feels business should be done, explaining "It’s not about the transaction, it’s about the relationships."

Rich Johnson and Amy Johnson, of Pollen Consolidated, speak to Greater Reading Chamber Alliance's Karen Marsdale about the importance of bringing it back to our own backyard.

Brian Schobel, owner of Supporting Strategies, talks to GRCA's Karen Marsdale about the importance of understanding your financials.

"We are a total energy provider!" - Dora Forry. Karen talks to Dora about how this family business helps you heat your home, run your car and help the environment by providing all types of clean and sustainable fuel.

Jeremy Freymoyer, co-founder of Encrypted Escape, talks to Karen Marsdale about the first immersive, themed experience for group activities in West Reading. Karen has some fun with this interview and it's not to be missed!

Karen Marsdale talks to Father and Daughter duo, Dave and Sarah Phillips, of Irish Creek Excavating, Inc., about their history, their journey and their growth! "I like doing a lot of different things and I like diversification!" - Dave Phillips.

Karen talks to Glenn D. Lehman, President of Lehman Property Management. "If I only work with the knowledge I have in the morning, I'm not very good." - Glenn shares his story about how he left the IT world to get into the Property Management Industry and what he has learned along the way as he grew his business.

Limarys Rodriguez, Founder and CEO of LMG Web Design, talks to Karen about the power of bringing her entrepreneurial spirit to life!

Greater Reading Chamber Alliance Member Spotlight | Meet Linda Barilani, owner of BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Centers, discusses the importance of health and what our bodies are telling us.

Kashif Reyes, owner of the Reading Wizards, speaks with GRCA’s Karen Marsdale about making dreams come true in a basketball town.

GRCA Member Spotlight presents Alex Garcia, manager of The Wireless Center - Authorized Retailer, chats with Greater Reading Chamber Alliance’s Senior VP Karen Marsdale about navigating technology at all ages.

Steve Gieringer, executive director of Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Berks Inc., talks to GRCA’s Karen Marsdale about 40 years of milestones.

Tom founded his company in 1975. Today, they provide a wide range of general contracting and commercial construction services for small, mid-sized, large businesses and institutions in most of Eastern Pennsylvania. Karen Marsdale, Senior VP of Programs at GRCA, sits down with him to learn more.

Dennis is an Investment Adviser Representative for Peak Brokerage Services and has more than 25 years of experience. His passion for strategic investment planning fuels his desire to help his clients lead the life they want to lead. He speaks with Karen Marsdale, Senior VP of Programs at GRCA, about this and more.

Craig’s passion for technology and experience have all combined to help build Laughing Rock Technology to the company it is today. Built on a strong culture of service and commitment to excellence, Laughing Rock provides info technology, telecommunications, web services and managed services. Learn more in this interview with Karen Marsdale, Senior VP of Programs at GRCA.

Mark’s experience spans more than 29 years and includes C-suite positions, as well as owning his own business. The goal of his company, Flywheel Coaching, is to unlock individual and organizational potential by helping business leaders build high performing organizations. Learn more about what he can do for your business from this chat with Karen Marsdale, Senior VP of Programs at Greater Reading Chamber Alliance.