PWC Max Weight Loss Program

At a Harrisburg conference, Pennsylvania business leaders discussed hiring challenges, aging workforce issues and tech advancements to tackle hiring challenges.

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — Pennsylvania business leaders and human resources professionals gathered in Harrisburg for Pa. Chamber’s human resources conference on Thursday.

Hiring challenges, new labor laws and emerging technology are among the challenges facing employers, and businesses are looking to build and maintain the new workforce.

Leaders like Brandon Smith, talent acquisition specialist with Wohlsen Construction Services, are focusing on hiring the next generation.

“We have a little bit more positions open than normal. We have a lot of good growth going on here. Our biggest challenge is just trying to match what our hiring teams are looking for, matching the qualifications and trying to find the right candidates,” Smith said.

Smith said that the company is battling with an aging construction population.

“We have some people [who] have been there 40, 50 years,” he said.

Organizers said the goal is to help employers stay ahead of fast-changing workforce trends and new regulations that affect businesses statewide.

“HR managers are concerned about finding their next generation of talent, but then they're also concerned about retaining that talent,” Lauren Holubec, Pa. Workforce Development Association executive director, said.

And senior vice president of government affairs for the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Alex Halper said employers in the skilled workforce sector, like Smith, face a difficult reality when finding next-generation laborers.

“We're expected to have a 300,000-worker deficit in really just the next few years, by 2030,” Halper said.

Speakers shared insights into policy, regulations, upskilling and retention-based programs that companies can implement to prevent turnover.

“Retain the talent that they have, meaning great health insurance benefits," Paula Beleck, senior benefit consultant with the Pa. Chamber of Insurance, said.

Leaders shared ways to build community partnerships with childcare centers, transportation services and housing communities to provide employees with greater stability and benefits. They are hopeful that the companies walked away with the knowledge to create a better workplace with thoughtful ways to include employees in the conversation.

"Employers and companies that are willing to make changes and ask the question 'why?' are going to be the most successful," Holubec said.

is an independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. .

HARRISBURG — A home financing firm offered its customers Amazon gift cards if they submitted testimony to a Pennsylvania House committee ahead of a hearing on a bill the company opposed.

The offer, made in a February email by Palo Alto company Point to its users and viewed by Spotlight PA, has upset the committee’s legislators, who argue it calls into question the firm’s argument.

“It’s an outrageous corruption of our legislative process to offer a financial inducement for testimony, and on top of that, to not disclose it,” said state Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, who is sponsoring legislation to regulate the firm and its products.

State Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-Schuylkill, a co-sponsor of the proposal, added in his own comments Wednesday that the offer was “pay to play.”

Pennsylvania has lax ethics laws overall. And the appearance of paid, professional lobbyists before lawmakers is a constitutionally protected and normal part of the legislative process at all levels of government.

But lobbyists, Venkat noted, must disclose who pays them. And Point is not yet registered to lobby the General Assembly, according to state records. The customers, whose testimony was included within a packet of meeting materials, only present themselves as citizens and homeowners and do not reference the payments.

Venkat strongly criticized the tactic.

“The only way that the industry seems to be able to get people to say something nice about it is to offer a financial inducement, and they conveniently have decided not to reveal that to my colleagues and me — who have the responsibility to weigh in a deliberative fashion testimony before us,” Venkat added. “So it calls into question their credibility, and it really raises questions about the product.”

Matthew Windsor, deputy general counsel for Point, confirmed the email Wednesday morning when asked about the gift card deal in the hearing of the state House Commerce Committee.

He said the payments were a means of quickly collecting testimony for the hearing, adding that “we did not screen anything.”

Point’s business model is to provide homeowners in need of cash with a lump sum payment using their house as collateral.

But rather than paying the loan back gradually, the homeowner remunerates the lender in another lump sum — calculated based on a number of factors — when they sell their home or if the homeowner decides to end the contract. These payments can end up being higher than the initial loan.

Point sent the gift card offer in a Feb. 24 email with the subject line “Last chance: share your story to protect HEI access.”

“Regulatory action in Pennsylvania could impact our ability to fund Home Equity Investments (HEIs) in your state,” Point’s email said. “You can help protect HEIs by submitting a written testimonial. Below is a template — just personalize it with your experience and send.”

Among the prompts were: “I was looking for funds to: [Insert your financial goal]”; “Other options weren’t a good fit for me because: [Explain why traditional loans, credit cards, or other solutions didn’t work]”; and “My HEI has given me: [Share how having access to HEI funds has helped you achieve your goals or improved your situation].”

If submitted, the sender would receive a $50 Amazon gift card “as a thank-you for your time and support.”

All told, 23 citizen emails opposing Venkat’s bill were included in a committee testimony packet viewed by Spotlight PA. They include stories of individuals using equity investments to pay for home repairs, college tuition, property taxes and credit card debt; 10 directly quote Point’s prompts.

Costs are unknown by design

On the company’s website, Point says its products allow homeowners to “unlock your home equity with no monthly payments, no income requirements, and no need for perfect credit.”

Unlike a mortgage, in which the total value is known up-front thanks to its fixed interest rate over a fixed time period, the amount a homeowner pays back to Point after they get their initial lump sum is unknown.

A sample contract from the industry’s trade group that was included in its legislative testimony stipulated that the return for one of these lending firms would be a higher percentage of the home sale value than it initially paid to the homeowner. On top of that, the return is designed to shift based on how the home’s value changes.

Combined with fees baked into the contract, the homeowner’s closing payment can end up being higher than the initial loan, even if the home’s value decreases. And if a recipient fails to pay back what they owe in full, the firm can foreclose.

Point and the trade organization representing similar lenders argue they provide flexibility to homeowners who want to access their home equity for cash without adding additional monthly payments.

“I’m sure they sound like new concepts to you,” said Jim Riccitelli, CEO of the lender Unlock Technologies, another lender. But “there’s nothing inherently wrong with those things. Those are simply … how we generate return. That’s how we price the contract, in the same way that there’s nothing wrong with the interest rate on the loan.”

However, federal and state regulators have questioned if consumers are aware of the risks that come with this product.

A 2025 report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that reviewed complaints against the industry found homeowners “felt frustrated or even misled about various aspects of home equity contracts—including confusion about the financing terms, surprise at the size of the repayment amounts, disputes about appraisal values, difficulty with refinancing due to the existence of the home equity contract, and frustration that they felt their only option to get out of the contract was to sell their home.”

In 2020, Pennsylvania regulators ruled the product falls outside the state consumer protection law covering lending, according to a letter the industry shared with legislators. As introduced, Venkat’s bill would place the industry under this law, which sets maximum interest rates, transparency requirements and penalties for breaking any requirements.

Industry members told lawmakers such regulations would effectively ban their product from Pennsylvania, and argued for a chance to design different rules. Venkat told Spotlight PA that a ban isn’t his intent, and that he thinks their claim is overstated.

“The question that I would ask the coalition is — ‘Have you stopped selling these products in those states [with stricter laws]?’ ” he said. “And the answer to that, as far as I know, is no.”

As for working with the industry to develop state rules more to its liking, Venkat said its tactics haven’t won any favors.

“Their efforts on this legislation makes me very skeptical of their motivations in terms of coming to an agreement that would be to the benefit of Pennsylvanians,” he said.

BEFORE YOU GO… If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at . Spotlight PA is funded by who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.

This story has been updated: An earlier version misattributed a quote from a testifier. It was said by Jim Riccitelli, CEO of the lender Unlock Technologies

A 15-year-old entertainment venue in Harrisburg announced Tuesday it is closing.

In a Facebook post, the owners of Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center said they were unable to agree with City of Harrisburg officials to pay “outstanding” entertainment taxes.

As a result, HMAC said the city refused to renew the venue’s health and mercantile licenses.

In the message, directed to Harrisburg City Council, Mayor Wanda Williams, City Solicitor Neil Grover, and the community, HMAC said it has no choice but to close.

“Without these [licenses], and in accordance with requirements from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, HMAC is legally prohibited from continuing operations,” they said.

A closing date was not announced. It was not clear how much in taxes the business owed.

Earlier this month, HMAC announced a temporary closure due to damage from a recent winter storm.

It’s not clear if they ever reopened. The next concerts, G Herbo and Relly Wrld, were both scheduled for Feb. 20.

HMAC said the decision was made despite “repeated, good-faith efforts by HMAC’s ownership and legal representatives to engage city leadership in meaningful dialogue.”

They said their attorneys reached out several times seeking a resolution and offered “substantial partial payment toward outstanding ‘entertainment tax’ obligations” along with a structured plan to pay off the remaining balance.

“These efforts were met with silence. Requests for meetings went unanswered. Formal correspondence received no reply. The absence of engagement left us with the unavoidable conclusion that resolution was never meaningfully pursued,” they said.

HMAC said it is taxed 10% on every show and every ticket sold under the city-enforced tax, regardless of whether it makes a profit.

Noting it doesn’t dispute its responsibility, HMAC’s owners blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for impacting live music venues across the nation.

“HMAC endured those hardships, not by abandoning its obligations, but by fighting to recover, reinvest, and honor them,” they said.

The closure comes at a time when HMAC said it was prepared to start a $2 million renovation project to the building.

The owners said several employees will lose their jobs, but didn’t elaborate on how many people would be affected. They also said they remain open to “constructive dialogue.”

“For 15 years, HMAC has been more than a business. It has been a home for artists, a stage for expression, and a gathering place for connection. It has brought music, poetry, theater, art, performance, and shared experience to thousands. It has drawn visitors who supported neighboring restaurants, hotels, and small businesses. It has stood as a symbol of creativity, resilience, and community investment—even during the most uncertain times," the statement said.

The entire message can be read on HMAC’s Facebook page.

PennLive has reached out to Harrisburg solicitor Neil Grover for further clarification but has not yet received a response.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — A popular live music venue in Harrisburg is shutting its doors after it says city leaders refused to renew "essential operating licenses."

The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center made the announcement in a lengthy social media post Tuesday that explains the business owed "outstanding entertainment tax" to the city. The business said the city's current entertainment tax takes 10% from "every show and every ticket sold."

However, the venue stated, its attorneys made several attempts to reach out to city leadership and was prepared to make a "substantial" payment and a plan to resolve its leftover sum.

Those attempts, the business said, were left unanswered.

"This decision was made despite repeated, good-faith efforts by HMAC’s ownership and legal representatives to engage city leadership in meaningful dialogue," the statement read. "The absence of engagement left us with the unavoidable conclusion that resolution was never meaningfully pursued."

The statement went onto explain how the city allegedly denied the renewal of the business' health and mercantile license, and without these, HMAC said it "is legally prohibited from continuing operations."

According to the city's website, any temporary permit holder of an amusement venue must make payment to the city treasurer within five days of the conclusion of an event.

It also says businesses must submit a report of the total admissions collected at each event.

While the 15-year-old venue said it struggled as any other business during the pandemic, it had intentions to rise above its hardships—planning to undergo a $2 million renovation to revitalize the building.

"We ask city leadership and the community to reflect on what this loss represents. This is not simply the closure of a venue. It is the loss of a creative cornerstone, a place where memories were made, careers were launched, and community was strengthened," the business said.

To our employees, artists, partners, and supporters: thank you. You gave HMAC its life, its voice, and its purpose. Whatever the future holds, the spirit of what was built here will endure in every life it touched.

It's unclear at this time when the business' last show will be and what its total overdue taxes cost.

CBS 21 reached out to city officials for comment on the claims made in HMAC's post and the business' debt and is waiting to hear back.

This is a developing story. Stay with CBS 21 News for more details as they come in.

Jeff Oakley Harrisburg PA delivers scalable IT solutions, strong leadership, and business-aligned technology that improves performance and reduces costs. Technology and business do not always speak the same language. That is where strong IT leadership makes all the difference. Jeff Oakley Harrisburg PA, is an experienced IT management professional who has spent years building that bridge between business needs and technology solutions. With a career rooted in federal government agencies and a deep understanding of how organizations work, Jeff has become a trusted name in IT leadership. His focus is simple: use technology the right way to help organizations save money, work faster, and grow stronger.

A Career Built on Results

Jeff Oakley's career spans over two decades of hands-on IT experience across major government organizations in Pennsylvania. He has worked with the Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense Information Systems Agency, and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. Each role added a new layer to his expertise and sharpened his ability to manage complex systems at scale.

At the Defense Logistics Agency in New Cumberland, PA, Jeff currently serves as an IT program manager. In this role, he leads software engineering, data engineering, and advanced optimization efforts across critical platforms, including Salesforce, SharePoint, and CRM systems. He also functions as Scrum Master, guiding agile development teams to deliver results on time and within scope.

Before stepping into this leadership role, Jeff spent seven years with the same agency as a project and change manager. That experience gave him a strong foundation in change management, IT service management, and configuration control. He worked within ITIL principles, used tools like ServiceNow, and produced mission-critical reports that helped leadership make smarter, faster decisions.

What Makes His Approach Different

Many IT professionals focus on the technical side alone. Jeff takes a wider view. He looks at the full picture, from the people using the systems to the business goals those systems need to support. This mindset is what separates a good IT manager from a great one.

Here is what stands out about the way Jeff works:

* He aligns technology investments with real business outcomes, not just technical upgrades

* He builds high-performance teams that can handle pressure and deliver results

* He uses agile methods to keep projects flexible and responsive to change

* He evaluates emerging technologies before adopting them, making sure they actually solve a problem

* He keeps security and compliance at the center of every solution he designs

This approach has earned him recognition from executive leadership throughout his career. He does not just manage systems. He improves the way organizations use them.

Education and Certifications

Jeff's practical experience is backed by a strong academic record. He holds a Master of Science in Information Systems Engineering Management from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. He also earned a master's certificate in project management from Penn State University. His undergraduate work includes a Bachelor of Science in Management of Technology from Lock Haven University and an Associate of Science in Computer Networking from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

On the certification side, Jeff has earned credentials that reflect both his technical depth and his commitment to professional growth. These include:

* ITIL Certification, which supports his structured approach to IT service management

* VMware Certified Professional, reflecting his infrastructure expertise

* Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

* CompTIA Security+ and Network+, covering security and network fundamentals

* Inclusive Leadership Certification, showing his investment in team culture and people development

This combination of education and certification is not just a list of credentials. It reflects a professional who has stayed current, stayed curious, and continued to grow across every stage of his career.

Driving Scalable IT Solutions

One of the most important things Jeff Oakley [https://www.issuewire.com/jeff-oakley-reducing-costs-and-optimizing-it-in-harrisburg-pa-1856098128480657]Harrisburg PA does is build solutions that can grow with an organization. Scalability is not just a technical concept for Jeff. It is a business strategy. When a system is built to scale, it means the organization does not have to start over every time it grows or changes direction.

At the Defense Logistics Agency, Jeff led digital transformation efforts that moved operations from outdated processes to modern, efficient platforms. He developed data strategies, managed application development projects, and introduced systems that could handle increasing workloads without breaking down. The result was an organization that could do more with less and adapt quickly when conditions changed.

This is the kind of work that delivers real value. It is not just about installing new software. It is about rethinking how an organization operates and putting the right technology in place to support that vision.

Leadership That Goes Beyond Technology

Strong IT management is about more than systems and software. It is about people. Jeff has always understood that technology only works when the people using it are confident, trained, and supported. That is why team building has been such a central part of his career.

Throughout his time in government IT roles, Jeff has mentored staff, trained teams on new systems, and created environments where people felt empowered to do their best work. He has led large-scale change management efforts that helped employees adapt to new tools without disruption to day-to-day operations. He also promoted security awareness across organizations, making sure that every team member understood their role in keeping systems safe.

Jeff brings the same energy to vendor relationships and contract negotiations. He knows how to work with outside partners to get the best value for an organization, and he makes sure those partnerships support long-term goals rather than short-term fixes.

His leadership style is direct, practical, and focused on outcomes. He sets clear expectations, communicates openly, and holds himself and his teams accountable for results. That consistency is what makes people want to follow his lead.

A Trusted Name in Harrisburg IT Leadership

The greater Harrisburg area has a strong base of government and technology organizations, and Jeff Oakley Harrisburg, PA, has played a meaningful role in shaping how those organizations use technology. From managing enterprise systems for national defense agencies to driving data transformation projects, his work has had a real and lasting impact.

Organizations that work with Jeff benefit from a professional who understands both the technical and business sides of IT. He does not offer one-size-fits-all solutions. He listens, analyzes, and builds strategies that fit the specific needs of each organization he serves.

Conclusion

When it comes to IT management, experience and vision matter. Jeff Oakley Harrisburg PA, [https://jeffoakleyharrisburgpa.website3.me/] brings both to every project he leads. His career reflects a consistent commitment to building technology solutions that work, teams that perform, and organizations that thrive. Whether the goal is to reduce costs, improve system performance, or manage a large-scale digital transformation, Jeff has the background, the skills, and the leadership ability to make it happen. For any organization looking to align its business goals with the right technology strategy, Jeff Oakley stands out as a proven and reliable leader in the field.

Media Contact Company Name: CB Herald Contact Person: Ray Email:Send Email [https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=jeff-oakley-from-harrisburg-pa-it-management-scalable-solutions] Country: United States Website: http://cbherald.com

Legal Disclaimer: Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. ABNewswire makes no warranties or responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you are affiliated with this article or have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article and would like it to be removed, please contact retract@swscontact.com

This release was published on openPR.

Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.