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The Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) 2011 Region 16 Leadership Conference was recently held at Luzerne County Community College. FBLA Chapters from Dallas, E.L. Meyers, G.A.R., Hanover Area, Hazleton Area, James M. Coughlin, Lake-Lehman, MMI Preparatory, Pittston Area, West Side CTC, Wyoming Area and Wyoming Valley West were on campus with over 500 students competing in numerous business-related events. Top finishers in each event will move on to the State Leadership Conference in Hershey in April. The national competition will be held in June in Orlando, Fla. New regional officers elected at the conference are: Rachael Alles, Dallas, president; Miranda Sromovski, Wyoming Valley West, vice president; Shelby Flaherty, Coughlin, secretary; and Karissa Wagner, Hazleton Area, treasurer. First place winners (right), from left, first row: Alexa Kurchock, Jennifer Furlani, Eveline Kaminiski, Karissa Wagner and Alexandru Chirita, Hazleton Area; Joseph Dal Santo, Wyoming Valley West; Stephen Brand, Wyoming Valley West; Nicole Jubin, Hazleton Area; Courtney Bogansky, MMI Preparatory; Annya D’Amato, Alexandra Petsuck and Dana Kisenwether, Hazleton Area. Second row: Victoria Herbener, Hazleton Area; Andrew Mhley, MMI Preparatory; Greg Matz, Hazleton Area; Chris Kowlaczyck, Meyers; Mary Pettit, Meyers; Jeremy Labatch. Meyers; Sam Savoy, Dallas; Chelsey Holt, Pittston Area; and Gina Correll, Hussam Mahmood and Stephen Senick, Hazleton Area. Third row: Nate Gurtis, Caitlin McCue and Tyler Potoski, Wyoming Valley West; Bethany Williams and Karen Yamrick, Lake-Lehman; Angelina Longo, Hazleton Area; Jennifer Milore, Hazleton Area; Stephen Cartwright, Hazleton Area; Tom O’Day and Dan Post, Coughlin; and Michelle Chavez, Meyers. Fourth row: Luke Kropp, Meyers; Alexandria Plant, Wyoming Valley West; Michael Deganich, MMI Preparatory; Robert Seigendall, Hazleton Area; Chris Tombasco, Hazleton Area; Ashleigh Bagnata, Hazleton Area; Derek Gentry, Nick Marsellas and Terry Murgallis, Meyers; and Courtney Sult, Lake-Lehman. Fifth row: Maria Notaro, Hazleton Area; Chris Dillon and Tristan Rinehart, Dallas; Matt Kropp, Meyers; Gabrielle Papp, Hazleton Area; Matthew Straub, MMI Preparatory; Morgan Stahr, Hazleton Area; Alexandra Brennan, Alyssa Dougherty and Justyn Woznicki, Hazleton Area; Adam McGahee, Meyers; and Gabby Richards, Meyers. Other first-place winners were: Sarah Steckman, John Gallagher and Andy Ogrodnick, West Side CTC; Nick Hogan, Wyoming Valley West; Danielle Spagnuolo and Alecia Panuski, Wyoming Area; Emily Leskowsky, Lake-Lehman; and Jon Laity, Dallas. Judges for the competition (top, left) from left, first row: Carol Bosack, director of career services, Wilkes University; Lisa Mikula, Title III specialist, LCCC; Janine Mitkus, CPA, Balavage & McNulty Co.; Todd Johnson, Balavage & McNulty Co.; John Corgan, director of telecommunications, LCCC; Sandra Norton, network manager, LCCC; and Connie Toporcer, director of technical and internet services, LCCC. Second row: Maura Angle, Delaware Valley School District; Andrea Balavage, CPA, Balavage & McNulty Co.; Robert Zaruta, director, Palladium Business Growth Services; Elysia Balavage, Balavage & McNulty Co.; Lisa Lutecki, NEPA Tech Prep Consortium; Jackie Stash, NEPA Tech Prep Consortium; Robert Williams, assistant director of economic and entrepreneurship education, Misericordia University. More judges (top, right), from left, first row: Paul Casparro, training coordinator, Local IBEW #81; Bernadette Rushmer, director of Insalaco Center for Career Development, Misericordia University; Mark James, photographer, LCCC; Bill Balavage, CPA, Balavage & McNulty Co.; and Wayne Wesley, retired educator. Second row: Ken Kirk, NEPA Tech Prep Consortium; Jason Marconi, community relations specialist, ITT; Sue Spry, associate dean of workforce development, LCCC; Colleen Angel, NEPA Tech Prep Consortium; Kate Jenkins, associate professor, LCCC; and Harry Miller, Wilkes-Barre Area School District.