The Institute presents its 2026 Indicators Report

PLAINS TWP. — Tuesday’s presentation of The Institute’s 21st annual Indicators Report filled the room at Mohegan Pennsylvania with information — data, research, charts, analyses, facts, and lots of figures.

The report covered a multitude of topics, providing a central resource for decision-makers in four counties: Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wayne, and Wyoming.

Jill Avery-Stoss, president/CEO of The Institute, said The Institute was founded on the belief that good data drives good decisions.

“Our mission is to provide empirical, objective information that drives discussion and informs decisions,” she said.

Teri Ooms, founder and executive director, said The Institute’s research helps policymakers and community leaders from the public, private, and non-profit sectors understand and address some of the region’s most challenging problems.

“For the past 21 years, underwriting donations from our generous partners have produced research initiatives that have improved the region, changed people’s lives in tangible ways, and supported student stipends for research interns from our 14-member higher education consortium,” Ooms said.

Joell Yarmel, executive director of the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, attended the Indicators event and offered comments that showed all in attendance just how critical The Institute’s work is.

Yarmel said when a water main break in October 2023 forced the facility to shut down, it could have been a major setback. She then cited an economic impact study done by The Institute that showed that even in the face of adversity, the F.M. Kirby Center remained a driving force, artistically and economically.

“Two years ago, it felt like our staff never left the building,” Yarmel said. “We were averaging four shows a week, and flood recovery was happening on the lower level. We always knew we were doing good work, but we wanted data to support that. The Institute did a study that resulted in $14 million of economic impact to our area.”

Yarmel said the study results were featured in the local news outlets — the Times Leader ran a front-page story on Oct. 18, 2025 — and Yarmel shared the study with current and prospective donors and sponsors and also utilized it to prepare a new strategic plan.

“Most importantly, it was a proud moment for our staff that offered validation in our work and motivation to keep challenging ourselves,” Yarmel said. “Oftentimes, a business or non-profit that does well can be taken for granted. The Kirby Center is celebrating our 40th anniversary this year, and it feels like we continue to get better and better each year. Words can only do so much — it’s data that tells the story. We reached out to the Institute to see what our story was, and we were thrilled with the results from the study.”

Yarmel told the crowd that the study was vital to the work being done at the Kirby Center.

“It highlights the visitor traffic that we’re bringing into restaurants, staying in hotels, and shopping in our local area,” Yarmel said. “The data provided to us is shared with loyal and prospective donors, letting them know that they aren’t just supporting the arts at the F.M. Kirby Center — they’re supporting our entire community and local business.”

And Yarmel said The Institute study prepared the Kirby Center for a new strategic plan on areas they were doing well and areas that they could now afford to challenge themselves with.

“Most importantly, it gave our staff the validation we needed and the motivation to do even better — not only for the F.M. Kirby Center, but for our community and local partners,” Yarmel said.

The Institute study found that the Kirby Center’s operations, visitor spending, and final phase of renovations:

• Supported nearly 200 jobs.

• Contributed more than $7.9 million to regional GDP.

• Generated more than $2 million in tax revenue.

The Institute study also reported that the historic downtown venue hosted 110 performances and events — attracting nearly 80,000 visitors, with approximately 12% traveling from out of state, spending on local dining, lodging, and retail throughout the region.

Importantly, the study showed that all contractors hired for the final phase of flood and capital repairs were based in Luzerne County, ensuring that the recovery investment remained within the local community.

The study underscored the F. M. Kirby Center’s role as a vital cultural and economic catalyst in Northeastern Pennsylvania, demonstrating how investment in the arts drives job creation, tourism, and local business growth.

The Institute’s critical role

The Institute is a nonprofit economic and social innovation research and policy organization dedicated to empowering business and community leaders with research-based strategies for informed decision-making.

The Institute conducts independent, unbiased research to identify opportunities, issues, and challenges unique to the region and to develop innovative solutions to address the problems facing our communities.

The Institute also offers a wide array of research, consulting, and support services to help organizations boost productivity, increase profitability, and be successful in their missions/

Diamond City Partnership’s Newman agrees

Larry Newman, executive director of the Diamond City Partnership, was at Tuesday’s event and agreed with everything Yarmel said about the critical role The Institute plays in driving economic growth in four NEPA counties.

“I think of The Institute as a regional data aggregator,” Newman said. “They basically assemble all of this data about our region and present it in ways that allow it to be useful for decision-making — whether it’s something occurring in the public sector, or by local businesses, or nonprofits like the F.M. Kirby Center.”

Newman said The Institute’s work is of great benefit to the region. “The impact study The Institute did for the Kirby Center was great, and there is so much information they provide on a rolling basis for everyone to tap into.”

Newman said The Institute’s website contains detailed information on so many topics that any issue can be researched, and the data is there to tap into.

“We at DCP have found that information to be extremely useful, and this year’s Indicators Report continues to provide comparative data for our region presented in one place.

“The Indicators Report is used to benchmark — to help all of us to better understand specific issues,” Newman said. “The other thing is that the work of the Institute’s Task Force is beneficial to bring forward issues that we as a region need to be thinking about in terms of policy making.”

The 2026 Indicators Report

The report covers a multitude of issues and topics, and the Times Leader will continue to offer articles on each throughout the year.

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