Times Leader Media Group Publisher Mike Murray, right, and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Kerry Miscavage hold the Times Leader’s Pride of Place Pivot Award.
Roger DuPuis | Times Leader
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The Rev. John Ryan accepts his Lifetime Achievement Award during the online Annual Dinner Celebration presented by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce.
WILKES-BARRE — The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Dinner Celebration Thursday afternoon, minus the dinner.
The annual event was taken online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming live at 4 p.m. on the chamber’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Dozens of people tuned in to watch.
A total of 13 businesses and individuals were honored during the celebration, which was presented by Mohegan Sun Pocono.
A total of six entities won a new award for 2020, the Pride of Place Pivot Awards, sponsored by Geisinger. The award was given to businesses and groups that were deemed to have done an excellent job “pivoting” to deal with the challenges presented by the pandemic.
The winners of this award included The Accelerator Wilkes-Barre, The Canning House Restaurant & Grocer Collective, Coal Creative, Misericordia University, Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza and the Times Leader Media Group.
The Rev. John Ryan, president of King’s College who announced his retirement coming at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year, was honored with the annual Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Erwine Home Health & Hospice.
Ryan was honored by a group of prerecorded speakers, including Senator John Yudichak, Marywood University President Sr. Mary Persico, Dioces of Scranton’s Bishop Joseph C. Bambera and Rabbi Larry Kaplan, the latter of whom joked he should be considered to replace Ryan, but acknowledged that the college would likely pick another Catholic priest.
In prerecorded comments of his own, Ryan thanked the chamber for the honor.
“The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber and its membership is all about making the communities we line in better places,” Ryan said. “That is why I am so honored to be receiving this recognition from the chamber.
“Together we are building communities of hope,” Ryan went on. “In these difficult days, know I pray for you. In these difficult days, I give you thanks.”
If you missed the ceremony and wish to check it out, it will be re-aired on WBRE this Sunday at 11 a.m.
The rest of the winners are as follows:
• Charitable Organization of the Year: Osterhout Free Library.
• Emerging Business of the Year: American Paper Bag.
• Legacy Business of the Year: Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel & Conference Center.
• Diversity Champion Business of the Year: PNC Bank.
• Healthy Workplace, Healthy Community Awards: DxDempsey and studio BE.