Northern Region -Regional Best Practice Panel
Mary Bula, Director
Erie Together
Mary Bula has led Erie Together, a countywide movement to make the Erie region a community of opportunity where everyone can learn, work, and thrive, since April 2012. In this role, she works with educators, nonprofits, businesses, and citizens to help more children become successful adults, more adults obtain family-sustaining employment, and more families become self-sufficient. Notable Erie Together accomplishments include development of Career Street (www.careerstreeterie.org), and creation and leadership of the Erie County Career Pathways Alliance (https://www.erietogether.org/erie-county-career-pathways-alliance), among others. Before joining Erie Together, Mary was a vice president at the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, and held prior professional positions within the Center for eBusiness and Advanced Information Technology and the Pennsylvania Economy League, Inc. She earned a Bachelor's degree from Allegheny College and a Master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and is also an accomplished meeting facilitator.
Melissa Fleming, Deputy Director
Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission/Northern Tier Workforce Development Board
Melissa Fleming has been with the Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission (NTRPDC) for more than 20 years, specializing in program development and grants management within their workforce development division. She served as the Site Administrator for the regional PA CareerLink system for five years. She is currently the Director of the Northern Tier Workforce Development Board and is responsible for the oversight and strategic direction of the federal and state employment and training funds within the region.
Melissa earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Mansfield University. She sits on the board of directors and advisory committees for the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association, Fit4Work Reengagement Taskforce and various school district and career and tech advisory committees. NTRPDC is a local development district providing community, economic and workforce development services to the five counties in the Northern Tier Region.
Brianna Florovito, Workforce & Entrepreneurial Development Specialist
Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
Susan Snelick, Executive Director
Workforce Solutions for North Central PA/North Central Workforce Development Board
Brianna (Brii) Florovito is the workforce and entrepreneurial development specialist for Skills in Scranton, the workforce development affiliate organization of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce. In this role, Brii focuses on the creation and implementation of joint economic and workforce development strategies, further promoting the Chamber’s overall mission of attracting, sustaining and growing businesses within Lackawanna County. She is also responsible for the customized workforce data and labor market information at the Chamber, and assists with the IGNITE entrepreneurship program. In 2019, she was a Top 20 under 40 awardee by the NEPA Business Journal for her success in Business-Education Partnership programming. Brii holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Rutgers University and has studied at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration at Wilkes University and is a certified in women’s entrepreneurship from eCornell. Additionally, Brii serves on the workforce development subcommittee of Lackawanna County’s Regional Recovery Taskforce, and various occupational advisory and perkins grant committees in the community.
Ensuring our students are making informed career decisions, helping our employers remain competitive in this global environment, and assisting our job seekers find gainful employment is what Workforce Solutions is all about. As the Executive Director of this organization, Susan works with her team to help uncover resources, find creative solutions to help the region grow, and collaborate with partners to support mutual efforts. At the same time making sure policies support innovation while hitting performance benchmarks. Susan has also been fortunate to serve as the chair of the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association for four years as well as serving on the Governor’s Middle Class Task Force. Helping to improve lives is what this work is all about!