“Communities, cities, regions are constantly reborn. They have no expiration date. From the ashes can rise a phoenix. From decline and decay can spring life. The screen refreshes itself with new people, new generations, and new uses for old places.”

These were the words spoke by Don Cunningham, President & CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, during LVEDC’s virtual 2022 Annual Meeting program, which provided an overview of economic development from the past year, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead for the region.

The event was produced by PBS39, Lehigh Valley’s public broadcasting station, and was broadcast on March 22. Now, newly-available short videos highlight some of the Cunningham’s keynote remarks, which highlighted such topics as the region’s key target sectors, new projects and jobs created, and the growth of the Lehigh Valley’s 18-to-34 population demographic.

“The Lehigh Valley is getting younger,” Cunningham said. “It’s more vibrant, more diverse, growing in population and economic output. It’s home to new business, new arts, and culture, growing downtowns, and increasing family income.”

A two-minute highlight reel from the annual meeting can be found on LVEDC’s YouTube channel and viewed below. The full 28-minute annual meeting broadcast can also be viewed on YouTube.

Additionally, a series of four 15-second clips from the event have been produced, which LVEDC will be sharing on its social media channels. The organization encourages its regional partners to embed these videos from the LVEDC YouTube channel and share them as well.

During his annual meeting remarks, Cunningham noted that the Lehigh Valley has once again ranked a top U.S. Region for economic development. LVEDC tracked more than 50 major expansion or new development projects last year that created or retained more than 5,000 jobs. 

For a sixth consecutive year, the Lehigh Valley placed in the Top 10 regions nationwide with a population between 200,000 and 1 million, and in the Top 10 in the Northeast U.S. for regions of any size for economic development projects completed, according to Site Selection’s prestigious Governor’s Cup Awards.

“GDP in 2020 was $42.9 billion, only slightly down from a record $44.2 billion in 2019, despite the mandated closure or reduced operations of many businesses during the 2nd and 3rd quarters to stem the spread of COVID-19,” Cunningham said during his remarks.

This and other information presented at the report is also available in the LVEDC 2021 Annual Report, which summarizes a full year of economic development in the Lehigh Valley. It can be viewed or downloaded here.

The 40-page report highlights economic data and trends, target sectors like manufacturing and life sciences, and significant LVEDC initiatives, and a table and map highlighting more than 50 major expansion or new development projects from 2021 tracked by LVEDC, which created or retained a total of about 6,400 jobs.