Crowds before the 2017 State of Northampton County address at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) will host “State of the County” events for both Lehigh and Northampton counties in the upcoming weeks.

Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong will presents his first-ever State of the County Address during an afternoon mixer and networking event on Feb. 22 at the Coca-Cola Park in Allentown.

The following month, Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure will present his first State of the County Address at a breakfast mixer and networking event on March 2 in the Grand Ballroom of the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

Both events are free to attend, but pre-registration is required. Click here to register for the Lehigh County event, and here to register for the Northampton County event. Maps and directions for both addresses are also available.

These events come in addition to the 2018 LVEDC Annual Meeting, which will be held on March 14 at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. This event highlights economic development projects and activity over the past year and recognizes the companies and people that have contributed to the region’s economic success.

There is also no cost to attend the 2018 LVEDC Annual Meeting, but registration is required. Please visit this website to find the registration form.

Both Armstrong and McClure were newly elected to their positions in November. LVEDC previously hosted a forum of county executive candidates, prior to the election, during which Armstrong and McClure discussed their positions on issues related to economic development.

McClure, a Bethlehem Township resident, previously served on Northampton County Council from 2006 to 2015, where he was an outspoken advocate for keeping the Gracedale Nursing Home under county ownership. He was an attorney with the Bethlehem-based Law Offices of Peter Angelos.

Armstrong was the president of the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners before his election to county executive, having served on the board since 2014. He had a 40-year career as a social studies teacher and coach in the Whitehall-Coplay School District, and chaired the high school’s social studies department prior to his retirement.

The Lehigh County event will begin at 4 p.m. with a cocktail networking mixer and hors d’oeuvres. The program will begin at 5 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer period.

Registration and networking for the Northampton County event will begin at 8 a.m., and breakfast will be served. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m.