Registration is now open for two new events that the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) will host next month.

Patrick McDonnell

LVEDC will host a Conversation and Cocktails event on May 18 with Patrick McDonnell, Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The event will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.

Additionally, the organization will host a Brokers & Developers Council event on May 24 at the NFI facility in Upper Macungie Township, which will include a panel discussion about the “Future of Logistics,” followed by refreshments and networking.

Attendence is free for LVEDC investors, but pre-registration is required. For non-investors, individual tickets will cost $20 for the Conversation & Cocktails event (register here), and $25 for the Brokers & Developers Council event (register here).

More information about the “Future of Logistics” panel will be released at a later date. The event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the NFI facility at 910 Nestle Way, Breinigsville, PA.

Brokers & Developers Council events offer an opportunity to learn about a timely topic and discuss issues affecting real estate brokers, site selectors, developers, bankers, and other professions.

Past Brokers & Developers Council events have focused on the Lehigh Valley office market, adaptive reuse, the role of research in commercial real estate, and environmental due diligence and redevelopment financing.

LVEDC’s Conversation and Cocktails series gives LVEDC investors the opportunity to have targeted interaction with members of the legislative body in an intimate setting to discuss pressing economic issues.

Past events from the series were hosted by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent, state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, and Chris Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.

The McDonnell event will be held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Hotel Bethlehem at 437 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA.

McDonnell was appointed Acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania DEP by Gov. Tom Wolf in May 2016. Prior to that, he had most recently served as the department’s Director of Policy, where he oversaw the agency’s regulation and policy development processes.

McDonnell also ran the State Energy Office and was charged with coordination of renewable energy and energy efficiency issues. He had previously spent 13 years with DEP in a variety of roles, before briefly leaving the department to serve as executive policy manager for former Commissioner Pamela A. Witmer of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

Visit here for more information about these and other upcoming LVEDC events.