Allentown, Pa., September 18, 2019—The Lehigh Valley Community Foundation’s Megan Briggs, director of community investments and Erika Riddle Petrozelli, associate vice president of philanthropy will appear on WDIY’s radio program Lehigh Valley Discourse with host Sally Handlon. The program, focusing on Census 2020 and actions being planned to ensure a complete count in the Lehigh Valley, will air on Thursday, September 18, 2019, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., on WDIY FM 88.1, the Lehigh Valley’s public radio station.
The duo discussed Census 2020 in depth and outlined the potential impact on federal funding and congressional representation in the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania. Data from the Census 2020 will affect the annual allocation of over $800 billion in federal funds for 300 federal programs which include infrastructure, education, healthcare, emergency services, and more. An undercount in the Lehigh Valley puts numerous other federal programs at risk for underfunding. Census data also determines the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives as well as redistricting at the national, state and local levels. Current census predictions show Pennsylvania losing one congressional seat after the 2020 census.
Since 2009, Sally Handlon has been a host on WDIY for a monthly radio show which focuses on business in the Lehigh Valley, Lehigh Valley Discourse. Handlon is founder and president of Handlon Business Resources (HBR) LLC, a WBENC certified business, located in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. HBR is a short-term project management partner to executives and business owners in implementing the long, overdue recommendations to move the company forward.
Lehigh Valley Discourse brings listeners the people and the issues that move and shape the region. Provocative, informative and newsworthy, the program features engaging conversation about many subjects affecting the Lehigh Valley. The program airs every Thursday evening from 6 to 7 pm following NPR’s All Things Considered. After it airs the program is available to listen online at https://www.wdiy.org/programs/lehigh-valley-discourse.
