Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose leadership helped the Lehigh Valley land a $3.5 billion investment by Eli Lilly and Company, will participate in Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Annual Meeting on March 17. 
The Governor will join business and community leaders from across the region at the Lehigh Valley’s premier economic development event, which drew 800 people last year.
“Gov. Shapiro has been a great partner in the economic development of the Lehigh Valley,” said Don Cunningham, President & CEO of LVEDC. “He and his team played a major role in the attraction of the Eli Lilly and Company project but, beyond that, he’s been engaged in projects big and small in the Lehigh Valley since taking office. We look forward to having him join us at this special event.”
The 90-minute Annual Meeting program will share insights about the Lilly project and how LVEDC and its partners are working together to continue the momentum and position the region to meet its challenges and continue its success.
The meeting also will celebrate the Lehigh Valley’s recent ranking as the No. 1 mid-sized market in the U.S. for economic development. It’s the second time in three years that the region has ranked on top.
Shapiro last addressed LVEDC’s Annual Meeting in 2023, when he called for a “Lehigh Valley sense of values” in Pennsylvania’s approach to economic development. In 2024, he launched the state’s first economic development strategy in the last two decades in the Lehigh Valley, highlighting the region’s collaborative approach a model for the state. The plan included the life sciences as a strategic sector, and Lilly’s 3.5 billion project stands as a landmark investment that will help strengthen Pennsylvania’s position as a national leader in the industry.
Registration is required to attend LVEDC’s Annual Meeting, which will be held from 3:30-5 p.m. at ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem. Register here. Registration will close March 13.
Lilly’s manufacturing campus will create 2,000 construction jobs, 850 permanent jobs, and drive an estimated $14 billion in regional spending.
Daniel VonDielingen, Lilly's Senior Vice President-Global Parenteral Network Expansion, will be a featured speaker at the Annual Meeting. He will also participate in a panel discussion with leaders who will explain what it took to land Lilly’s manufacturing campus, the largest investment ever in the Lehigh Valley.
In addition to VonDielingen, panelists who will explore the project will be:
Jay Biggins, Executive Managing Director, Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co.
Don Cunningham, President & CEO, LVEDC
Ben Kirshner, Pennsylvania Chief Transformation & Opportunity Officer
The discussion will be moderated by Grover Silcox, a long-time television personality and five-time Emmy Award winner. Silcox also will host a Lehigh Valley Trivia challenge, with the audience participating in real-time for prizes.
Capital Blue Cross is the Presenting Sponsor of LVEDC’s Annual Meeting. Cocktail Sponsors are BSI Corporate Benefits and Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba. Gold Sponsors are Alvernia University; B. Braun; Community Bank; Crayola; Fulton Bank; PenTeleData; Steamfitters Union 420; and WFMZ. Silver Sponsors are Evans Wealth Strategies; Hatzel and Buehler; HNL Lab Medicine; Lehigh Valley Health Network, part of Jefferson Health; Peoples & Co.; St. Luke's University Health Network; Suites at 462 Main by Hotel Bethlehem; Whiting-Turner Company; and Wind Creek Bethlehem. Community Sponsors are ADVANCE at Cedar Crest; Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania; CLA; Ethosource Office Furniture; H.T. Lyons, Inc.; Lesavoy Butz & Seitz, LLC; Moravian University-University Partnerships; OraSure Technologies, Inc.; PPL Electric Utilities; RESPEC; and ServPro Team Davis.