PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary
Dennis Davin shared the actions the Wolf Administration has taken to
support businesses throughout the COVID-19 public health crisis, from
ongoing outreach to stakeholders to financial support.
Davin said he has received critical feedback during outreach meetings
the department held with several industries throughout the commonwealth.
The department began holding the calls in April as another avenue to
support communities and economy during mitigation efforts.
“It is imperative that we ensure an ongoing dialogue between our
department and the industries across the state that have been affected
by shutdown orders and restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said
Sec. Davin. “The outreach calls allowed me to hear from each industry
directly to learn how they were impacted, truly understand their
individual needs during this time, and hear their own ideas about how we
can move our state forward in recovery. We value the input and time all
participants provided us, as this information was critical as we reopen
the commonwealth.”
Over the past several weeks, representatives from DCED, including
Secretary Davin and deputy secretaries, have been meeting with industry
representatives and other stakeholders to provide them with updates, ask
for feedback, and answer questions surrounding their industries during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The industries and organizations included:
• AFL-CIO
• Building Trades
• Construction
• Direct to Consumer Businesses
• Economic Development
• Finance
• Food
• Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism
• Manufacturing
• Medical Technology and Innovation
• Minority and Diverse Businesses
• PREP Partners
• Team PA
• Warehouse, Distribution, and Logistics
• Workforce Development
Representatives were invited to share concerns about the state of their
industry and share input about the support needed for the future
recovery of their industry. Several calls touched on the
administration’s exemption process, some looked for guidance regarding
how and when to bring employees back to work safely, others voiced
concern about funding for small businesses—including the Paycheck
Protection Program, real estate and construction restrictions, and the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding.
Every meeting was documented to track the concerns and ideas shared by
industries to utilize in planning and implementation for the reopening
of the state.
These stakeholder outreach calls were crucial in assessing the true
needs and concerns of the industries that took part. This feedback will
be used as the state prepares to reopen and help Pennsylvania businesses
and communities transition from red to yellow and to green phases.
