It’s Your Business
Uniontown Omatick named development director
Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus has a new development director, Lori A. Omatick, who stepped into the role Jan. 21. A life-long resident of Fayette County, Omatick brings more than 13 years of experience working with local business, community leaders and elected officials at the local, state and national levels.
Omatick is responsible for planning, directing and providing leadership to Penn State’s new campaign for the Eberly Campus. Responsibilities include developing annual goal setting and fund-raising plans, and directing related activities in support of these goals and objectives.
“While my role is focused on development for Penn State Fayette, I also consider the role as a means of contributing to the greater good of the community. This campus is a cornerstone of Fayette County and I am very proud to be part of an organization with such a rich tradition of success,” Omatick said.
Omatick came to Penn State Fayette from Advanced Acoustic Concepts Inc. of Lemont Furnace, where she was the business development manager. While at AAC, she assisted in procuring millions of dollars of legislative funding and participated in corporate business development and strategic planning.
From 1994-2002, Omatick was affiliated with Fay-Penn Economic Development Council. Beginning as an economic development specialist, she moved up through the organization, becoming its director of business development. At Fay-Penn, Omatick secured state funding of more than $10 million over seven years to support development projects in Fayette County.
Omatick has a master’s degree in geography and regional planning and a bachelor of science degree in secondary education. She also attended the Harvard-MIT Public Disputes Program, and participated in the American Economic Development Council Business Finance Course and the Pennsylvania Economic Development Course.
Omatick lives in Connellsville with her husband, David, and daughter, Gabrielle. She is also the mother of Brianne Roth of Columbia, Md.
Chalk Hill
Christian W. Klay wines win medals
The Christian W. Klay Winery in Chalk Hill has received several medals for its products.
The winery won three bronze medals for its Blanc de LaFayette, Washington Tavern Red and Summit Mist from the 2008 Pennsylvania Farm Show Wine Competition in Harrisburg.
It also won an American Wine Society (AWS) 2007 Commercial Wine Competition gold medal for its Braddock’s Gold and bronze medal for Washington Tavern Red. The commercial wine competition was held in Pittsburgh in October.
“We are thrilled to recognize the Christian W. Klay Winery for their fantastic wines. It is through this competition that we are able to recognize those wineries that have been excelling in wine production. This is an elite group of people who deserve recognition for this outstanding accomplishment,” Mary Ann Coskery, AWS national executive director.
“We are very proud of these recognitions,’ Sharon Klay, owner and winemaker, Christian W. Klay Winery, said.
“To receive medals for three of our wines is fantastic news for us. We are especially proud of one of our newest wines, Summit Mist, receiving its first medal,” Klay added.
“It is an honor for our wines to be recognized by a prestigious organization such as the American Wine Society. We are thrilled about our gold medal for Braddock’s Gold and the bronze medal we won for Washington Tavern Red,” Klay said.
More than 800 wines were submitted from wineries throughout the United States, and AWS-certified wine judges spent a two-day period evaluating all wines.
The 2008 Wine Competition was the 12th competition to be held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Since its inception, the number of entries has grown to 238. Sixty-six percent of the wines submitted received medals.
Christian W. Klay Winery has two retail outlets: a shop on Route 40 near Nemacolin Woodlands offers gourmet food, Pennsylvania products and the winery collection, and the Pennsylvania Wine Cellar in the Freight House Shops at Station Square, Pittsburgh.
For more information, call the winery at 724-439-3424 or visit the Web site at www.cwklaywinery.com.
Connellsville
Grocer observes Black History Month
Martin’s Food Market in Connellsville is celebrating Black History month beginning Feb. 1 and continuing through the end of the month.
Martin’s will offer free copies of “Profiles in Excellence.” The 2008 edition of Profiles in Excellence celebrates the contributions of six African-Americans who have inspired and shaped American music. For centuries, African Americans have influenced the music scene from jazz and pop to spirituals and more. In addition to distribution throughout its stores, Martin’s provides free copies of the educational booklet to local schools and community organizations.
Giant Food Stores LLC operates stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia under the names of Giant Food Stores, Martin’s Food Markets and Foodsource. For more information about Giant Food Stores, visit www.GiantFoodStores.com.