Hot Topics Luncheons

HOT TOPICS LUNCHEONS

Our Hot Topics Luncheons provide discussions with a wide range of noteworthy local people about issues affecting our community. The cost of lunch is $25, although you may attend without purchasing lunch. Please pre-register for our luncheons on our events calendar. Note that our Hot Topics Luncheons have a NEW location this year:

Meet us at the Hamilton Family Restaurant at 11:30am

2027 Hamilton Street, Allentown, PA

CURRENT SEASON’S HOT TOPICS LUNCHEONS

2026-2027

Sept. 14:  Sarah Fevig, Lehigh County Commissioner . Discuss her proposal to expand the Board of Election to 5 members.

Oct. 12:  Debbie Sontupe, River Crossing YMCA Chief Development Officer. Discuss the Mission of the River Crosssing YMCA and the youth engagement program.

Nov 9: Jill Scitz, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. Discuss housing shortage, affordable housing initiatives, data centers.

Dec. 14: Chris Borick, Muhlenberg College to discuss election trends.

2027

Jan. 11: Josh Siegel, Lehigh County Executive to give us his State of the County report. / Confirmed verbally at Coca Cola Park America 250

Feb. 8: Sarah Barrett, YWCA / Confirmed

March 8: Jeff and Jen McCary from iHave-iNeed to discuss their mission of reducing landfill waste by redistributing business discards / Confirmed

April 12: Ira Wolfe, Muhlenberg, to discuss the future of AI / Confirmed

2025-2026

  • September 8: PBS Bool Nook and PBS spokesperson. ChapterSpot LWV Membership Portal
  • November 10 “Senior Scams”. David Shallcross, Director Senior Protection Unit, PA AG’s office
  • October 13: “The State of Lehigh County.” County Executive Phillips Armstrong
  • December 8: “Forging a Path Towards Clean, Renewable Energy” Karen Feridan, Founder, Berks Gas and Better Path Coalition.
  • January 12, 2026: “Election Trends.” Chris Borick, Ph.D., Muhlenberg College.
  • February 9: ” PA.s 250th Anniversary Plans” Fadia Halma (also 106th birthday of the LWV).
  • March 9: Commentary: Bill White.
  • April 13: The United Way, Greater LV.

PREVIOUS SEASON’S HOT TOPICS LUNCHEONS

2024-2025

  • September 9: PA House Education Committee Reforms.” Representative Pete Schweyer, Chairman of the PA House Education Committee.
  • October 14: “Lehigh Career and Technical Institute.” Darin Van Norman, Ph.D., Director of LCTI.
  • November 13: “The State of Lehigh County.” County Executive Phillips Armstrong.
  • December 9: “Election Trends.” Chris Borick, Ph.D., Muhlenberg College.
  • January 13: “Paradoxes of Gender.” Diana Sorrentino, Ph.D.
  • February 10: “Building 21 – An in-district charter school in the Allentown School District.” Shannon Salter (also 105th birthday of the LWV).
  • March 10: “Reducing Landfill Waste Creates a Healthy Community.” Nora Goldstein.
  • April 14: “Criminal Justice Reforms in the Lehigh Valley.” Joseph Welsh, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Justice Institute.

2023-2024

  • September 11: The Lehigh Valley: “A View from the House and the Senate.” Sen. Jarrett Coleman & Rep. Mike Schlossberg.
  • October 16: “The State of the 7th Congressional District.” Congresswoman Susan Wild.
  • November 13: “The State of Lehigh County.” County Executive Phillips Armstrong.
  • December 11: “Election Trends in Pa and in the Lehigh Valley.” Chris Borick, Ph.D., Muhlenberg College.
  • January 8: “The Ethical Uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI).” Justin Smith, Ph.D., Lafayette College.
  • February 12: “The Work of the Lehigh County Coroner.” Mr. Dan Buglio, Lehigh County Coroner. (also 104th birthday of the LWV)
  • March 11: “The Story of Spotlight – Independent Investigative Reporting in PA.” Mr. Chris Baxter, Founder and Chief Editor.
  • April 8: “Storm Water Runoff – a Lehigh County Issue.” Panel Discussion = TBD
  • May 13: Annual meeting

2022-2023

  • September 12, Mary Hammond Lilley-Thompson (Author and Humarist) will present “Lighten Up and Let Go.”
  • October 10, Matt Tuerk (Mayor of Allentown) will present “The State of the City of Allentown.”
  • November 14, Phillips Armstrong (Lehigh County Executive) will present “The State of the County.”
  • December 12, Chris Borick (Professor at Muhlenberg College) will present “Election Trends.”
  • January 9, Lin Erickson (CEO of the DaVinci Science Center) will present “Building a Community-Based Science Center for the Lehigh Valley.”
  • February 13, Amanda Share (CEO of the Lehigh Valley Zoo) will present “News from the Zoo.”
  • March 13, Darian Colbert (Executive Director of the Cohesion Network) and Yolanda Colbert (Director of Operations of the Cohesion Network) will present “The Amazing Work of the Cohesion Network.”
  • April 10, Rachel Hogan (Executive Director of the Nurture Nature Center) will present “The Environment and the Lehigh Valley – Concerns and Successes.”

2021-2022

  • September 13, Amanda Owen (Executive Director of the Justice Bell Foundation) presented “The History of the Justice Bell.” Click here for a preview of the Justice Bell documentary.
  • October 11, Dawn Godshall (Executive Director of CACLV) presented “The Extensive Projects of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley.”
  • November 8, Phil Armstrong (Lehigh County Executive) presented “State of the County 2021-2022.”
  • December 13, Catherine Kessack (Executive Director VAST) presented “An Introduction to the Work of the Valley Against Sex Trafficking (VAST) Organization.”
  • January 10, Professor Chris Borick (Muhlenberg College) will present “Election Trends.” A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
  • February 14, Shannon Scoble (Member of the Allentown EMS) and Bill Stauffer (Director of the PA Recovery Organization Alliance Pro-A) will present “Addressing the Drug Issue in the Lehigh Valley” and “What are We Doing Locally and Statewide to Help People Suffering from these Disorders.” A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
  • March 14, Leah Purdy (Regulatory Specialist for Resource Environmental Solutions) will present “Habitat Creation for Native Beneficial Insects.” A recording of the meeting can be viewed here.
  • April 11, Bob Elbich (Lehigh County Commissioner-At-Large) will present “Massive Shale Gas Transport Through Lehigh County – Public Safety Risks.”

Recordings of the Hot Topics Events listed below are available for viewing on YouTube.

2020-2021

September, “You’ll Miss Us When We’re Gone,” Bill White, The Morning Call columnist/blogger 

October, “Can We End Gerrymandering – What is Next for Pennsylvania?” Mary Erdman, LWVLC, Vice-President, Programs and Action

November, “The Allentown Health Department – from Environmental Health Services to Covid-19”,
Vicky Kistler, Director of the City of Allentown Health Department

December, “Election Trends,” Chris Borick, Ph.D., Muhlenberg College

January, “State of the County & Impact of COVID-19,” Phillips Armstrong, Lehigh County Executive

February, “The Street Medicine Program of LVHN,” Nani M. Cuadrado, Program Director
Our organization sent a gift card to Valley Health Partners.  We received a thank you letter.

March, “Climate Change: Opinion and Policy,” Chris Borick, Ph.D. Muhlenberg College

April, “TerraCycle – Eliminating the Idea of Waste®,” Maame Mensah, US Account Director, Brand Partnerships, TerraCycle US, LLC