New Westmoreland chamber leader seeks to expand outreach efforts

The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce’s new president said he wants the chamber to be more involved in the community, working with different nonprofits and assisting businesses and people in need.

“It’s about supporting the business community and helping them with their employment issues,” said Dan DeBone, 55, of Murrysville, who was named president and chief executive officer of the Hempfield-based group on March 3.

DeBone had been serving as the executive director since July 2021 and succeeds former President and CEO Chad Amond, 47, who went on full-time medical leave and disability. He was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia, a type of dementia that eventually robs a person of their ability to speak, the chamber announced in August 2020.

Bradley Roth, chairman of the chamber’s board, paid tribute to Amond, saying he was an incredible leader “who did so many wonderful things for our community and for the growth of the chamber of commerce.”

DeBone, a former executive of the Port Authority of Allegheny County, said he wants to continue Amond’s success and vision. He will be responsible for driving new partnerships and initiatives to further the growth and impact of the chamber, Roth said.

At the Port Authority, DeBone was the senior government and community relations officer for more than a decade. He said he wants to continue those efforts in external affairs, working with various agencies to promote the business community. He recently worked with the Westmoreland-Fayette Workforce Investment Board on producing a video outlining resources available for those wanting to enter or return to the workforce.

As an indication of his outreach efforts, DeBone spoke last month at a Black History Month event in Greensburg, addressing his role in the chamber and how it can help people.

Westmoreland, like other counties in Western Pennsylvania, has seen a drop in the labor force since the beginning of covid restrictions in March 2020. The seven-county Pittsburgh region saw a drop in its labor force of almost 23,000 workers from December 2020 to December 2021, which has left businesses scrambling for employees and being forced to raise wages in order to attract them.

Among the many issues DeBone said he wants to work on is improving access to child care so that parents can return to work; diversity, inclusion and equity issues; and spreading the reach of broadband to the areas of the county without internet. He said he plans to go to Harrisburg soon for a rally in support of Gov. Tom Wolf’s initiative to lower the corporate income tax from 9.9% to 7.7%, a move widely seen as spurring business and investment in the state.

“We’re going to talk about all of these issues in support of the business community,” DeBone said.