Jeffrey Box, president and CEO of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance, has announced the promotion of Colleen Burns to Community & Economic Development Services manager and that Isabella Ceccoli has joined the NEPA staff as a government contracting specialist.

Ceccoli will be providing technical assistance to clients and informational assistance to businesses regarding government contracting opportunities.

She also will assist companies with their expansion and/or entry into contracting with federal, state and local governments within the APEX Accelerator program.

“We are very pleased that Isabella will be joining our APEX Team, serving NEPA’s seven county region,” Box said.

“Bella is a great addition to the NEPA Alliance APEX Accelerator team. She comes to us with a background in working in the community through volunteering and has extensive knowledge of small business from working for a family-owned small business,” said Kara Smith, NEPA Alliance APEX procurement program manager.

Ceccoli earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She resides in Dunmore.

Burns will be responsible for the daily operations for the Nonprofit & Community Assistance Center, offering client support of the Candid Foundation Directory online and Guidestar platforms. She will also provide support for the Appalachian Regional Commission grant programs.

Burns will provide consultations to nonprofit professional seeking to strengthen their organization and lead workshops related to grant seeking, grant writing and corporate giving.

She was accepted in the 2024-25 Lackawanna Leadership Core Program; she is a member of Carbondale Blueprints Community Project Team; and she received an IMPLAN certification for economic impact modeling. Burns earned her B.A. in English from Temple University.

“Working for higher education and health related nonprofits, Colleen brings a wealth of expertise and experience. She is passionate about our mission, our communities, and the people we serve,” said Kurt Bauman, vice president of the Community & Economic Development Services division.

“Colleen has been a great asset to NEPA Alliance assisting nonprofits in the seven-county region. She has done a wonderful job with the ARC and IMPLAN programs and I am pleased to promote her to her new role,” Box said.

She resides in Scranton.

NEPA Alliance, a regional community and economic development agency, serves the seven counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania including Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill and Wayne.