Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.: Golf outing invitation did not come from organization

The message was sent from an LVEDC executive to recipients in the public and private sector. Take a NEWS POLL.

An email from a Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. executive inviting associates for Friday golf outings was sent privately and not on behalf of the organization, officials said today.

“This is not tee time with LVEDC,” said Wagner Previato, director of marketing and communications.

The missive comes about one year after LVEDC fired its social media specialist Vanessa Williams in the wake of her announcing Friday golf outings via Twitter.

Dated Tuesday from the address of Pete Reinke, vice president of regional development for LVEDC, the email was sent to more than 100 recipients, including private and public sector officials, according to a copy obtained by the Express-Times.

The message invited participants to a series of golf outings starting this Friday at Bethlehem Golf Club.

“It's that time of the year! Friday afternoon golf. Starts this week," the email says. "This year’s theme: 19 courses, 19 weeks, plus the ever important post round 19th hole. Each course can only be played once, so suggest a course and a week to play it, or I will pick.”

Officials said Reinke was sending a message concerning his own time off and any such activity would not be under the clock of LVEDC, which receives tax money to support economic development in the region.

It was not clear from the email whether the golf would take place during business hours and what other days beside this Friday were scheduled.

“We really don’t know what his intent was,” LVEDC business relations manager Steve Althouse said. “Pete is taking his personal time to do things.”

Calls to Reinke today were not returned.

Calls to LVEDC chairman Don Bernhard, who was unavailable, were referred to Previato and Althouse. A call to LVEDC vice chairman Richard Thulin was not immediately returned.

After Williams’ Twitter post last year, LVEDC issued several clarifying statements that an informal summer-hours policy allowed early departure on Fridays, but only if someone already logged 40 hours.

The matter prompted debate during an era where networking is encouraged and traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workdays are less common. LVEDC directors eliminated the flexible-hours policy last August.

“Our staff members work 40 hours or more per week,” Previato said.

About half of LVEDC's approximately $2.47 million annual budget is from public sources, including hotel taxes in Lehigh and Northampton counties. The rest is private funding.

Bethlehem-based LVEDC is currently searching for a new CEO. Predecessor Phil Mitman left Monday to become executive director of Easton Area Industrial Land Development Co.