It is with great sadness that we announce that Dan Guydish, the membership director of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce since August of 2005, passed away early Monday morning.

Dan had been a central part of the Chamber team for the last 16 years. His fantastic personality, knowledge of the Chamber and the Greater Hazleton area were keys to his success. His smile and manner made everyone feel like a friend in short order. During his time with the Chamber, Dan had personally recruited and signed up more than 1,800 members. Dan’s background of being a small business owner himself was an instant connection to members. He understood their world.

Even during the recent challenges of the pandemic and having the Chamber pivot to a more virtual reality… Dan was an instrumental part of the Chamber’s response. He learned zoom, facilitated efforts with the local municipalities and the MCOGS for the safety and health of our area.  Dan’s recruitment efforts never ended either. He would talk on the phone, do safe drop off of information, and even took part in recent socially distanced ribbon cuttings. A true team player with many talents, Dan also coordinated the great PA Clean Up for the last 4 years. Just two weekends ago, he welcomed and worked with Representative Matt Cartwright and the Lackawanna police academy students and coordinated more than 1,000 volunteers in the Greater Hazleton Area. At another Chamber event, Funfest, Dan worked with the security committee and coordinated many behind the scenes efforts.

Dan’s love of the game of golf added to the Chamber history as well. He assisted the committee and Leann Fallabel in recruiting players and making sure the Chamber had the most successful event possible. Dan was generous with his time and talent with many people and agencies sharing his wisdom, knowledge and experiences for the benefit of our area. He was a great man who touched countless lives and was a true gem of our community. We are deeply saddened by everyone’s loss. On behalf of the Board, Staff and Chamber members we extend our condolences to his wife Kerry and daughter Kayla.