HARRISBURG — Erie leaders delivered a unified message of regional collaboration and readiness during remarks Monday on the steps of the state Capitol as part of the inaugural Erie Day.

Representatives from more than 20 Erie County organizations stood together, symbolizing a years-long shift from fragmented efforts to coordinated action across the public, private and civic sectors.

kAm“$E2?5:?8 @? E96 r2A:E@= DE6AD H:E9 D@ >2?J @C82?:K2E:@?D C6AC6D6?E65 H2D 2 A@H6C7F= >@>6?E 7@C tC:6[” D2:5 z:> %9@>2D[ 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C @7 x?7:?:E6 tC:6[ H9@ 56=:G6C65 C6>2C@>6?E C67=64E65 E92E tC:6 92D >@G65 36J@?5 H@C<:?8 😕 D:=@D 2?5 😀 ?@H 2=:8?65 2C@F?5 4=62C AC:@C:E:6D E92E 5:C64E=J 36?67:E @FC C6D:56?ED]”k^Am

kAm%9@D6 D92C65 AC:@C:E:6D :?4=F56 6IA2?5:?8 2446DD E@ D276[ 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8j 56G6=@A:?8 2 H@C=5\4=2DD H2E6C7C@?Ej 2?5 DFAA@CE:?8 DFDE2:?23=6 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E E92E DEC6?8E96?D H@C<7@C46 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 24C@DD E96 C68:@?]k^Am

kAm“%96 x?7:?:E6 tC:6 !=2J3@@< @FE=:?6D E96D6 AC:@C:E:6D 4=62C=J 2?5 D6CG6D 2D 2 8F:56 7@C 56G6=@A:?8 @FC C68:@?[” %9@>2D D2:5] “%96 a_ae !=2J3@@< C67=64ED 566A 4@==23@C2E:@? 24C@DD AF3=:4[ AC:G2E6 2?5 4:G:4 =6256CD9:A 2?5 C6AC6D6?ED 2 C62= @AA@CEF?:EJ 7@C tC:6]”k^Am

kAm%96 C6>2C6H@C36C’D tC:6 b__ $EC2E68J[ 2D E@@=D E@ 4@@C5:?2E6 56G6=@A>6?E 677@CED] $A62<6CD ?@E65 E92E 2=:8?>6?E A@D:E:@?D tC:6 E@ 4@>A6E6 >@C6 67764E:G6=J 7@C DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= DFAA@CE[ A2CE:4F=2C=J 2D 3F586E AC:@C:E:6D 4@?E:?F6 E@ 6>A92D:K6 9@FD:?8[ H@C<7@C46 2?5 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am

kAm“%96 >6DD286 @? E96 r2A:E@= DE6AD H2D D:>A=6 2?5 :?E6?E:@?2=i tC:6 😀 C625J E@ 5@ E96 H@C<[” D2:5 qC2?5@? |6?5@K2[ AC6D:56?E 2?5 rt~ @7 E96 tC:6 #68:@?2= r92>36C] “(6 H2?E65 DE2E6 =6256CD E@ 962C[ 4=62C=J 2?5 5:C64E=J[ E92E @FC C68:@? 😀 2=:8?65[ AC6A2C65 E@ 56A=@J C6D@FC46D C6DA@?D:3=J 2?5 7@4FD65 @? EFC?:?8 DEC2E68J :?E@ >62DFC23=6 C6DF=ED]”k^Am

kAm|6?5@K2 D2:5 E96 A2CE?6CD9:A 36EH66? E96 r92>36C 2?5 x?7:?:E6 tC:6 96=AD 6?DFC6 E92E =@?8\E6C> 64@?@>:4 DEC2E68:6D EC2?D=2E6 :?E@ 24E:@? 7@C 6>A=@J6CD[ H@C<6CD 2?5 4@>>F?:E:6D]k^Am

kAm“$E2E6 :?G6DE>6?E 4C62E6D @AA@CEF?:EJ[ 3FE =@42= 4@@C5:?2E:@? 56E6C>:?6D :>A24E[” |6?5@K2 25565] “(96? 3FD:?6DD AC:@C:E:6D 2?5 C68:@?2= 56G6=@A>6?E 8@2=D 2=:8?[ tC:6 😀 36EE6C A@D:E:@?65 E@ 8C@H]”k^Am

kAm%96 C6>2CA92D:K65 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 DEC@?86C 4@@C5:?2E:@? 24C@DD tC:6’D 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E 64@DJDE6>[ :?4=F5:?8 E9C@F89 D92C65 C@=6D 56D:8?65 E@ 4@??64E @C82?:K2E:@?D[ 2=:8? AC@;64ED 2?5 C65F46 5FA=:42E:@?[ D@ 677@CED >@G6 7@CH2C5 4@==64E:G6=J]k^Am

kAm~C82?:K6CD ?@E65 E92E H9:=6 E96 DA6649 >2C<65 2 D:8?:7:42?E >:=6DE@?6[ E96 H@C< 4@?E:?F6D 36J@?5 tC:6 s2J]k^Am

kAm“%96 H@C5D DA@<6? E@52J 2C6 2 4@>>:E>6?E[” %9@>2D D2:5] “}@H[ @FC C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 😀 E@ DFDE2:? E92E >@>6?EF> 2?5 EFC? 4@==23@C2E:@? :?E@ 4@?E:?F65 AC@8C6DD 324< 9@>6 😕 tC:6]”k^Am

Stay informed: Sign up for news alerts, morning news headlines and sports highlights to keep updated on news that matters to our community.