A graduate of Drexel University, Larry Wittig of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, possesses a master of business administration with a concentration in accounting. The owner of Tamaqua Transfer & Recycling, Inc., Larry Wittig is actively involved in his community and serves as a member of the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board (LSWIB).

A private nonprofit corporation that oversees a Workforce Investment Area that encompasses Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties, LSWIB determines how federal workforce dollars will be spent in the local region to promote business, education, and economic development. One recent investment LSWIB approved was a nearly $25,000 allocation for the SHINE after-school program for middle-school students.

Based at the Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center and supported by multiple funding sources, the SHINE program offers food and intellectual stimulation through its after-school programming and weekly home visits. Using a STEM-based curriculum, SHINE has helped students acquire a range of new skills, including setting up a theoretical pizza shop, using computer-aided design to construct a birdhouse, and building solar-powered toy cars from kits.