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Jamie Flick said he has sought a way to be a consensus-builder rather than a divider while serving in Harrisburg.
To accomplish that, the state representative from South Williamsport, who represents Lycoming County and two northern townships in Union County, comprising the 83rd District, said he started a caucus -- "Meet Me in the middle."
The caucus has four co-chairs, including Flick, with two Republicans and two Democrats, who are two women and two men of various ethnicities.
"The intent of that caucus was to get along quite honestly," Flick said.
As caucus members, they do not discuss guns and God, but rather issues that are less divisive such as mental health and teenage suicide.
"It gave me an opportunity to get to know the other side," he said.
It helps with other common sense bills such as a transportation-related bill and he was able to reach out to some Meet Me in the Middle Caucus members on it.
He continues to build relationships as much legislation he introduced and co-sponsored had Democrat and Republican co-sponsors.
Flick said he met several times with Gov. Josh Shapiro and with influential members of the House Appropriations and Senate Judiciary committees. He has been invited to participate in roundtable discussions, which include items such as the need for rural hospitals and needs for autism awareness -- bipartisan efforts -- which he finds critical and is happy to lend his voice, share his experience and those in the district that shared with him.
Closer to home, he said he has forged further relationships with area individuals who make policy and must also deliver on their own promises for Lycoming County and Greater Williamsport.
These include the former county commissioners Rick Mirabito and Tony Mussare and the present-day commissioners Marc Sortman, Mark Mussina and Scott Metzger, the City of Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter, Williamsport City Council and the Union County commissioners, he said. He works closely, too, with state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, who serves the 84th District.
Flick also takes a realistic view of the abundance of energy beneath this region's feet and its need to improve and grow infrastructure (sewer, water and stormwater) for the next generation.
In his first year in office, Flick said he had the opportunity to contribute by continuing to pursue grant funding to support municipal infrastructure and the growing energy sector.
He has contributed toward the continuing process to see the recertification and accreditation of the Greater Williamsport levee project, a multi-million endeavor involving the Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency and other state and local agency providers. If the levee is not recertified and accredited and repairs made those protected by it -- including a combined $4 billion to $5 billion in land and property assets -- would be forced to pay for federal flood insurance. The levee protects his hometown of South Williamsport, but also neighboring Williamsport, Loyalsock Township and Old Lycoming Township.
Flick wants to attract more businesses and people to live in the region. He remarked about the industrial needs of the region and visited industries such as New Trail Brewing Co., the Prysmian Group, PMF Industries, Moran Industries and Brodart to name a few. He supports workforce development, which he said CEOs of these companies and firms told him is of the highest priority.
Flick said he also is keenly interested in anything he can do toward helping the region to develop affordable housing and is supportive of various private and public initiatives, especially for middle class working families.
As he embarks on the remainder of the year in service to the district, Flick, who originally is a native of Montgomery and lives in Armstrong township near South Williamsport, said he would not want to be anywhere else.