Nominations of young professionals sought

The Northwest Connecticut Chamber’s Young Professionals Organization is seeking nominations of remarkable young people living and working in the northwest corner who are making a difference in their company, school, or community. They will honor these individuals in an Under 40 publication and at an awards dinner on July 26, 6 p.m. at Chatterley’s Banquet Facility, 371 Pinewoods Road, Torrington.

Nominations are being accepted until Saturday. The nomination form can be found via a link on the homepage of the Chamber’s website-nwctchamberofcommerce.org.

Nominees must be 39 years of age or younger as of Dec. 31, 2018, and should be aware of their nomination. Nominees can be self-nominated or nominated by a family member, colleague, teacher, friend, or peer. Nominees must live and/or work in Northwest Connecticut.

Awardees will be selected by a panel of local leaders who will evaluate each nominee using the following criteria: career or educational achievement to-date, commitment to excellence in their industry, leadership within their organization, involvement in the community, leadership in community organizations, and potential impact to the community’s future.

The Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce created the Young Professionals Organization (YPO) to support and expand the population of young professionals in Northwest CT through networking, community involvement and professional development. YPO is sponsored by marketing communications agency, Conquest.

The ultimate goal is to make Northwest Connecticut an inviting and attractive place in which young professionals can live and work. The Chamber recognizes that businesses, state and local governments, civic organizations and the community at large rely on young people to succeed their predecessors in leadership roles. Without leaders to fill vacancies or offer fresh ideas, the region will struggle to remain competitive.

YPO helps men and women in their 20s and 30s develop a peer network and plant roots in the community. This is accomplished through social networking events at local businesses, providing professional development seminars, community service opportunities, and other activities.

For information on the Chamber’s Young Professionals Organization, visit the Chamber’s website at nwctchamberofcommerce.org, call the Chamber at 860-482-6586 or email lauren@nwctchamberofcommerce.org.

Manufacturing Summit

The chamber’s Manufacturers Coalition will host a Manufacturing Summit on Wednesday, March 28 at 8 a.m. at Torrington Country Club, 250 Torrington Road, Goshen. The event is open to anyone and breakfast will be served.

Commissioner of Labor, Scott Jackson and Todd Berch, Director of Apprenticeship at CT Department of Labor are the keynote speakers for the event. There will also be a panel discussion on workforce/ hiring needs and training. Panelists will include Cathy Awwad, Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, Michelle Caffe, Connecticut Department of Labor, Matt Koehler, BD, Larry Pomerleau, Department Head, Manufacturing shop at Oliver Wolcott Technical High School, and Alain Malcolm, a recent high school graduate who took a soldering class at Altek Electronics that led to a full time position there.

The event is sponsored by CONNSTEP and the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board. Admission is $20/person for Chamber members and $30/person for nonmembers. Attendees can RSVP at nwctchamberofcommerce.org or by calling 860-4826586.

JOANN RYAN