Chamber to honor Leaders Under 40

TORRINGTON — Litchfield County is an aging population. It’s a story we hear often, But it’s not the whole story. Litchfield County also has a remarkable group of young leaders who are making a difference every day. They are contributing to their communities. They are investing in the future. They are working hard to assure success in business, education and society.

Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Organization was determined to not let this go unnoticed and are honoring the Litchfield County Leaders Under 40, an initiative that evolved from a 2017 Chamber undertaking.

Last year, the Chamber took a lead role in the Working Cities Challenge. Following months of communicating with community leaders and extensive research, the results were astonishing. Northwest Connecticut’s demographics are changing. There are a declining number of millennials, particularly age 25-35, falling public school enrollment, and a rapidly increasing senior population. Combined, these challenges threaten the financial security and quality of life for our region.

There is a perception among the young people that jobs do not exist in Northwest Connecticut. This same group generally agree that our region is not an attractive place to live. The Young Professionals Organization’s Community Engagement Committee disagrees. They know from experience that Litchfield County offers career opportunities and a quality of life that is both fulfilling and attractive.

Over 100 nominations were received for Litchfield County Leaders Under 40. They learned about extraordinary individuals living and working in the northwest corner who are making an impact in their company, school, non-profit or community.

A panel of local leaders evaluated 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 impact on the community’s future.

The following individuals were selected for the honor:

Katie Adkins, Plymouth Meats; Christian Allyn, Town of North Canaan; Peter Callahan, Fresh Perspectives/Copper Beech Institute; Jamie Cantoni, Jeffrey Tillou Antiques/ Western CT State University; Andrew Deacon, Torrington Public Schools; Jennifer Donovan, Red Barn Consulting LLC; Ruth Nadeau Dwyer, Ackerly Brown LLP ;Sarah Dziedzic, Union Savings Bank ;Danielle Eichman, Papermoon Performing Arts; Renee Giroux, Earth's Palate Farm & Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities ;Jessica Gueniat, Torrington Library ;Johanna Idrovo Sarmiento, Northwestern CT Community College; Lauren Johnson, Catalyst Counseling of Connecticut; Jordan Kaine, RN, BSN, Visiting Nurse Services of CT; Phillip Koenig, Wamogo Regional High School; Vince Laliberte, Pursue the Clues ;Meghan Lyon, Hoekenga & Machado, LLC /UCONN School of Law; Alain Malcolm, Altek Electronics, Inc.; Katherine Mancarella, North Meadow Farm; Mathew Montgomery, Elevator Service Co., Inc.; Katrin Moskowitz, Community Health & Wellness Center; Brian Ohler, State Representative, 64th District ; Kimberly Petzel, Torrington Public Schools; Isabella Pinto, Northwestern CT Community College; Olivia Pinto, Northwestern CT Community College; Zachary Ritchie, Prime Time House, Inc.; Lisselot Rodriguez, Central CT State University; Michael Shea, OD, Blondin Shea Eye Care; Robert Simon, Torrington Police Department; John Simoncelli, Greenwoods Counseling Referrals, Inc.; James Steck, Ebersol, McCormick, Reis & Steck, LLC; Michael Sweeney, Torrington Savings Bank; Carrie Taylor, Brooks, Todd & McNeil Insurance; Jessica Tessman, Central CT State University; Jill VerasCorey, Torrington Library; Julie Vincent, Susquehanna University; Anthony Vultaggio Jr., Torrington Ford Lincoln ; Timothy Waldron, City of Torrington; Michael Whittaker, ESPN; and Crystal Wiggins, Northwestern CT Community College.

The honorees will be recognized at an awards dinner on Thursday, July 26 at Chatterley’s Banquet Facility in Torrington as well as being featured in the inaugural Litchfield County Leaders Under 40 magazine publication:

“The recipients go above and beyond contributing their time and talent to companies, schools, non-profits and communities. Congratulations and thank you for all you do. You are an inspiration to us all,” said Lauren Zordan, Vice President of Programs & Events for the Chamber. “Together, we should continue to spread the word that Northwest Connecticut is a great place to live and work.”

The evening’s emcee will be Natasha Lekwa, Host, Influencer Marketing & Social Media Editor at Forbes. Ms. Lekwa is launching an influencer marketing strategy at Forbes, where she brings innovation and creativity to the 100 year old media company. As the host of the Forbes video series, The Business of Influence, Natasha interviews influencers, agencies, and other industry experts from around the world on a range of topics surrounding the social media influencer space. She is focused on content creation and storytelling in new and visual ways using social media platforms. She taps influencers and Forbes list makers, including the visionaries of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Forbes Greatest Living Business Minds, Top Influencers, etc. for interviews, takeovers, and content created for each social media platform.

The Leaders Under 40 event is sponsored by the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, Elevator Service Co., Inc., Northwestern CT Community College, Brooks, Todd & McNeil Insurance, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, Goulet Printing, Hoekenga & Machado, Red Barn Consulting, LLC, Torrington Savings Bank, Torrington-Winsted Area Rotary Club, and Visiting Nurse Services of CT.

Anyone is welcome to attend to support these young leaders. Tickets for the awards dinner are available by visiting www.nwctchamberofcommerce.org.