Chamber To Laud Business Education, Mentor Programs

Today we are thrilled to host our 25th Annual Business and Education Partnership and Middletown Mentor Program Recognition member breakfast. Our keynote speaker for this event is Dr. Robert Kennedy, President of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education. 

The Board of Regents is the governing body for the Connecticut State University System, Charter Oak State College and the community colleges in our state.  We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kennedy to Middlesex County and look forward to his remarks. 

Our Business and Education Partnership is a special program that provides Middlesex County students with access to the business community and a glimpse into what a professional life is all about. 

I want to thank the sponsors and supporters of the program: Connecticut Light & Power Company and Yankee Gas, Pratt & Whitney and Wesleyan University.  This program would not be possible without the dedication of the partnership’s Advisory Council and especially its Chairman, Tom Serra. 

I also want to recognize the great work of the Middletown Mentor Program. Hal Kaplan, School Coordinator of the program, has provided great leadership over the years and I want to publicly thank him once again for his great support of our Chamber and the Middletown community. 

The work of our mentor program would not be possible without the great support of the Liberty Bank Foundation, the Middletown Board of Education, Middle Oak Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, Connecticut Valley Hospital and Seasons Federal Credit Union. Finally, Jennifer De Kine from the Chamber staff serves as liaison to both the Business and Education Partnership and the Middletown Mentor Program and does an outstanding job. 

Following the breakfast, we are hosting a press conference to announce the structure of our 2012 Summer Youth Employment Program.  The Chamber has administered this program since 2006 but every year we have been forced to create a waiting list due to the interest in our program and the need for summer youth employment in Middletown.  This year we are joining forces with the City of Middletown and other great community partners in an effort to significantly decrease any waiting list we would have if we relied on state funding only for this program. 

Our heartfelt thanks go out to Mayor Dan Drew and members of the Middletown Common Council, Liberty Bank Foundation, Middlesex United Way, Seasons Federal Credit Union, Middle Oak Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, the Middlesex County Community Foundation and the Middlesex Coalition for Children for their support of this program. 

Quite simply, the support of these organizations means more Middletown youngsters will be put to work this summer.  Appearing at the press conference will be: Workforce Alliance Executive Director Bill Villano, Mayor Dan Drew, Liberty Bank President Chandler Howard, Middlesex United Way Executive Director Kevin Wilhelm, representatives from Seasons Federal Credit Union, Tom Ford of Middle Oak Middlesex Mutual Assurance Corporation,  Middlesex County Community Foundation Executive Director Cynthia Clegg, Willard McRae and Betsy Morgan of the Middlesex Coalition for Children and our Youth @ Work Coordinator Jeff Pugliese. 

I want to also recognize a new program coming down from the state-level called STEP UP, or the . This program provides state funds to employers with 50 or fewer employees to hire unemployed individuals seeking to re-enter the workforce.

This program was created as part of the bipartisan jobs bill that came out of last October’s special legislative session on jobs economic development. I was happy to send Jeff Pugliese from my office to a press conference that was held at Royal Manufacturing in Middletown. 

Rick Wright, Owner and Operator of Royal Manufacturing, has taken advantage of this state program and has hired a new member for his team.  Appearing at the press conference with Rick was State Senator Paul Doyle, State Representative Joe Serra, Department of Labor Commissioner Glenn Marshall and his deputy Dennis Murphy and Rina Bakalar of the Connecticut Office of Workforce Competitiveness.

I want to thank Sen. Doyle, Rep. Serra and the other elected officials in the Middlesex County delegation for their leadership on this issue.  I want to also thank the members of the Malloy Administration that came to Middletown to help promote this great program.  The Chamber looks forward to working with these officials by providing a bridge between the business community and these pro-business programs that are coming down from the state level.

I want to close by recognizing some sad news in Middlesex County. Our good friend Mortimer "Mort" A. Gelston passed away recently. Mort grew up in East Haddam and was a true pioneer and community servant in Middlesex County for many years. He served in many town government positions as a volunteer or an elected official in East Haddam, is a former Distinguished Citizen Award winner in Middlesex County and was a good friend to many of us. 

He served as Chairman of the Connecticut Siting Council for 31 years and worked closely and effectively with members of both political parties throughout his tenure. I want to recognize Mort's great contributions to the town of East Haddam, Middlesex County and the State of Connecticut. He will be missed.

For information on Chamber events and activities, contact Jeff Pugliese at jpugliese@middlesexchamber.com.