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In This Issue:
Upcoming Events ~ Welcome New Members
Hiring/Training Programs ~
Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings
HR Corner ~ Health Care Council Update
Chamber New
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A Message from our President
The theme of the fall here at the Chamber office is Leadership. The concept of fostering and celebrating leadership qualities is at the center of each of our major initiatives this month.
A nine-month personal and professional development program that boasts over 400 alumni, Leadership Greater Waterbury welcomes all lifelong learners looking to take an opportunity to grow, lead, and make a positive impact on greater Waterbury. You can take a look at the program application here.
The Chamber is also hard at work coordinating the 35th Annual Business Women's Forum leadership conference on October 20th. Attendees will hear keynote speaker Randi Zuckerberg, Founder & CEO of Zuckerberg Media, as well as humorous motivational speaker Tami Evans. Dynamic speakers, interactive workshops, extensive networking opportunities, and an energetic afternoon reception combine to bring women across Connecticut an inspiring and engaging day. Although the BWF is quickly approaching, there is still time to register and we welcome all who are interested in attending.
Finally, the Watertown-Oakville Chamber is preparing to honor outstanding leadership in the business community at the Chamber's 53rd Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner. We look forward to November 8th when we will celebrate Robert LaBonne, Sr. of LaBonne's Markets with the Community Leader Award, William Wildman, Sr. of Bill Wildman Floor Covering with the Unsung Hero Award, and Hawk Ridge Winery with the Beautification Award. A portion of proceeds from the evening's silent auction will benefit the Watertown-Oakville Chamber's Scholarship fund.
Can any of our upcoming programs help to foster leadership qualities for you or your employees? We would love to help you get involved in any of these capacities. Please feel free to reach out regarding these opportunities or any of the ways the Chamber can assist your business at (203) 757-0701 or
lward@waterburychamber.com
Best Regards,
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35th Annual Business Women's Forum
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Is there an awesome woman working in your company that would enjoy a day of networking, inspirational speakers and energizing workshops? Is it you, or maybe a colleague or direct report? All are welcome to attend the 35th Annual Business Women's Forum, the longest-running full-day conference for women in Connecticut. Enjoy keynote speakers, engaging workshops, breakfast, lunch, an afternoon networking reception, giveaways, raffles and more! Only a few business days left to register- contact us today!
Click Here and Visit www.2017bwf.com for More Information
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Join Us! - Upcoming Chamber Events
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October Out for Business and Leadership Greater Waterbury Welcome
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Monday, October 23
Palace Theater
5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
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Prospective Member Informational Breakfast
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Tuesday, October 31
Waterbury Regional Chamber Offices
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STEM/Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Expo
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Friday, November 3
Naugatuck Valley Community College
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
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Watertown Oakville Chamber 53rd Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner
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Wednesday, November 8 ~ Grand Oak Villa ~ 5:30 - 8:30 PM
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Taking Care of Business: Fall Business Seminars
Naugatuck Valley Community College, Founder's Hall
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM
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Multi Generations
in the Workplace
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Wednesday, November 15
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Cyber Security
in the Workplace
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Tuesday, November 28
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Mental Health
in the Workplace
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Tuesday, December 5
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Welcome to our newest members who have joined over the past month*. We encourage you to connect with these members and learn about how you can work together!
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Block Advisors
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Gents Barber Shop |
| Chase Parkway Dental |
John M. Glover Agency |
| DDL Enterprises |
Opus: Advice First - Anthony Williams |
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DirectLine Media LLC
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Superior Plus Energy Services |
| Farmers Insurance-David Guerrera |
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*Joined September 1 - October 10
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Hiring and Training Programs Available
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Do you need help finding qualified workers for your business? Could you use some financial assistance to offset the cost of hiring and training new workers, or training your existing workforce? The Waterbury Regional Chamber is working with the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board to help businesses in Greater Waterbury learn more about the available hiring and training programs and whether they qualify for them. This includes providing information on posting jobs on the state's CTHires.com website, as well as information about Manufacturing Innovation Fund Incumbent Worker Training, the Apprenticeship Program, Hiring Veterans, and On the Job Training programs. For information, contact Dave Krechevsky, the Chamber's director of public policy and economic development, at
dkrechevsky@waterburychamber.com or 203-757-0701.
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Join us at upcoming ribbon cuttings to celebrate your fellow members!
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Wednesday, October 11
3:00 PM
New Location!
26 Church Street, Naugatuck
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Wednesday, October 18
3:00 PM
Grand Re-Opening!
1284 Strongtown Road, Southbury
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Monday, November 6
12:00 Noon
Grand Opening!
350 Fairfield Avenue, Waterbury
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Seven Villages Restaurant
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Wednesday, November 15
2:00 PM
30th Anniversary Celebration
30 Bank Street, Waterbury
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*To schedule an upcoming ribbon cutting for your business with the Chamber, contact Membership Services and Communications Director Julie Donato at jdonato@waterburychamber.comor at (203) 757-0701 ext. 325.
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HR Corner:
As DACA Goes,
I-9 Compliance Becomes Critical
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Whether or not "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals" (DACA) program winds down or becomes law, it has become critical for HR professionals to ensure that their I-9 forms are in order. Many of these DACA program participants and other immigrant workers, have "employment authorization documents" (EAD's) which allow them to work in the US for a specified period of time that will expire. Their I-9 form and/or E-Verify entry will reflect that expiration date, and all employers must ensure that they are being compliant about adhering to those dates, EXACTLY. If you have any DACA participants (that self-identified - DO NOT ASK) whose EAD's expire before March 5, 2018, they only have until October 15, 2017 to reapply for another 2-year EAD.
To ensure you are not singling out DACA program participants and risk discriminatory practices, you should always review all EAD's with expiration dates on a regular basis, or have some sort of "Notification System" to remind you that a specific EAD is coming up for expiration and you need to address new documentation, or separation - whichever is required in each specific situation.
Immigration is a big issue with this administration, so make sure you do not incur penalties, and check your I-9 documents for possible expiration dates NOW!
The HR Corner is brought to you by Lois Krause,
MBA, SPHR, SHRM, SCP - KARDASLARSON, LLC -
Human Resources Solutions. Learn more at www.kardaslarson.com
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Your Health Care Council Update
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The Health Care Council and Small Business Council are teaming up once again to bring you the Business Matters Educational Workshops! The theme of this year's three workshops is "Taking Care of Business," all geared towards the well-being of your business and your employees. On November 15th, join us for "Multi Generations in the Workplace" and gain an understanding of the five different generations in the workforce today and how to effectively communicate and bridge those gaps. On November 28th, check out "Cyber Security in the Workplace" and get your business's digital well-being in check. On December 5th, we'll round it out with "Mental Health in the Workplace" and discover how we can be a support for our colleagues as well as family and friends. Interested in any of these seminars? Click here for more information!
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Is your company interested in the Health Care Council or are you a current council member and want to get re-engaged please contact Courtney at cligi@waterburychamber.com or 203-757-0701.
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23rd Annual Malcolm Baldrige Community Awards Dinner
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On September 26th, the Waterbury Regional Chamber hosted the 23rd Annual Malcolm Baldrige Awards Dinner to honor the life and legacy of Malcolm "Mac" Baldrige. A dynamic businessman, former Waterbury Chamber Board Chairman and US Secretary of Commerce under President Regan, Baldrige was truly a Waterbury innovator. The Chamber awarded Frank Monteiro of MacDermid Performance Solutions with the Malcolm Baldrige Community Award, Lori DosSantos of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management with the Leadership Award, and James Higgins of Webster Bank with the Volunteer Award. To see photos from the Awards Evening by Dorian Mode Photography, please click below.
Click to See Malcolm Baldrige Dinner Photos by Dorian Mode Photography
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Application Deadline Extended for Leadership Greater Waterbury - October 16
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The Leadership Greater Waterbury Program is recruiting now for the 2017-2018 program year. L
eadership Greater Waterbury is a personal and career development program which creates lifelong partnerships and develops community awareness among future leaders in civic, professional and community organizations in the Greater Waterbury area. Its goal is to provide a creative, interactive environment for the participants to meet regional leaders and discuss the challenges that affect Greater Waterbury.
To Learn More and View an Application, Click Here.
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Quarterly Members Breakfast
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The Chamber's quarterly members breakfast welcomes all members to discover ways that they can maximize the value of their Chamber membership. A member's breakfast was held on October 3rd and provided an overview of the many programs and committees available as well as marketing and promotional opportunities, members' online profiles, networking events and meetings, and the roles of Chamber staff in assisting members. Missed this breakfast? Be on the lookout for details on the next breakfast in January!
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Out for Business at Liberty Bank
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The Chamber's monthly Out for Business event was held in September at Liberty Bank on Church Street in Naugatuck. Liberty Bank welcomed fellow Chamber members to enjoy a night out of networking, food and drink. Guests enjoyed an informative Buzz Session about de-stressing at work with Debbie Mitchell of Ready to Exhale, LLC. Attendees also played a networking game where they needed to network to 'find their match' and be entered into a raffle.
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The Watertown-Oakville Chamber had a booth at this year's annual Watertown Fall Festival in September to promote members in that area and share information with the public about the Chamber's services. Staff also held a collection for the Watertown Oakville Chamber Scholarship Fund which benefits two students graduating from Watertown High School, one pursing a future in business and the other in a STEM/Trades field. lf you are interested in contributing to the Watertown-Oakville Scholarship fund, please contact Julie Donato at
jdonato@waterburychamber.com.
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YPOWR 3rd Annual Mini Golf Tournament & Networking Reception
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The Young Professionals of Waterbury Region held their 3rd Annual Mini Golf Tournament in September
. Over 100 young professionals turned out for the event, networking with fellow players as they enjoyed mini golf, a putting contest, evening networking reception and the Crystal Rock "Bottle Flip Challenge." Attendees were awarded prizes for the best and worst team and individual score, best dressed team and more. The best overall team score went to the team from Sarracco Mechanical Services, Inc.
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2nd Annual Greater Waterbury Restaurant Week
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The Waterbury Regional Chamber coordinated the 2nd Annual Greater Waterbury Restaurant Week in mid-September. Several area restaurants offered patrons special menus and pricing in order to entice them to try someplace new or spend a night out! Thank you to all those who enjoyed meals at our participating restaurants and we look forward to next year's Restaurant Week!
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Promote Your Business with Door Prize Donations
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Promote your products and services and get great exposure by donating a gift certificate or item to a Chamber function.
Donated items are drawn as prizes for our monthly Out for Business events, Young Professionals of Waterbury Region networking events, Out for Health events, and more. Donations can also be made specifically to the annual Malcolm Baldrige Awards Dinner silent auction.
When you donate, you can gain a new customer and your business is publicly spotlighted by the Chamber.
Start a Donation Today! - Click Here
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We're working to promote shopping local and shopping Chamber! Our digital initiative provides the opportunity to promote your business and to encourage your fellow members to shop local and utilize your business. Every month, different members will be showcased- and YOU can be a part of it. Click here for further details and consider which month you'd like to sign up for. Contact Julie at
jdonato@waterburychamber.com today!
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