How can you power the next wave of recruitment? How can your company leverage talent networks and talent development centers? What are the current and future legal hurdles to effective recruitment?

Come find out on at the the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce and Central Jersey SHRM Human Resouces Summit 2018: "Talent Transformation for today & the future!"

The Summit will take place on Thursday, February 22, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Rutgers Club, 85 Avenue East, Piscataway, NJ.

The keynote speaker for the Summit will be Patricia Moran, PhD, former Assistant Commissioner of Workforce Development at the New Jersey Department of Labor. The event will include a breakfast, two group discussions on recruitment and 2018 legal trends, and more.

Click here for more information and to register.

	Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak

The Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce (MCRCC) will continue its new economic development series designed to connect the region's business community with legislators and county resources.

The series, Make It & Move It Middlesex, was built on the momentum gained in the September 2017 Middlesex County Business Summit, where attendees were able to navigate the many business resources provided by Middlesex County.

"At its core, the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce serves as a conduit to local, county, and statewide resources to make sure our Central Jersey business community thrives," said Lina Llona, President, MCRCC & Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The second session in the four-part series will feature New Jersey Assembly representatives Joseph Danielsen, Wayne DeAngelo, Robert Karabinchak and Andrew Zwicker and will take place Wednesday, February 28, at Advanced Analytical Testing Laboratories, 30 Silver Line Drive, First Floor, North Brunswick, NJ.

The event will be moderated by Bert Baron of WCTC 1450-AM.

Session 3 of Make It & Move It Middlesex will take place in March 2018 (County Freeholders), and Session 4 will take place in April 2018 (Women in Government).

"This program is intentionally designed to maximize the benefit of running a business in Central Jersey," said Lina Llona, President, MCRCC/Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

"There are myriad resources available that often go untapped. We need to make sure our business community enjoys the full complement of services available for them to succeed," she said.

HSBC is the series sponsor for Make It & Move It Middlesex, Withum will sponsor session 2, and series partners include Advanced Analytical Testing Laboratories, Inc., Silver Line by Andersen, Bayshore. Middlesex County, NJ is the program partner.

Click here for more information and to register.

	Philip Petracca

Entrepreneur and Shark Tank winner Philip Petracca will be the featured keynote speaker at the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce's 2018 Emerging Leaders Summit.

The Summit will take place Thursday, March 8, 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m., at the Heldrich, 10 Livington Ave., New Brunswick, NJ. 

The Emerging Leaders Summit provides professional and personal development for beginning to mid-career professionals and helps current leaders cultivate and mentor tomorrow's leaders. Hear from our panel of speakers who will share their journey as 'emerging leaders."

"Central Jersey is a treasure-trove of professional talent," said Lina Llona, president, Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce. "When we can provide the tools to best develop that talent, it benefits economically the individual, the employer, as well as the entire region."

Petracca is a serial entrepreneur and technology industry executive with a successful track record leading product strategy and development within the technology industry. He has vast experience in diverse sectors of emerging technology including biometrics, consumer electronics, mobile communications.

A consummate beer geek with a true passion for big flavored beers and the craft community, Petracca has also brought his skills to the emerging craft beer industry, supporting innovations in this emerging market.

The Emerging Leaders Summit will feature panel and group discussions led by seasoned professionals in their respective fields. It will also include breakfast.

Click here for more information and to register.

Thank you to James Hughes, dean emeritus of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, for his expert assessment of Central Jersey's 2018 economic prospects. Hughes delivered his annual presentation yesterday at the Rutgers Visitor Center in Piscataway, part of an annual economic development series sponsored by the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"2017 was a milestone year for the nation's economy and it ensured that we continue to have a mature economic expansion," Hughes said, noting that come May, the nation will enjoy the second-longest economic expansion at 107 months.

All this economic good news, Hughes said, was in contrast to his reputation as a tough-love economist known for delivering bad news: "The current national growth metrics are too strong, challenging my reputation as a doomster."

While New Jersey lagged in the economic recovery, recent years have proved to be a stellar for the statewide economy, with economy adding nearly 61,000 jobs in 2016.

Middlesex County in particularly is poised to build upon its economic viability, Hughes said.

"Middlesex County is growing faster than other counties and we have the appeal to people looking to live near urban centers as the sububanization dynamics of the 20th century are completely upended," Hughes said.

"There are so many pieces to the puzzle when it comes to continuing a successful and robust economic landscape here in Middlesex County," said Lina Llona, president, Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce. "We look to leaders like Jim Hughes for providing a big picture policy perspective so we can take his insights and act locally," she added.

"As Dean Hughes said, Central Jersey was once New Jersey's middle child, but it has emerged as the New Jersey's hub for economic activity and population growth. Central Jersey and particularly Middlesex County are well positioned for economic vibrancy in a 21st century New Jersey."

Thank you to our sponsor, the Rutgers Visitor Center, to our program Partner, Middlesex County and to our media partner, 1450 WCTC-FM.

Membership Reflects Central Jersey's Growing Business Community