Message from the President

In January of 1981, I started my Washington, D.C. internship in the office of then U.S. Senator David Durenberger of Minnesota. Little did I know then, but the experience would change me, my career interests, and where I would one day work and live. I am a proud (but broke!) parent of three current, college-age kids. The oldest, my son Frank, is a senior at Ryerson University in Toronto. He is a journalism major who is completing his second college internship. His first internship was at the Voice of America and the second is with a publication called The Washington Diplomat. These experiences will help lead him to “what’s next” as he transitions from student to employee. Similarly my colleague Kelly Basile, a native Ohioan and University of Delaware alumna, came to the State Chamber via an internship nine years ago and never left. She’s grown to now serve as our vice president of communications. A guy that worked on my car for years got his start in an autos class back in high school. While I was employed and out pumping gas as a high school sophomore, he worked “under the hood” and was in the garage changing oil and tires, and later started calibrating carburetors, and replacing points, plugs and condensers – when that was a thing! He went on to create quite a reputation and eventually bought that gas station and made a handsome income as a small business owner. His work life took off because he had been given basic training while in school and hired on as an apprentice at that garage. These stories are unique and fun to tell, and all share a common thread: it all got started with an apprenticeship or internship. Would you like to start an apprenticeship or internship program? We can help.