The Chamber Foundation - 2019 Newsletter by DCRCOC Communications Team

2019 NEWSLETTER

Leadership Dutchess celebrates 30 years

By Erin Cafarelli Leadership Dutchess Class of 2010

n March 14, over 150 Leadership Dutchess graduates, session speakers, and program sponsors gathered to celebrate the 30th reunion

of the program’s inception at Mill Creek Caterers. Alumni from 1989-2019 enjoyed networking, appetizers, games, and a photo booth. Guests shared stories about their own experiences, including inaugural class members Patrick Moore and

Leadership Dutchess 30th Anniversary Celebration sponsored by

Robert Doyle, who both spoke highly of the program’s growth over the last 30 years. “As a graduate from the inaugural class of Leadership Dutchess, I am fortunate to have benefited from the education and training,” said Doyle. “Over the past thirty years of my volunteer leadership in local, regional, and national organizations, these communities have benefited from the teaching I received at Leadership Dutchess.” “This fantastic leadership program has not only survived the test of time, it has blossomed into a program that teaches enthusiastic future leaders how to extend their time, talent and treasure to the

benefit of us all,” he added. The evening’s program culminated with a keynote speech from Robert R. Dyson, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, The DysonKissner-Moran Corporation and Chairman of the Board for The Dyson Foundation. Dyson spoke about the importance of leadership and philanthropy in one’s life, and shared anecdotes from his personal journey. The event was sponsored by the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie, Fortress Financial, and Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union-Insurance Services. Event co-chairs were Erin Cafarelli (class of 2010) and Terry Williams (class of 2015).

kangaroo, “a baby T-rex,” and even a Madagascar “kissing cockroach.” Our fabulous KidCrew eagerly shared every moment with fellow KidVentureers and really helped to spread the buzz on social. The new venue at the college allowed for all areas to be

stroller and wheelchair accessible with plenty of room for restroom facilities and large crowds. A shuttle for people with disabilities was available for transport from the parking lot to the events.

Growing KidVenture a venture for success

he 3rd Annual KidVenture was bigger and better than ever before! Hosted for the first time at Dutchess County Community College (DCC), more than 80 exhibitors and business sponsors had a blast while offering hands-on activities for kids of all abilities ages 3-12. Performances in the Dutchess Theater delighted kids Presenting Sponsor

with magic, music, clowning, and reptile visitors. Local teen talents “Spackapella” a capella group from Spackenkill High School and “Hello Dolly Highlights” from students from Arlington High School dazzled with their performances. The entire campus of DCC was full of glowing faces meeting their favorite princesses, super heroes, and taking turns to ride the Lucky Orphan Horse Rescue pony! Touch-ATruck fulfilled the dreams of each KidVentureers, allowing them to climb, experience, and learn about working vehicles. Kids met exotic animals, including an alligator, a

A signature program of The Chamber Foundation, Leadership Dutchess is dedicated to educating and motivating citizens to serve in leadership roles within our community. This program is designed to foster the development of a group of professionals who learn and grow together over a nine-month period. Visit ChamberFDN.org for all the details and how to apply.

T H E C H A M B E R F O U N D AT I O N , I N C . - 20 19 N E W S L E T T E R The Executive Leadership Program is designed for mid to senior-level managers, nonprofit administrators, and entrepreneurs seeking advanced leadership and communications skills to move their careers and organizations forward. Visit ChamberFDN.org for all the details and how to apply.

Moving executive careers ahead

xecutive Leadership returned for a second year in January 2019, welcoming a class of 21 professionals. Taking place over five months, with two morning sessions per month, this year’s Executive Leadership Program maintained a cohort of participants, giving consistency and a valuable learning experience for all involved. “Year two of our Executive Leadership program has proven to be very rewarding so far,” said Sal Calta, retired IBM executive and chair of the Executive Leadership Program. “We have fine-tuned

the class material to make it even more interesting and engaging for the students. The participants are networking, learning from each other, and are even more engaged in class discussion. This enhanced level of comfort and engagement has also led to an increase in the level of 1:1 coaching requests that

the students are now taking advantage of!” Topics covered in Executive Leadership include: Managing Yourself, Strategic Planning and Execution, Executive Communication, Managing for Success, and Human Resources in Today’s Environment. The Executive Leadership

Program Sponsors

Program is designed for mid to senior-level managers, nonprofit administrators, and entrepreneurs seeking advanced leadership and communications skills to move their careers and organizations forward. Executive directors, sole proprietors, and high-potential career managers who are being developed for senior roles will also find value in this program. Chris Quinby, vice president and chief financial officer of Warlock Athletics Home of Warlock CrossFit, and participant in this year’s Executive Leadership class,

had this to say about the program. “Sal and Steve provide an excellent framework for all business executives to improve their personal and professional goals, strategies, and tactics. I personally have a renewed appreciation for the process of building and improving existing ideas, as well as more efficient ways to incubate new ideas. Many of my everyday struggles as a business owner and operator were addressed, and I now have more tools to tackle them more efficiently.” To find out more about this program, visit ChamberFDN.org.

Creating roadmaps to achieve big goals

lexis enrolled in Youth One Stop at the end of March 2018 with a clear road map for her future: attend High School Equivalency classes provided by Dutchess Community College, attain her diploma, move on to a technical class, and obtain full-time employment that would begin a career pathway in the medical field. She was working part-time at Stop and Shop,

and was also five months pregnant. Her road map for the future included a very tight timeline. Alexis enrolled in the HSE class as an engaged and attentive student. In April, she took the TASC exam, and learned she had passed all sections. She now had her diploma! Her next goal was to enroll in the Certified Nursing Assistant Class provided by the BOCES Adult Learning Institute.

But there were a few obstacles: BOCES wasn't offering a summer class at the time, and more importantly, her baby seemed undecided as to when she’d be born. Alexis was put on bedrest by her doctor and then hospitalized, but was determined to stay on track. BOCES scheduled a C.N.A. class in July of 2018, which, assuming she had her baby by then, would be perfect for Alexis.

In June 2018, Alexis became the mother of a beautiful baby girl. She proudly attended Dutchess Community College’s HSE graduation ceremony, and then promptly began attending C.N.A. class. In August, she attained her certificate on the first try. In October, Alexis was hired by the Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital and is working full-time as a Patient Care Tech!

Youth One Stop is a comprehensive education and job-training program utilizing local resources to benefit at-risk youth in Dutchess County. The program is open to income-eligible youth, ages 14-24 who are facing obstacles inhibiting them from completing school, finishing their HSE, or gaining employment. Youth One Stop is made possible thanks to a partnership with the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board and The Chamber Foundation, Inc. Visit MyYOS.org for all the program details.

The Chamber Foundation relies on donor support to make our programming top-notch. Visit ChamberFDN.org to donate today and help build tomorrow's leaders today!

C H A M B E R F D N . O RG Youth Leadership is an innovative leadership development program designed to develop the academic, social, and life skills of area youth. Students will have opportunities for substantive interaction with his or her peers, community-based service organizations, institutions of higher education, and professionals from local industry. Youth Leadership is a collaborative effort with area school districts and includes the local community, business leaders and Foundation staff. Youth Leadership is open to any incoming sophomore or junior high school student within Dutchess County. For more information or questions about being a part of the program, contact Hannah Early at (845) 454-1700 ext. 1025

Career exploration through The Youth Leadership Program

By Rebecca Oberle

n my sophomore year of high school, my mother encouraged me to enroll in The Youth Leadership Program. I decided to join in hopes that I’d gain some leadership skills that I’d need to use in my future. I was excited for Track Two because I’d be learning about things that would help me in a career later in life, and it would also give me important information about applying to colleges. When I learned that we would be required to complete an internship, I knew that I wanted to take

full advantage of that great opportunity, so I began researching careers and looking for one that I might pursue in my future. I have always been intrigued by the science classes that I’ve taken throughout my studies. However, I also knew that I desperately wanted to help people in whatever career I pursued. So, I decided that I’d be interested in doing my internship at MidHudson Regional Hospital. I remember the moment that I read the message that officially matched me with an internship there; I was in the hallway of my school, talking to my friend and checking my

email. When I saw the message, I was ecstatic and texted my mom about it immediately! I was so excited about this opportunity because, although I knew I wanted to pursue something involving health sciences, I had no idea what specifically I’d like to do in a hospital setting. During the internship, I learned about opportunities through interactive rotations between different departments, which included robotics/makoplasty, imaging/radiology, pharmacy, and laboratory. All of these rotations were very interesting, but what really caught my eye was the laboratory. With this, I decided that I might be interested in studying clinical laboratory sciences in college. Although this may change when I begin my studies, I know for sure that I still want to do something involving health sciences. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity that I’ve been given, and I’m very glad I participated in the Youth Leadership Program. Through this, I learned important skills that I will apply during my college and adult life. Program Sponsors

Caryn Solomon, RN and Rebecca Oberle

Student-run company teaches valuable skills By Youth Leadership’s Business Development Students

rganization, communication, and leadership skills are essential for professional success, but teenagers do not always have the opportunity to develop these areas at an early age. To address this growing need, The Chamber Foundation has created The Youth Leadership Program, which gives teenagers the space to grow and discover their abilities as young leaders. As a two-year program, Youth Leadership is divided into two separate tracks, each with their own area of focus. While Track One asks students to build and flex their entrepreneurial skills, Track Two focuses on helping students identify their educational and career goals. This year we participated in Track One, where students create a classroom-based company, with the goal of creating a product and selling it for profit. Our company

consisted of five student-run departments: Business Development, Marketing, Finance, Production, and Human Resources. As part of this process, we sold stock in our company to raise capital, designed a branded product, selected a manufacturer, with the goal of selling our product, earning enough profit to repay our shareholders, and even make them more money. This year, our company decided to manufacture and sell “Card Caddies,” a new and useful phone accessory. This product sticks to the back of any phone and can act as both a pocket for money and as a phone stand. Within each department of our company, students had the ability to put forth ideas, make decisions, and develop skills that can be utilized for a lifetime. Participating in this program provides such a wonderful space for young leaders to step up, learn the value of their voice, and cultivate valuable skills.

Visit ChamberFDN.org to learn more about all of our leadership, mentorship programming, and scholarship opportunities.

College campus tours engage and inspire

ouring college campuses can make the abstract idea of college a more tangible goal and can help students determine what type of school best meets their needs. This is exactly what happened for our Leadership Connections students from Poughkeepsie High School as they toured the campuses of Dutchess Community College and Vassar College. Students started the

day listening to a presentation on DCC’s offerings, flexibility, and opportunities from the Associate Dean of Enrollment Management, Michael Roe. They went on to tour the campus and experienced a day in the life of a DCC student. Taznir Smalling, a junior, liked what she saw. “I was really impressed by DCC, especially the small class sizes, because it’s important to have close ac-

Students exploring Dutchess Community College and Vassar College

THE CHAMBER FOUNDATION OFFICERS Maureen Kangas, Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel and Conference Center Barbara Ostrander, Vice Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RBT CPAs, LLP David Wise, Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mackey, Butts & Wise, LLP Jennifer Pawenski, Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Chazen Companies Stephen E. Diamond, Of Counsel . . . . Stenger, Roberts, Davis & Diamond, LLP/SRDD Law DIRECTORS José L. Carrión . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wappingers Central School District Staci Cussick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liberty Mutual Insurance Joanna S. Escanio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBM John P. Genn III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tompkins Mahopac Bank Tina Hawkinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red Cap Cleaners Kim Kenyon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gold's Gym Matthew Mullaney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hudson Cadillac-Buick-GMC Jennifer Pawenski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Chazen Companies Jessica Pecchia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Poughkeepsie Galleria Michael Roe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dutchess Community College Al Torreggiani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Key Construction Services, LLC Robyn Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union FOUNDATION STAFF Frank Castella, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President Audra Gerty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice President Nicholas Shannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Director Anne De Muro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Workforce Development Center Program Manager Lisa Niosi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Business Manager Hannah Early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Programming Coordinator YOUTH ONE STOP STAFF Ashley Adorno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Youth One Stop Assistant Case Manager Antonella Cutello . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Youth One Stop Case Manager Danica Pierre-Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Youth One Stop Case Manager John Pierre-Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Youth One Stop Case Manager

cess to professors in case you need help or attention,” she commented. Later in the day, students explored Vassar College and marveled at the architecture and diverse art and science offerings on campus. “The campus at Vassar was really nice, and the library was huge. It’s nice to know the library is open late so that students can get their work done when it works best for them,” said Abdul Azim, a senior.

LEADERSHIP

Connections

Aside from the “campus-feel,” financial aid is another major factor when it comes to choosing the right school, and mentors worked hard throughout the day to uncover ways to make the process more affordable. “DCC and Vassar both offer solid financial options. DCC offers very affordable tuition that can be fully covered by financial aid for eligible students, and Vassar offers a program where they will meet 100% of the full demonstrated financial need for accepted students. These are huge, as students can obtain a quality and affordable education right in their hometown,” said Paul Bowen, mentor. By the end of the day, students were glad to demystify the college process and were feeling inspired to pursue the next step in their educational journeys.

Leadership Connections is The Chamber Foundation’s student mentorship program, partnering exclusively with Poughkeepsie High School. This program gives an opportunity for Poughkeepsie High School juniors and seniors to build connections with business professional mentors in the local community. Leadership Connections is free and funded in part by the New York State OCFS and Dutchess County Division of Youth Services. Additional support provided by: Royal Carting Service Company & The Dyson Foundation.

MENTORS NEEDED! Do you want to play an important role in the life of a youth or working professional? Do you want to have a positive impact while impacting YOUR life as well? Consider becoming a mentor for The Chamber Foundation.

We are currently seeking mentors for the following programs:

Youth Leadership – High School sophomores and juniors The Career Achievement Program – Working adult professionals at any stage in their career.

DON’T DELAY – CALL HANNAH AT 845.454.1700 EXT. 1025 TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED.