Chamber Leaders Visit New Haven on New LAL Route

On June 20, members of the Chamber’s board of directors, committees and staff visited New Haven, Connecticut on Lakeland Linder International Airport’s new commercial flight with Avelo Airlines!

While there were plenty of opportunities to try New Haven’s famous apizzza, the group also spent Friday visiting with community leaders and workforce champions.

To begin our day, we met with Dave Feinberg and Marcia LaFemina of MATCH Connecticut, a manufacturing training center with community focus. During our visit, Marcia explained how MATCH was envisioned, created and funded to bring technical training and wrap-around support to job seekers who are interested in careers in manufacturing. As a manufacturer herself, Marcia knows firsthand the value of skilled labor, and her innovative vision creates paid training opportunities through contract manufacturing services.

From MATCH, we traveled to the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce where we met with President & CEO Garrett Sheehan and Vice President, Economic Development & Workforce Initiatives Anne Benowitz. Garrett and Anne told us how they’re using the Talent Pipeline Management system from the US Chamber Foundation to support the workforce needs in the 15-city region. We also met Jesse Phillips, GNHCC’s Coordinator of Inclusive Growth. Jesse’s role focuses on improving access for BIPOC-owned businesses, including supplier diversity programs.

Ginny Kozloski from REX Development was our guide for the balance of the day. First stop… City Hall. Deputy Economic Development Director and Small Business Resource Center Director Cathy Graves shared an overview of the programs and resources the City offers to support entrepreneurs.

We were joined by Joe Williams, Community Foundation of Greater New Haven’s Mission Investment Company Director. Joe gave an overview of TCFMIC and shared stories about their investments in underserved small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Before we finished at City Hall, University of New Haven’s Director of Economic Development Rob Thompson shared an overview of their newest programs to help connect UNH students to the business community – especially small businesses. Through programs like Helping Hands, community partners and donors help subsidize internships in non-profits and small businesses.

Our day wrapped with a tour of the newest bioscience office in New Haven. Part of the “Downtown Crossing” project reclaiming about 10 acres of land over a highway, 101 College Street is already home to several companies including the bioscience co-working space BioLabs. The development includes several public-private partnerships like green space and public art, and provides for a classroom inside BioLabs where high school students will have direct access to bioscience equipment.

On Saturday, the group members found plenty to keep them engaged. Some boarded the train and visited family and New York City. Others toured the libraries, museums and art galleries at Yale University. Some even found themselves visiting lighthouses along the coast!
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Our visit to New Haven was full of great information, interesting places and delicious food – not to mention wonderful friends and colleagues. Traveling with us were:

• Amanda L. Walls, Board Chair (Peterson & Myers, PA)
• Lori Martini, Board Chair-elect (GiveWell Community Foundation)
• Par Sahota, Vice Chair of Organizational Integrity (Boring Business Systems)
• Melody Rider, Education Committee (Lakeland Leads)
• Kassia Alamm, EMERGE Lakeland Chair (Straughn Trout Architects)
• Takiyah Dixon, Director of Business Resources
• Amy Wiggins, President & CEO