Chamber News – August 1, 2023

Greetings Chamber Members,

July marked my second full month with the Windsor Chamber. The theme of this update is transitions. This Chamber, and most other Chambers for that matter, are finding their footing in this third decade of the 21st Century. We are seeking to identify new ways to better contribute to our communities and to assist our members. In my first few months I have been utilizing my time to network with local and regional officials, meeting with and learning about the roles of regional and state development agencies and non-profits, reassessing Chamber programming, and working to recruit new members. In the past two months, the Chamber has welcomed seven new members to our organization!

Last week I had a great meeting with Windsor Town Manager Peter Souza and Matt Hart – Executive Director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments on CRCOG’s economic development plans, and where the Chamber might partner to assist in those plans. We covered a variety of topics from Business Development both large and small to Housing. Matt also graciously invited me to participate in the Draft rollout plan for CRCOG’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. I learned much from both meetings, and I am looking forward to working with CRCOG and other state and regional development organizations to drive economic development in Windsor and across the North-Central Connecticut region.

I have also been reaching out and meeting with other Chambers in the region to discuss where the Chamber should be focused, and how we can work together to achieve successful outcomes for Windsor and our region. There are several events we are looking to jointly host with other Chambers and through a reviatalized Tobacco Valley Chamber Alliance. The Chamber will provide updates as things move along.

Aside from getting to work alongside the Town of Windsor’s excellent professional staff, I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and tap the knowledge of other economic development professionals such as former Windsor Economic and Community Development Director Jim Burke. We had a wonderful conversation on the history of development in Windsor, and the sustainable development trajectory the town is on. We also touched on how the Chamber has worked with the town in the past, and what items we might coordinate on in the future.

A few weeks ago I participated in the most recent Capital Workforce Partners: Transportation-Distribution-Logistics (TDL) Committee meeting. This committee is a cross-section made up of participants from local governments, trade associations, non-profits, and businesses. It was a very informative discussion, and I learned much about the issues facing the TDL sector. I have joined the Workforce Development group, as I believe that most closely aligns with some of the projects the Chamber is currently working on. I commend CWP on the important work they are doing to support business and job development in the region!

Speaking of projects the Chamber is working on… Recently the Chamber welcomed Dr. Terrell Hill, Superintendent of Windsor Public Schools for a visit to our offices. We had an initial discussion about the Chamber potentially partnering with WPS to develop an Education to Workforce program. The aim of such a program would be to provide students with the academic and technical knowledge, and professional skills necessary to find a career path and possibly a career with participating businesses and organizations. Based on successful existing models, it could involve many of the following opportunities:

• Work-Based Learning/Internships
• Co-op Placements
• Workplace Visits
• Job Shadowing
• Career and College Research
• Career Days & Career Expo
• Guest Speaker Program
• Work Readiness Workshops
• Mentorships and Professional “Soft” Skill Trainings
• Financial Literacy Seminars

Lastly, the Chamber is in the early stages of organizing and rolling out some new programming that would provide some great new member benefits such as marketing services for our small business members that have not had access to such services previously. We are also actively recruiting interested members to serve on Chamber committees, which would include the aforementioned Education Committee, Transportation Committee, and our Ambassadors Committee. If you would like more information about serving on any of these committees please reach out to me at the information below.

Look out for updates this week on upcoming Chamber events such as our Annual Dinner and After-5 events! We sincerely thank you for your membership and support of the Chamber, and wish you all a happy and restful conclusion to the summer season!