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October 29, 2019

Lamont names top biz execs to new workforce council

Photo | The Office of Gov. Ned Lamont Gov. Ned Lamont speaks during a recent news conference on the campus of Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, where he signed an executive order while surrounded by business leaders, education officials, labor representatives, state lawmakers, and members of his administration.
By Joe Cooper

Gov. Ned Lamont has named two dozen business and nonprofit executives, and several state and union officials, to a newly revamped group aimed at reviewing the state’s workforce development initiatives.

The governor announced Tuesday he signed an executive order that sets new expectations and requirements for the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission, which is being renamed as the Governor’s Workforce Council.

Lamont appointed Garrett Moran to chair the newly reshaped council. He is the former president of nonprofit Year Up, which is dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for urban young adults. 

Other notable appointees include Stanley Black & Decker CEO Jim Loree, Electric Boat President Kevin Graney, NBC Sports President Peter Vevacqua, The Hartford CEO Christopher Swift and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving President Jay Williams, among many others.

The governor said Moran and remaining council members will play a leading role in advising him on the state’s workforce-development strategies to support its economic growth.

The council is tasked with reviewing the state’s workforce development system and submitting a report to the governor and the legislature by Jan. 1, 2021. The report is expected to make recommendations on reducing barriers to training and forging new relationships between high schools and post-secondary training and education.

“Our [education and training] systems don’t talk to each other enough, nor are we talking enough to the businesses where our students will ultimately seek employment,” Lamont said Tuesday, announcing the new workforce group at Waterbury’s Naugatuck Valley Community College.

“Improving the state’s workforce system is also critical to addressing systemic inequalities in our state. Improving access to training and higher education for communities that are disadvantaged will make our state and our economy stronger,” he continued.

Lamont said he plans to attend each quarterly meeting, which will be open to the public. Its first meeting is scheduled for Nov. 21 at a time and location to be determined.

In the coming months, Lamont and Moran will go on a listening tour, meeting with businesses, educators, labor unions and workers to hear about how the state could improve its workforce development efforts.

The following members were also named to the workforce council:

  • Kelli-Marie Vallieres, Sound Manufacturing, CEO
  • Cindi Bigelow, Bigelow Tea, CEO
  • Margaret Keane, Synchrony, CEO
  • Cliff Asness, AQR, managing principal
  • Marna Borgstrom, Yale New Haven Hospital, CEO
  • Ravi Kumar, Infosys, president
  • Oni Chukwu, Aventri, CEO
  • Dave O'Neil, Indeed, COO
  • Erika Smith, ReNetx, CEO
  • Monette Ferguson, ABCD Inc., executive director
  • Peter Salovey, Yale University, president
  • Judy Olian, Quinnipiac University, president
  • Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, Hartford Public Schools, superintendent
  • Dr. Ruth Levy, Region 4 Schools, superintendent (retired)
  • Rep. Toni Walker, Connecticut House District 93
  • State Sen. Tony Hwang, Connecticut Senate District 28
  • Sal Luciano, Connecticut AFL-CIO, president
  • Juan Hernandez, 32BJ SEIU, district director and vice president

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1 Comments

Anonymous
October 30, 2019

Unfortunate a representative of Small Business was not selected to be on this commission.

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