R E G N O R ST OGETHER T pening e e d d n rships a ented year e n t r a p preced ying our n f u i s n r a e v h i D Report roug l h a t u t n c a n 2021 A our imp
Chairman and President Letter
“Needed, Relevant and Supportive” The 2020-2021 school year was an unprecedented
of our operations. Despite all the challenges, we are
year for Junior Achievement. With many schools
proud of how quickly and robustly the JA community
operating remotely and students learning in virtual
responded and lived the commitment we established
formats, we had to innovate on nearly every element
early in the pandemic - to stay “needed, relevant and supportive”.
Jeremy Race President & CEO Matthew Cambi Principal, PwC JA Board Chair
Click to learn more about how JA responded to Covid-19
Click to view JA’s Vision and Purpose
Click to view JA At a Glance
It was clear that in order to meet our educators and corporate partners where they were, we needed to pivot our approach to both programs and special events. Therefore, in the summer of 2020, we formed 12 planning committees, comprised of more than 100 volunteers, to redesign and virtualize literally everything we do. The result was a series of creative and innovative plans that led to highly successful virtual programs that powerfully engaged students, teachers, volunteers, and community leaders as well as interactive special events that raised much-needed funds and inspired attendees with the life-changing impact of JA on young people. As with many organizations, the pandemic spawned a
No JA? No Way! Hear experiences from members of our community
We proudly finished the fiscal year in the strongest financial position in our history, thanks to the loyalty and generosity of our incredible corporate, individual, and foundation donors.
meet the needs of our loyal partners.
Thanks to you, we are now positioned to make even greater impact in the coming years and plans are already under way to launch new programs, hire new staff, and make improvements to our infrastructure to ensure greater efficiencies and outcomes.
And despite the disruption and related economic
Though it’s still too early to know when JA volunteers
uncertainty, we made a commitment to our staff,
will physically be back in classrooms, our plan is
realizing that the only way to successfully navigate
to continue with virtual models and continue our
our way through this challenging time was to
commitment to developing real solutions to real
“produce our way out” not “cut our way out”. And
problems and making student impact our number
produce we did. Thanks to our dedicated team, we
one goal.
great deal of reflection and caused us to redouble our commitment to finding ways to further deepen the impact JA has on the students we serve. We made it a priority to establish JA as a true solution provider, not just a program provider. With impact as our main driver, we listened attentively to our constituents and tailored programs and volunteer opportunities to
served more than 16,000 students in a totally new medium and in deep, intensive, and meaningful
Thank you for your continued support of JA. To all of
ways. And remarkably, nearly 100% of our student
our donors, volunteers, and educators…YOU make
interactions were accompanied by a JA volunteer,
it possible for JA board members and staff to work
maintaining the core volunteer component of JA’s
tirelessly each day to empower young people to own
mission for the past century.
their economic success. YOU are the fuel to the JA engine that helps make so many students’ dreams come true.
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Career Readiness
Career Readiness Of Junior Achievement’s three primary learning pathways (financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship), work and career readiness experiences have been in great demand from local schools throughout the pandemic. Why? The answer is simple. Young people, now more than ever, need opportunities to explore the world of work. They need critical soft-skills and mentors from business to show them the path to future success. And in the world of work, there is a tremendous need for a stronger and more diverse talent pipeline. In partnership with business and community, JA’s career exploration and workforce development programming are perfect conduits for shrinking the racial wealth gap, setting students up for long-term career success, and supporting thriving industries in recruiting skilled talent. Of the more than 16,000 students served last year, a large majority of JA’s virtual programming efforts centered around work and career inspiration and exploration. Students actively and excitedly Click here to view a JA program in action
participated in mock interviews and resume writing workshops. Said one JA volunteer,
“With permission, I have already reached out to one of the students I interviewed and I have asked him to come in for a real interview for a job with my company. That to me is a success for everyone involved.” – Volunteer, The Star Supply Co.
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Career Readiness
Other JA students gained paid employment, thanks to their participation in Jr. Apprentice, a year-long work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy initiative for inner-city Hartford students that involves weekly training, off-site experiential learning at businesses and institutions of higher education, and culminates with each student earning a paid internship at a local business. One student was even invited back for a paid position with the company they interned with during the program.
Learn how JA helped prepare AJ Daley for a successful career
Though all of JA’s programming was virtual in 2020-21, IMPACT remained the primary goal. We innovated and developed a series of new programs aimed at reaching students where they were, while simultaneously ensuring the critical component of JA programs, the volunteer, remained. Virtual Career Panels and Career Days were created and allowed literally thousands of Connecticut students to meet real people from real businesses. Keeping in mind that 51% of JA students go into the career or industry of their JA volunteer, these experiences proved to be life-changing.
Career Panels & Speaker Series
Career Days
Professionals from a variety of industries shared
JA worked with schools to customize Career
their experiences in their fields as well as the
Days based on student interest and feedback.
career process via live or recorded video
These experiences consisted of live virtual events
conferencing. Students were introduced to
with several speakers from various in-demand
more than 35 different careers!
industries. Career Days took place at more than 7 schools in 2020-21.
“The lessons and advice I will take away from the presentation is to make goals and once I accomplish them, and then make new ones. Another is to not give up and that we make our own goals and destiny’s. We are in control of that. I loved all of the presenters and I want to learn more!” - 10th grade student, CREC Greater Hartford Arts Academy As we head into a new school year, we plan to continue customizing and innovating our approach based on the needs and goals of our partners. We will continue to meet our students where they are and look forward to finding new ways to change the lives of local students through impactful, volunteer-led experiences.
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JA By The Numbers
JA By The Numbers Students inspired virtually with JA programming
16,546
Engaged students from 98 schools
775
virtual volunteers
Click to learn about how to be a Volunteer
Nearly
100%
of our students had volunteer interactions
Officially worked with
136
unique companies
JA By The Numbers
Click to view our Diversity Handout
641
programs complete
70+
new videos in the virtual library Click here to watch
one now!
2000+ views of
online content
TRIPLED
number of diverse organizations and affinity groups
50% increase in diverse career panelists Increased from
11% to 20% Board Diversity in the last two years
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Special Events
Special Events
Click to learn more about Special Events
Thanks to the leadership and support of the board, dedicated event committee members, corporate sponsors, and generous individuals, JA had an incredibly successful year of virtual and in-person events. We are proud to have had near sellout crowds and collectively raised over $659,000 with more than 1,000 individuals participating in the JA Golf Classic, JA Virtual Business Hall of Fame, JA Virtual Partners in Achievement Breakfast, JA Virtual Office Warriors, and various Play 4 JA events. The proceeds from these events not only helped bring valuable JA programs to thousands of Connecticut students virtually during an unprecedented year, but also provided opportunities for those same young people to make valuable connections with members of the business community and be inspired for their future careers. Many of JA’s events invite alumni back to share their JA stories through speaking engagements, networking opportunities, and program highlights. Through these experiences, many alumni have not only gained the confidence they need to be successful, but have landed internship and employment opportunities.
JA Partners in Achievement Breakfast Each year, JA proudly holds its annual Partners in Achievement fundraising breakfasts in Hartford and New Haven. These events celebrate JA’s impact in the community, showcase students who have experienced JA in their classrooms, and highlight the critical need for financial literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurial programs in local schools. This year, we decided to combine our two breakfasts into one virtual event.
Click to watch more on JA Partners in Achievement Breakfast
JA’s Virtual Partners in Achievement Breakfast included an innovative networking experience followed by impactful testimonials from our talented JA students, alumni, and educators. Over 400 people joined us on the interactive platform, REMO, where they were able to jump table to table to virtually connect and network with their colleagues and friends before the formal presentation began.
JA Golf Classic On June 7th at Tumble Brook Country Club in Bloomfield, we were thrilled to bring our JA Golf Classic back in-person for 2021. This tournament has earned a well-deserved reputation as the premier golf event in Central New England. We had a great turnout with 47 foursomes which included business leaders throughout Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and beyond. New this year, golfers experienced an exclusive online gift lounge prior to the event where they were able to shop their favorite brands and select their unique gift package. Special thank you Photo Credit: Michael Benson Photography
to our returning top sponsors - Saint Francis Hospital, the Presenting Sponsor, and Stanley Black & Decker, the Apparel Sponsor.
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Special Events
JA Business Hall of Fame Each year, JA holds its JA Business Hall of Fame events in Hartford and New Haven to honor both individuals and organizations who have made a significant impact in both business and the community. This year, we chose to combine these two events into one virtual experience. JA’s Virtual Business Hall of Fame was hosted LIVE through an exclusive and interactive online platform which included a digital program book, livestream video, chat function, and more! The event shined a spotlight on seven remarkable individuals who have made a significant impact in the Hartford and New Haven communities. More than 200 guests joined us live, with celebrity emcee Bill Griffeth, CNBC's Anchor-at-Large, and closed out the night with special guests the Yale Whiffenpoofs and Broadway stars Dan’yelle Williamson
Click to watch more on JA Business Hall of Fame
Celebrity Emcee, Bill Griffeth, Anchor-At-Large, CNBC
and Derrick Davis. The Business Hall of Fame Honored: Laureate – Greg Barats, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hartford Steam Boiler
Spirit of Hope Award – Don Shaw, Jr., Retired Associate Partner, Accenture Director Emeritus, Hartford Habitat for Humanity
Laureate – Yvette Melendez, President, YMR Consulting
Community Leadership Award – Michael R. Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center
Laureate – Anthony Scillia, Regional Managing Partner, New England, Marcum LLP
Entrepreneur Award – Donna Lecky, CFO & Co-Founder, HealthVenture
Entrepreneur Award – Sri Muthu, CEO & Managing Founder, HealthVenture
JA Office Warriors JA's Virtual Office Warriors consisted of three virtual games - Family Feud, Scavenger Hunt and Trivia. Eight teams went in and out of break-out rooms competing against each other to win the coveted Golden Paper Shredder! Teams created virtual backgrounds to show their spirit and stand out from the rest. More than 60 “warriors” attended and participated in this office-Olympic themed event raising over $33,000. Congrats to BL Companies for taking home the Gold Medal, ConnectiCare - Silver Medal, Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina - Bronze Medal, and Harvard Pilgrim, our Spirit and Originality Award Winner. The Gold Medal Sponsor was Stanley Black & Decker with ConnectiCare and VOYA serving as Silver Medal and Bronze Medal Sponsors, respectively. We look forward to being back in person next spring!
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Scholarships
Scholarships Click to hear from Sabrina
Sabrina Green
Click to hear from Gabe
Gabe Bermudez
Received the Elaine Dwyer Scholarship Student from Bulkeley High School in Hartford
Received the Elaine Dwyer Scholarship Student from New Britain High School
Sabrina’s involvement with JA has been extensive: Career
Gabe’s involvement with the JA Company Program
Connections for Young Women, the Entrepreneurial
came during the spring 2020 Entrepreneurial Academy
Academy three times (was at the 2019 Hall of Fame selling
with The Hartford – where he stuck with it even after
the portable chargers), and the Lou Golden Student
many other peers dropped out when COVID hit. He’s spent
Leadership Conference. She spent her time at BHS also
his time at NBHS volunteering with Hands on Hartford,
playing varsity volleyball, was BHS College Awareness
chairing the School Yearbook committee, as a member of
Ambassador, volunteered at the Bloomfield public library,
the National Honor Society, among other pursuits. Gabe
and more. Sabrina will be attending the Rochester
will be attending the University of Saint Joseph, where he
Institute of Technology, where she will be creating an
will study bio chemistry.
individualized major studying engineering, environmental science, psychology, and business / entrepreneurship. She looks forward to volunteering for JA through RIT.
“During my past four years, I was able to enhance my leadership skills while gaining more awareness and interest in entrepreneurship.” – Sabrina Green
Elaine Dwyer Scholarship: This is a $1,000 scholarship named in honor of long time JA Chief Administrative Officer, Elaine Dwyer. Elaine dedicated 41 years to JA and was, herself, a participant in the JA Company Program as a high school student. The Elaine Dwyer Scholarship is awarded to seniors who participated in the JA Company Program and demonstrated exceptional leadership, teamwork, and entrepreneurial spirit.
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Scholarships
Click to hear from Lauren
Lauren Simonian
Click to hear from Yianni
Yianni Constantinou
Received Karl Flemke Memorial Scholarship Student from Farmington High School
Received JA of Southwest New England Scholarship Student from Oxford High School
Lauren’s involvement with JA came as part of the 2021 JA
Involved with JA through OHS’s FBLA program, Yianni
Entrepreneurial Academy as President of Deskable. This
taught 4 JA Days (on track for 8 prior to COVID), was CEO of
was alongside being Senior Captain of the varsity field
the 2021 Entrepreneurial Academy with The Hartford, and
hockey team, teaching coding to elementary students
was a Student Ambassador at the 2020 New Haven Hall of
during Hour of Code events, creating a program to teach
Fame. This comes alongside being Captain of OHS’s varsity
elementary students how to play lacrosse, serving as
swim & dive team, President and PR Director of the Student
chairperson of her church’s ACYOA Youth Group, and more.
Council, and more. Yianni will be attending the University
Lauren will be attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute,
of Connecticut as a Finance major.
where she will study biomedical engineering.
"I wanted to thank you all again for awarding me this generous scholarship. I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities I've been given through JA and I’m humbled by this honor. This award will go a long way as an investment in my career and future, and I hope to make you proud as I embark on my college career at the University of Connecticut." -Yianni Constantinou
Karl Flemke Memorial Scholarship: This is a $1,000 scholarship named in honor of a former JA USA President, Karl Flemke, and is awarded to a senior who participated in varsity athletics as well as Junior Achievement programming, while demonstrating exceptional leadership, teamwork, and academic achievement. JA of SWNE, Inc. Scholarship: This is a $1,000 scholarship awarded to a senior who actively participated in Junior Achievement programs, while demonstrating exceptional leadership, teamwork, and academic achievement. [This scholarship was created to model the Flemke Memorial Scholarship, but without the varsity athletics requirement so all seniors who participated in JA could apply for a scholarship]
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2021-22
Board of Directors Jill Albertelli SVP, Transformation and Strategy Pratt & Whitney
Jonathan Collett, CPA Partner CohnReznick
Terrell Hill, PhD Superintendent Windsor Public Schools
Donald Allan, Jr. President & Chief Finance Officer Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
Joseph DeSantis Partner Deloitte LLP
Matthew Hoffman Vice President Hoffman Auto Group
Francine Austin Owner Francine’s Salon and Day Spa
Thomas DeVitto Director of Marketing/Growth CliftonLarsonAllen
Claude Howard Vice President, Field Claim Management Travelers
Thomas Bailer Principal Executive Support Services, LLC
Christopher Eberly* Life and Producer Solutions IT Lincoln Financial Group
Geoff Hunt Senior Vice President, Engineering Pratt & Whitney
Steven Bonnell* President and CEO Winona PVD
Anne Evans CEO Universal Strategies Limited
Susan Jackson - Treasurer Partner KPMG LLP
Steven Brodrick Vice President, Performance Resiliency & Business Transformation Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.
Joseph Farhat, PhD Dean, School of Business Central Connecticut State University
Donna Lecky, JD, MBA CFO & Co-Founder HealthVenture
Paul Foody Vice President, Strategic Business Solutions Group Waste Management
Brian Levine SVP, Commercial Banking, Senior Relationship Manager Bank of America
Michelle Galeota Assitant Principal East Hartford High School
Celia Lofink, PhD Faculty; Clinical Instructor of Management & Undergraduate Program Director, Barney School of Business University of Hartford
Christine Bromberg Partner Robinson & Cole LLP Jay Buth –Chair Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer Eversource Energy Matthew Cambi Immediate Past Chair Principal PwC Trevon Canada CFO / Head of Data Analytics, MLC The Hartford Lawrence Carboni Partner Whittlesey
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Stephen Gallacher, MBA Vice President of Sales Strategy & Business Development ConnectiCare Thomas Goetter President TAG Partners LLC Jason Gutcheon Partner Professional Business Insurers
Brian Carillon Vice President District Manager Centreville Bank
John Guy, Jr. Executive Vice President, Director of Business Banking Webster Bank
Pamela Carpenter COO, National Accounts Travelers
G. Christopher Heyl Vice President of Operations CiDRA Corporate Services
David Louden President Fathom Susan A. Martinelli Office Leader - Hartford & Partner, Assurance Services RSM US LLP Kenneth McGovern President KMR Executive Search LLC Samuel McKnight Retired AT&T Director
Emeritus Board Gregory Alcorn Vice President, Global Partnerships Carrier David Mercier SVP & Chief Operating Officer The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
Robb Schilberg Metal Trader Prime Materials Recovery, Inc.
Neil Blinderman † Retired GHP Media
Click here to learn more about Neil’s legacy
Nitin Mhatre Chief Executive Officer Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.
Wendy Simoncelli Client Executive, Insurance Industry IBM
James Bolduc Retired Strategic Financial Advisor Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority
Mark Nisbett President & CEO People, Places & Spaces
Jennifer Castro Smithberger Chief Seeder & Cofounder seedership
Edward Bradstreet President Bohan & Bradstreet
Michael Pelletier Managing Principal, Microsoft Services CliftonLarsonAllen
Raymond Sprague* Principal Napatree Advisors
Larry Brown Managing Director Horton International LLC
Celia Peterson* VP, Agile Delivery Transformation Aetna, a CVS Health Company
Tina St. Pierre, CPA Partner Landmark Partners - An Ares Company
Howard Carver Retired Managing Partner Ernst & Young LLP
Thomas Phillips Executive Principal TL Phillips Consulting Services William Piotrowski Vice President, Deputy General Counsel & Secretary Lydall Michael Polo* President/CEO ACMT, Inc. Sean Riegler Partner Ernst & Young LLP David Robinson Executive Vice President & General Counsel The Hartford Kelly Rome Vice President, Product Development Prudential Lynn Rossini Vice President, Philanthropy Hartford Healthcare Pamela Sawyer Outreach and Legislative Assistant Access Health CT
Charles Szilagyi Senior Client Manager, Government Banking Bank of America Bala Thiru Partner/Managing Director Deloitte Consulting Thomas Trumble Retired Partner Private Capital Group, LLC Dawne Ware Senior Vice President/Deputy CFO Arch Insurance Group Michele White* Senior Vice President, Enterprise Contact Center VOYA Edward Whittemore – Secretary Susan Winkler Executive Director Connecticut Insurance and Financial Services (CT IFS) Vice President Metro Hartford Alliance
Chris Fuselier Retired GE Consumer Industrial David Keiser Retired President & COO, Director Alexion Pharmaceuticals Margaret Lawson Retired The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co. Brendan Lynch Retired, President Pension Operations Travelers Annuity Hugh Manke Partner – New Haven Office Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, PC Raymond Sprague Principal Napatree Advisors Lindsley Wellman President Wellman Consulting Group Diane L Wishnafski Retired Executive VP NewAlliance Bank Deceased * Resigned or board term ended †
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2021-22 | New Haven
Board of Directors Helene Augustine* Bo Bradstreet Vice President Bohan & Bradstreet Gregg Burton Partner Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey, LLP Anthony Castellon Senior Vice President Citizens Bank Robert Coro Partner Marcum, LLP William Creaser Senior Vice President, Northeast Middle Markets Chase Jodie Driscoll Counsel Murtha Cullina LLP
David Finnerty EVP and Chief Operating Officer Guilford Savings Bank
Joseph LoPresti Senior Vice President EBP Supply Solutions
G. Christopher Heyl - Chair Vice President of Operations CiDRA Corporate Services
Kolé Mascoll Vice President, Commercial Banking JP Morgan Chase
David Keiser* Retired President & COO, Director Alexion Pharmaceuticals
Samuel McKnight Retired AT&T Director
Kevin Kiss Senior Manager, Assurance Services RSM US LLP
Camille Murphy Founder & Managing Partner Murphy & Company CPA’s, LLC
Donna Lecky, JD, MBA CFO & Co-Founder HealthVenture
Matthew O’Connor, PhD Dean and Professor of Finance – School of Business Quinnipiac University
Michael Lenkowski* Partner Marcum LLP Brian Levine – Vice Chair SVP, Commercial Banking Senior Relationship Manager Bank of America
Howard Fero, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Business and Leadership Director, Graduate Leadership Programs Albertus Magnus College, The Leadership Doc
Nicholas Lombardi President & CEO OneSource Companies
Susan Rapini* Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, PhD Chief of Outreach and ACCESS Area Cooperative Educational Services Brian Walker President Walker Training & Consulting
*Resigned or board term ended
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Staff
Click to learn more about our staff
Misty Amarena Development Manager
Joshua Kelly Education Manager – Traditional & Specialty Programs
Julie Armstrong Education Manager – Specialty Programs
Donna Koch Development Assistant
Sumayya Ayoub Senior Education Manager
Jacqueline Lombardi Special Events & Marketing Manager
Lisa Cowell Education Manager- Central District
Kathy Mannion Education Manager – South District
Carole Dicks Office Manager/Executive Assistant
Jeremy Race President & CEO
Nicole Diorio Director of Education
Amanda Teti Grants Coordinator
On behalf of the JA Team, thank you to our teachers, volunteers, donors, and friends of Junior Achievement for your incredible support. This year was possible because of YOU!
www.jaconn.org Facebook: @JASWNE | Instagram: @_JASWNE | Twitter: @JASWNE | LinkedIn: Junior Achievement of Southwest New England The concept and design for this annual report was developed by our partners at Fathom