On April 19, our Waterbury Regional Chamber will host its 132nd annual business meeting from noon-2 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Waterbury Downtown. During the meeting, we will highlight our accomplishments of the past year, elect and re-elect board members, and hear from keynote speaker David Lehman, commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development and a senior economic advisor to Gov. Ned Lamont. We also will acknowledge 37 companies who are celebrating their 40th-, 30th-, 20th- or 10th-year milestone as a chamber member.
Presiding over the meeting is Mary Rosengrant-Chiappalone of Biondi & Rosengrant, the board of directors chairwoman.
“The last year proved to be one of the most unpredictable times for the chamber in its 132-year history, as our community continued to be challenged by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rosengrant-Chiappalone said.
“Our business community, membership and chamber found bold and innovative ways to continue providing the resources, news, networking opportunities and other information that residents and businesses needed to adapt and succeed.”
Our premier sponsor for this event is Thomaston Savings Bank; our corporate sponsor is Barker Specialty. All business leaders are welcome to attend by registering on waterburychamber.com.
FIND AN EVENT THAT FITS YOU
The Waterbury Regional Chamber and our affiliate chambers have many exciting events coming up over the next few months.
Do you know someone looking for a job? With funding from a CARES grant, the chamber has partnered with the Northwestern American Job Center to bring together more than 50 area employers for a spring job fair on April 28 from 3-6 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Waterbury Downtown. Employers are welcome to register and job seekers are encouraged to attend.
Our next Out for Business networking event will take place on May 4 from 5-7 p.m. at The Residences at Quarry Walk in Oxford. Out for Business events give members and potential members the opportunity to visit the site of a member business, network, enjoy food and drink, socialize and have the chance to win a door prize.
On May 13, I will host our next Wake Up Your Business virtual networking event. This online opportunity, from 8-9 a.m. on Zoom, gives members and individuals interested in learning more about the the chamber the chance to make new connections, grow their business, and create more visibility. Registration is free.
Are you looking for a family-friendly event? The Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce will host the 17th Annual Duck Race and Festival on June 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Naugatuck. The day will feature live music, a petting zoo, activities and entertainment for children, food vendors, business vendors, crafters and, of course, the anticipated Duck Race, which involves thousands of rubber ducks racing down the Naugatuck river for a prize of $5,000 cash.
As part of Duck Day, you can support many area nonprofit organizations by purchasing a raffle ticket, which puts you in the running for one of 20 prizes, including $5,000 cash.
We have many other exciting opportunities in the weeks and months ahead. Be sure to follow us on social media and to check out waterburychamber.com, where you can register for any of these events. For help, reach out to the chamber at 203-757-0701.
Lynn Ward is president and CEO of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. Contact her at 203-757-0701 ext. 310 or lward@waterburychamber.com
