Perusing Facebook over the last few weeks, I have noticed photos of many recent graduates of everything from preschool to college. Of course, the littlest alums are the cutest. (The image of my twin daughters ascending the stage to the strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" at their kindergarten commencement 18 years ago is still a vivid memory.) Graduations give us a sense of accomplishment and the realization that there is a big - and unavoidable -- future out there. As we enter the workforce, we jump from project to project, job to job, and increasingly career to career...generally without much pomp or circumstance. Speaking of circumstances, sometimes life's challenges make it hard to move ahead. A few years ago, QEDC partnered with The Fortune Society, a nonprofit that helps individuals re-enter the workforce after time spent in prison. Participants take classes at the Entrepreneur Space to learn culinary skills, and upon successful completion, we help them find jobs in the food industry. There are some other great local agencies, such as Venture House and Citiview Connections Clubhouse, that also offer training and/or job placement. Businesses shouldn't think of these groups as charity cases, but as viable options for finding good employees. We frequently hire Fortune Society graduates at the E-Space and consider it a sound business practice. Though we didn't have a formal graduation -- just our annual end-of-fiscal-year staff lunch at the Pine Restaurant in Corona's Holiday Inn LGA, we recently bid farewell to two alpha males of local economic development: Franklin Mora, who has left us to pursue an MBA at the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business; and Nick Hardie, who is heading to the private sector. Both gentlemen have been tremendous assets to QEDC. Franklin has helped hundreds of business people achieve their dreams, and Nick has helped hundreds of mostly immigrant contractors legitimize their home improvement businesses. They will be missed, but the torch has now passed to Ricardi Calixte, our new Deputy Director, and Sante Antonelli, our new Director of Business Services. Hoping the summer is less about pomp and more about pleasant circumstances. Sincerely, Seth Seth Bornstein   #qedc #itsinqueens |
