Workplace Transition and Adaption Townhall Meeting

State Rep Tony Hwang’s First Forum to Focus on Workplace Transition and Adaption

LOCATION: Sacred Heart University, William Pitt Center Board Rm

TIME: Feb. 7th – 1:00 pm - Panel Discussion

FAIRFIELD- On Saturday, February 7, State Rep. Tony Hwang, R-134, will hold his first ‘Town Meeting’ event for constituents in Fairfield and Trumbull at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event, which will take place at the university’s Pitt Center Board Room, will feature several expert panelists discussing workplace transition and job skills.

The first hour of the town meeting will allow the panelists to discuss workplace transition and job skills and take questions from residents. The remainder will allow local elected officials and Rep. Hwang to conduct an open forum regarding local and state issues. Rep. Hwang, who was previously employed in the executive search industry, said the economy dictated the theme of the first town meeting he will host.

“The economy we’ve seen in the past year is much different from past downturns,” said Rep. Hwang. “The major change is that we’re seeing many successful people who’ve held mid-level and high-level jobs realize that other comparable positions in their industry simply aren’t there anymore. It’s my hope that bringing in professionals well-versed in workplace transition and job skills can help some of our neighbors who very much need to rejoin the workforce.”

Panelists will include:

Joseph Carbone, President and Chief Executive Officer of The WorkPlace, Inc. The organization helps people prepare for careers and strengthens the workforce for employers. As Southwestern Connecticut’s Regional Workforce Development Board, it administers workforce development funds and coordinates providers of job training and education programs to meet the needs of residents and employers in the Southwestern Connecticut Region.

Laurel Anderson, Regional Director of outreach and marketing of the United Way of Connecticut 211 in Region 1, which covers towns in all of Fairfield County, the Valley and the greater New Haven area. She currently serves on the boards of the Greater Bridgeport League of Women Voters and the Bridgeport Area Branch of the American Association of University Women. 2-1-1 is a free information and referral service available from any phone in Connecticut 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The multilingual service provides information on health and human services for residents of all ages as well as specialty units on child care, child development and disabilities and HUSKY health insurance.

Chris Russell, Founder of fairfieldcountyjobs.com, which is the top local job site on the internet for companies seeking to recruit in Fairfield County, Connecticut. It is an online job board serving the employers and jobseekers of Southwestern Connecticut. Jobseekers may search jobs by keyword, city, or category for free. Employers are charged a fee to post their jobs. The site was founded in 1999 and attracts more than 100,000 unique visitors each month and generates more than 1 million monthly page views. It is the flagship site of a network of regional job boards serving Connecticut's largest counties.

Dorothy Timmermann, Executive Director of the Fairfield Counseling Center Inc., which is a non-profit state- licensed clinic that sponsors, develops and promotes a variety of prevention and intervention services in the community with the goal of stabilizing and enhancing the mental health competencies and living skills of its members. Timmermann has served as a marriage and family therapist for 20 years and is a graduate of Fairfield University where she obtained degrees in psychology (B.A.) and family systems (M.A).