“This is a moment in history when states are choosing to support community colleges,” said NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., “as the agents who drive economic change and pave the road toward prosperity, we need to do at least the same as the rest of the country if not better because Connecticut has always been a leader.”

“This is end of my tenth year as the president of your community college and I’m proud to report that it has been a very productive and rewarding year,” President De Filippis continued. “We believe in our communities and in our partners; we believe in you; we believe in the awesome potential that our working together has to produce meaningful outcomes.”

Incoming Student Government Association President Tabitha Cruz discussed her uncertain path just before graduating from Waterbury Career Academy and how faculty and staff at the school were able to link her up with NVCC where she is now not only an engaged student but an active leader and ambassador for the College.

An honorary degree was conferred upon Nicholas M. Donofrio, a friend and advocate for the college and former chairman of Connecticut’s Board of Regents for Higher Education (2012-2016). This past Janaury, Donofrio established a fund to support NVCC students who work on campus during their pursuit of a degree. The project is based on the existing Jobs on Campus initiative established by President De Filippis in 2014. Donofrio’s gift supports the placement of students into campus positions that support their academic goals. President De Filippis was joined by Yvette Melendez, Vice Chair of the Board of Regents, to present Donofrio with an honorary degree.

Accepting the degree with great humility and honor, Donofrio gave brief remarks on leadership, the importance of access to affordable higher education, and commended the College on the transformative power it has had for many students and communities, “I consider myself honored to be a member of your community,” he said.

The Honorable Neil M. O'Leary, Mayor of Waterbury, discussed the importance of supporting education, “Education is the clear path to success,” he said also noting his gratitude for being part of the NVCC’s community.

Kim Morgan and Victor Lopez of the Connecticut Working Cities Challenge of Danbury and Waterbury, respectively talked about the grant-based partnership underway with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and how both cities are working to improve the lives of low-income residents. Both Morgan and Lopez discussed what initiatives are underway in Danbury and Waterbury to address existing gaps in their communities that are keeping residents from excelling. Factors such as language skills, literacy, childcare, and building trust among community members are being tackled and building the infrastructure to support job development to transform families and neighborhoods are underway. In Waterbury, Lopez noted that the goal is to employ 150 individuals over the next 10 years with living-wage jobs in the South End/River Baldwin (RIBA) neighborhood of the city which reports a 24% unemployment rate. Morgan and Lopez noted their gratitude for their partnerships with NVCC and how the College’s mission of being an engine of change aligns with the missions of providing education for in-demand jobs in industries such as healthcare and manufacturing. Further, Lopez gave thanks for the individualized support that it recently received when NVCC donated 20 refurbished, recycled computers that will be used at a job training facility in the RIBA neighborhood.

The meeting continued with the Honorable Pete Bass, Mayor for the City of New Milford discussing the challenges that his community is experiencing and with overviews by Dave Celotto, Program Director for NVCC’s Bridge to College Office; Rob Sheftel, Director of NVCC’s Academic Center for Excellence; and Jose Feliciano, Program Director for the Hispanic Federation of Connecticut which oversees project CREAR Futuros that works to improve Latino college success through peer mentoring.

Community members then participated in round-table discussions about their challenges and strengths. Their feedback and ideas will be incorporated into NVCC’s strategic plan implementation.