President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., students, faculty and staff of the College joined together to welcome area legislative and municipal leaders to the College’s annual Leadership Breakfast. Despite the snowy morning, ten local leaders representing seventeen towns attended the event.  

President De Filippis opened the event with a grateful welcome that so many had attended in spite of the weather. She reminded the attendees that they are part of the NVCC family, highlighted the progress of the College over the past year and reminded “our State legislative delegation to lead the way during this session of the General Assembly and our municipal leaders to carry the word about our commitment and enrich our work by suggesting initiatives to address our common interests.”

Representative Jeff Berger, Chair of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, and Senator Joan Hartley, Chair of the Commerce Committee, expressed their support for the work of the College. Legislative Delegates Lezlye Zupkus, Theresa Conroy, Art O’Neil,  Daniel Carter and Victor Cuevas also supported NVCC.  The President assured them that “their work on behalf of Naugatuck Valley Community College will be supported by information from students, faculty and staff, with valued advocacy from community leaders from the NVCC Foundation, the Regional Advisory Council, and our partners in the public school districts, the municipalities, and the business community.”

The President announced the College’s partnership with the leadership of the United Way of Greater Waterbury to launch a new initiative in support of understanding the challenges of ALICE (Assets Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) citizens and of providing educational vehicles to assist in transforming their lives. United Way Board Chairwoman, Sandra Senich and United Way President/Chief Professional Officer, Kristen Jacoby presented the details of the program.  NVCC Foundation Board Chair Dan Sherr followed with a presentation of the NVCC Foundation’s plan to support ALICE citizens; he presented a program summarized by the acronym, EDWARD- Education Delivered, Wages Aligned, Realized Dreams.

“We all know ALICE,” said Sandy Senich, Chairman of the Board of the United Way of Greater Waterbury. “ALICE is the young family strapped by child care costs and the mid-career professional now underemployed. ALICE may be recent college graduates who struggle to find a job that pays enough to enable them to pay off their student debt and live on their own, and ALICE is the retired couple whose nest egg was hurt by the recent recession.