All Entries in the "Featured Articles" Category
Professional Women’s Leadership Association, Nexus, Opens RI Chapter
PROVIDENCE – For the past year, the Women in Leadership Nexus has united powerhouse women committed to launching their leadership journey and co-creating a new leadership paradigm to shape the corporate sector. Today, the professional association announces the formal launch of its Rhode Island Chapter, dedicated to empowering women to reach newfound levels of professional success.
Throughout 2017, more than 200 women joined the movement, showing up at Nexus events, joining the blogging community and challenging traditional paradigms that hold that leadership is determined by hierarchy. With the opening of an official Rhode Island Chapter, members will have the opportunity to more intentionally accelerate their leadership journey by being armed with the skill sets, perspectives, experiences, relationships and knowledge needed to reach new sizeable milestones.
“At Nexus, we are passionate about helping our members achieve their professional and personal game-changing moments, the ones that will forever shape their leadership legacy,” says Carrie Majewski, Founder/CEO of Nexus. “We help our members recognize that they can be the X-factor leader or what we like to call the next-gen leader. They can be the leaders that build the awe-inspiring workplaces of tomorrow; the authors of the next best-selling business book; the trailblazers giving the top-viewed TED talk. We inspire our members to believe any dream is possible.”
The Nexus offers both Professional and Corporate Memberships, with organizations able to sponsor a specific number of employees. Nexus members enjoy a number of benefits, from members-only pricing at quarterly chapter events to access to a members-only portal to preferred rates for Nexus- and partner-led leadership development workshops. Potential members will be vetted during an application process to ensure the cultivation of a group of women committed to intentional leadership.
The Rhode Island Chapter also includes 16 Founding Members who will play a critical role in evangelizing the group’s purpose, shaping the chapter’s ideology and identifying strong candidates for membership.
“Women need more women cheerleaders. The Women in Leadership Nexus gives us just that, bringing together women of all ages and career paths to a safe haven to let our hair down, learn new things, be vulnerable, laugh (a lot!) and grow—together,” says Jen Hetzel Silbert, Founding Member, Employer Engagement, TechHire Rhode Island. “Each event and interaction gives me a reason to stand taller and with the confidence that, in spite of the daily challenges faced at home and on the job, I know I’m capable, I’m worthy and I’m not alone.”
Adds Susan Keller, Founding Member, Entrepreneurial Executives: “The Nexus brings together leaders of all ages, professions and experiences who lead in unique ways. Nexus has embraced a different way to look at leaders and how they lead. Having a diverse group of smart women in the same room is inspiring and has allowed me to connect with women that I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet.”
To learn more about the Women in Leadership Nexus and membership opportunities, visit: wilnexus.com/membership.
About The Women in Leadership Nexus
The Women in Leadership Nexus empowers women to reach an amplified level of leadership, fueled to be the agents of change and co-creators of a different leadership paradigm. Through in-person events and an interactive member community, the Nexus unites women looking to explore, shape and apply the principles of a next-gen leader. The Nexus offers application-based membership to its Rhode Island Chapter, with members spanning all industries and professions. To learn more, please visit www.wilnexus.com.
New campaign launched to enhance independence and choice in Rhode Island’s home care system
Advocates urge passage of legislation ahead of a growing demand from an aging population.
STATE HOUSE – Legislators, senior advocates, home care workers and allies today announced the launch of the Rhode Island Campaign for Home Care Independence and Choice, an effort to provide seniors and individuals living with physical disabilities more options when determining their long term care setting. The new campaign announced its support of passing legislation in 2018 that would create an “Independent Provider” option, a successful home care model in several other states including Massachusetts.
Currently Rhode Island lags behind several states with Independent Provider models in terms of providing access to consistent high quality home care.
Sen. Maryellen Goodwin (D-Dist. 1, Providence), the Senate sponsor of the bill (2018 S-2734), said, “Presently, Rhode Island ranks 42nd in the nation in terms of investment in home care. 90 percent of older Americans prefer home care. Not only is it more comfortable for seniors, it’s more cost-effective, as we’ve seen in states like Massachusetts. High-quality home care is what people want, and it saves money. We’re proud to support this effort to help make excellent home care available to more Rhode Islanders.”
Expanding access and choice in long term care settings is critical for the aging baby boomer population. By 2035, it is expected one in four Rhode Islanders will be over 65.
Rep. Christopher R. Blazejewski (D-Dist. 2, Providence), the House sponsor of the bill (2018-H 7803), said, “There is little question that people prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible. Particularly now, as the over-65 population in our state is rapidly expanding, Rhode Island must shift more of our long-term care resources toward supporting home care. Our legislation will help provide more options for home-based services, enhance access to them and establish standards that assure high-quality care.”
Bill Flynn, Executive Director of Senior Agenda Coalition said, “We know that nearly all seniors, even those living with chronic illnesses or disabilities, have a strong desire to age in their own homes.  Creating an Independent Provider program in Rhode Island will provide a new and proven option for seniors needing home care. It will give seniors the power to hire their own caregivers, and we believe it will improve quality of their care because they will have control of the quality of their own care.”
A comprehensive literature review showed that consumers in states with Independent Provider models experienced higher levels of client satisfaction and autonomy, received more stable worker matches, improved medical outcomes, and reduced unmet need with agencies delivering fewer hours of care relative to the needs of the consumer.
David Oppenheimer, a North Kingstown resident who struggled to find consistent reliable help for his father through the existing home care network said, “As I get older, long term care is something I am thinking about again. My wife and I hope to live in our home for a very long time.  Having a home care system that is prepared to meet the needs of my generation is extremely important to me.”
High-quality services and care require that caregivers are paid a living wage in order develop and maintain a stable and reliable workforce with low turnover. Most home care workers in Rhode Island earn between $11 and $12.50 per hour.
Satta Jangaba, a caregiver from Providence, said, “I worked with my home care client for years and we became like family. I moved on to a nursing home so I can make a better living, but I worry all the time about my client. Now that I’m not there, she has been passed around to several different CNAs – the agency constantly changes their schedules and my client is left without any care. I wish I could go back to being her provider, but there’s no way I could afford to live on the $10.50 an hour they paid.”
The Rhode Island Campaign for Independence and Choice is comprised of the following organizations:Â Â Senior Agenda Consortium, RI Working Families Party, RI Organizing Project, District 1199 SEIU New England, RI AFL-CIO, Economic Progress Institute and the RI Chapter of the National Organization of Women (NOW).
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
New England Institute of Technology’s Skills USA Students Earn Six Gold Medals
East Greenwich, RI – Dr. Douglas H. Sherman, Senior Vice President and Provost, at New England Institute of Technology (NEIT), announced six students earned Gold Medals plus two additional students won a Silver and Bronze Medal at the SkillsUSA 42nd annual Rhode Island Awards and Recognition Ceremony held at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium in Providence, RI on March 28, 2018.
Congratulations to the following Gold Medalists: Maryellen Gale of Webster, NH, Advanced Design; Michael Webb of West Warwick, RI, Architectural Design; Dominic Franco of Ashaway, RI, Automotive; and Crime Scene Investigation Winners Amber Robertson of Coventry, RI, Dayna Koukas of Wakefield, RI and Marissa Sposato of Westerly, RI.
In the Automotive competition, Tyler Bergeron of Hudson, NH earned a Silver Medal and David Higgins of West Hartford, CT took the Bronze Medal.
Each of the six Gold Medalists will advance to the SkillsUSA 2018 national competition which will be held in Louisville, Kentucky in June. During this annual championship, more than 4,500 students will compete in 77 occupational and leadership skill areas.
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. The national organization provides educational programs and events that support career and technical education (CTE). SkillsUSA serves more than 250,000 high school and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in technical occupations, including healthcare. SkillsUSA programs include local, state and national competitions in which students demonstrate occupational and leadership skills.
Dr. Sherman stated, “We are so proud of our eight award winners in this highly-competitive, well-respected event. The knowledge and skills they have acquired in their respective academic programs have served them well. We wish the Gold Medalists the best of luck at the upcoming national championship.”
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Under the leadership of President Richard I. Gouse, New England Institute of Technology is a private, non-profit, technical university with an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. Founded in 1940, New England Tech offers more than 55 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and online technical and professional degree programs. Please visit www.neit.edu and follow NEIT on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and the New England Tech blog.
Linda Dionne
Media Relations Spet
New England Institute of Technology
One New England Tech Blvd.
East Greenwich, RI 02818
401-739-5000, Ext. 3424
www.neit.edu
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