West Hartford resident Bernie Weiss is the new president of the Senior Job Bank, with the day-to-day management handled by Executive Director Sheila Diamond, currently working out of a home office.

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The Seniors Job Bank has chosen officers and directors to guide the nonprofit job referral service into its 41st year.

Bernie Weiss, of West Hartford, is the new president. He will be assisted by vice president Gail Crockett, of West Hartford, treasurer Del Shilkret, of Granby, co-secretary Jennifer Wolfberg, of Avon, and co-secretary Hank Boulton, of Hartford.

The Board of Directors includes Bob Calef and Delores Wisdom, both of Bloomfield, as well as Bob Cave, Anne Danaher, Jim Doran, Rene Lopez, Al Nweeia, Bill Pickens, and Dina Plapler, all of West Hartford.

Considering what Weiss termed an “unprecedented public health situation that has radically upended the customary individual and commercial routines of everyday life,” the Board conducted its election in a virtual meeting. Weiss pointed out that even with the organization’s office in West Hartford’s Town Hall closed, the Seniors Job Bank is open for business.

“Under modified procedures, we continue to accept new job seekers, interviewing them remotely, and background checking them as usual, but advising them that they will be considered for jobs only in occupations designated ‘essential’ by Connecticut state policy. And we’ll take requests for workers only from companies and households offering ‘essential’ work,”Weiss noted.

The Seniors Job Bank is a volunteer-driven community service agency that connects men and women over age 50 seeking work with businesses and households that have work to be done. Operating throughout the greater Hartford region, SJB maintains a database of approximately 650 job seekers, collectively offering about 150 discrete skills and talents, blue- and white collar. When a company or homeowner needing to staff a position calls, SJB identifies registrants qualified to handle the task, then provides contact information for several appropriate candidates to be evaluated by the client. The client and candidate selected for the job negotiate the terms of the assignment: its duties, expected results, hours, and compensation.

The Seniors Job Bank does not charge a fee  –  to the job seeker or the client  –  for facilitating the referral. While all the job seekers are over 50, clients may be of any age.

Many jobs arranged through the Seniors Job Bank are part-time, temporary or single projects, but others are longer term or result in repeat engagements. Commercial and professional firms commonly turn to SJB when they have openings for office administrators, bookkeepers, and receptionists. Residential clients often use SJB to locate gardeners, companions, pet sitters, and appliance or home equipment repairers.

To join the list of SJB job seekers, or to find one of them to fill a job, call the Seniors Job Bank at 860-521-3210, email [email protected], or consult www.sjbct.org.

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