West Hartford’s Dr. Philip Lazowski will be honored on April 16, along with Hartford business leaders to be inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame.

Rabbi Phillip Lazowski will receive the Jim Calhoun Spirit of Achievement Award. Submitted photo

Submitted by Bernard Kavaler

The individuals being honored with induction into the Business Hall of Fame are:Four of Connecticut’s notable leaders will be inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 16, 2015, at the 35^th annual Induction Ceremony and Dinner, to be held at the Hartford Marriott. The annual event recognizes business and community leaders who have made significant contributions to the prosperity and quality of life in the Greater Hartford region and Connecticut.

• Laura A. Dambier, SVP, Partner Solutions for Life, Claims & Distribution, Lincoln Financial Group
• Elliot Joseph, President and CEO, Hartford HealthCare
• Neal J. Keating, Chairman, President and CEO, Kaman Corporation

In addition to the 2015 Hall of Fame Laureates, Dr. Philip Lazowski will receive the 2015 Jim Calhoun Spirit of Achievement Award.  Lazowski is Rabbi Emeritus at Emanuel Synagogue in West Hartford.

Master of Ceremonies will be Bill Griffeth, co-anchor of CNBC’s “Closing Bell.”

“These outstanding individuals have each established a standard of excellence that reflects their commitment to community and determination to improve individual lives in meaningful and enduring ways,” said Louis J. Golden, President of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England.  “We are pleased to honor their work and their example, as we encourage, empower and inspire young people to pursue their dreams and realize their potential.”

Junior Achievement is a global leader in providing cutting-edge, hands-on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness education. During its three decade history, the JA of Southwest New England Business Hall of Fame has inducted more than 130 individuals and organizations for their career achievements and contributions to the community.

The support of leading local businesses is indispensable in furthering JA’s work with local schools throughout the region.  The dinner sponsor for the Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony is Stanley Black & Decker.  Travelers is the Premier Sponsor.  Goldman Sachs, The Hartford, Kaman Corporation and Webster Bank are Platinum Sponsors.

JA volunteers come from all walks of life and use their personal experiences to make the JA curricula practical and realistic, helping to empower students to own their economic success.  JA’s unique delivery system provides the training, materials, and support necessary to enable volunteers to build students’ skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship.  Last year, more than 2,500 volunteers – business professionals, parents, retirees, and college students – offered JA programs to nearly 33,000 students in roughly 150 schools in 49 communities in Hartford, Middlesex, Tolland, New Haven, Litchfield, Windham, and New London counties.

Providing children from kindergarten through 12th grade with positive adult role models, who illustrate ways to build self-confidence, develop skills and find avenues of success in our economic system, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.  JA programs supplement our schools’ curricula by providing important life skills such as how to manage money, succeed in the workplace, or start a business that creates jobs.

The program committee for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony includes: Program Chairman, Don Allan, Stanley Black & Decker; Dinner Chair, Margaret W. Lawson, CPTV; Tom Barnes, Barnes Group; Beth Chaty, Hartford HealthCare;  Kevin Dowling-Logue, LAZ Parking;  Jeffrey Hoffman, Hoffman Auto Group; Peter Kelly, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy; Dina Plapler, American Heart Association; and Eric Remington, Kaman Corporation. All net proceeds will benefit JA educational programs.

For information on sponsorship opportunities or to attend, please contact Mary Jane Lund, JA’s vice president of special events, at 860-525-4510 or [email protected].