Welcome to the Young Emerging Professional’s Member Spotlight, where each month YEP will sit down with one of our members and see what they’re up to. Over the next several months we will introduce you to the YEP Team. These folks are the heart and soul behind our events and our mission. 

This month we’re proud to present one of YEP’s founding members: Heather Smith-Jaser, CPA

Employer: Dworken Hillman LaMorte & Sterczala, P.C. DHL&S
Title: Accounting and Audit Manager

YEP: Tell us a bit about what you do?

HSJ: DHL&S is a full service public accounting firm providing accounting, auditing, tax and consulting services.  As a Manager, I am responsible for planning and evaluation of engagements in various industries including real estate investment, manufacturing, health care and not for profit accounting. I am also involved in the preparation of income tax returns and management of entry level, Senior and Supervisor-level staff. In addition to my client responsibilities I am involved in recruiting and the evaluation and development of our accounting personnel. 

YEP: Tell us a bit about yourself ?

HSJ: Well professionally, I am a CPA and enjoy the spontaneity of public accounting.  Never knowing what each day will bring, or what new challenges our clients may face. 

Personally – I am a mom to an amazing 1 year old, who is the light of mine and my husband’s lives.   She keeps us on our toes and every day is an adventure.  We are looking forward to the summertime when we can start enjoying some of our favorite activities like the beach, jet skiing, camping and traveling through the eyes of our daughter.  

YEP: You have been one of the original board members since YEP got off the ground. What is it about YEP that made you want to be more than just a participant at our events; but a representative of the group?

HSJ: From my very first YEP after hours, I felt that this could be a great opportunity, not only for me but for other Young Professionals within the community, to network in and among their peers.  It is an opportunity for young professionals to grow their network in an environment that is less intimidating.  As we have heard repeatedly, young professionals are the future.  If we are able to assist professionals in the beginning of their careers with monthly networking events, training seminars and community involvement, we have not only assisted with the growth of our careers but the growth of us as individuals. 

YEP: DHL&S always has a strong showing at our YEP events. What is it about YEP that you and your colleagues like about YEP?

HSJ: The opportunities the group presents to even our newest staff are something I feel is worth investing in.  We have utilized YEP as not only a networking community but as a form of training our newer staff on the art of networking.  It allows for an environment that they feel comfortable in and at such an early stage in their careers, they can begin to develop those relationships. 

YEP: Future aspirations?

HSJ: Continued success in my profession. 

YEP: Any fun facts or most interesting thing that’s ever happened to you?

HSJ: Most interesting thing that ever happened to me was I was camping with my family a few years ago and we were in the middle of a horrible rain storm.  A dam up river let go and the campground became flooded, over the course of three hours the water level rose to more than ten feet.  I assisted the campground owners (among them was my family) and the Bernardston, MA fire department and dive team search and rescue squad remove trailers and evacuate those occupants whose trailers could not be moved.  We lost several trailers that day and weeks later we were still pulling debris (gas grills and decks) out of the woods down river.  Watching the community come together to assist us and others was the one thing that I will always remember.

Welcome to the Young Emerging Professional’s Member Spotlight, where each month YEP will sit down with one of our members and see what they’re up to. Over the next several months we will introduce you to the YEP Team. These folks are the heart and soul behind our events and our mission. 

On tap for January? 

Andrew Venditti from 203 Communications, LLC.

YEP: Happy New Year Andy! Tell us a little about 203…

AV:  We are a marketing firm with a strong focus on web development and photography. The two may seem odd inside one company, but they actually compliment each other quite well…nothing compliments a well designed and programmed website better than striking content. We pride ourselves on providing our clients with unique, custom solutions built into a strong marketing plan that we help them develop to achieve their goals. We like to immerse ourselves in our clients business, and become part of their team, not just an outside vendor.

The company began almost accidentally. Dan Zaniewski and I are both Seymour firefighters (Dan is actually the Captain at Great HIll Hose Company). One night at the firehouse  one of our fellow firefighters who owns a company asked us if we could work together to help him with a solution for his site. Knowing I had the design acumen and marketing experience (as I was the Director of Marketing for a nationwide manufacturing firm for about 5 years at the time), and Dan was a super programmer, working for a 40 billion dollar company, it was only natural for him to ask people he trusted and knew could do it.

Once that project was completed, he ended up sending us a referral, we decided to incorporate, and haven’t looked back since.

In late 2009 we decided to officially start 203 Photography as a subsidiary of 203 Communications, LLC. This decision was fueled by the fact that we were seeing a call for photographic services that were outside of the realm of “marketing”, such as weddings, events, portraits, and sports photography.

Photo Courtesy of Arnold Gold / New Haven Register

YEP: What does 2011 have in store for 203?

AV: We’re approaching 2011 as our year of growth. What started off as a side job has really progressed in to a profitable, successful company. This year we plan to move out of our home offices and into a corporate setting within the first quarter. We’re also looking at the possibility of hiring more help. We’ve been very busy lately, and in order to keep up this pace, and expand further, we’re going to need help, or risk burning ourselves out. We’re very excited at how our first month is going. It’s great to see people spending money again. I think we are already seeing the economy start to come back to life as people loosen the purse stings a bit and start to get back in to “spend money to make money” mindsets. We’re hoping that the trend we’ve seen here in the first month continues, and our working towards ensuring that momentum. In January alone we were featured in the New Haven Register, and on national television shooting a URI vs. Xavier game at the Ryan Center on ESPNU.

YEP: As a YEP Board Member, what can you share about your YEP experience?

AV: I’m honored to be part of such a great group of hungry, motivated and talented young professionals. I’ve found that networking is essential to growing a company. It’s not the only element, but one of the most important. Not only do you achieve exposure for your business, but you also get to keep your finger on the pulse of regional trends, industrial and technological trends, and see what works and what impedes growth in others businesses. Being a part of YEP has helped to get our business to where it is, and like anything else in this world, you’ll get out of it what you put in.

YEP: Any New Year Resolutions?

AV: Yes. We plan to make this the year that we not only move into an office, but get busy enough to where we need to hire developers and designers. We plan to also focus on growing the sports photography side of our business. We’d love to get to be shooting pro sports before the end of 2011. We’re also hoping to focus a bit more on shooting weddings this summer. Typically we shoot 4-5 a year, because we don’t actively market the service, I’d love to double that number this year!

YEP: Good stuff Andy. We would also like to acknowledge all the hard work you guys did getting the YEP website up and running. We’re hopeful that the site will continue to evolve and become the source for all young professionals living and working in the Lower Naugatuck Valley. All the best to you, Dan and 203 for a great 2011!

Welcome to the Young Emerging Professional’s Member Spotlight where each month YEP will sit down with one of our members and see what they’re up to. This month we caught up with Matt Burke, Co-Owner of Scholar Painting, LLC.

YEP:  Hi Matt, tell us a bit about Scholar Painting?

 MB: Scholar Painting LLC is a full service interior and exterior residential and commercial painting and pressure washing company, based out of Seymour, CT. My partner, Vaughn Butler, who has a background in Business Administration, and myself, who has a background in Civil Engineering, were childhood friends, both with backgrounds in house painting. We started out performing small jobs in high school and while in college, we decided to start a professional painting business. We founded Scholar Painting LLC in 2008. Since 2008, we’ve grown from performing residential jobs to painting large commercial condo complexes and retail stores. We have built a hardworking team comprised of skilled and experienced professional painters and project managers, including specialists with knowledge of technical painting materials and techniques. We strive to complete a great looking project on time and on budget. Our goal is to be Connecticut’s number one house painting company, measured by our consistent level of client loyalty, brand integrity, highest quality, and professionalism.

Vaughn

YEP:  You guys have teamed up with YEP when the group first kicked off; what interested you about the group? And how has the group helped your business?

MB: We first joined the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2008, wanting to get to know the business owners and entrepreneurs around the Valley area. We believe getting involved with your local chamber is an excellent way to network in the community. Most of the people who helped our business get off the ground, we met through the Chamber and the YEP group. We feel members of the YEP group have the same business ethics and goals that Scholar Painting has. When we heard about the YEP chapter, we felt it would be helpful to meet and network with other people in the business community in their 20’s and 30’s to lead one another to become as successful as the veteran business people in the Chamber. Since joining YEP, we learned that there are other young professionals just as Vaughn and myself that are looking to take risks and chances in business to thrive in his or her position at their companies. We believe that the harder you work and the more you learn now, it will pay off in the future and later in life.

YEP: When you guys aren’t painting what do you like to do for fun?

 MB: There are not many times when Vaughn and I are not doing something for the business, as there is always something that can be worked on. However, when we do have time “off the clock,” Vaughn enjoys reading and playing sports and I usually like to do outdoor activities such as jet ski or snowboard.

YEP: Cool – where do you ride and what’s been your favorite mountain to board?

 MB: I usually jetski in Lake Housatonic and Lake Zoar throughout the summer. Lake Zoar has a nice sandbar where boaters and jet skiers hang out at on weekends. When I get bored of the flat water, my buddies and I get together and launch of the coast off Niantic and Old Saybrook to ride the waves in the Sound. Since I am still a novice snowboarder, I prefer smaller, easier mountains to ride such as Bromley in VT and Sugerbush in MA. Otherwise, a good mountain that usually gets the best out of me and my board is Okemo, VT. Sometimes it takes my buddies 3 times to go down while I am on my first run at Okemo.

YEP:  Future Aspirations?

 MB: Our future aspiration for Scholar Painting LLC is to eventually have several crews with managers around the state. Vaughn hopes to get his M.B.A. and I would like to get my P.E. (Professional Engineering) license in Civil Engineering. With those accreditations and experience, our goal is to expand Scholar Painting or establish another company in Commercial Property Management and Maintenance.
 
YEP: Any interesting facts about you or the Scholar gang you would like to add? 

MB: In our first year with Scholar Painting, we teamed up with Than and Paul from CT Homes to perform painting on three of their flip houses featured on A&E’s “Flip This House” TV series. We experienced how three months of hard work is squeezed in a 1-hour timeslot and saw what really goes on behind the scenes. Heres a tip for everyone: Camera crews and paint do not go well together!

YEP: It’s the Holiday season…what would you like Santa to bring you this year?

MB: I have always wanted a 2-stroke gas powered blender. I already have a desk lamp made out of car parts, so I thought a blender with a motor would be a good complement and would make for some pretty good cocktails. I saw one in a Hotrod Magazine so I am going to put that on my wishlist for Santa!

YEP: Interesting, well, we hope you get what you wish for. Happy Holiday!

Welcome to the YEP Member Spotlight where each month YEP will sit down with one of our members and see what they’re up to. This month we catch up with Dan L’Altrella, Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist at the L’Altrella Lending Group in Shelton and one of YEP’s original founding members.

YEP: As one of the original members of YEP – what was it about the group that made you want to be involved?

DL: I love everything about networking and meeting new people. The reason for me getting involved with the YEP group was to get more involved with peers in my age group. I was also looking to help out in my community and become more involved in the Valley.

YEP: What’s the best thing that’s happened since you’ve been participating in the group?

DL: The best thing that happened to me with this group is that I met some great people who have helped me grow my business. I have meet some people I would never been introduce to if I wasn’t a part of this group. Only good things have come to me with the YEP group.

YEP: You were recently selected as one of CT’s top mortgage professionals by CT Magazine – what do you have to say about that?

DL: I have been in the mortgage business for 7 yrs and I have treated every client like they were my family. I have never lied or taken advantage of anyone. I have always been taught to work hard and keep my nose clean. Because of this I was extremely excited about being selected as one of Connecticut’s top mortgage professionals. It means the world to me and my family.

YEP: When you’re not selling mortgages what do you like to do for fun?

DL: When I am not working I enjoy playing golf or spending time with loved ones. I love to watch my New York Giants or New York Yankees in my spare time. I also enjoy participating in fantasy football. It makes me feel like I am an owner of a sports franchise.

YEP: Ah, the Yankees….let’s not go there right now. But Fantasy Football – that’s interesting. What’s the name of your team? And would you say your GM skills are like the New England Patriots or the Buffalo Bills?

DL: FICOKing and I am more like the Patriots. I am very passionate about fantasy football. I have been a fan of football since I was a kid and played ten years of it growing up. I know the game pretty well. I won at least one championship in the past four years.

YEP: Future aspirations?

FICOKing: I look forward to becoming more successful and growing my business to a level I never thought was achievable. I also look forward to having a family one day and having kids of my own.

YEP: Anything else you want to add?

FICOKing: I have a Maltese/Yorkie named Boozer who is the toughest 13 pound dog around. I also love to watch movies in my free time

YEP: Movies eh? Rudy or the Natural?

FICOKing: Rudy; but I prefer Program (old football movie).

Thank you for your time FICOKing and let us know how you make out this season.