BRAC Programs Promote Talent Development

BRAC Programs Promote Talent Development
Inaugural class of InternBR celebrates graduation as Leadership announces new cohort

Baton Rouge, LA (August 9, 2016) – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) held a graduation ceremony for the InternBR program’s inaugural Class of 2016 on Friday, August 5, marking the organization’s second milestone of the week in talent development; the Baton Rouge Area Leadership Class of 2017 was announced Thursday, August 4, at a breakfast ceremony.

Both programs aim to promote community leadership and involvement, with InternBR focused on cultivating top millennial talent and Leadership concerned with educating participants about key issues facing our region. InternBR graduates leave the program with the leadership and communications skills essential to career success, and Leadership participants matriculate with a better understanding of their role in creating positive community impact.

InternBR, an initiative of BRAC’s Talent Development program, was designed to invest in top millennial talent to assist area employers with talent attraction and retention. The program provides post high school-age students with professional development training focused on soft skills.

The class of 30 area interns attended 10 weekly sessions, each centered on a specific area of professional development. The program began with giving students a behavioral self-assessment and culminated with mock interviews with area human resources professionals. Other focus areas included email and social media etiquette, business dinner etiquette, leadership styles and development, personal branding, and crucial conversations. In addition to the training sessions, participants were tasked with completing written reflections on what they learned each week, as well as practical assignments challenging them to apply their learning. The students also engaged in professional, service and social opportunities to learn more about the Capital Region.

Both InternBR and Leadership’s cohorts were selected through a competitive application process. The Leadership class of 42 represents the business, civic and nonprofit sectors, and the 30-student InternBR cohort represents six universities, including Louisiana State University, Southern University, Our Lady of the Lake College, Southeastern Louisiana University, Louisiana Tech University, and Mississippi State University. The InternBR Class of 2016 and their internship companies are listed below.

Anna-Marie Barone, Baton Rouge Business Report

Chase Berenson, Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Iesha Blackburn, IBM

Sheila Caban, Gallagher Benefit Services

Caitlin Demarest, Diane Allen & Associates

Madelyn Duhon, LSU College of Human Sciences and Education

Alexis Flowers, Horne CPA and Business Advisors

Hannah Gill, Faulk & Winkler, LLC

Christian Gonzales, IBM

Erika Haguette, Baton Rouge Area Chamber

Regan Horn, The Lemoine Company

Justin James, The Lemoine Company

Kaylee Jones, Teknarus

Mahdi Judeh, IBM

Morgan Kastner, Reputation Capital Media Services

Patrick Kidder, The Lemoine Company

Peyton Klemm, Jones Walker LLP

Ashton Knight, LSU Communication across the Curriculum (CxC)

Vu Le, IBM

Madison Lusco, Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response Center (STAR)

Nina Mohammed, IBM

Juli Parker, Our Lady of the Lake College

Chelsea Rainwater, Baton Rouge Area Chamber

Taylor Richard, Louisiana Lottery

Ryan Robin, The Lemoine Company

Luke Simpson, Gallagher Benefit Services

Gage Spell, Quality Engineering & Surveying

Colby Sterling, LSU Office of Strategic Communication

Joshua Stickling, City of Baton Rouge, Finance Department

William Ward, The Lemoine Company

The InternBR and Leadership programs serve to attract and retain the region’s talent, one of BRAC’s chief objectives. For a full list of this year’s Baton Rouge Area Leadership participants, click here. To learn more about InternBR, visit www.internbr.com.

About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area, working to grow jobs and wealth and to improve the business climate and competitiveness in the region. Today, BRAC investors include more than 1,500 small businesses, mid-sized firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as individuals and organizations that support business and economic development. In this capacity, BRAC serves as the voice of the business community, providing knowledge, access, services and advocacy. More information is available at brac.org.

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