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.