BANK OF SMITHTOWN RECIPIENT 2005 WORKFORCE BUILDERS SCHOOL-SITE INITIATIVES AWARD

PRESENTED BY L.I. WORKS COALITION

Rocky Point, NY, November 14, 2005 – Bank of Smithtown (Louise Timms, Rocky Point branch manager) was the recipient of the 2005 Workforce Builders School Site Initiatives Award, presented by Long Island Works Coalition. The Council for Dedicated Merchants (Mike Poveromo, Executive Director; Maureen Schneider, President) won the 2005 Workforce Builders Advisory Board Award. The awards were presented in mid-November at the third annual Long Island Works Workforce Builders Awards luncheon.

The Workforce Builders Awards honor efforts to build a strong Long Island and workforce. The Long Island Works Coalition is a five-year old non-for-profit group that works with schools to connect students with the working world.

The winners were chosen from among more than 375 members of the Workforce Builders Honor Roll. The Workforce Builders Honor Roll recognizes businesses, educational institutions and other nonprofit organizations, and government entities taking action to ensure Long Island continues to have a skilled workforce by participating in programs that promote workforce readiness, business etiquette and ethics, broadening skills for today’s economy, funding established programs, and school-to-work activities. With more than 800 in attendance at the luncheon, the event highlighted the ever-growing relationship of employers with education.

Rocky Point High School’s Career Advisory Partnership (CAP) member organizations won awards for their outstanding commitment to students, education, career, and community. The CAP program was established in the fall of 2004 and has taken giant steps throughout the past year, bringing valuable career education and opportunities to the students at Rocky Point High School.

Said Ms. Timms on behalf of Bank of Smithtown: “We’re deeply honored to be one of the award recipients, given all of the qualified candidates who are committed as we are to the development and sustenance of a skilled workforce on Long Island. In today’s world, students need all the assistance they can receive from parents, friends, in-school resources and employers, in identifying meaningful career opportunities for the next generation of employees, whose contributions will enhance the quality of life on Long Island. In accepting this award with gratitude, we salute all of our colleagues in the Workforce Builders initiative, all of the dedicated people in the Long Island Works Coalition, and of course, the educators and students who make the effort all worth it.”