CRN workforce program earns an award from state’s largest Workforce Development Board
CRN Golf Outing is Tuesday
News and notes from the State Capitol
Please take the CRN Health Insurance Survey
News and notes from around the state
- On Tuesday of this week, CRN Workforce Development Trainer Tabitha Carter and CRN President Tim Phelan were honored by The Workplace, based in Bridgeport, as winners of Company Partner of the Year for the CRN’s RISE Up training program.
- The Workplace is the state’s leading Workforce Development Board, and CRN’s training program has done a number of projects with them during the past several years.
- The CRN’s award-winning training program offers participants skills using our Career Awareness, Readiness, and Exploration program (CARE).
- The training consists of career exploration, an online training component of critical aspects of retail management, conflict resolution, individual advising, and group preparation for career awareness.
- In addition, our curriculum uses the National Retail Federation’s Rise Up program. When the training program is completed, participants become eligible for a nationally recognized certificate in Customer Sales and Service.
- We are extremely proud of the work that our Workforce Development program, led by Ms. Carter, is doing.
- If you are interested in having Ms. Carter offer a customer sales and service training seminar for your company, please feel free to reach out to her at tabitha@ctretailnetwork.com
CRN Golf Outing update
- The annual CRN Golf Outing is coming up this Tuesday, June 30th.
- We’re on track to have our best year ever! We expect a record number of golfers and sponsors, led by Liberty Bank – and we have room for more!
- If you can’t play golf, PLEASE consider donating a raffle prize or purchasing a tee sign.
- Contact Tim Phelan directly at tim@ctretailnetwork.com
- You can also join us for post-golf activities!
- To see the schedule for the day, go here. We hope to see you – and thank you for your support!
News and notes from the State Capitol
- The Democrat who hoped to primary state Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, did not obtain enough certified petition signatures to challenge him for her party’s nomination, according to the Secretary of the State’s office. Details here from CT Insider.
- Rep. Jill Barry (D-Glastonbury) lost her bid for re-nomination as a Democrat for State Representative, but she is not going away. She has decided to run for the seat as an independent. Kevin Rennie’s Daily Ructions has that story here.
- CT’s First Congressional District primary is turning into a fascinating and crowded race.
- First District incumbent and longtime Congressman John Larson lost his nomination convention to former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.
- On top of that, State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest gathered enough convention support to also be on the ballot in the August 11th primary.
- Now this week, a fourth candidate has also found her way on the ballot – Hartford attorney Ruth Fortune. CT Mirror has that news here.
- Connecticut is among the first states in a group trying to preserve jobs amid the Artificial Intelligence boom. Details here on CT Mirror.
- More than a dozen municipalities and other organizations are in line to receive $5.1 million in state aid to protect homes, businesses, and other community resources from floods, heat, and other natural hazards. Details reported here by CTNewsJunkie.
- Connecticut’s unfunded state employee pension debt has been decreasing by roughly $2 billion per year, and the overall funded ratio has been increasing by roughly five percent per year as state officials continue to funnel surplus billions into pension funds that had plagued Connecticut’s budget for more than a decade. CT Inside Investigator takes a look here.
- A major change to Connecticut’s voting laws will go into effect this election season, allowing any eligible voter to request an absentee ballot without needing to provide a reason. Details reported by CT Post here.
CRN Health Insurance survey
- We are also closing in on our important health insurance survey to determine how CRN can develop a group health insurance program to help retailers.
- You can go here to take the brief survey.
- Please consider helping us by responding to this survey. It is very important, and we are grateful for your response.
News and notes around the state
- Connecticut’s economy grew more slowly than the nation in the first quarter, as gains in the information sector and manufacturing were partly offset by weakness in retail, wholesale trade, and finance. Hartford Business Journal reports on the latest numbers here, and CT Inside Investigator takes a look here.
- The CVS Health Foundation announced Thursday it will invest $1 million in 20 Greater Hartford nonprofits through its annual Hometown Fund. Hartford Business Journal has the details here.
- Property crimes and crimes against persons have fallen to their lowest levels since the state’s police departments adopted their current reporting systems, according to the 2025 Crime in Connecticut report. Details here reported by CTNewsJunkie.
- A Connecticut casino is marking 40 years of bingo with a $1 million Firecracker Bingo. The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation opened its bingo hall on sovereign land on July 5, 1986, laying the foundation for Foxwoods Resort Casino. Details here from the Hartford Courant.
- July 4th weekend is coming soon – with a boatload of activities all across the state. Find out what’s happening here, as reported by the Hartford Courant.