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8 Hartford Business Journal • July 25, 2016 www.HartfordBusiness.com Charles Kenneth Botts, III Q&A: What do you do and what are your goals in your current job? I improve the career development resources offered to customers of our region's American Job Centers through training and program development. I hope to increase the reach and impact of my work for people in career transitions by creating new and inno - vative career-development resources. What are your goals for your community involvement? To serve God's people as I am best able. I make an impact through large- group motivation and behavior change. I hope to use this skillset to make a local, national and global impact in empowering father's engagement, encouraging young people to develop entrepreneurial thinking and working to end human trafficking. What's your biggest passion? Inspirational public speaking has been a passion of mine since the first time I was given the opportu- nity in church. What are your future aspirations? To serve God's people locally as a pastor and regionally as an elected official bringing civility and moderation to public office. I will also serve God's people nationally and internationally as a motivational speaker and senior associate with our firm. What needs to happen for Hartford to become a more vibrant city where people work, live and play? Those who commit themselves to serving Hartford must live the ideal of 'What can I do for Hartford?' not 'What can I get from Hartford?' True servant leadership will both engage the masses and demonstrate true commitment and understanding of the issues. As a whole, we need to discover our voice and define our city as opposed to look- ing for outsiders for answers. The moment residents, supporters and investors of Hart- ford come together and embrace our identity is the moment Hartford stops being a cause that needs to be championed and becomes the solution to our region's challenges. List four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty. 1) Starting my own social media and brand-development company that has allowed me to influence the experiences of young people in the metro Hartford area. 2) Rewrote and reworked the job seeker train - ing program "EAGER" for Jobs First Employ- ment Services customers, providing improved assistance with career readiness and employ- ability. 3) In conjunction with Faith Taber- nacle of Manchester, traveled to Guatemala building homes and schools for an orphanage. 4) Four consecutive years appeared on "Good Morning CT," the FOX 61 TV show, to assist job seekers by providing expertise on 21st- century, career-success strategies. Time Tested: What personal possession in your life has with- stood the test of time? Student Bible What hobby did you develop at a young age that you still enjoy today? Playing video games 20 years ago, what did you envision as your fu- ture profession? Physical therapist for an NFL franchise Who do you consider your mentor? Christopher Kuselias, CEO of Career Team LLC Age: 38 Company: Career Team LLC Title: Subject Matter Expert Town where I live: East Hartford Town where I work: Hartford College: Trinity College I'm a black belt in Sho Biyn Jiu (a blended martial art) and a brown belt in Aikido Jujutsu. Botts speaking at a career-readiness seminar for Hartford youth; (Top right): Botts with a King James reference Bible. (Left) Carbonella with the flag from his grandfather Paul Blancato's funeral service, which his mother gave to him. Blancato was a marine stationed in Pearl Harbor in 1941 and served as the family patriarch. Carbonella proudly displays the flag in his office in Middletown. (Above) Carbonella wearing jeans with Middletown High student Steven Benavides. Age: 37 Company: City of Middletown Title: Youth Services Director Town where I live: Middletown Town where I work: Middletown College: UConn (Bachelor's and Master's) Q&A: What do you do and what are your goals in your current job? I lead the city of Middle- town's Youth Services Bureau, which serves as a central coordinating hub for youth and family work, specifically around juvenile justice, behavioral health and youth develop- ment. My goal is to maximize collective impact to help all our young people thrive. What are your goals for your community involvement? As we encourage people in our community, adults and youth alike, to become more engaged in Middletown, it's important that I always practice what I preach and that my involvement always looks to bring the voice of our youth to the table. What's your biggest passion? My biggest pas- sion is problem solving. I love the challenge of taking apart large system complexities or the logistics of day-to-day issues and finding creative solutions that move people and communities forward. What are your future aspirations? To continue to push this department to be one of the most progressive in the state for as long as my passion and energy will allow. My hope is that my post-youth services career can focus on public speaking and consultation as I enjoy motivating and building the capacities of others. If you had one wish to brighten Hartford's economic future what would it be? That the pathway to building a brighter future in Hartford is done through investing in its youngest citizens and that the return cre- ates strong, healthy leaders who stay in the community and are integral components in sustaining a thriving economic and social culture. List four reasons why you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty: 1) Leader in juvenile-justice reform. Developed one of the most pro- gressive diversion systems in the state of Connecticut centered around reimaging the Middletown Juvenile Review Board process as a restorative one that promotes victim voice and empowers young people to repair relationships after harm is caused. 2) Named the director of Youth Services at age 26 and built the department. 3) Work combatting online bullying was featured in Emily Bazelon's book "Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying" and the The Atlantic, helping eliminate a ring of bullying pages from Facebook and major changes in the way the site reviewed harass- ment/bullying claims. 4) Developed programs in Middletown to give teenagers unique access to city decision makers. Time Tested: What personal possession in your life has with- stood the test of time? A photo of me on my second day of life, which my mother brought to the hospital the day after my son was born this past April. What hobby did you develop at a young age that you still enjoy today? A love of baseball 20 years ago, what did you envision as your future profession? Working in politics Who do you consider your mentor? Willard McRae, an iconic community leader who passed away this winter Justin Carbonella I just became a father. My wife and I were joined by our first child Rocco Paul Carbonella in late April. 40 Under Forty 2016 40 Under Forty 2016