Nick Navarra is the 56-year-old president of the Canton Regional Chamber
of Commerce. With no fewer than five 20-somethings as directors of
departments, he knows the value this generation brings to the workplace.
- “They’re smart, they’re enthusiastic, they’re
excited, creative. They bring a lot of energy to the job. They’re
willing to try new things that have never been tried before.” - “They lend themselves more to team involvement. You could never
manage them the way they used to manage years ago, with sort of an
autocratic form of management. It wouldn’t work today.” - He says they are frank, forthright, honest and direct, but at times can
be lacking in political skills when dealing with colleagues. - “They also fit in quite well with professionals. They’re not
as intimidated … I see them walk into my chairman’s office and call
him by his first name the first time they meet him. That’s kind of
refreshing. That doesn’t mean they don’t have respect for him,
they’re just not as intimidated by titles.” - “They’re more confident in their ability. The young people we
have here are well educated and wouldn’t have trouble finding
employment if they weren’t here.”