CAI-NJ-May.2016

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M A Y , 2 0 1 6
INSIDE CONNECTION
Jaclyn Olszewski | DIRECTOR, EVENTS & EDITORIAL
Young professionals and the transition of the younger
generations into leadership roles has become quite
the “hot topic” here at CAI-NJ. As a young profes-
sional myself, I can vouch that this idea is on the forefront
of our minds and that we are very cognizant of the respon-
sibility and hard work that it will take for our generation
to grow in our industry, and we are ready to take on that
challenge.
In meeting with the CAI-NJ F.A.S.T. (Future All Start Team),
a group within CAI-NJ’s membership that focuses on the
development of young professionals through education,
networking and philanthropic initiatives, I have discovered
a channel of information and a support system that has
taken on the challenge of leading the young professionals
of CAI into the future. It is incredibly evident that they face
a lot of the same challenges as one another, and to have
a sounding board in our meetings, is an invaluable asset
to the organization and the members who can utilize this
outlet.
What I am finding is that some of the most talked about
topics include items such as, how to build your network,
bridging the gap between one generation to the next,
creating awareness of young professionals and trying to
get passed the preconceived ideas of who this generation
is and what their personality traits are. With awareness
of these consistent discussion trends, the F.A.S.T. group is
working towards breaking down the barriers and connect-
ing the generations by meeting with industry leaders, and
building relationships with one another, so that one day the
wisdom of these leaders can help shape future leaders to
continue to push forward with a thriving industry.
Philanthropically the group is working on a few projects.
The first being the food drive at the Annual Spring Break
event. F.A.S.T. is working to acquire canned goods that
will be donated to Move for Hunger in conjunction with
the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean County. Also,
F.A.S.T. will be hosting the 2nd Annual CAI-NJ Olympics
event on July 20th at Thompson Park in Jamesburg, NJ.
This team building event will raise money for the Make a
Wish Foundation of New Jersey. In 2015 the event raised
$1,771.79 for the foundation. We are working hard to
raise even more in 2016. More information is available on
page xx of this issue.
The first ever F.A.S.T. Happy Hour was held on March 24th
at Drink Gotham in Red Bank. With a great turnout, the event
required no registration or fee to attend. Keep an eye out for
future F.A.S.T. Happy Hours as well as other events and initia-
tives in the coming months. If you have any questions on how
you can get involved, please feel free to reach out to me at
or Laura at
Expect to see a lot of great things from the CAI-NJ Future
All Star Team! n
@cainjfast
Be sure to follow the F.A.S.T. group
on social media: