Junior Achievement of Southwest New England's Retired President, Louis Golden Wins Admired National Leadership Award

Hartford, CT —Louis Golden, newly retired president of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England is the 2016 recipient of the Junior Achievement USA^® (JA) Charles R. Hook Award. The annual accolade is given to a JA Area president, who demonstrates superior results in growth and development of Junior Achievement. Golden received the award at the Junior Achievement USA National Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 21, 2016. Golden was chosen over three other finalists for the national award.

“Lou demonstrated incredible leadership during his 14 year tenure at JA.  It’s fitting that Lou earned this recognition in his final year as president.  It truly epitomizes a career that embodied the expansion of JA programming, significant revenue growth and increased awareness of the importance and power of JA in the community,” said Jeremy Race, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, Inc.

“Lou’s accomplishments are a great example for all JA leaders to follow as the organization moves forward, empowering students to make a connection between what they learn in school and how it can be applied in the real world,” said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA. “Lou exemplifies the Junior Achievement mission and he has worked tirelessly to ensure the success and growth of this organization. We are proud to recognize him with this award.”

Under Golden’s leadership, the number of students, schools and volunteers participating in JA programs annually has increased dramatically, and a series of innovative programs have been successfully launched. Golden joined the organization in 2002 after a career that included 20 years at The Hartford Courant as an editor and a business executive. During his tenure, the JA organization has served more than 400,000 students, has greatly expanded its staff and has developed landmark programs, including JA Global Connection, the first-in-the-nation JA exchange program with China; JA Career Connections for Young Women, a collaboration with Junior League of Hartford focused on empowering young women to learn about professional goals; and initiatives to encourage hands-on entrepreneurship and job shadowing. Annual revenues have more than tripled, and the number of volunteers has grown steady, exceeding 2,500 annually.

The Hook Award is named after Charles R. Hook, who served as president and chairman of Junior Achievement during the 1940s and 1950s. Under Hook’s leadership, Junior Achievement grew from a regional program in the northeastern United States into a national organization.

About Junior Achievement USA^® (JA)

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provides relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.6 million students per year in 112 markets across the United States, with an additional 5.6 million students served by operations in 121 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.

About Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, Inc.

In the 2015-16 school year, JA of Southwest New England reached over 39,000 students in about 150 schools in communities throughout New Haven, Middlesex, Hartford, Litchfield, Windham, Tolland, and New London counties.  Visit www.jaconn.org for more information or contact Jeremy Race at jrace@jaconn.org.

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