Troy, NY (Thursday, August 20, 2015) – CEO (the Commission on Economic Opportunity) was joined by over 100 community members, including federal, state, and local officials, to celebrate the grand opening of the organization’s newest and most innovative facility. The Urban Training Center, one of CEO’s eleven locations across the county, will help to further centralize services to the community, moving the YouthBuild program to a more accessible location and expanding CEO’s Healthy Homes operations.

“I applaud CEO for their ongoing efforts to train young women and men for careers,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “The new Urban Training Center is another example of their investment in the community. Workforce training programs like YouthBuild give thousands of teens and young people across New York and the country the resources and tools they need to succeed. The Urban Training Center will be at the heart of these efforts in Rensselaer County, offering the support programming necessary to ensuring our youth have the right skills to succeed.”

The building was erected on a lot within walking distance of the agency’s administration building and Community Resource Center, creating a central service “hub” accessible by the bus line. The facility boasts a technology lab, a construction lab, a classroom, staff offices, a community space (meant to encourage collaboration with other community organizations), and large storage facilities to safely house equipment in use by the Healthy Homes programs and the agency’s facilities department. Members of CEO’s YouthBuild program will benefit from the innovative teaching spaces during the day, and the organization intends to expand the use of the center in the evenings by working with community partners to offer skill-building sessions to the public.

“We are so excited about the opening of this new location,” stated Katherine Maciol, President of CEO. “With the help of many local donors, we have been able to bring new opportunities to the Capital Region, fostering the continued growth of our customers and our community.”

The facility was designed by Syvertsen Rigosu Architects and constructed by Rosch Brothers General Contractors. The project was made possible in part thanks to generous donations from the Massry Family, Bouchey Financial Group/ Bouchey & Clarke Benefits, Inc., the William Gundry Broughton Charitable Private Foundation, KeyBank, and The Troy Savings Bank Charitable Foundation; in addition to smaller gifts generously donated by local businesses and private donors.

For more photos of the event, check out our photo album on Facebook!

For more information on the Urban Training Center, please visit our website at www.ceoempowers.org/building-hope, or please contact CEO’s Development Manager, Leah Carroll, at (518) 272-6012 Ext. 225.