Kylee Carbone started out with a marketing internship at Westminster Tool of Plainfield, Connecticut. But her career took an interesting turn, as she found herself doing a lot of outreach to high schools and then colleges, promoting careers in manufacturing.

“All of that experience formed a kind of natural progression into human resources,” Kylee says, where she now focuses full-time on Westminster’s efforts to reach out and let the community know what the company does and what it can offer young job seekers.

Natural progression played a role in Kylee’s relationship with PLASTICS, as well, when she heard that Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP), PLASTICS’ program for industry professionals under 40, needed a new person to chair its Continuing Education Task Force. “The goals of continuing education lined up so well with what I already do every day, it seemed like a perfect fit,” says Kylee. “They needed someone, and I’m happy to help. I believe in working together to advance all of our careers.”

Kylee’s plan for her task force is to continuing promoting its popular book club, which focuses on various helpful topics and skills. Upcoming books the club will be reading include Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Jean Greaves and Travis Bradberry, exploring self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management, followed by the self-improvement classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. She will also work on expanding FLiP’s popular guest speaker series which has featured guests such as Glenn Starkey, President of Progressive Components and David Spitulnik, author of Becoming An Insightful Leader.

But even more important, Kylee feels, is the need to promote involvement. “I would like to increase participation among both individuals and companies,” she says. “I’d love to see a two-hundred-percent spike in participation that comes from member companies throughout the supply chain.”

In Kylee’s vision, many different people, representing a wide range of expertise will be filling the ranks at FLiP. As she told us for the Spring 2021 issue of PLASTICS Magazine, “FLiP isn’t just for people at a desk job. It’s a great opportunity for an operator or tool maker to learn, and teach, as well.”

PLASTICS and the Future Leaders in Plastics (FLiP) Committee are devoted to supporting and encouraging the next generation of plastics leaders who will play a crucial role in the innovation, technology and the future of the plastics industry. FLiP’s mission is to provide young professionals, under the age of 40, the exposure, education, and resources they need to build a lifelong career in plastics. Want to join? Want to get your employees involved? Email: flip@plasticsindustry.org