Cyndi Zoldy was appointed executive director of Manufacturing Alliance Service Corp. (MASC) in December 2020, after serving the Smaller Manufacturers Association for eight years.
Zoldy has over 26 years of management and accounting experience. While at MASC, she implemented a new functional educational experience, branding the school and streamlining the curriculum to better match local manufacturers’ needs.
The technical training center serves in a niche market where accelerated programs are offered to both traditional and non-traditional students where students have a pathway from classroom to career in 10 weeks.
Zoldy holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Post University in Waterbury, and a State of Connecticut Directors Credential from Charter Oak State College. She has been married for 30 years to a local manufacturer, John Zoldy of MW Components, and they have four adult boys.
What have been your biggest professional accomplishments so far?
At MASC, I focused early on creating pathways that not only served the training facility but also benefits its students. Once it was established that MASC offers a unique pathway to the manufacturing trades, other community organizations took notice and started visiting the center.
One of my biggest accomplishments was paving a way for students with disabilities to find a career path in manufacturing. This led to a relationship with the CT Bureau of Rehabilitative Services, where we successfully educated and placed a deaf student in industry. This was documented by video stories by both the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB) and CBIA.
What’s the next big goal you want to accomplish professionally?
My next goal will be to leave a lasting legacy of growth in manufacturing skills training through collaborative partnerships between industry and education where pathways aren’t just college focused.
I would like to see the efforts of MASC, manufacturing advocacy groups and national organizations like Women in Manufacturing work together to create national pathways for manufacturing training and apprenticeships.
What’s one of the biggest professional challenges you’ve overcome?
The biggest professional challenge I have had to overcome is being a woman professional in a male-dominated field. It was challenging early in my nonprofit days to be a mouthpiece for an industry that is often seen as geared toward men.
I worked hard over the years to create a legacy for my professional identity to mean quality leadership in manufacturing advocacy as a woman in industry.
How are you involved in the community?
My ties are extensive in the manufacturing community. I have worked extensively as a volunteer professional in Women in Manufacturing, Connecticut Manufacturers Collaborative, Elevate HER, Smaller Manufacturers Association and Manufacture CT. I also donate time to the United Way of Greater Waterbury and Women United.
What legacy do you want to leave after your career is over?
I want to be an inspiration to women who think they can’t pivot or make changes to your professional pathway. I started as an accountant for a manufacturing company and made a significant change when I started a family and pivoted to teaching.
When the children were grown, I focused on accomplishing my professional dreams and began nonprofit advocacy work, leading me to MASC. My legacy should be to take the path of your passion; even if it is the path less travelled, the journey will be worth it.
What are your keys to maintaining business success?
The key to maintaining success is simple: always take any opportunity to learn. Learn in every capacity of your professional journey. While on that journey, never look down on anyone unless you are offering a hand up. Our responsibility is to give opportunities, create pathways and encourage others to follow their dreams.