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Phil Williams: Never Stop Learning

In October, Phil Williams was awarded the Board of Education’s Person of the Year Award at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual award dinner. For Phil, a former chairman of the Board of Education, it was a testament to his belief in the power of education and his time spent investing in Clinton’s education.

Even though he no longer works in the education field, the cause is near and dear to his heart.

“Education has always been important to me,” Phil says. “You should never stop learning.”

A few years ago, Williams heard of a program for 4th and 5th graders in Clinton to expand their creativity: the Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC). The program is open to all students in grades kindergarten to 8 statewide, and runs in 250 schools across the state, according to ctinventionconvention.org.

Phil became involved with the program as a judge, and quickly found he enjoyed his time there.

“It’s probably the most fun I have during the year,” Phil says.

“I’m enamored with the kids and their ideas,” says Phil. “I really enjoy being with them.”

Phil says that an interesting aspect of the program is that some of the kids have ended up getting their ideas patented.

“I really want to help foster their ideas,” Phil says.

Phil says that part of his interest in the event is that “finding engineers is hard”—something he’s learned as the president of Kenyon International, a company that makes cooktops and grills. The fact the program helps build an interest in engineering is something that piqued Phil’s interest.

“I think the world of them and what they are able to do,” Phil says.

Asked to name one idea that in particular stood out, Phil mentioned an idea a kid once had for toothpaste that was packaged like individual pieces of gum instead of a tube. The user would then simply put the pre-measured amount of gum in their mouth, then start to brush.

“Seeing the looks on the kid’s faces, and seeing how proud they are” is one of his favorite parts of the process. “Seeing the passion is cool.”

Phil, who served on the Board of Education for six years, two as chairman, also has strong praise for the teachers and those in the school system that makes supports the endeavor.

“I served on the Board of Ed for a few years and believe they’re one of the best,” Phil says. “The names of the teachers at Pierson that run the after-school program are Katharine Martorelli and Dana Skidmore. They are wonderful teachers and continue to inspire the students to think outside the box. The principal is Angela Guaracio, another very great educator who supports this program.”

Phil grew up in Anderson, Indian, and went to Ball State University to major in education. However, a career change was quickly in order.

“Back then what they were paying teachers was not good money,” Phil concedes. “I wanted a different path.”

That path ended up being in the business world. After living in Florida for some time and working at a refrigeration company, Phil sold the company and moved to Clinton in 1988.

“I love the small-town atmosphere. People are so friendly,” Phil says. “There’s easy access to the big cities or the mountains and the water.”

Proximity to big cities and the water is also a plus for Kenyon International, which gets a significant amount of its business from hotels, homebuilders, and boatbuilders.

Phil is very fond of the town he calls home.

As for hobbies outside of work, Phil quickly mentions boating and says that he “absolutely loves being out on the water.” Phil also enjoys spending time with his three sons Philip, Jimmy, and Michael and his wife Nancy, a former teacher at country Nursery school in Clinton.

“She knows more people in town than I do!” Phil says.