LYNN — The Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce is renaming its supervisor training program the Jonathan Kamin Supervisor Training Program, in honor of the former Bent Water Brewing Co. employee who died suddenly this past spring at the age of 30.
Kamin went through this program himself in the fall of 2020; Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Colin Codner said Kamin is the face of what they want for the program.
“He was the perfect example of this person who was promoted into this next supervisor role, came and took the class, soaked up the information and really applied it in the day-to-day, but his opportunity was cut short,” Codner said.
The program offers two-hour training sessions over a few weeks, where the chamber provides tips and suggestions on management, training others, interviewing and other roles that a supervisor takes over, to then implement at work.
The idea to name the program in honor of Kamin came from his uncle, Steven Michaels, who called Codner and said he wanted to create some kind of memorial for his nephew.
Michaels said he and Kamin’s mother, Shelley Michaels, started speaking with people at Bent Water about Kamin and heard how respected he was in the company.
Michaels said he wanted to do something in honor of his nephew that would help young people gain access to more opportunities and help progress their future, like Kamin would have wanted.
“He was just a sweetheart, and had a loving demeanor and was really a people person,” Michaels said. “He related to everyone and made people feel comfortable … He had an infectious smile.”
The Chamber Of Commerce board voted unanimously to rename the training program with the aim of continuing Kamin’s memory and his dedication to his work and coworkers.
Kamin’s coworker, Robin Leopoldo, said he was the kind of person who wanted to see everyone succeed and always had a smile on his face.
“He did whatever needed to be done and would help anybody in the company with any task,” Leopoldo said. “He was very hands-on, had a great attitude about everything, and nothing was too hard for him and nothing was below him. He was just ready to do whatever it was so that as a company, and as a team, we could succeed.”
Leopoldo said these were the qualities that everyone at work saw in him, which was why he was put into the supervisor role in sales and in the training program.
Aaron Reams, co-founder and president of Bent Water Brewing, said Bent Water searches for team members who are coachable, have good judgment, are willing to better themselves, are team players, are accountable and generally are good people who are fun to be around; all of these characteristics were exemplified in Kamin, he said.
“He was the first to volunteer to help; he was charismatic and a person you wanted to spend time with,” Reams said. “It was easy to foster Jon’s growth because of his love for the team and his potential.”
When Kamin died, Reams said looking the team in the eyes and delivering the news to them was one of the most challenging things he has had to do as a business owner. The months following Kamin’s death were tough, he said, as Kamin had worked with some of the team members for a decade or more.
“He simply was everyone’s friend,” Reams said. “Despite many challenging days, everyone got up and worked hard for the other members.”
Reams said everyone at Bent Water came together, with Kamin’s close friend delivering beer the morning of Kamin’s funeral to meet the needs of their customers; another friend was on the brew deck after his funeral when they celebrated his life in the taproom.
“This is just a limited account of how the team came together,” Reams said.
Codner said the Chamber of Commerce is happy to remember Kamin and to have his dedication, perseverance and supporting characteristics represent their supervisor training program.
