WATERVILLE — Thomas College and the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce will host its first business breakfast of the year from 7:15 to 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, in the Spann Student Commons Summit Room on Thomas College’s campus, 180 West River Road.

“Understanding Millennials in the Workplace” is the topic, Tom Dowd of Thomas Dowd Professional Development & Coaching LLC will discuss how to engage young professionals and what organizations need to do to attract and retain the best workforce for the next phase of their business, according to a Thomas College news release.

After working more than 25 years in the financial industry in management and leadership roles at the same organization, Dowd lost his job because of downsizing. After unexpectedly losing his full-time job, Dowd landed in a better place in just 59 days using methods from his coaching and training. He is now a vice president at one of the larger financial institutions in North America. In 2011, he started his own side business, Thomas Dowd Professional Development & Coaching, where he continues to use the lessons learned on his climb up the corporate ladder to help people creatively find ways to differentiate themselves in the workplace and to find their own individual paths towards success. The mantra is “Transform into who you really want to be.”

According to the release, Dowd is a husband and the father of three daughters and is from a small town in Maine. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware with a communication degree, concentrating on interpersonal and organizational communication. Dowd is a prize-winning speaker, an award-winning and Amazon best-selling author, trainer, coach and radio host.

The chamber holds monthly informative presentations on a variety of educational business topics at the college.

Cost of the business breakfast is $17 for members, $19 for late registration, $25 at the door and for nonmembers and the general public. Breakfast is included with the reservation. To register, email customerservice@midmainechamber.com or call 873-3315.

The sponsors for the business breakfast are AT&T; People’s United Bank; Higgins & Bolduc Insurance; Nicholson, Michaud & Company; O’Donnell, Lee, McCowan & Phillips LLC; the Morning Sentinel, a division of Maine Today Media Inc.; radio sponsor MIX107.9 and TV sponsor Choice Investments.