Business New Haven July 2016

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Vol XX,III No.10 July 2016

GREEN CHANGE AGENTS

Sale of First Niagara Bank Closed

ONCE LOCAL NEW HAVEN SAVINGS BANK MERGED INTO “NATIONAL” BANK

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Editor & Publisher Mitchell Young Editorial Manager Rachel Bergman Editorial Assistant Vincent Amendola Design Consultant Terry Wells Graphics Manager Matt Ford

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LEVELAND: First Niagara Financial Group, Inc., based in Buffalo with operations of the former New Alliance Bank in New Haven, has been acquired by Clevelandbased KeyCorp. KeyCorp, who like First Niagara had its roots in upstate New York, has grown into the 13th largest bank in the United States with $135 billion in assets.

Connecticut’s largest locally operated bank by assets is Peoples United with $39 billion and Bank America, the country’s second largest bank, also operates in Connecticut and has assets of $2.2 trillion.

Publisher’s Representative Robin Kroopnick

By Mitchell Young

The $4.1 billion acquisition of First Niagara expands Key’s footprint to include Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. Overlaps in Pennsylvania and New York will result in the sale of at least 18 branches in New York.

Additionally, there is a reported 30% overlap in some First Niagara’s markets. There were no Key Bank locations in Connecticut.

Accounts are expected to convert from First Niagara to KeyCorp by the fourth quarter of 2016.

Key Bank has an unusual footprint for its more than 1,200 branches.

It operates in 16 states including: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts,

Contributors Rachel Bergman Emili Lanno Taylor Richards Derek Torrellas

Claudia Ward-de León Photography Steve Blazo Steve Cooper Derek Torrellas Lesley Roy Business New Haven is a publication of Second Wind Media, Ltd., with offices at 315 Front Street, New Haven, CT 06513.

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Beth Mooney 61, has been CEO and Chariman of KeyCorp since 2011. She is the first woman CEO of a top-20 US bank.

Carlton Highsmith at ConnCat a non-profit he helped found and finance that provides arts training for young minority students and medical and culinary training for adults.

Ferraro’s Creating a New “Meat Market” At 64, A New Business Plan for New Haven Retailer

Ferraro’s Supermarket, a long term staple at 664 Grand Avenue in New Haven, has embarked on an expansion that combines new locations and the Internet to market across the region.

In the spring, the company announced plans for new “micro”

locations in Meriden, Madison, Branford and Milford.

The expansion is going apace with a lease signed in Meriden for a 2,008 square foot store with 1,560 square foot garage at the former location of The Meat Shop LLC. In Madison, Ferraro’s has already opened up a new store at 181 Boston Post Road, the former

Connecticut, and New York Pennsylvania. Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Florida.

KeyCorp Chairman and CEO Beth Mooney saw her company’s stock drop in the past year as it finalized the merger. The high for the stock in the past few years has been just over $15 per share, it now trades at about $11.70. The market value of KeyCorp is just under $10 billion.

In an agreement with the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, an association of community groups, Key has agreed to $14.5 billion to spend and invest over the next five years on a “community benefits plan” to include small business lending and philanthropic contributions.

Local businessman and philantropist Carlton Highsmith and Business New Haven Business Person of the Year 2006 was a director of New Alliance Bank and was appointed a director of First Niagara, and now has been appointed a director of KeyCorp.

Highsmith is also a director of Quinnipiac University and Yale New Haven Health System.

site of the Rick D’s Deli and Convenience Store. The free standing building is 1,540 square feet on a one acre lot. The site had been listed for sale at $495,000 and for lease at $18 per square foot net.

Ferraro’s is also expecting to open shortly at 294 North Main Street in Branford in a 600 square foot store.

Ferraro’s plan for the satellite stores is to encourage orders at its “Meat King” website to make pick ups at the retail locations.

The company also uses a truck stationed in the [Sky Zone] parking lot at 805 North Colony Road, Wallingford as a pick up location.

EDITORIAL Replacing Connecticut Farm Land With Government Subsidized Solar Panels is Totally Unacceptable Renewal Energy Systems Americas Inc. of Broomfield, Colorado is a major industrial energy company with solar, transmission, wind and energy storage projects across the US and the world from Australia to Turkey, from Finland to Chile.

And across the globe many if not most of those projects are powered not by the gusts of wind, the bright sun or new efficient technology but by taxpayers subsidizing their projects and utility customers forced by governments to pay above market rates for the power they produce.

RES is a private company, so private indeed that, they wouldn’t respond to Connecticut’s largest newspaper about how they were replacing hundreds of acres of scarce and valuable Connecticut farmland with solar panels.

Let’s be clear this isn’t about the “marketplace”, none of these projects would be possible without Connecticut’s high solar production subsidies and above market power purchases forced on consumers.

We might add because we know you will, the cost of electricity in Connecticut is roughly double that of Florida or North Carolina in part because of these costs.

Steve Reviczky Connecticut’s Agriculture Commissioner was reachable and he told the Hartford Courant of replacing farm land with solar panels “it’s the greatest threat to agriculture and the land available for farming today.”

Connecticut and cities and towns and even private citizens have spent millions to protect open space and farmland in the past two decades. Now so called environmentalists want to clear hill tops and farmland for boutique “alternative energy” projects with virtually no real positive impact on carbon dioxide or the environment. What the projects do offer at the expense of local communities is plenty of impact on the bottom line of a handful of highly placed development companies and investors – J uly 2016

that reap benefits from government handouts and regulations.

Unfortunately it’s not only major industrial companies that see a bright future in fouling the natural environment in the pursuit of “saving” it through subsidies and for green headlines.

The Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative partnered up with Elon Musk’s Solar City to replace farmland in use for more than two hundred years with solar panels that will likely be technically obsolete in a five years and in the process helping to undo a decades long policy to save Connecticut farmland.

Of course there are sensible and intelligent options to replacing farmland and open space with wrongheaded projects promoted by energy lobbyists, naïve, even fraudulent environmentalists.

In Woodbridge at the Jewish Community Center hundreds of solar panels do double duty protecting visitors on rainy days as they form a solar carport sitting high atop the parking lot.

The nation’s largest retailer Walmart set a goal of nearly 7 billion kilowatts of renewable energy much of it generated from solar panels on the massive flat roofs of their stores.

Working with the solar development company Greenskies based in Middletown, Target [stores] has set a goal to build 500 solar sites on their rooftops.

Solar projects on parking lots, rooftops – good, replacing farmland – bad.

It should be that simple, last time we looked there were a hell of a lot of huge parking lots, and flat roofs in Connecticut.

In fact it was Connecticut’s large inventory of flat roofs [and subsidies] not its six hours of good sunshine a day that was the initial draw of solar developers.

More to the point among the most powerful new consumer and environmental trends today, one driven not but by subsidy but by the marketplace is expanding local food production and consumption.

Interest for locally grown and produced foods from consumers is driving a revolution in Connecticut and across the country.

The economic opportunity in local food production, packaging and processing in Connecticut is growing with each season. This new trend offers an avenue for thousands of agriculture and food manufacturing jobs that don’t require advanced education. For once Connecticut’s access to the Boston and New York markets actually matters and is a true strategic advantage.

Governor Dannell Malloy’s administration should be rightly proud of their efforts to support Connecticut agriculture and food production and it is paying off with quality food, more jobs and economically stronger suburban and rural communities – and the overall national trend is just beginning.

For more than two decades this publishing company has supported sensible programs to protect the environment in Connecticut.

But environmental stewardship starts with common sense and above all else a commitment to the natural environment.

We understand farmers want control of their own land and industrial energy companies that cite “alternate energy” projects don’t have a requirement to be good environmental stewards that said – then take your hands out of our pockets.

There are many good alternatives for the placing of solar panels in Connecticut – subsidizing the destruction of farmland and open space must be stopped immediately. BNH 5

CT’s Unemployment Rate Rose in June Despite Growth

By Keith M. Phaneuf

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onnecticut’s unemployment rate rose slightly in June, despite the addition of 7,900 jobs, from 5.7 to 5.8 percent, the state Department of Labor reported recently.

The department also revised downward its report from one month ago, changing 1,400 jobs lost to 4,000 in May. “Connecticut’s large swing in job growth from May to June mirrored a similar pattern nationally,” said Andy Condon, director of the department’s Office of Research. “While we can’t pinpoint an exact cause, it seems likely to be due to a change in seasonal pattern rather than an actual swing in labor markets.”

The state has added 17,900 jobs over the past 12 months, and Connecticut now has recovered

99,200 or 83.3 percent of the 119,100 jobs it lost in the last recession, which ended in February 2010. The private sector has regained 106,200 or 95.1 percent of the jobs it lost in the last recession.

Seven of the state’s 10 major industry supersectors added jobs in June, led by financial activities, which grew by 2,200 positions.

Gains also were recorded in: education and health services; government; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; information; and other services.

Augliera also acquired a seven acre parcel from the town that is expected to help create 35-50 jobs and $62,000 in new tax revenue.

t may have started with a horse named Fanny and a wagon in 1910, but the company that Little Tony [Anthony Augliera] built with the help of a builder of Vaudeville and movie houses is growing again and expanding with a new facility in East Haven.

The moving company today maintains its roots in show business with a thriving “Theatrical Transfer” component, “moving

Augliera Moving of West Haven is relocating to a 41,654 square foot facility on 3 acres in the East Haven Industrial Park.

The Geenty Group [Kevin Geenty represented Masu Realty, the seller and Kristin Geenty represented Augliera] brokered the transaction, which the firm said was a sale of $1 million dollars. The site was the former home of FYC International, a manufacturer of women’s apparel.

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Peter Gioia, the chief economist for the Connecticut Business and Industr y Association, said the latest labor department report has generally good news for the state, “but it also points to some problems with the volatility of the numbers we’ve been seeing.”

“Probably the most encouraging,” Gioia added, “was the job growth in the high-paying financial services field.”

The New Haven and Bridgeport-StamfordNorwalk labor market areas added jobs, recording gains of 5,600 and 3,300, respectively.

The other two areas, Norwich-New LondonWesterly and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, lost 800 and 100 jobs, respectively.

The construction and mining super-sector recorded the largest loss, dropping 800 jobs.

Historic Moving Company Moves to East Haven

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Losses also were recorded in manufacturing and in the trade, transportation and utilities super-sector.

theatrical shows, musical groups, bands, TV specials and industrial trade shows.”

A Geenty Group release said the company will add a new 70,000 square foot facility to the property to provide climate controlled storage for theatrical sets and costumes in addition to other storage and new offices.

The Candy Man Dies Perhaps Yale’s richest and most private alumni has died. Frank Mars Jr., class of 1953, ran the world’s largest private company with his siblings and for all concerned, it was a very sweet deal.

Mars markets the ubiquitous M&Ms, Snickers, and Milky Way candy, but also Uncle Ben’s Rice, Wrigley’s Chewing Gum, and Eukanuba pet foods among many other very public brands. While the brands were public, the company and its owners are notoriously

Reprinted with permission ctmirror.com

private. Ironically, their headquarters is just down the street from the CIA. Mars, who himself was

worth $31 billion when he died, left behind two siblings with similar fortunes. Together they oversaw the company [Mars stepped down as CEO in 1999] at age 67. Mars has sales of more than $33 billion and 80,000 employees worldwide.

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Bond Rating Firm Offers Different Views and Ratings For New Haven Fitch and Moodys Depart On City’s Finances

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itch, the bond rating company, maintained the city of New

Haven’s A- bond rating on its general obligation bond.

Explaining its decision, the rating agency had good and not so good assessments, saying “New Haven has been making a slow financial recovery following the economic downturn, but current financial flexibility remains limited. Fitch expects future costs tied to salaries, medical benefits and pensions to pressure the budget, but expectations for moderate revenue growth from an improving economy and new state revenues should support these spending pressures. Long term liabilities are expected by Fitch to remain close to current levels as the city has fully funded or exceeded annual pension contribution requirements and debt amortization levels are rapid at approximately 75% of principal retirement over 10 years.”

The Moodys rating firm had a different take and downgraded the city’s bonds from A to Baa1,

explaining, “The downgrade to Baa1 reflects the city’s continued narrow financial position and the on-going reliance on debt restructurings and financing proceeds to address its financial challenges. Cash flow positive debt restructurings have contributed to improvement in the city’s financial position. The city, however, will be challenged to meaningfully increase recurring revenues or reduce on-going expenses. The rating also factors in the city’s sizeable liabilities for pension and OPEB benefits as well

as the highly leveraged debt position.

The rating favorably incorporates the sizeable tax base which is anchored by higher education and healthcare, with resident income levels that are well below average.”

According to Fitch, New Haven has performed better than the national average on revenue growth.

The city, according to Fitch, has done a good job of controlling expenses, but is sanguine about the future.

“Expenses have been recently controlled due to local pension reform efforts and prudent efforts to reduce public safety overtime costs, but Fitch expects that the city’s overall spending needs will increase in the future at a pace above natural revenue growth. Employee related medical, salary and pension costs are expected to continue to drive spending. Carrying costs related to long-term liabilities (currently about 18% of government spending) are expected to remain elevated.”

Fitch’s credit profile for the city tells the story of New Haven as well as any today, “New Haven serves as a regional center for higher education, health care, transportation and the arts. The presence of the city’s top two employers, Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital, provide stability to the economy and continues to attract development

Business Survey Shows Hiring By Small Business The Connecticut Business and Industry Association [CBIA] released its 2016 Survey of Small Businesses on July 6.

Of the small businesses that are hiring, 59% expect to hire fewer than four new hires, and more than a quarter [27%] will be bringing on between 4 and 10 new employees. A sizable chunk [14%] expect robust growth with 8% hiring 11 to 20; and 6% expecting to add more than 20 employees.

Pete Gioia, economist for CBIA, explained the importance of the small business group saying, “small businesses represent nearly 99% of all J uly 2016

Significant new developments have contributed to the city’s tax base growth and a number of projects are reportedly in the pipeline and are expected to increase employment opportunities in the city.

The most recent property revaluation, effective October 2011, showed an increase in the city’s market value of 16% to $8.6 billion.

Between valuations, tax base changes reflect only property improvements, new additions or appeals activity, but not the results of sales of property.

Taxable values, net of exemptions, for the four year period through October 2015 were up a modest 1.3%.

A new tax base revaluation will be performed effective Oct. 1, 2016 for the fiscal 2018 budget.

The city’s unemployment rate remains elevated but improved to 7.1% in May 2016 from 7.5% a year prior. Wealth levels are below state and national averages, as has historically been the case, but are somewhat influenced by the level of students residing in the city. The city’s 2013 poverty rate is a very high 26.5% compared to the national average of 15.4%.

The full throated negative narrative about Connecticut business and elected officials came through clearly in the survey with 69% of businesses surveyed saying “they were not confident their elected officials would act consistently and predictably on legislation affecting business over the next three to five years; another 19% were not sure.”

CBIA’s Annual Survey Shows Positive Small Business

Fifty percent of respondents expect their business growth to be stable, 38% anticipate growth, and 13% expect their business to decline.

and investment from biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and life-science companies.

businesses in the United States,” adding, “they are vital to communities, and are the backbone of our economy.

CBIA also asked about obstacles for growth and profits and 31% cited government regulations, mandates, and other policy decisions. The cost of living in Connecticut and cost of doing business and taxes came in at 21 and 20 percent respectively as the leading obstacle for growing their business as reported by survey respondents.

The companies are not staying silent with their concerns, however, 64% of the employers or their employees contacted state legislators in the past year about concerns about the Connecticut business climate.

The overwhelming majority of small businesses in Connecticut pay their business taxes through their personal taxation and they cite that high cost as a challenge for their business growth.

Connecticut labor regulations were cited overwhelmingly as “the most problematic for Connecticut’s small businesses.”

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ALMANAC

Connecticut ranked lower in areas such as doing business and poor infrastructure.

CT eRegulations Steps Up To Award Stage

Quinnipiac U. climbs the workplace ladder According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, Quinnipiac University was rated one of the top schools in the nation to work for.

The results of The Chronicle’s “Great Colleges to Work For” survey was released on July 18 as part of their Academic Workplace Annual Report. Among the 281 colleges and universities in the survey, 93 of those rose to the top as “Great Colleges to Work For.” With a classification scale of small, medium and large institutions, Quinnipiac University was labeled a medium school based on the amount of students enrolled. The university was recognized in the following categories: teaching environment, work/life balance, compensation and benefits and also tenure clarity and process.

The primary asset of the survey, employee feedback, revealed a two-part assessment— workplace policies and captured demographics through institutional audit.

Connecticut’s eRegulations tool was recently awarded the Robert J. Colborn Innovation Award in Nashville, Tennessee by a professional section of the National Association of Secretaries of State, the Administrative Codes and Registers. eRegulations provided by Connecticut Secretary of State give real-time updates on all regulation-making records of a variety of agencies.

Rather than going through all of the different agencies individually, eRegulations gives the opportunity to track these agencies regularly and allows easy access to information for the public.

The award was given during the NASS ACR Section’s annual conference and recognizes programs that include creativity and innovation through public access and information flow to businesses and the public.

CT Drops Down The Business Slope, Slightly According to CNBC’s 2016 Top States for Business rankings, Connecticut landed in 43rd place, compared to spot 33 on last year’s list.

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Many economic factors are considered during this ranking including business friendliness, education and workforce.

Connecticut ranked lower in areas such as doing business and poor infrastructure. The state’s economy dropped to 43rd, a much lower spot compared to last year. What also took a hit was the state’s quality of life— this year Connecticut ranked 25th when last year it was ranked 11th.

However, Connecticut did have some selling points on the 2016 list, including its highest rankings with workforce, education indicators and edging up as slightly more affordable in its cost of living.

CTNext Brings Forth Permit Program Any up and coming entrepreneurs in the information technology, bioscience and green technology sectors can now qualify for an Entrepreneur Learner’s Permit Program.

Connecticut’s entrepreneurial support resource, CTNext, a Connecticut Innovations subsidiary, has recently announced the launch of the new Entrepreneur Learner’s Permit Program. This helps first-time entrepreneurs by reimbursing them for filing, licensing and permitting fees that have to do with starting up a business.

This program was signed into legislation in July of this year and allows the qualifying small business owners and executives to be reimbursed as much as $1,500 for those fees.

According to the director of CTNext, Glendowlyn Thames, this program allows the state to step more towards an “active ecosystem” and assists these

entrepreneurs in their time of need— which is more than just covering the fees.

CTNext was originally launched in 2012 and since then has worked with over 1,100 companies. For more information on the permit program, as well as access to the application, visit: http://ctnext. com/entrepreneur-learnerspermit/

Seniors May Not Be The Target Based on a recent study from the Better Business Bureau, the idea that seniors are most at risk for scamming may not be so true.

The stereotype of fraud victims being fragile and vulnerable was debunked in the recent publication, “ßApproximately one in four North American households every year are affected by marketplace scams with about a $50 billion cost to the economy.

The study done by BBB Institute for Marketplace Trust was a 2,000-person survey in which respondents remained unaware that BBB was the survey sponsor.

Coming from the U.S. and Canada, these adult participants were asked a variety of questions about scams and their self-perceived vulnerability, who are the most vulnerable to scams and what precautions they take in order to Conntact.com | Business New Haven

avoid being scammed.

A big part of the study was to focus on the notion of “optimism bias,” the idea that you will not be affected and one person is more likely to be defrauded than any other. However, adopting the idea may mean that precautions may not be taken.

Consumers 65 and older are less impulsive in their shopping and are less likely to buy something on the Internet that they may feel is unsafe. They understand they are the target and take that into account when making purchases.

The new research also includes trends recorded through the BBB Scam Tracker, a crowdsourcing tool. Since the launch of the tool in 2015, over 30,000 consumers have reported scam details to the BBB, which are then carried out to law enforcement to move forward with further investigations. Breaking down the consumers’ reports, 89 percent of them were seniors who detected a scamming threat, with only 11 percent actually losing that money from the scam. However, with the consumers 18-24, three times as many failed to detect a scam and 34 percent lost their money.

PETRO HOME SERVICES

JOINS UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN

New Haven Receives Hefty Advance To Continue Transformation This month, the federal Department of Transportation administered a $20 million grant to the city of New Haven to help the continuous effort of the Route 34 connector to Temple Street.

New Haven’s Downtown Crossing project was also awarded $10 million by the federal government, a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, back in 2010. This grant was to help fund the developable land, converting a Route 34 section between the Hill neighborhood and downtown. This land later became home to Alexion Pharmaceuticals, the laboratory building at 100 College Street.

This New Haven project has been in play since 2007 with a goal to make the ride from downtown to the Hill neighborhood easier for all including drivers, pedestrians and bikers. Other projects include developing the old Coliseum space, but that development does not have an end date. . . or a start date.

"Taking care of our customers has always been our priority.

Giving back to our community is our responsibility."

Michael Mat Mataarese rese,, General Manager Petro Home Services

UNITED WAY WORKPLACE CAMPAIGNS • Build employee morale • Promote a “giving back” philosophy • Improve Greater New Haven’s quality of life

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HOST A WORKPLACE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN LEARN MORE: Jim Travers 203-691-4212 jtravers@uwgnh.org J uly 2016

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Locking into Solar ASSA ABLOY New Haven

By Claudia Ward-de León

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n a time when many are jumping on the solar bandwagon, New Haven lock manufacturer ASSA ABLOY is leading with sustainable innovations that defy ordinary for the region. Using sustainable technology, education, and practices, it is providing the means for many of its customers to become more energy efficient while also decreasing its own resource consumption. The company, which primarily manufactures locks, key systems, deadbolts, and padlocks, does so from two facilities in Connecticut— one on Sargent Drive in New Haven, and the other in Berlin. At the New Haven facility, a security lock is being developed that harvests the power of any available light source, including standard indoor lighting or sunlight, enabling the lock to mainly run off the solar energy it stores. Primarily used in institutional settings like hospitals and colleges where people typically have to swipe a badge or key card for access, the IN120 WiFi lock is a front-runner in its industry as far as commercial solar applications go.

The company’s holistic position on sustainability includes scrutinization and refining of its own operations and practices, and in that sense, ASSA ABLOY leads by example.

From installing solar-powered fixtures that illuminate its flag at night to finding ways that ensure certain manufactured products are plated in a “closed loop” so that the water used during plating goes back into the facility for reuse, Amy Vigneux, the company’s Director of Sustainable Building Solutions says education and awareness are critical parts of the solution when it comes to sustainability. The manufacturing processes in New Haven are GreenCircle Certified, meaning that an audit of energy and water use was completed, including analyzing factors such as the amount of waste diverted from landfills between 201110

2015. The GreenCircle Certification, a strict independent verification process, ensures companies aren’t making deceptive claims in the marketplace or “greenwashing.” While the New Haven facility is 60 years old, many of the upgrades, audits, and a feasibility study will enable the company to apply for a LEED certification for existing buildings in the future.

Today, however, perhaps the most remarkable way that ASSA ABLOY is reducing its environmental impact is best demonstrated at its Berlin facility where it manufactures Yale and Corbin Russwin brand locks and McKinney hinges. Going online last July, the company installed a solar photovoltaic system that covers 4.3 acres of the field adjacent to the facility, roughly three football fields.

These solar fields provide 20% of the power required for manufacturing and office-related energy consumption. A goal is that a second phase of the project will supply 50% of the facility’s required energy. Thanks to live data of the photovoltaic field’s production accessible online, a recent reading reported that in the last month alone, the cells have saved the Berlin facility 4,341 gallons of gas.

ASSA ABLOYS Sargent has evolved from an old line lock company to a company with more and sustainable buidling solutions.

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The Uncommon School Common Ground New Haven

By Taylor Nicole Richards

renovations that will incorporate sustainable features as well.

Another class Common Ground offers is called “Food and the Environment.” Students learn about the sources of their food, different ways food is produced, and what the social/economic impact is of food production and the food they choose to buy.

“The main thing we focus on is the pedagogy of experiential learning.

It’s very project-based, so we provide opportunities and ask students to engage and address challenges in their community, whether it’s an environmental justice issue or a social justice issue,” said Spear. “We support them in engaging with their community in coming up with solutions to these challenges.”

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ommon Ground is a high school, urban farm, and environmental education center that functions entirely within New Haven city limits. Its location at the base of West Rock Ridge State Park spans 20 acres of parkland while still accessible by city public transit. The site allows students and community members to engage in the natural world while connecting their education to urban sustainability.

High school students enrolled at Common Ground have the opportunity to learn about agriculture, environmental sustainability, and interact with animals all while taking traditional school classes in math, science, visual and language arts.

J uly 2016

“We have very specific classes that are focused on sustainability. For example, this semester we’re running our sustainable design class where they look at how buildings can be constructed incorporating sustainable features,” said Melissa Spear, the executive director of Common Ground.

Recently, the school completed construction on a new building on their site. The design and infrastructure will serve as an educational tool for the sustainable design class.

Students will dive into understanding how some of those features function and what it is that classifies them as sustainable features.

Their new building is constructed from cross-laminated timber, an engineered wood product. Crosslaminated timber has high strength and dimensional stability, so it can be used as alternative to concrete, masonry and steel. It’s also very energy efficient: since the panels are solid, there’s practically no air infiltration through the walls. As a result, interior temperatures can be maintained with about a third of the normal heating and cooling energy.

The building also uses geothermal wells for heating and cooling instead of burning fuel or oil. There are solar panels for electricity and LED lighting throughout. Common Ground’s older buildings are about to undergo

Common Ground is not only for high school students. There are after school programs for public school students in grades K-8 that allow them to “create a healthy connection to the environment,” accord to Spear. The younger students in the programs can interact with the gardens, go on hikes around West Rock, or learn how to cook.

In addition to after school programs, Common Ground opens their site to the public every Saturday. Families can stop by on open farm days, and adults can take cooking classes and gardening workshops. There are also volunteer opportunities to maintain their wetlands and work on the urban farm. Spear said that Common Ground is invested in community engagement and sees the site as a “resource to New Haven.”

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THREE THINGS: Reuse, Reuse, Reuse ECOWORKS New Haven

By Taylor Nicole Richards

R

eusing and recycling are two very different things when it comes to waste management. Recycling is taking used material, breaking it down, and creating something useable again. Reusing is taking that item, whatever it is, and re-purposing it in its original condition. Reuse instead of recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions and holds the potential to support the local economy.

This is a philosophy that Sherill Baldwin lives by that spawned the

creation of her store and creative reuse center, Ecoworks Inc. on State Street. Baldwin and her team take manufacturers scrap, samples from architects, and material by-products from various businesses and sell it at low prices. There is also a gift and consignment shop in the front that sells work from local artists.

In the beginning, Ecoworks discovered many businesses that saw the reuse value of their waste, but didn’t want to deal with artists constantly knocking on their door or the remorse of throwing it all away.

Now her company serves as the middleman.

“We’re looking at it from a perspective of trying to reduce waste but also giving access to people that wouldn’t normally have access,” said Baldwin.

“These businesses and manufacturers see us providing a value where they don’t have to coordinate meeting with a lot of people. We just take all their stuff.”

The materials that Ecoworks sells are for anyone to re-purpose, but Baldwin saw the need for low-cost

art supplies and scraps for teachers and artists. Through her frequent interaction with school teachers, she noticed them spending hundreds of dollars yearly of their own money on materials to supplement their school supplies.

“In addition to surplus and things that businesses throw away that have value to a lot of artists, school teachers are always looking for lowcost supplies,” said Baldwin. “They are committed to the work they do.

You find that art teachers, as well as others, are looking for creative ways to engage students and will spend more.”

All members volunteer their time to run the shop through their shared passion for sustainability. The store is open two days a week and sees teachers and artists from all around Connecticut making the time to stock up. They also hold craft workshops led by local artists that utilize their materials. Every month, Ecoworks opens shop apart from regular business hours to participate in On 9 New Haven events, a collaborative open-house evening in 9th Square.

Instead of just providing a service, Ecoworks has a core mission of using creativity and fun as a means of making the planet a better place.

“We find that when people engage in a fun way, they’re more likely to practice new behavior. It’s one thing if a business is trying to lessen their carbon footprint, but we’re really trying to recognize the value in materials,” said Baldwin. “All the stuff in the store was, at one point, destined for disposal. Instead of it going to a local waste energy facility, it is in fact getting in the hands of others that are trying to use it.”

Ecoworks’ Sherill Baldwin, creating beginnings out of ends.

12

Conntact.com | Business New Haven

Shine A Light On It PennGlobe Branford

By Taylor Nicole Richards

M

arcia LaFemina is proud of the profile she’s built for her company, Pennsylvania Globe.

Their mission is designing and manufacturing energy saving and sustainable lighting for municipalities and universities as well as

UConn. The company recently completed the retrofit lighting project at the Harvard Business School. The lighting on the campus was outdated and under-performing, with a combination of many styles of lanterns that all needed to be fully re-lamped and repositioned for LEED certification.

general LED lighting replacement service that is maintenance free and has over 50,000 hours of lamp system light. This service is used for outdoor fixtures. PennAVATE is their retrofitting option that allows clients the choice of a vintage-style fixture while upgrading to a more energy and cost efficient fixture. PennTROL is their outdoor HID lighting option that’s designed to eliminate glare and light trespass.

Energy consumption drops considerably after Penn Globe replaces fixtures, according to LaFemina.

Their engineering team is driven by reducing wasted illumination, light pollution, and conserving energy. All of their products are assembled in North Branford.

“It’s important to us that we’re taking a serious global responsibility and we’re able to contribute to sustainable, energy-saving practices around the country,” said LaFemina.

“We’re reducing footprints from our clients. It has the additional benefit of reducing light pollution.”

PennGlobe CEO Marcia LaFemina with new “smart light” lamp.

other indoor and outdoor venues.

Other than directly contributing to global energy reduction, LaFemina is proud of the makeup of her staff.

“We’re a growing company that’s women and family owned. We work hard to take care of our employees and hire the unemployed and underemployed. Our employee structure is what pushes us forward,” said LaFemina.

Penn Globe has only 16 members but is responsible for frequent large-scale projects, like replacing old lights to more energy-efficient fixtures at universities like Harvard, Brown, Quinnipiac, Princeton, and J uly 2016

“With so many needs on this lighting project, Harvard found it nearly impossible to find a single source manufacturer that could both refurbish and produce new lighting at the same time. Penn Globe was able to take a full inventory of all the lighting products and not only refurbished existing lighting, but also manufacture new lighting with sustainable stainless steel while preserving the historical visual image that Harvard works hard to preserve,” according to their case study on the project.

Penn Globe offers three kinds of light induction and replacement services: PennSTAR, PennAVATE, and PennTROL. PennSTAR is their

“The team is driven by reducing wasted illumination, light pollution, and conserving energy.” surveillance systems and provides unlimited customizable plug-andplay options to suit the needs of each client. The company is reducing energy with their new service by using the same post location for both lighting and surveillance.

The next project for Penn Globe is called PennSMART IoT lighting systems. The company is starting to work with clients on not only updating the light fixtures on existing outdoor lamp posts, but adding discreet security features as well.

“We’re taking the existing real estate of the outdoor lights and introducing everything from surveillance cameras to other kinds of data collection to meet the transportation and security markets. We’re also looking to upgrade posts for cities, neighborhoods, and schools,” said LaFemina.

The security cameras will be hidden within the light posts, close to where the bulb rests so pedestrians can hardly see it. The PennSMART technology, designed by Penn Globe engineers, goes further than typical 13

So Much To Learn The Stem Building at SCSU

New Haven

By Taylor Nicole Richards

S

outhern Connecticut State University opened up their new home for the sciences in the fall of 2015. The massive two winged, four-floored academic science and laboratory building houses a center for nanotechnology as well as high performance training labs for computing, astronomy, cancer research, and molecular biology. It’s also home to the Werth Center for Coastal and Marine Studies. Along with being a tremendous resource to all these fields, the building has many sustainable functions.

When it’s raining, one will notice two downspouts in front of the main quad entrance with water flowing onto a boulder. All rainwater is collected in a recycling system from the roofs by gutters and is redirected back into the building and is used to water the surrounding quad.

“The water collected from the gutters spills over boulders taken from Stony Creek Quarry in Branford and is collected by a perimeter drain, then channeled into a 40,000 gallon cistern buried under the quad,” said Reno Migani, senior associate of Centerbrook Architects & Planners, LLP and project manager for the architectural design of the building.

“The water is treated with an ultraviolet light filtration system, meaning no chemicals. It’s then used for the site irrigation, reducing the need for potable water used for irrigation by 50 percent.”

The rainwater recycling system is just one of the many sustainable features of the new building.

Laboratories and fume hoods are generally the largest consumers of energy in a facility. Often, fume hoods are required to run 24/7. In lab buildings, all of the air used must be outside air, which needs to be dehumidified, heated, and conditioned 14

The “Nanotube” is an inspiring symbol of discovery inside the new STEM building at SCSU.

before entering the building. This requires massive amounts of energy to circulate such a high volume of air. To reduce this energy, several devices were used.

The first is called an Energy Recovery Unit (ERU). This is an air collection box that captures heat from contaminated lab exhaust air before it exits the building and transfers it safely back into the building, reducing energy needed to heat the incoming outside air. The second device is called a Variable Geometry Damper, which reduces the energy required to exhaust the contaminated air out the exhaust flues.

“Every new project I work on I learn so much from my clients,” said

Migani. “I had to work closely with the science professors to make sure everything could run smoothly.”

Condensation from the mechanical equipment is captured and reused as makeup water for the building’s cooling towers. Low-consumption toilets and low-flow faucets are also used to save water. All these energy saving strategies exceeds the original goals by 32 percent. Twenty percent of the building’s materials are recycled content, and 20 percent of the materials are regionally sourced, according to Migani.

The sustainability of the science building still doesn’t end there. The roofs and paving materials are a light color to reduce the “urban heat

island effect,” which wastes a lot of energy. The surrounding plants outside require low maintenance.

There’s also designated parking spots for battery-run cars.

“Nothing inspires and instructs more profoundly than great art and architecture and our new Academic Science and Laboratory Building is, at once, both,” said Steven Breese, Dean of the university’s School of Arts & Sciences. “It is a powerful state-of-the-art teaching and learning environment, as well as a beautifully imagined and designed structural centerpiece.”

Conntact.com | Business New Haven

Taking The Dents Out of The Auto Body Biz North Haven Auto Body North Haven

By Taylor Nicole Richards

A huge solar array sits atop North Haven Auto Body, a working symbol of the company’s “green” approach.

R

obert McSherry, owner of North Haven Auto Body, is tired of the auto repair industry being known as a dirty one. The shop has been around for 75 years and is still pushing forward in technology and environmental sustainability.

North Haven Auto Body specializes in collision repair, which requires a lot of energy and electricity.

However, the 18,000 square foot facility is entirely run by solar panels.

“We’re looking to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s a simple fact with that amount of power that we use, we were looking to keep it off the grid,” said McSherry.

J uly 2016

His shop also utilizes waterborne paint, a decision McSherry made eight years ago when the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started threatening to ban traditional solvent-based paints.

He didn’t want to “wait by the wayside” until they made the ban, so he jumped ahead and switched over, knowing how much better for the environment waterborne paint is.

Traditional paints are very high in volatile organic compounds, which poses many serious health risks to humans, including cancer. McSherry said the EPA still hasn’t made the ban, but he’s happy his shop is environmentally friendly.

“Most of the car makers, around 73 percent now, are shooting wa-

terborne paint at the factory, so for color match purposes it was a logical move,” said McSherry. “It’s a lot better for the environment since the solvents are a lot lower and less goes into the air. It’s more expensive than solvent-based paint, but you use far less. It’s not necessarily more cost efficient, but it’s better for the environment.”

North Haven Auto Body also manages a green technology drying system in their spray booths that reduces gas usage. Their drying system, as well as switching over to waterborne coating and treatments, dropped the shop’s emissions during the finishing process by about 50 percent immediately. Now, emissions are 70

percent lower than what they used to be around 15 years ago.

McSherry didn’t switch his shop over to more environmentally friendly processes just because of potential federal threats. He lives by his own philosophy of energy conservation that he also wants to make known to his clients.

“We all have to live on this planet.

We all play a part in the end outcome and a little bit of conservation is still some,” said McSherry. “I felt it was important for the amount of energy we use to try to do our part in cutting back and it’s worked out pretty well.”

15

Connecticut’s Full Court Energy Savings Press EnergizeCT – UI and Eversource

By Mitchell Young

and UI are helping transform the energy efficiency market,” said McCarthy adding “using ENERGY STAR resources, these companies are expanding access to energy-saving practices to grow the economy and protect the environment.”

UI and Eversource administer Energize Connecticut programs and those efforts are reducing pollution and saving Connecticut businesses and consumers tons of money.

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s [EPA] top administrator Gina McCarthy, knows Connecticut well, she was commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection from 2004–2009.

In her position as Connecticut’s environmental leader McCarthy worked closely with Connecticut’s energy companies as many of the state’s energy initiatives were first being created.

The EPA has recognized some of those efforts it awarded Energize Connecticut’s partners Eversource, The United Illuminating Company (UI), Connecticut Natural Gas and Southern Connecticut Gas as a 2016 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Energy Efficiency Program Delivery.

The ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award, is “one of the EPA’s highest honors, highlights outstanding commitments to the creation and promotion of environmentally responsible energy efficiency initiatives.”

“As a leader in ENERGY STAR program implementation, Eversource

ENERGY STAR programs are the source of the EPA award and a big part of what the utilities’ programs do but the partnership does even more.

“The Energy Star brand is instrumental in helping us promote a lot of the energy efficiency efforts we have”, said, Ronald Araujo: Manager – Energy Efficiency, Eversource.

Araujo added, “whenever we provide incentives for any energy efficient product in the commercial arena it ha to carry the Energy Star certification or an alternative organization [such as the Design Lighting Consortium] that we recognize.”

Marissa Westbrook, Manager of Residential Energy Services, The United Illuminating Company explained that the companies provide incentives on more than just lighting, saying “we provide, instant discount on HVAC and water heating products, that offer the Energy Star label,” adding that the “instant discount is applied at the distributor level, we call it the upstream program.”

A quick hit of accomplishments highlight why Business New Haven joins in recognizing the effort.

• ENERGY STAR certified LED bulbs sales reached more than 2.1 million in 2015, a 400 percent increase since 2013.

• Even as energy prizes stabilized incentives for nearly 12,000 ES certified HVAC and water heating products, created savings of almost 3.2 million kilowatts [kWh] annually, 42.3 million kWh over the lifetime of the equipment.

• Partnerships with heating and water heating distributors reached nearly universal coverage [99 percent of equipment distributors, 100 percent of water heating retailers, and more than 480 equipment installation contractors].

• The partners reached out to underserved market segments, including elderly, bilingual, and low-income customers, bringing the ES, LED bulbs to more than 220 discount chains, small local stores and bodegas.

• Educational and marketing materials in non-English language including Spanish and Chinese, helped drive the sale of more than 126,000

certified bulbs to under-served markets statewide.

• The new, expanded Energize Connecticut Center in North Haven, hosted school tours, community events, seminars, and small meetings for industry partners and local businesses. Since opening in April 2015, the Center welcomed more than 11,000 visitors and hosted 125 school tours.

• Working with more than 150 municipalities benchmarks for more than 1,500 public buildings were created using the EPA Portfolio Manager.

Municipal action plans for energy efficiency improvements were designed to achieve 20 percent savings by 2018.

• Developed and implemented the Bright Idea Grants award system, through which municipalities earn points for participation in utility efficiency programs, and can redeem these points for additional grants to fund the implementation of energysaving projects in their municipal action plans.

PEAS AND CARROTS. STRAWBERRIES AND BANANAS. SHOPPING AND REWARDS. Harvard Pilgrim’s EatRight Rewards is a nutrition program that educates members about healthy food, and rewards your employees for making healthy choices at the grocery store. Employees simply register their loyalty cards on the EatRight Rewards website and automatically receive eCoupons from stores such as Stop & Shop, Big Y, and Walmart.

As they earn points for healthy purchases, you can also show your support with wellness rewards, including up to $10 each month for qualifying small group employees, funded by Harvard Pilgrim. It’s an easy way to encourage smarter shopping, because when it comes to keeping your employees healthy, we’re with you.

To learn more, call your broker or visit harvardpilgrim.org/EatRightRewards

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care includes Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of Connecticut, and HPHC Insurance Company.

HEALTH S

Stamford Hospital Joins Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Network

tamford Hospital Carl & Dorothy Bennett Cancer Center has become the first institution in Connecticut to join the Dana-Farber/ Brigham and Women’s Cancer Care Collaborative, based in Boston, Massachusetts. The move will allow Stamford medical professionals to consult with experts in the Boston facility for complex cases and access to research initiatives originating within the network.

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, known for cancer research breakthroughs and The Jimmy Fund Clinic focusing on pediatric oncology care, was established in 1947 for the treatment and research of cancer in adults and children.

Stamford Health is a not-for-profit healthcare system in lower Fairfield County and is also affiliated with the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and serves as a teaching affiliate for Columbia University.

Feds Gives CT Zika Money

T

he federal government has begun to provide states with assistance related to zika virus prevention and monitoring. On the heels of the first local transmission cases in Miami Florida, Connecticut announced it has accepted roughly $1million in funding to monitor birth defects and utilize preventive measures against the virus, known to cause microcephaly and birth defects in babies born to mothers who contract the virus while pregnant.

According to the CDC, the funding has been rerouted from other previously existing health accounts. As yet, Congress has not passed any legislation or authorized any emergency funding to combat the zika situation.

Connecticut’s Department of Health has said that the funding will be applied to efforts at the Agricultural Experiment Station to monitor mosquito activity and to the birth to three program to provide resources to babies born with birth defects as a result of zika exposure. To date, 45 patients, including 3 pregnant women in Connecticut have tested positive for the virus resulting from travelbased exposure.

Congress has not passed any funding to combat the zika situation.

UConn Health Center To Drop Pediatrics, State Investigates The University of Connecticut Healthcare Center announced an end to primary pediatric clinical services as of October 1 of this year. Services of the practice included newborn, well care, immunizations and basic well office visits and physicals through adolescence.

The State is potentially investigating whether the facility improperly

skipped the “Certificate of Need” process in making a change to available medical services. Because the pediatric team will

Genome “Toolbox” Designed By Local Team

I

n a study published July 26th in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, a group of Yale University Medical School researchers have developed a system to edit specific genes in a genome, multiple genes at a time, all while minimizing risks to other systems within the genome. According to the published research, “The gene-editing “toolbox” provides a user-friendly solution that scientists can apply to research on cancer and other disciplines.”

Previously, editing genes in a genome could damage other systems within the genome, but this new approach sought to minimize that risk, while allowing a user to edit multiple genes simultaneously.

provide services at its other locations, it claims it did not need to file a certificate of need for this change.

“This toolbox can be used for inducible and multiple-gene targeting,” said senior study author Qin Yan, adding������������ “���������� We streamlined what used to be a very com-

plicated process, making it more efficient and much simpler to edit several genes at once — major advantages that other systems do not have.” The scientists involve believe the application can be used in many areas of biomedical research, although this particular work was supported in part with funding from the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant, Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Awards, and National Institutes of Health grants.

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TECHNOLOGY Yale Nanotech Converts Power Plant Heat Into Electricity

B

y taking wasted heat produced by power plants and industrial sources, researchers at Yale’s Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, have established a new technology that can turn this heat into a powerful energy.

There are currently various technologies that are able to reuse hightemperature heat or convert it into electricity. However, the problem lies in successfully and efficiently extracting energy from heat waste that is low-temperature. This is the result of a difference in temperature between the plant’s heat discharge and the environment surrounding it. These conventional systems are also designed to targeting a certain difference in temperature— creating a less effective strategy when there are shifts in the waste heat output.

The key to this new technology is a “nanobubble membrane.” When submerged in water, it traps tiny air bubbles within the pores. When one side of the membrane is heated, this results in water evaporation, traveling across the air gap, and condensing on the other side of the membrane.

With this temperature-driven current of water across this membrane, it is directed to a turbine, generating electricity.

Published in the Nature Energy journal online, the research team went on to test this concept. By building a small-scale system, the researchers

demonstrated that even with the heat fluctuations and temperature differences as low as 20 degrees Celsius, these nanobubble membranes are able to produce pressurized flows of

water and in turn, generate power.

This makes it possible to use with the industrial source’s wasted heat.

By also using nanostructure membranes with a surface chemistry, helping to trap the air bubbles, this helped to keep the bubbles contained within pores, especially when large pressure was generated. These membranes are made from “highly hydrophobic (water-repelling) polymer nanofibers.”

The first author of this study, Anthony Straub said with the important factor of using only water, this technology can exceed others, given its low cost and “environmentally friendly” aspect.

These researchers are continuing the work on this technology in order to further develop the membranes ability to trap air bubbles and continuing their investigation of large-scale future systems and how these will perform.

Bridgeport Security Provider Expands Business Bridgeport’s security provider, A+ Technology & Security Solutions has moved it headquarters to Bridgeport. The company’s new “state-of-the-art” 7,000 square foot headquarters features an interactive showroom including LED lighting, integrated solutions representing security, audio visual and also IT technologies.

A+ Technology & Security Solutions Inc moved from Bay Shore, NY. This security provider has been up and running since 1988. A+ Technology & Security Solutions has a had longstanding connection to Bridgeport, which fueled their decision to move to the city. They earned the 2014 Security Innovations Award-Municipal Sector due to their work as Bridgeport’s security provider.

These contributions include higher-education campuses, the city’s K-12 Districts and Pleasure Beach’s security monitoring and surveillance video and security technology.

20

Every truck that leaves the Stop & Shop usually end up carrying about one to two bins of waste New Haven Non-Profit Receives Grant To Boost Tech Learning New Haven’s non-profit organization, Concepts for Adaptive Learning recently received a $20,000 Comcast donation. This donation will go towards “A Primer for Parents Program,” helping to sustain Digital Literacy for Early Learners for the people of New Haven.

Based in New Haven, CfAL works very closely with children in the pre-K grade reading level to promote and sustain the importance of early learning from birth to age 5. The organization’s goal is to get

parents involved in the importance of early childhood learning, in order for children to be more than ready for the education years.

The DLEL program is offered in a four part workshop with areas that highlight the following: the importance of pre-K enrollment, guided instruction and discussion with educational websites for children to engage in with their parents, targeting a specific age group, and platform instruction.

Stop & Shop’s Use Technology To Rid The Waste Instead of being transported to the landfill, food at all Connecticut, Rhode Island, and select Massachusetts Stop & Shop locations that is unable to be either sold or donated, is being converted into energy.

By using “cutting-edge technology”, the process first starts off by collecting all of the food daily from each Stop & Shop location. By using a process called anaerobic digestion, the food is then converted into energy and compost at a new green facility in Freetown, Mass., right next to the New England distribution center.

Every truck that leaves the Stop & Shop locations usually end up carrying about one to two bins of waste with them. There aren’t any anaerobic-digester facilities currently in Connecticut, however there are three compost facilities residing in both Danbury and New Milford.

The green facility takes the waste and separates them from the con-

Both DLEL and Comcast want to emphasize the importance of digital mediums and the Internet for children currently. A DLEL program initiative is to promote and teach digital literacy— parallel to Comcast which offers Internet Essentials, the high-speed internet company targeting low-income families in order to close the digital-aged gap.

tainers, grinding up the inedible food, converting the waste to biogas and then taken through a generator which produces the energy within an hour.

A Stop & Shop spokesperson, Phil Tracey said the company has a landfill-free goal for the year 2020, with the company standing at 88 percent of said goal— also in line with Connecticut’s 2024 goal of having 60 percent of its sold waste from landfills.

This recycling strategy has been in the works for about six to seven years, gaining even more credibility when Stop & Shop decided to partner with Divest, Inc, said Tracey.

The green facility has caused great excitement over the community since its opening in April and plans to open one in Connecticut are being considered.

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WHO’S WHAT WHERE She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut and her Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac University School of Law.

Marsoli Hoffman Architects appointed Robert A. Marsoli, Jr., as the architecture and engineering firm’s new Project Engineer.

Marsoli will be celebrating his 10th anniversary with the firm this upcoming February.

Morsel joined the firm back in 2007 as a Project Coordinator and in 2010, was recognized for his leadership and design proficiency, promoting him then to Project Manager.

Cohen and Wolf, P.C. has appointed Suzanne B. Sutton has the firm’s Of Counsel joining the Professional Legal Ethics, Litigation and Bankruptcy Practice Groups. Previously, Sutton spent about nine years at the Office of Chief Disciplinary

Sutton Counsel and was then appointed First Assistant Chief Disciplinary Counsel.

Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts appointed Ariana Molokwu as Program Coordinator.

Previously, Molokwu worked at the Xfinity Theatre in Hartford as an Administrative Assistant. Molokwu earned her B.A. in Psychology and Communications and a minor in music from the University of Connecticut.

Artistic Director, Lisa Sanborn, has appointed Christopher DeNofrio as Children’s Division Director of New Haven Ballet. His new teaching position will be in both New Haven and Branford. DeNofrio began training with Klara Koenig on Cape Cod and studied with Edward Villella before his training in Boston continued. Previously, DeNofrio served as Associate Director of Louisville Ballet School in 1999 and became a member of the Southeast Regional Ballet Association. In 2002, in made a move to Vancouver, Canada where he joined the British Columbia chapter of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists, The Vancouver International Dance Festival and Kokoro Dance. DeNofrio started up in New Haven in 2014.DeNofrio earned his Fine Arts degree in dance from the Boston Conservatory of Music.

Stewart Murtha Cullina LLP appointed Elizabeth J. Stewart to the Connecticut Judicial Department of Civil Commission for a three-year term.

Stewart will begin her term starting September 2016.

Stewart is the chair of Murtha Cullina’s Complex Litigation Practice Group as well as a member of the firm’s Insurance Recovery and Appellate Practice Groups.

Stewart earned her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Virginia

led the efforts of the strategic reposition and rebrand of the historic liberal arts college located in Bronxville, N.Y. Chamberlin has had positions at Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Radcliffe College as well as Vermont College of Fine Arts has the vice president for external affairs.

Chamberlin earned her B.A. from Columbia University and her M.A. from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Dewberry has appointed Brian Jecker as the firm’s new associate vice president and business unit manager in their New Haven, CT office. During his new position at the firm, Jecker will be responsible for the office’s management of daily operations as well as serving a diverse group of clients in areas of construction inspection, transportation, municipal engineering, planning and environmental services. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering degree in structural engineering from the University of Arizona.

Chamberlin The University of New Haven has appointed Lyn Chamberlin as vice president for marketing and communications. Previously, Chamberlin served as vice president for marketing and communications at Sarah Lawrence College.

She also successfully

Wilks O,R&L Commercial has appointed Thomas Wilks has a Commercial Broker in

their Rocky Hill Office.

Wilks has experience in commercial real estate brokerage and his been involved throughout Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts since 2009. Wilks was a previous restaurant owner and U.S. Air Force veteran. He received his degree from Central Connecticut State University.

Mark Bergman, Governor Malloy’s Deputy Chief of Staff, will leave his position to join the consulting firm of Grossman Heinz LLC as a Senior Associate for Communications.

Bergman, a national political operative specializing in communications and public relations with extensive campaign and political organization experience, got his start in Virginia State politics where he once worked on the gubernatorial campaign of Vice Presidential nominee Tim Kaine while serving as the Communications Director for the Virginia Democratic Party.

The National Association of Secretaries of State has appointed Connecticut Secretary of State Denise W. Merrill as the association’s president. Merrill will be serving a oneyear term ending in July 2017. Since 2011, Merrill has served as Connecticut’s Secretary of State.

Mayor Joe Ganim appointed Thomas F. Gill as director of the Bridgeport Office of Planning and Economic Development. Gill will be taking over for Ed

Lavernoich, Interim Director who will be returning to his Bridgeport Economic Development Corporation position. Gill most recently served as Chief Operations Officer of Black Rock Capital, LLC. Previously, Gill has served as Bridgeport director of Economic Development for six years and also as President, CEO and director of Fairfield First Bank and Trust Company— before his time at Black Rock Capital, LLC as COO. From 1966-1972, he served in the United States Air Force Reserves. Gill earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of Bridgeport and a Masters of Banking and Finance from the University of Wisconsin.

The Artspace Board Chair, Matt Maleska, has announced five new members to its Board. The following members are: Marion Melanger lecturer at Hartford Art School and Wesleyan University, Jessica Labbe, Deputy Director for Finance and Administration at the Yale University Art Gallery, Helen Kauder, Artspace Executive Director and co-founder of the CityWide Open Studios festival, Beka Sturges, Associate Principal of Reed Hilderbrand and serves as a director of the firm’s presence in New Haven and Paul Taheri, Chief Executive Office of Yale Medical Group and Deputy Dean at the Yale School of Medicine.

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