Business New Haven November 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

www.ConnTact.com

$1.50

Rockin’

SCSU’s New STEM Building A Three Part Series

In Search of The Last Job Search A “Jobs Program” That’s Bringing Success To The Nearly “Invisible” Long-Term Unemployed

By Rachel Bergman

ks c u n B udget o i t legatisan B e D ut ipar c i t ec On B n n Co aders Le

PRST STD US Postage Paid Norwood, MA Permit #11

PEOPLE OVER PROFITS. IT’S MORE REWARDING THAT WAY. Harvard Pilgrim’s wide-ranging health benefits and services have always had one thing in common: you. Your unique benefits. Your version of healthy. As a not-for-profit health plan, we’re not looking for higher profits; we’re looking to provide access to higher-value and higher-quality health care across Connecticut and beyond. After more than 45 years serving New England, you can count on us to make your well-being our top priority.

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

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

2

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

ON THE RECORD Connecticut: Fuel Cell Valley?

Coalition of Fuel Cell Companies Seeks to Keep Their Power Growing In Connecticut

J

oel Rinebold is Director of Energy for the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, a nonprofit economic development organization headquartered in East Hartford. Rinebold has been the director of the Connecticut Siting Council when the council handled the siting issues for high pressure natural gas lines, high voltage electric power systems and the then widespread expansion of cell phone service and towers in the state. At CCAT, he established the Connecticut Hydrogen Fuel Cell Coalition ten years ago, which now is taking on more prominence as the industry is emerging in Connecticut and worldwide.

•••• What is the Connecticut Hydrogen Fuel Cell Coalition?

We created it about ten years ago to unite and coordinate the industry for the state. And how we [the state and CCAT] could provide assistance for this emerging industry for manufacturing with intent to make a machine that was cleaner, more reliable and more durable, and less costly and would result in jobs in Connecticut and the Northeast. Our goal is for Connecticut to ultimately be the global epicenter for this hydrogen fuel cell technology.

There have been a lot of fits and starts, United Technology getting in big to fuel cells, then exiting, their progeny being sold, resold and then bankrupt—now bought by Doosan. What was the reason for this industry turmoil?

I think it was somewhat of a moving target for a market [for UTC], oil prices are up, down. The technology is sound, it was invented back in the 1830s, but it hadn’t evolved as a manufacturing platform for mass scale reproduction to make this in factories until just a few years ago.

Who is in the coalition?

We have just under six hundred companies. There are about ten OEMs; that is the total supply chain.

That is everyone that is somehow engaged in the manufacture of the final product. It could be components, could include planning, marketing, legal.

Ultimately, we are looking at what does it take to make a fuel cell.

We’ve covered Doosan and Fuel Cell Energy a fair amount – who else is a real player commercially?

You can add Proton On-Site; they make hydrogen generators. They use a membrane assembly, which

basically is a fuel cell that is operating in reverse, to make hydrogen.

Fuel Cell Energy [has focused] as a “grid application” either on a transmission system or a substation. Doosan’s market is better characterized as an “end user” market. They want to be behind the meter to provide heat and power to a particular user, whether it’s a manufacturing facility or school or some kind of commercial building.

What is the pollution profile of a fuel cell?

The core of the fuel cell works on hydrogen and if the hydrogen is produced renewably, it would be a zero emission facility. In Connecticut and most places, we don’t have hydrogen pipelines, we don’t have pure hydrogen accessible. Both Doosan and Fuel Cell Energy use natural gas as the feedstock.

Natural gas is a hydrogen rich fuel: it is one atom of carbon, four atoms of hydrogen [CH4]. It is used because it is a hydrogen rich gas. It is relatively inexpensive, the infrastructure exists and at a pressure and purity that meets the need.

Primary air pollutants NOx, Sulfur Oxide, Carbon Monoxides, Ozone, are non-existent or very, very small, depending on impurities in the fuel.

Where are Connecticut companies in terms of fuel cell technology?

Worldwide, Connecticut companies fare very well.

Connecticut is recognized as the epicenter for the research, design and manufacturing. There are other locations, Ballard in Western Canada is very well regarded as having first class research and manufacturing facilities and will be a very strong colleague and competitor. Connecticut truly is the “Silicon Valley” of the Hydrogen fuel cell industry for the world.

Sounds great, they’re clean, fuel cells are easy to site compared to wind farms or even large solar arrays or especially new large gas power plants. Shouldn’t these guys be getting a call from a customer a day?

I think they do get a call a day, some of those calls come from schools, supermarkets, big hotels, fire departments, and town halls. The technology is available, that doesn’t mean it is not still emerging.

It is still on the curve where it is getting better and cheaper, but there is a market for those people that can make the cleanest most reliable energy and site it on their property. The power is available when you need it, not just when the wind blows or the sun shines.

You have to pay for that, but the cost is getting very competitive with some of the grid prices.

We see that natural gas power plants produce power for around six cents a kilowatt at today’s gas prices and that fuel cells are around nine to twelve. Is that correct?

That is just about right, natural gas from a large combined cycle unit will be about six cents and it will need a large facility on many acres, it will require a large substation, transmission lines, high pressure gas lines—there is a lot of work that goes into it. While it may be able to produce very low cost power, there is a question of reliability. If that plant goes down, you are eight hundred megawatts down in one outage.

I’m not opposed to those facilities, a backbone of power plants is a good thing, but there is an alternative for some companies, businesses and users to have a power plant on your property. If you want that, there will be a premium, but that premium is getting lower and lower.

When fuel costs are very low, it favors lower cost technology. At four dollars, everyone wants the more expensive vehicle that gets fifty miles per gallon.

Continued on page 6

NOVEMBER 2015

3

4

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

OP-ED

} ENVIRONMENT

State Commits to International Carbon Emission Goals

Can a Transgender Woman Keep Your Business “Young?”

Governor Malloy Signs “Under 2 MOU” Agreement

G

overnor Dannel P. Malloy committed the State to sign the Under 2 MOU Agreement this month, a global contract to limit the increase in global average temperature to below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The contract is open to cities, states and provinces worldwide to participate.

“Connecticut has set an aggressive goal for reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change – and is determined to do so in a manner that improves our environment and air quality while increasing our energy security, building our economy, and creating jobs,” said Governor Malloy.

“We are making strong progress on all fronts and our state has emerged as a national leader on climate action. Signing the Under 2 MOU aligns us with other jurisdictions who share our deep commitment to protecting the future of our planet and safeguarding the well-being of every one who lives here.”

Those cities and states who sign are essentially volunteering to reduce greenhouse

Governor Malloy continues to polish his “progressive” credentials by signing on to the new world climate change goals

New Ideas Brewing In Erector Square Craft Beer Think Tank Underway The Erector Brewing Collective will be open for business soon. Under the legal purview of Thimble Island Brewing, who manages the regulatory and licensing side of things, the collective is like a “test” kitchen for new craft beer flavors and styles for now. The goal is to sell craft beer commercially by Spring of 2016.

The group hosted a pop-up pub in October during Citywide Open Studios at their Erector Square location, the former home of toymaker A.C. Gilbert company.

Brews are cleverly named with kitschy references like the Pity the Fool Porter NOVEMBER 2015

By Holly Maholm

emissions up to 95% below 1990 levels or to limit to two metric tons CO2-equivalent per capita, by 2050. Connecticut’s own statutory climate reduction target requires emissions reductions of at least 80 percent economy-wide by 2050 from 2001 levels. The agreement contains interim goals, like a 10% reduction from 1990 levels by 2020, which Connecticut achieved back in 2012. Emissions from the power sector alone in the state declined by 34% in that time period.

The state leads in innovative financing programs for green initiatives, as well, with the advent of the Connecticut Green Bank, which has increased funding for renewable energy programs.

Connecticut joins New Hampshire, California, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington as American states to sign the agreement.

The goals of the new emissions reductions are to minimize significant sea level rise, combat extreme weather, and mega droughts.

Clubber Lang and the Jean Shorts and Dirt Driveways Yellow Beer.

Founders Ron Paolillo and Justin Maturo, along with Liam Doherty-Nicholson, are “hard” at work brewing, testing, and tasting.

She can if you let her!

Here’s how: (But I have to start at the beginning.) I am an attorney who is retired from my 25 year career at a firm of sports agents. In my job, I helped negotiate and write up contracts for many of the most famous athletes in the world. Let me tell you about one of those contracts.

A large American corporate brand – with retail outlets all across in the country – came to us to do a deal with one of our clients (a famous athlete - I won’t tell you who it was or what sport he played, but I will tell you that he owned a jet).

Now, that brand wanted our client to film a couple of TV ads, but then their representative told me they wanted him to do more. They wanted him to visit their corporate HG, they wanted him to visit several of their local retail stores, and they wanted him to attend their annual corporate retreat with executives (and not just the “top executives”) who – collectively – ran the company.

I asked that representative, “Why do you want all these extra services?

Why not just have him film the TV ads and stop there?” What he told me was this. He said he wanted to breathe some fresh air into the executive suite at his company. He wanted people to start thinking differently about the business they were in, the customers they sold to, and the possibility of changing how they did business.

He said he was concerned that the corporate culture at this company was getting

“inbred.” It was becoming an echo-chamber, where too many of the executives were young men who had all gone to college in the same part of the U.S., and now, when they brought on new hires, those new employees were men (usually) who saw the world the same way they did. To him, there was too much agreement. The company was developing a sort of “hardening of the corporate arteries.”

So he thought, having a superstar athlete show up at HQ would challenge his executives to justify what they were doing – and why – to an athlete who was not accustomed to putting up with any b---s---.

Someone who would shake them up and keep them honest.

Now, not every company can afford to hire a superstar athlete to devote that kind of time to re-vitalizing a corporate culture. So let me tell you about my friend “Cindy.”

Cindy is a transgender (“TG”) woman. She is in her 50’s and is very good at what she does (she’s an IT specialist).

Cindy works here in Cleveland, Ohio for a large insurance company. (I won’t tell you the name of the company, but in the “ebb and flo” of memory, you may guess who it is.) So a year ago, she went to her boss and told him she wanted the company accept and support her desire to “come out” as “Cindy” – so that she could begin living her life as her authentic female self.

So what Cindy’s boss did was amazing. He responded “Great! Go for it!” And then Cindy’s request was passed up to her boss’s boss, and then to the boss above that boss, and right on up to the Biggest Boss (who, in a big insurance company is a Big Kahuna, indeed). And every one of them said “Great!” And since then, Cindy has become someone who – if I were still doing contracts

for famous athletes – I would say is doing the job of a superstar athlete: Represents the company at conferences where new employees are recruited Is the face of progress and flexibility for the company Provides valuable community outreach by meeting with local leaders and the media telling them how she has been supported and encouraged by management Company spokesperson stressing a “big” company values and responds to individual needs Delivers intangible assets in the form of company goodwill I am impressed – though not at all surprised - at how her company has used and promoted Cindy. The insurance business is one that cannot help but involve tens of thousands of customers, millions of transactions, and many more millions of payments received and checks mailed out.

Think how easy it would be for employees at that company to become lost in a fog of numbers, quickly forgetting that all their customers are unique human beings.

But as long as Cindy is there, her company will keep alive its openness to change and its willingness to include different viewpoints – and different genders – in its progressive culture.

Holly Maholm is a transgender woman who was born a man.

She is a graduate of Yale University and The Ohio State University School of Law. She worked as a senior attorney for a major sports marketing agency until she retired in 2004 and went into private practice. She is the author of the new holiday book Brave in Ribbons. For more information please visit: www.hollymaholm.com

5

} RINEBOLD

Continued from page 3

When gas is at two dollars, people are buying less efficient trucks and SUVs. In the case of Fuel Cell Energy and Doosan, basically both companies are being financed by Korean utilities one way or another, is that correct?

Yes, South Korea has put a premium on distributed energy, both at the end user and at nodal sites in their transmission.

Is Korea then the world leader?

No, I would call them one of the world leaders in usage. They want the cleaner more reliable technology that will produce some jobs, very much similar to where we’re at, but the difference is we are designing and making these units here. Some of the assembly work, some of the membrane work is being made here, shipped over to Korea and being assembled there. Their plan is very similar to my plan, we want cleaner, we want cheaper and we want more reliable and we want to make it here, for ourselves, and export for the world.

This is our industry to lose, we’re working hard to keep it.

How will Beacon Falls’ Fuel Cell energy plant impact the market?

At sixty-five megawatts, it is a facility that could power up most small towns and mid-size cities in the state, with a relatively small footprint.

Is there a psychology or an awareness or government program needed to cement this industry and to grow it in Connecticut?

It is happening and it comes down to thoughtful hard work every single day.

If we don’t work with that industry to keep them in Connecticut, we will lose it.

line to stabilize voltage or stabilize frequency should be considered a reliability asset. The utilities should be in a position to rate-base that as a public benefit.

It starts with good policy that has as one, using the technology, helping the manufacturing facility, some assistance to make and export and with additional research and prototyping, use of our resources to make those businesses very happy to stay in the state. Connecticut has been very good with its renewable portfolio standards and in [making] fuel cells eligible and with virtual net metering. Connecticut also has the public benefits funds, the Connecticut Green Bank, and engagement with the utilities here. Korea has worked very closely with their utilities to purchase large lots of these fuel cells.

I wouldn’t make it mandatory, but I think if the option were available, the utilities would use it.

Allowing the utilities to own and operate small distributed generating makes good business sense and makes technical sense, and would make good public sense for Connecticut.

With deregulation, Connecticut limited how utilities can put up new power plants, there are some limited exceptions for renewable.

Should we allow them more into the owning and financing of fuel cells?

It’s a relatively low number [that they can build renewable plants] of power.

I supported the notion behind ‘the meter might be considered a reliability asset.’ Rather than building a transmission line or a new substation, or a new capacitor bank, if a smaller distributed generated facility, something less than 60 megawatts, something for an end user, or a group of end users as part of a micro grid, tied to a distribution

As Natural Gas Expansion is Challenged Reports Track Declining Pollution Environmentalists have challenged natural gas expansion. Industry reports cite cleaner air.

As natural gas prices have fallen and New England utilities have shifted to natural gas from coal and oil

Beyond Connecticut, there is also a Northeast Fuel Cell group as well?

This is a cluster and group we’ve identified with the SBA [Small Business Administration] and created in the region. The group is the Northeast Electrochemical Energy Storage Cluster. It is about twelve hundred companies with about $1.2 billion of revenue. Connecticut has about half the jobs, revenues and companies in the entire region. The region is certainly the center of global action and Connecticut is really the epicenter.

Business crosses state political lines and we should look at regionally, not solely as a state entity, where the states can work cooperatively, where the Northeast would have the economy of scale to remain research and production.

Is this the best industry in Connecticut positioned for future growth?

aggregate air pollution has dropped according to reports from ISO New England. ISO based in Holyoke, Massachusetts is an independent not-for-profit corporation “responsible for keeping electricity flowing across the six New England states”.

ISO has supported the expansion of natural gas infrastructure, while several environmental groups have opposed them seeking a larger emphasis on “renewable energy” power production.

A new 785 megawatt natural gas power plants is proposed for Oxford, and was approved in May by the

Energy Sources Powering the New England Electric Grid As natural gas prices have fallen and until recently, oil prices were high, the non-nuclear power plants feeding the New England grid have switched from oil and coal to gas

Certainly we’ve seen some really good progress with the pharmaceuticals and bioscience, the aerospace industry, there are really tremendous industries.

What separates this industry from those is that the hydrogen fuel cell industry is still emerging and still growing rapidly and finding its way in global markets.

Are our various colleges and universities up to the task of helping with the engineering and discovery for this industry?

Yes, University of New Haven, Bridgeport, the state universities, Rennsselaer, University of Hartford, they are all engaged and are all good players. I would call the leader in the research UCONN at the Center for Clean Energy Engineering on the Storrs campus. They have taken a leadership in the state and they are recognized throughout the country and the world for a specialty in hydrogen fuel cell systems.

Is venture capital and capital in general spotting what you are saying about the industry?

I do believe finance houses are watching it very carefully and we’ve had some good success with capital investment. But these companies, the investors want to see product, they are not going to see until they see hard proposals. This is where Connecticut provides some assistance, some of the siting, the facilities for interconnection, and the financing. BNH

Connecticut Siting Council but still faces stiff local opposition and must be cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration due to its proximity to the Waterbury/ Oxford Airport. Competitive Power Ventures the owner of the plant is hoping to begin construction in 2016 and have the plant opened by 2018.

A 63 megawatt fuel cell plant [the world’s largest fuel cell plant] also powered by natural gas is proposed for Beacon Falls, no significant opposition has surfaced for that plan. It is awaiting final approvals by the Connecticut Siting Council.

Annual aggregate NOX, SO2, and CO2 Air Emissions for the Years 2005 Through 2014.

Figure 5-­‐2 shows the annual aggregate NOX, SO2, and CO2 air emissions for the years 2005 through 2014. Since 2005, NOX emissions have dropped by 65% and SO2 by 92%, while CO2 has decreased by about 35%. Refer to Appendix Table 4 for historical system emissions by kTons.

Since 2005, NOX emissions have dropped by 65% and SO2 by 92%, while CO2 has decreased

by Eabout 35%.

Figure 5-­2: 2005 -­ 2014 New England System Annual missions of NOX, SO2, and CO2 (kTons)

Source ISO New England Source ISO New England : via ctmirror.com

6

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

Table 5-­‐1 shows the 2014 annual average NOX, SO2, and CO2 air emission rates (lb/MWh), by state and for New England, calculated based on the actual hourly unit generation of ISO-­‐NE generating units located within that specific state and the actual or assumed unit-­‐specific emission rates.

Table 5-­1: 2014 New England System

We’re Gonna Make Your Day...

Technology Services

 Network Systems and Support  Network Security & Encryption  Cloud Services  Business Continuity Systems  Cloud & Hybrid Back-up Systems  24 x 7 Network Monitoring  Outsourced IT Department

Consulting Services

 Non-profit Accounting Solutions  SSAE 16 / SOC 1, SOC 2 Audits

When Your Business Relies on Technology,

 Fundraising Systems  Network Security Audits  HIPAA Security Compliance  IT Policies and Procedures

You Can Rely on Us.

 Business Continuity Planning  Software Selection

www.CTcalendar.com

280 Trumbull Street, 24th Floor Hartford, Connecticut 860.524.4400 www.TheTechnologyGroup.com

Who do small businesses choose for health insurance?

H

ealth insurance is the most important benefit you offer and it’s a big part of your budget. You need an insurance program that not only meets the needs of your employees but also

helps you control costs. CBIA Health Connections — the most successful private insurance exchange for small business — is the solution.

With Health Connections you simply set your contribution level then let your employees choose a plan from Aetna, ConnectiCare, Harvard Pilgrim, or UnitedHealthcare.

CBIA Health Connections allows me to offer my employees a valuable benefits package while helping to control our medical benefits budget.

From medical and dental plans to life, disability and vision options, there’s something for everyone with CBIA Health Connections.

Contact your agent for a quote or call 860.244.1900.

NOVEMBER 2015

Richard P. Ramondetta President Alloy Specialties, Inc. Manchester

7

Business New Haven Business & Civic Awards

Businessperson of the Year Corporate Citizen Citizen Innovator Small Businessperson Minority Businessperson Founder Legacy Nominations Still Open Some Sponsorships Still Available 8

Sponsored by

for more information, nominations mryoung@conntact.com

For more information 203-668-6037

www.conntact.com WWW.CONNTACT.COM

} TRANSPORTATION / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Cows

Here Comes the Train and...

Exports, Cows, Pot, Yes Pot, Bees and Buy American Bipartisan Transportation Bill Brings A Trainload of Goodies Along with $3.5 Billion to the Nutmeg State

By Ana Radelat including Connecticut’s Dannel P. Malloy, said made planning for large infrastructure projects difficult.

“This is not a perfect bill, but it represents an important step toward rebuilding our deteriorating physical infrastructure and the possibility of restoring the compromise that is so important to our broken political process,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District.

W

ashington – Congress approved a massive fiveyear transportation bill last month that would send Connecticut more than $3.5 billion in federal transportation money, bar the rental of cars under recall and commission a study that would determine an impairment standard for drivers who have smoked marijuana.

The bill would provide $281 billion, mostly distributed by formula to the states, for highway and transit projects, and it authorizes another $24 billion for transportation grants and other programs.

Over five years ending in 2020, Connecticut is slated to receive more than $3.5 billion from the federal government for highway and transit projects, about $310 million more than it has over the past five years.

With the support of all members of Connecticut’s delegation to the House of Representatives, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act, was approved by the House on a 359-65 vote. The Senate approved the bill in a vote of 83-16.

The bill is the result of a rare bipartisan compromise. It ends years of shortterm measures that many governors, NOVEMBER 2015

Rep. John Larson, D-1st District, said, “I would have preferred higher funding levels, but the FAST Act is a great improvement over the stopgap measures and short-term patches of the past.”

The bill would split funding for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor from the funding of the railroad’s operations across the rest of the nation.

The Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston is Amtrak’s only profitable route. The company loses money, more than $600 million, a year on its long-distance routes, according to the Brookings Institution.

The bill allows competitors to bid for Amtrak’s long-distance lines if they can prove they can save taxpayers money.

It also bars Amtrak from spending the money it makes in the Northwest Corridor on its other rail lines.

Amtrak did not respond to requests for comment on the bill.

Export-Import Bank The bill would also reauthorize the Export-Import bank, a government chartered corporation that facilitates the sale of U.S. goods overseas. The charter for the bank had expired this summer, even after some of the nation’s largest companies, including United Technologies and General Electric, lobbied heavily for its renewal, because of opposition from conservative Republicans who called the bank’s operations corporate welfare.

Backed by Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th District, and Courtney, the bill would allow Connecticut’s dairy farmers, who are now barred from transporting big loads on state roads, to carry heavier loads.

“This completes a successful bipartisan effort to surmount the ideological opposition of House Republican leadership, who allowed the charter for the Export-Import Bank to expire and unilaterally disarmed American workers and businesses trying to compete in the global marketplace,” said Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District.

The bill would also implement new safety measures, but fewer than safety advocates and some Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Richard Blumenthal, had hoped for.

The bill raises the maximum fine federal regulators can impose on automakers that fail to quickly report safety defects from $35 million per incident to $105 million per incident. But the bill would not impose criminal penalties on those automakers, something the safety advocates and Blumenthal had sought.

The bill also would bar rental car companies from renting cars that have been recalled, unless the necessary repairs are made.

But the bill also keeps secret the safety scores of trucking companies, something safety advocates deplore.

Marijuana Study At the behest of states who have legalized the sale of marijuana and some of their neighbors, the bill also commissions a study that would set an impairment standard for drivers who have smoked marijuana.

The bill also provides nearly $200 million to help railroads — and the state of Connecticut, which owns hundreds of miles of track in the state — implement Positive Train Control technology aimed at preventing derailments.

Buy America Another measure, sponsored

by Esty, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, increases “Buy America” domestic content requirements for buses and rail cars from the current level of 60 percent to 65 percent in 2018 and 70 percent in 2020.

Bees Esty also co-sponsored an amendment that would help bees by encouraging state departments of transportation to establish pollinator habitat on transportation rights-of-way by reducing mowing and planting milkweed and other vegetation.

“This legislation isn’t perfect,” Esty said. “There’s always more that can be done to bring our transportation systems into the 21st century, but I’m pleased the House came together today to support a long-term investment in the American people. And I am proud that my common-sense solutions were incorporated into this final piece of legislation. “ With Permission CTmirror.com

Besides funding large transportation projects and making big changes to transportation policy, the FAST Act also contains dozens of smaller provisions that will impact Connecticut and other states.

9

} EMPLOYMENT

Vol XX,II No.3 November 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

GOP Tries To Force A Labor Reform That Eluded Malloy

$1.50

www.ConnTact.com

Rockin’

SCSU’s New STEM Building A Three Part Series

In Search of The Last Job Search Success To A “Jobs Program” That’s Bringing Unemployed The Nearly “Invisible” Long-Term

By Rachel Bergman

Paid Norwood, MA Permit #11 PRST STD US Postage

Publisher Mitchell Young

s uck n B get atio Bud eleg san ut D arti cticOn Bi-P e n Con ders Lea

Editor &

Editorial Assistant Rachel Bergman Design Consultant Terry Wells Graphics Manager Matt Ford Publisher’s Assistant Amy Kulikowski Publisher’s Representative Robin Kroopnick Contributors Rachel Bergman Amy Kulikowski Emili Lanno Derek Torrellas

Photography Steve Blazo Derek Torrellas Lesley Roy Business New Haven is a publication of Second Wind Media, Ltd., with offices at 458 Grand Avenue, New Haven, CT 06513.

Telephone (203) 781-3480.

Fax (203) 781-3482.

Subscriptions: $32 annually.

Send name, address and ZIP code with payment. Second Wind Media, Ltd., d/b/a Business New Haven, shall not be liable for failure to publish an ad or for typographical errors or errors in publication.

Order your subscription at: Conntact.com email: news@conntact.com

COMING BUSINESS & CIVIC AWARDS HEALTHCARE HEROES BOOKF OF LISTS CT GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS

10

LEGISLATIVE BID TO CONTROL STATE UNIONS FAILS

I

By Mark Pazniokas

t was one of the first things Gov. Dannel P. Malloy proposed upon taking office in 2011. And it was one of the first, and relatively few, things that the Democrat quickly gave up on obtaining from the General Assembly.

Malloy wanted the legislature to change its rules so that no labor contract or arbitration award could take effect without a vote of the General Assembly. In other words, every labor deal would be an element of legislators’ voting record.

The legislature’s Republican minority tried and failed in special session Tuesday to make the rules change sought four years ago by the Democratic governor, saying it would provide a greater check on the state’s labor costs.

“If it’s good enough for him, sir, it’s good enough for us,” Rep. David Rutigliano of Trumbull, the ranking Republican on the Labor and Public Employees Committee, told House Speaker J. Brendan Sharkey.

Sharkey, a Democrat of Hamden, quickly ruled that the effort was beyond the narrow scope of the special session and therefore out of order. A GOP appeal of his ruling failed on a party-line vote.

But, as the political director of a major public employees union later conceded, the proposal was only the start of what is expected to be an effort in Hartford to provide greater legislative oversight of labor agreements.

“They are framing the issue for a debate to come,” said Paul Filson of the Service Employees International Union, which sees the proposed voting requirement as part of a campaign to erode wages and benefits.

A dozen unions have contracts that expire in June. Based on past history, they are likely to be resolved by arbitration, which will produce an award that can be ratified by legislators, rejected or allowed to take effect without legislative action.

Ben Barnes, who oversees budgeting and labor relations as the administration’s secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, said the administration thought it good public policy in 2011 to require a legislative vote on all contracts and arbitration awards.

“There’s no question that state employees lobby the legislature. They send people here. They have lobbyists in the halls. They are a presence in govern-

ment and ask for what they want. And they have every right to do that,” Barnes said.

Barnes said the rules change was intended to help legislators see collective bargaining from the viewpoint of the executive branch, which the administration did not see as undermining collective bargaining.

“You can believe in collective bargaining and still sit across the table from your employees,” Barnes said. “I think we wanted to bring the legislature onto that side of the table as firmly as possible.”

But the administration, which prevailed on taxes and other major initiatives, quickly realized that the legislature saw the rules change as an intolerable executive imposition on the inner workings of the General Assembly.

“Whether it’s the governor suggesting legislation that impacts the prerogatives of the legislature or the alternative, when they propose legislation that impacts our prerogatives, those are extraordinarily difficult,” Barnes said.

“Those are the things that you often end up realizing you’ve got to walk away from, just because, you know, how are you going to get them to pass a bill that limits their authority any more than they’re going to get us to sign a bill that limits our authority.”

So, the administration walked away from a proposal it first printed in its 2011 budget recommendations.

House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said organized labor understandably opposes any change that could lead to greater oversight of contracts in a time of tight finances.

“We’re being choked with costs,” she said. “We have to get a hold of those costs in some way.”

The legislature has not rejected a labor contract since 1995.

House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, an employee of the state’s largest public-sector union, Council 4 of AFSCME, said he saw no benefit to requiring a legislative vote.

“If folks want input on collective bargaining agreements, they can go talk to the governor’s staff that’s negotiating,” Aresimowicz said. “That’s the way to go about it.

Reprinted with permission from ctmirror.org

HERE COMES THE SUN State Commits to International Carbon Emission Reduction Governor Malloy Signs Under 2 MOU Agreement Governor Dannel P. Malloy committed the State to sign the Under 2 MOU Agreement this month, a global contract to limit the increase in global average temperature to below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The contract is open to cities, states and provinces worldwide to participate.

“Connecticut has set an aggressive goal for reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change – and is determined to do so in a manner that improves our environment and air quality while increasing our energy security, building our economy, and creating jobs,” said Governor Malloy. “We are making strong progress on all fronts and our state has emerged as a national leader on climate action. Signing the Under 2 MOU aligns us with other jurisdictions who share our deep commitment to protecting the future of our planet and safeguarding the well-being of every one who lives here.”

Those cities and states who sign are essentially volunteering to reduce greenhouse emissions up to 95% below 1990 levels or to limit to two metric tons CO2-equivalent per capita, by 2050. Connecticut’s own statutory climate reduction target requires emissions reductions of at least 80 percent economy-wide by 2050 from 2001 levels.

The agreement contains interim goals, like a 10% reduction from 1990 levels by 2020, which Connecticut achieved back in 2012. Emissions from the power sector alone in the state declined by 34% in that time period.

The state leads in innovative financing programs for green initiatives, as well, with the advent of the Connecticut Green Bank, which has increased funding for renewable energy programs.

Connecticut joins New Hampshire, California, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington as American states to sign the agreement.

The goals of the new emissions reductions are to minimize significant sea level rise, combat extreme weather, and mega droughts.

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

Build on

our experience.

Many local companies are happy they did.

That’s because they recognized the benefits of working with an established company for every phase of construction, including design/build expertise. As your local Butler Builder ®, we offer a full-range of systems construction capabilities that combine efficiency, functionality, and virtually endless design possibilities. Give us a call today, and put us to work on your project.

Contact us at 1-855-BUILD-86 or visit us on the web.

www.borghesibuilding.com ©2011 BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. All rights reserved. Butler Manufacturing™ is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc.

2155 East Main Street • Torrington, Connecticut 06790 NOVEMBER 2015

Search, Add or View Listings at www.ConnTact.com 11

GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Supportive faculty, advanced technology and innovative programs place us among “The Best 295 Business Schools” and America’s “Best Colleges” according to The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.

We’ve also earned accreditation from AACSB International, a distinction awarded to fewer than 30% of American business schools. Learn more at Quinnipiac.edu/gradprograms.

• MBA • MBA – CFA® Track (Chartered Financial Analyst) • MBA – Supply Chain Management Track • MBA – Health Care Management Track • JD/MBA • Master of Science - Organizational Leadership* - Business Analytics* • Graduate Certificates in Health Care Administration - Health Care Compliance - Long-term Care Administration *offered only online

1-800-462-1944 | Hamden & North Haven, Connecticut

12

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

ALMANAC UCONN commits to a promise UConn President Susan Herbst recently announced that a $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to every New Haven Promise scholar coming to the university starting in the fall of 2016.

A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to every New Haven Promise scholar coming to the university hippocampus volume is an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease.

Research results were published in the journal Psychology and Aging and discussed the .

From Spare Change to Real Change Connex Credit Union has developed a program, “Coins-for-Change” to turn their spare change in the bottom of their pockets into helpful donations.

The North Haven branch of the company was able to collect over $1,000 and donated the money to the Believe in Me Empowerment Corporation (BIMEC).

This scholarship will enhance the benefits to New Haven Promise scholars; the promise of an annual award paying for full or most tuition for a 2-4 year public college or university in Connecticut.

families by providing housing help, life skills, and counseling services. The agency wants to help those who participate reach their full potential.

The BIMEC agency has decided to use the money from Connex to help with a restoration project due to a fire that recently destroyed their site.

BIMEC is a social service with a mission to help the lives of young adults and their

A student eligible for these scholarships must remain enrolled in city public and charter schools, be a New Haven resident, keep grades consistently well, participate in the city community and enroll in UConn following graduation.

American Community Survey Hits The Streets With all this talk about data and what it means, the biggest number-crunching information dump in the country, the American Community Survey (ACS) from The U.S. Census Bureau has recently released the most up-to-date statistics about, well, everyone.

Let’s Think Positive About Aging, Shall We? A research study by the Yale School of Public Health claims that if you believe aging is bad, changes in the brain from that negative thinking are associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Led by Becca Levy, associate professor of public health and psychology at the University, the research states that reducing negative thoughts like that the elderly are “decrepit,” may reduce the increasing rate of Alzheimer’s Disease.

“We believe it is the stress generated by the negative beliefs about aging that individuals sometimes internalize from society that can result in pathological brain changes,” said Levy. “Although the findings are concerning, it is encouraging to realize that these negative beliefs about aging can be mitigated and positive beliefs about aging can be reinforced, so that the adverse impact is not inevitable.”

MRI results of study participants in the study who held more negative beliefs about aging showed a greater decline in the volume of the hippocampus, a part of the brain crucial to memory. Reduced NOVEMBER 2015

This is the first time users will be able to compare two non-overlapping data sets of five-years each. Check certain trends for socio-economic characteristics for different sized communities, these statistics make it possible.

The data sets range from 2005-2009 and 2010-2014 with three different distinct categories including an Economic Profile, Housing Profile and Social Profile.

For 10 years, this survey has allowed communities all over the country to research information that is important for decision-making about people, place and economy.

CT Uber Cuts Prices In November, the Uber ride-share driving service decided to cut the fare price for passengers 20 percent in Connecticut, minus the Hartford region, which saw a rate decrease back in August.

Uber decided to lower their fares to attract more customers and encourage already paying customers to use the service more. According to Matt Powers, general manager of Uber’s Connecticut operation, the decrease in Hartford resulted in a 35 percent increase in net earnings.

Heroes

disguised in business suits!

The Union Savings Bank Southbury Customer Solutions Team may not be faster than a speeding train, but they’ll work at top speed to help keep your business on track.

BUSINESS LENDING • RETAIL DEPOSITS RESIDENTIAL LENDING • WEALTH MANAGEMENT

unionsavings.com 203.262.8567

Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

13

Getting Back On The Work Horse The hidden, the long term unemployed: no more benefits, self esteem, job prospects low – guess what? Success.

By Rachel Bergman latform to Employment is not exactly a job-training program, more of a motivational job-coaching program, available to the long-term underemployed and unemployed in Connecticut. The offices, on Grand Avenue in New Haven, host cohorts of job seekers for 5-week boot camps reviewing interview techniques, networking skills, research strategies, and the nearly lost art of positive thinking. With the idea that unemployment is an insidious factor to a specific type of depression and affect, a psychologist is even part of the process, making sure that those issues do not become a barrier to success.

Job coaches present new ways of looking at the process, presenters from previous cohorts or area businesses give advice on the search, the process, and staying positive.

P

was my main issue, why wasn’t I getting jobs or interviews? Being unemployed makes you feel not whole.”

It was at a forum at the West Haven Public Library that she heard about the Platform to Employment (P2E) program for the long-term unemployed. She applied, and was accepted to a cohort that began in October of this year.

“I got up every day, got dressed, had a schedule and a system of looking. I wasn’t one of those people who stopped getting up,” she says of that time.

The class was comprised of 25 people with a variety of skill sets and professional backgrounds, some were out of work for years, some for months, ranging in age from 40 to 60, but primarily mid to late career professionals.

As a practice exercise to incorporate the upgraded skill set, Pompay worked with fellow participants on a group project to research a local business—a medical services company out of North Haven. The goal was to learn about company culture, products, history, relevant news, and market.

UNEMPLOYED 2+ YEARS

“G

14

The program encourages job seekers to be brave and exhaustive in their search, reach out to networks you may not associate with your field or finding a job.

Cold call companies you’d like to work for to check in about potential opportunities. Participants are encouraged to reach out to everyone, start conversations with potential strangers, attend networking events, and make it clear that you are on the job market.

“I think it was not getting myself overly stressed out if I didn’t get the position or if the interview didn’t go well. I learned how to look at those to see what I did right and also wrong, to see how I could fix it,” she said. “I wasn’t understanding how to ask all of the right questions, or how to do a follow-up, ask followup questions and go back to the person after the interview and see what’s going on, or ask why I didn’t get the job – things I thought I couldn’t do before.”

ANNETTE POMPAY, CLAIMS APPEALS REPRESENTATIVE AT UNITED HEALTHCARE

“Being unemployed for so long, it kind of did make you feel down. You didn’t know why you weren’t getting hired. It felt like why wasn’t I employed? Why? It

“It was an eye-opening experience. A lot of us only did things online before, we didn’t know how to do any of that like networking and cold calling.”

The P2E system helped Pompay change her approach to the search.

The program began in Connecticut in 2011 as a social enterprise focusing on returning the long-term unemployed to work. The program went national in 2013 and statewide in 2014, boasting a success rate of almost 80% of Connecticut participants moving to work experience locally.

e just don’t exist anymore,” Annette Pompay explained, referring to the plight of the long-term unemployed who have run out of benefits. Unemployment numbers do not take into account those who do not receive any benefits, but have also not yet found employment. Pompay searched exhaustively for two years, ran out of benefits, and eventually needed to move in with her sister. Prior to that, she’d worked in the health care field as a claims processor.

For Pompay, the P2E program provided insight about how to write resumés and cover letters, and quite a bit of insight into networking.

“The company had just been taken over, so we looked at what new products there were, what was going to change, what the job opportunities were. We reached out to the company and interviewed employees to get more information.” Each member of the group chose a piece of the project and it was all pulled together for presentation.

POMPAY: “I got up every day, got dressed, had a schedule and a system of looking. I wasn’t one of those people who stopped getting up.”

“I was so happy to be there because I could be with other people and just mingle and just talk to people.

So, it was like, you know you learn and listen to other people’s experiences and what was going on in their lives, we were all kind of in the same boat.”

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

Pompay initially found her job at United Healthcare on the job search website Indeed.com, but did not apply through a third party. She went directly to the company website and applied for the position she was interested in, per the advice of P2E. Interviews went really well, and she looks forward to being able to move up within the company, and is considering maybe going back to school.

things you’ve done, specific accomplishments and how your skill set may match who you’re talking to.”

Hannon’s experience was positive and he maintains contact with half a dozen or so of his classmates. The cohort met with speakers, psychologists who welcomed them to bring partners if a partner was feeling the emotional toll of an out-of-work spouse and needed to talk, and they worked on program goals every day of the session like practicing interview skills, honing verbiage for cover letters, and conducting in-depth research of companies where participants wanted to work.

GEORGE ADAMO, VM WARE ADMINISTRATOR, THRIVE TEK, INC.

“There were so many people out of work or looking for work, that you had to show how you were going to pay off for the employer and how your past success was going to translate into success for the company,” Hannon explained.

UNDEREMPLOYED 8 MONTHS

G

eorge Adamo served the IT department at Waterbury Hospital for seventeen years before volunteering to take a package during layoffs in January of this year. Planning to take consulting work, Adamo set off on his own and only intermittently searched for work.

“I did get some [consulting work], but did find out that people don’t like to pay. I still have money on the street to collect.” He stresses that out of work didn’t mean not productive, he was busy and found that to be the case with much of his cohort—people stayed active.

After interviewing with a program leader and gaining acceptance to a cohort, Adamo found that his group was full of accomplished people who had had good jobs, were good contributors doing important work.

“Certainly that was me at Waterbury Hospital. In some ways, the psychological blow can be worse.”

“It dealt with a lot of stress, how to handle stress, what you were experiencing, I think the most important thing for me after being out of the market for 17 years, was understanding how things work now, which is really different.”

As someone working in systems, Adamo wasn’t as prepared as he thought he was for the IT job market.

With most IT employees remaining a level or two removed from companies they are working for, he needed the re-education.

“I came to the conclusion I could use some motivation.”

For Adamo, day one focused on self-assessment, how to deal with the stress and negativity, understanding how you were feeling and why and how to get motivated.

Hannon was invited to return as a guest speaker to later cohorts. His speech focused on the importance of staying positive.

ADAMO: “I think the most important thing for me after being out of the market for 17 years, was understanding how things work now, which is really different.”

out pretty quick. I didn’t get to complete the last 3-4 days because I was hired out and had a start date.

The bugle blew and I had to answer. I already miss everybody.”

P2E circulates leads, but does not find jobs for participants. Adamo found his current position through a job board and was then recruited by a recruiter.

He took a position with an international consulting company performing infrastructure management for major insurance provider. “It’s a larger scale than I’ve worked with before, I’m learning the ropes, I’m the new guy, I have to learn the news ways they do things and what their systems are like. I have to prove myself.”

DONALD HANNON, PROJECT SPECIALIST, INTERIOR, LOWE’S HOME IMPROVEMENT

While in the program, Hannon was offered 2 jobs the same day. He ultimately took a position with Lowe’s doing specialty work.

“I work as a project manager between the homeowner, store and contractors for kitchen and bathroom installation projects. I’ve been there 4 weeks – it’s going well. Getting back into the swing of things is a transition, but I really like it.”

Overall, he feels P2E was a positive experience.

“In the end, it was all related to attitude. I guess that’s anything in life. All the people that did presentations – they were trying to help people.” Hannon added, “Everybody’s situation is unique and everybody has gone through different things, it’s not a one size fits all, but everybody there tried to be positive.” BNH

UNEMPLOYED 1+ YEARS

D

Next, the cohort dealt with mechanics, in particular going over the resumé, in particular understanding what is happening with resumés nowadays, and that human beings might not be doing the first pass. The cohort focused on how to tailor a resumé, how to best use the search engines, develop and find the hidden job market, develop contacts and a personal brand— using Linkedin.

onald Hannon had been unemployed for over a year, but severely underemployed for more than three years prior to beginning his P2E cohort this past August. Since the economic downturn, he’d gone through a divorce, had 2 heart attacks, underwent 2 surgeries, and was 55 years old. Hannon felt he had an age situation and because of his spotty employment history, he was a bad hire. With years of sales and management experience, he had previously been his own boss.

“After I started to do those things, I wound up with a lot of energy from the motivational part of it. I got motivated. Having got that [mechanics] down, I started to get results. More people seemed to be interested in my background and talking to me.”

He admitted it was good to commit to the program, to get dressed, to look good, it helped emotionally to get back into that mindset. He bonded with his cohort members, shared opportunities, and learned some useful new skills.

Of his cohort Adamo says, “Everyone wanted a change. There was a lot of impatience, they wanted to get right to it, just get to the answer. The process, however, was important. I think that by the first third or half of the program, people began to get that. There were a few drop-outs, people who just didn’t want to do it, but a couple of people were hired

“70-80% I already knew, I’d already done some DOL programs with interviewing skills and resumés, but there were new things that helped me get over the hump and to the goal line. One in particular was the “elevator speech” – like when the employer says ‘tell me something about yourself?’ We really worked on using a 1-2 minute speech about what you do, some

NOVEMBER 2015

“I let them know that in the end, it’s up to you and how much you put into it. I thought the elevator speech was important, finding other avenues to get in for interviews – don’t be afraid to talk to everybody you meet about what you’re looking for and what you know. 70% of jobs are filled through the recommendation or word of mouth process.”

HANNO: “There were new things that helped me get over the hump and to the goal line. One in particular was the “elevator speech.”

15

Rock Stars in the Building New SCSU Academic Building Open For Learning First in A Series On SCSU’s New STEM Buidling and Programs By: Emili Lanno all 2015 marked the official opening of Southern Connecticut State University’s new Academic Science and Laboratory building. With the continuous extension of the university’s science and STEM programs — science, technology, engineering and mathematics, this building includes many research laboratories for students—counting some major rock stars.

F

Directly outside the new science building is a geological rock garden, started by earth science professor Thomas Fleming, Chair of the Department of Earth Sciences at SCSU, by initially making phone calls to different quarries, and places to extract different sorts of stones and rocks. Fleming was able to visit the different quarries and handselect each stone.

“They have different origins for the rock garden,” said Fleming. “There was an order of about 50-52 boulders. They were all donated to the university and had to have heavy machinery to move them. So I solicited and they [quarries] donated and helped us get it back to the campus. Finally, the construction companies that we worked with helped us move them to form the garden.”

The different Quarry Companies that provided the donations include: Arthur Brooks and Sons, Haddam, CT, Haynes Materials in Seymour, CT, O&G Industries in Torrington, CT, and Stony Creek Quarry and Tilcon Connecticut both in Branford, CT. “There’s some duplicates [boulders],” said Fleming. “Some we took from quarries that had a variety of the same ones. There are 52 rocks total, but some are multiples.”

As far as enhancing the educational quality with the rock garden, Fleming said the earth science department is already using them as outdoor classrooms.

“We are using them in a variety of classes,” said Fleming. “Like in our Intro to Geology class, we focus on learning how to identify different types of rocks. Before, in classes, we would use rock samples that were about one to two inches in diam16

eter. On a nice day now, we can look at these great big boulders that are much more realistic that we would see if we were out in the field.”

There has also been over a dozen classes working on the rock garden since the building has been open, said Fleming. Many of the earth science classes will use the hand samples in class still, but having this outdoor rock garden allows them to expand on their learning visually.

“Also, with the more advanced classes in earth science,” said Fleming, “there is the orientation of rocks and alignment of minerals. It helps them [students] to understand more advanced topics that are really difficult to show in a hand sample.”

Fleming notes that the rock garden offers a variety of classroom exercises involving the actual examination of rocks, but “also speaks to other important areas of education as well.”

“These rocks all come from commercial quarries and state infrastructure. They were used to make buildings and bridges and in that sense, they play an important part in getting students to understand that they’re heavy. That means we have to find them close to home and can’t find them far since it would be too much to bring them here.”

The boulders in the garden also serve as a examples of the past as well.

“There are some really cool connections to history as well,” said Fleming. “In the rock garden, we have stones that have come from the quarries which have been from bridges and architecture.”

Historical contributions from the Stony Creek granite quarry include: the base of the Statue of Liberty, parts of Grand Central Station, and the West Point Battle Monument, among many others.

The UConn Law Library facing stone was built from stones extracted from the Tower Hill Granite Quarry. Stone from The Brooks Quarry was previously used to build the former Middlesex county jail in Haddam, dating back to 1794.

“There is a complex variety of things to talk about,” said Fleming. “There are different types of rocks you can tie in with different types of history that are able to wrap the student’s interest.”

Aside from the historical context of the rock garden, Fleming said teachers and students are able to talk about economic geology as well.

Thomas Fleming chair of the Department of Earth Sciences at Southern helps lay in the last rock in the garden.

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

The outdoor “rock garden” helps highlight how the newly opened 98,332 square foot Academic Science and Laboratory Building at Southern Connecticut University, brings science and art together in its design.

Do You Need Help Understanding the Affordable Care Act? If You Are Business Owner, Give Us a Call 800-953-4467!

WE CAN PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER

marcumllp.com/bnh NOVEMBER 2015

17

explaining the different aspects of the rocks.

ing to get Yale involved to come over and see the rock wall and rock garden.”

“There are a couple of duplicates on the wall,” said Knell. “But 90 percent of them are actually all different. We would decide to put a couple of samples of the same rock to show different sides and aspects of them that are important to show.”

Both the rock wall and rock garden are complete in their appearance, but there are some future plans to go along with them.

According to both Knell and Fleming, one of the main purposes of the rock wall is to use it as an “indoor classroom” when the weather is not fit for students outdoors in the rock garden.

“Lesson plans will definitely continue to change,” said Fleming, “and we have developed exercises that students can do when they go out and work on things in both the rock garden and the rock wall.”

[Left to right] Mario Turriago , Lee Gilden, and James Bogart, Southern students dug into their work helping to build the Rock Garden at the Stony Creek Quarry in Branford.

“It can be something that’s valuable to someone in the market,” said Fleming.

“Say if you have a gravel pit, it is really important to find those materials locally. It’s an important part of what we teach in our classes and what things that we find are used for.”

Along with the outdoor garden, there is also an indoor rock feature— the rock wall.

The rock wall was centered around a thesis developed by three undergraduate students and advised by Fleming and Michael Knell, earth science assistant professor.

“The rock wall was a completely separate project that was done by our student undergraduates work project thesis,” said Fleming. “The rock wall has 150 rocks in it with more variety and unlike the rock garden that involved heavy machinery, the rock wall was all hand collected. There was a lot more latitude and they come from the entire state of Connecticut, the four far corners, and the samples are about eight to 10 inches in diameter.”

Knell explained that the process started in October of last year. Collecting the rocks took six weeks and bringing them back to the university to be cut and fitted for the wall took about three months. The students would either go with the advisors during their trips or go alone whenever they found time separately.

“We would chaperone them and make sure that they weren’t going on any private property to collect the rocks,” said Knell. “And also monitoring them and seeing how they are collecting the rocks, getting good samples and making sure they are getting good notes.

This would be as far as where the rocks came from for our own benefit for 18

teaching, and having that data on the rocks for reference. It is also good practice to get them on their own path.”

Knell said overall, the students and the teachers came together after collecting and figured out the layout for the wall.

They needed to figure out what would look best and highlight the points of the rocks they wanted to show that would be of the most importance in discussion for students.

Mario Turriago, now a graduate student from Southern and currently working with middle school children in the field of earth science, was one of the three students that participated in this thesis research project.

Turriago reflected on how tough and time consuming the project of rock collecting was and how important it was to be as precise with the samples as possible.

Fleming also said there is a lot more to develop in both the indoor and outdoor classroom aspect of these to rock related areas. However, there are a lot of classes with very specific exercises surrounding the garden and wall, just within the first couple of months in the building.

Turriago said not only can students at Southern participate in the wall, but they are also getting other schools in the area involved as well.

“We’re definitely going to have high schools look at the rock wall,” said Turriago, “ and they are able to see actual samples. They can actually see rocks that are out in the field and where they are in the geologic map and it will make sense to them. We are also look-

“We are also planning to build an interactive website based off of the rocks,” said Fleming. “They would be able to stand in front of the rock samples with their cell phones and tap on the picture of the rock that they see. They will be able to get more information on the rock and how you would describe it. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but that is definitely in the works.”

Knell said the future design of the website will allow both the students and the public to become knowledgeable about the rocks and which parts of Connecticut they were originally collected from.

Whether a student, faculty member or staff member are a part of the earth science program or just a part of the campus, access to the outdoor rock garden or the indoor rock wall is for all to see and explore, said Fleming. Developing these live, interactive sets has allowed the earth science program especially to grow and evolve.

“It absolutely gets the students excited about earth science,” said Fleming.

“This type of work is meant to be explored outdoors and now we have an outdoor classroom to do that, and even the indoor part with the rock wall. It makes everything so much more realistic; that is the exciting part of it.” BNH

Michael Knell, earth science assistant professor, helped build the “no climbing” rock wall inside the building.

The hours that went into it,” said Turriago, “I had no idea that it would be as long as it was in the end. One marble sample that we collected took about six hours to cut through, the sample was so massive. That and then finding the correct samples that would fit for the wall. They had to show the foliation in one way and if we cut the whole entire rock, it wouldn’t look like it would in the field, so we had to be careful.”

Turriago said that writing the actual thesis for this research was much more straightforward, but the rock cutting and collecting was a lot more intense, like searching for rocks in certain places that might have not even been there.

“With this project,” said Turriago, “we knew what rocks we wanted and we pursued those samples.”

Knell also said that having these samples is not only good for history, but also having more of a variety in WWW.CONNTACT.COM

REAL ESTATE

Smashburger is Moving Into a Freestanding Building at 1590 Boston Post Road in Milford

cated its Northeastern regional offices from East Windsor to Hamden and will occupy 4,000 SF. Stephen Press, SIOR, represented the Landlord and Schaffer represented the Tenant.

Kevin Geenty SIOR of The Geenty Group, Realtors, reports the lease of a 3,500 SF portion of a 10,000 SF multi-tenanted flex building at 8A Commerce Drive, North Branford. The Tenant is Robert Sorrentino for storage of collectable motor vehicles. The Landlord is the David O. Bredbury Trust. Kevin Geenty was the agent for the Landlord. Rich Lombardo of George J. Smith/H. Pearce Company was the agent for the Tenant.

Yale’s William Buckley program strikes a deal at the Gold Building for 2400 square feet.

Leased O,R&L Commercial’s Jay L. Morris and Robert G. Gaucher, CCIM, SIOR just leased 85,000 SF to Webster Bank at 200 Executive Blvd. in Southington. Webster Bank is consolidating its Cheshire and Wallingford offices into one location.

Morris and Gaucher of O,R&L represented the owner, Executive 200, LLC, and Drew Saunders of Jones Lang LaSalle represented the tenant, Webster Bank.

Senior Leasing Broker Ted Schaffer of Press/Cuzzo Commercial Services, has completed three lease transactions, two in New Haven and one at Hamden Center more than 14,000 square feet combined.

Schaffer represented both landlord and tenant in the leasing of 2,400 sf in a 5-year lease at The Gold Building at 234 Church St., New Haven. The William F. Buckley Program at Yale has leased space at this building to bring occupancy to 100%. Also in New Haven is a 7 year lease transaction, Spot On Networks, established a new lease term for space at 55 Church St. Schaffer represented Spot On in this 8,000 SF deal. At Hamden Center an 85,000 SF Class A Office Building, Erland Construction has relo-

Trevor Davis, CCIM of Trevor Davis Commercial Real Estate LLC, is responsible for the following transactions at Middletown Business Park: Andrea Maule leased 393 sf and Z-Mike, a division of NDC Technologies, leased 3921 sf. Davis represented the Landlord, BostonMiddletown, LLC, and was the sole broker.

HealthDrive Corporation leased 998 sf. at 438 Main St., Middletown. Trevor Davis, CCIM of Trevor Davis Commercial Real Estate LLC, represented the Landlord, Hilltop Associates and was the sole broker.

The 5 story front portion of The Central at 363 Main St. in Middletown is fully leased. Larry Antosz and Erika Moses have leased offices in Central Suites.

Trevor Davis, CCIM, of Trevor Davis Commercial Real Estate, LLC, was the only broker in those transactions and represented the landlord, 363 Main Street Middletown, LLC. Columbus House, a tenant at Sanseer Mill Office Park, 282 Main St., Middletown, has increased their space to 2821 sf. Trevor Davis, CCIM, of Trevor Davis Commercial Real Estate, LLC, represented the Landlord, C & S Investments, LLC, and was the sole real estate broker.

Michael Richetelli negotiated the lease of 1590 Boston Post Rd., Milford. Richetelli represented the Landlord, Milford Post Associates in the leasing of the 2,667 SF +/- freestanding commercial building for a ten year lease to Smashburger, a national restaurant franchise.

Webster Bank is consolidating offices into 200 Executive Blvd. in Southington.

NOVEMBER 2015

Fred A. Messore, Senior Vice President at Colonial Properties represented the seller, 1003 Boston Post Road, LLC, in the sale of 1003 Orange Ave., West Haven, which consisted of .86 +/- acres of vacant land. The site was the longtime home of Chuck’s Steak House. The property sold to O’Reilly Automotive Stores, Inc. O’Reilly will be

constructing a 6,000 sf retail auto parts store. Dominick Musilli, of True Commercial Real Estate, represented the Buyer.

The Geenty Group, Realtors, reports a five year lease of 4,036 SF at 2 Business Park Rd., Old Saybrook.

The Landlord is Mill Meadow E.W. Hannas a wood manufacturer and distributor has Development, LLC. signed on for five years at 2 Business Park Road in Old The Tenant is E. W. Saybrook.

Hannas, Inc., manufacturer and distribuCare facility at this location. Guralnick tor of various woods. Kevin Geenty SIOR represented the Sellers, Marshall was the sole agent in this transaction.

Enterprises, LLC and Dan Garofalo and The Geenty Group, Realtors, participated John Mullin of Reno Properties representin the lease of 233 Research Dr., Milford. ed the Buyer, RPG Holdings LLC. The Tenant is Swipe of Ink, LLC. They will O,R&L Commercial, LLC participated in use the facility as a silkscreen print shop. the sale of 189-191, 201 Orange St. and The Landlord is D’Amato Investments, 115 Court St. in New Haven. Frank Hird, LLC. Bill Clark, Senior Vice President at SIOR of O,R&L Commercial represented The Geenty Group was the sole broker in the seller, O’Keefe Associates, Manhatten this transaction.

Associates, and Euclid/O’Connor Associates and Charlotte Goldblatt of Goldblatt Associates represented the buyer, Buckhead Investments LLC. A New York-based manufacturing comAttorney Henry Silverman of Silverman pany has purchased 14.4 industrial acres Law Offices represented the sellers and at 539 Oronoque Rd. in Milford. The the buyer was self-represented. buyer plans to renovate and add onto an Trevor Davis, CCIM, of Trevor Davis existing 23,250 SF building and construct Commercial Real Estate, LLC, parat least two new industrial buildings. ticipated in the sale of 43 West St. The The seller was Arrow Realty, LLC. Alan Buyer was Yalesville Properties, LLC, and M. Fischer, CCIM, SIOR, of Fischer Real Independent Explosives, Inc., was the Estate Inc. represented both the seller Seller. Davis was the sole commercial real and the buyer. estate broker.

John Bergin, Pearce Senior Commercial Stephen Press, SIOR, of Press/Cuzzo Specialist, from Pearce Real Estate has Realtors represented the seller, 117 North sold two properties in Milford. Bergin Main, LLC on the sale of an automotive represented both the seller at 81 Munson facility and gas station known as A & M St. and 90-92 Opal St. and the buyer.

Service Station. The buyers, the Maclaitis The seller of the properties is Shelton family, will continue the gas station and Attorney Matthew C Reale, Successor service facility and will also sell used cars.

Trustee of the William MacFarland Greg Robbins of Wm. Raveis Real Estate Testamentary Trust, along with Attorney represented the buyers.

Thomas Welch of Welch, Teodosio, Stanek and Blake of Shelton. The buyer is Summit Trucking, tree and lawn service of Hugh Bridgers joins Wareck Monroe. The 5,700SQFT industrial buildD’Ostilio Real Estate as a Licensed ing at 81 Munson St. will be used as new Real Estate Salesperson to the comheadquarters for Summit, and is immepany. Bridgers is a real estate profesdiately in front of the two family house at sional focusing on the residential 90-92 Opal St. real estate market in Greater New Trevor Davis, CCIM of Trevor Davis Haven. He previously worked on Commercial Real Estate LLC, announced advertising the sale of 1251 South Main St. to Crump campaigns Real Estate, LLC, which purchased the in New 3600 sf office building from Lisa J Realty York City LLC. The user will be Change, Inc. Trevor and he reDavis was the only broker. ceived his Bachelor Richard S. Guralnick, CCIM Senior Broker of Arts of O,R&L Commercial, LLC has particiDegree pated in the sale of 1154 Highland Ave from the (aka Cheshire Hall) in Cheshire. The new University owners, RPG Holdings, LLC will convert of the entire first floor of the building into Rochester. medical office space in anticipation of the

Sold

opening and operating of a new Urgent 19

HEALTH Connecticut Drops in Health Rank Foundation Report Shows Some Progress and Some Problems According to United Health Foundation’s 26th Annual America’s Health Rankings, Connecticut has dropped two spots since 2014, to #6.

In 2015, this report’s national data shows that Americans are making significant progress on specific health concerns like smoking less and leading less sedentary lives. However, some rising areas include illegal and prescription drug abuse, leading to drug deaths, obesity, diabetes, and children living in poverty. United Health Foundation produces this report in order to give stakeholders insight on how to effectively make changes in a state or nationally in these areas.

The America’s Health Rankings Annual Report highlighted some strengths and challenges from the state of Connecticut.

These strengths include: high immunizations among adolescents for Tdap, low infectious disease incidences, and low premature death rates. However, some challenges include: a big disparity in health status by the education level, a high commonness in excessive drinking, and low per-capita public health funding.

To understand both individual health and the communities in Connecticut and around the nation, both UnitedHealthcare and Optum keep close watch on these health rankings. Both have various programs that help to address the nation’s state level challenges, made to educate individuals to live healthier lives, as well as push stakeholders to improve health across communities.

UnitedHealthCare offers programs such as Rally and chronic care management programs, as well as consumer support programs and tools, like Health4Me and Advocate4Me. “For the last 26 years, the America’s Health Rankings Annual Report has provided a comprehensive picture of the challenges and opportunities facing Connecticut����������������������������������������������������������������� ’���������������������������������������������������������������� s health, and where we stand against our peer states and the nation at large,” said Renee Rulin, regional medical director, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of New England. “We look forward to using this year’s report to continue identifying best practices that address Connecticut’s most pressing health challenges and encourage our residents to lead the healthiest lives possible.”

HSC Paraplegic First To Walk With New Exoskeleton A paralyzed patient at Hospital for Special Care in New Britain was the first to use [at HSC] a special robotic system to successfully walk.

That patient was Heriberto “Eddy” Rodriguez, paralyzed below his waist.

The ReWalk Rehabilitation 2.0 provides hip and knee motion power, to allow a person to stand upright and walk; a wearable robotic exoskeleton system.

HSC is a rehabilitation long-term acute and chronic care hospital. They also provide care for people with special healthcare needs like: pulmonary rehabilitation, spinal cord injuries, ventilator |management, geriatrics, stroke, cardiac care, and acquired brain injuries.

Earlier this year, the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority awarded HSC a $75,000 grant to buy this robotic exoskeleton.

20

“Hospital officials noted that the proposal – which they characterize as an affiliation, not an acquisition” New Flu Vaccine Strategy For Cancer Patients Yale Cancer Center researchers have developed a new way to help reduce the risk of flu infections for cancer patients, who are at a higher risk of catching the infectious disease.

This strategy will offer these patients a highdose flu vaccine and then a month later, another second high-dose booster.

This high-dose was approved back in 2009 by the FDA as a single dose

for adults over the age of 65.

Those who are susceptible to common infections are patients with immune system cancer, such as multiple myeloma. With the onset of the flu, this can then lead to more serious illnesses

Unions Demand Review of Hospital Mergers

By Arielle Levin Baker A group of unions and advocacy organizations are calling for state regulators to take a hard look at the growth in power and market concentration of large health systems in Connecticut – and what that means for patients – when they review the Yale New Haven Health System’s proposed acquisition of New London’s Lawrence + Memorial Hospital.

“The acquisition of Lawrence + Memorial health by the Yale-New Haven Health Services Corporation is a pivotal opportunity for stemming the growth of monopoly in Connecticut’s health care market and limiting the ill effects of consolidation,” they said in a report issued by seven groups. These unions include: AFSCME Council 4, AFT Connecticut, UNITE HERE! Connecticut, and New England Health Care Employees Union, District 1199, SEIU; the Connecticut Citizen Action Group; the Connecticut Health Policy Project; and United Action Connecticut.

The growth of health systems that control multiple hospitals and physician practices has been occurring for years nationally. The trend came later to Connecticut but has recently accelerated, sparking considerable controversy in a state long dominated by locally controlled hospitals and independent physician practices.

A state law passed earlier this year imposes new regulatory requirements for hospital transactions involving

and even quite possibly death. Patients that have cancer of the immune system may receive a flu shot every year, however studies show that even the annual flu shot doesn’t offer proper immune results.

Andrew Branagan, the studies first author, said this booster strategy lowered the infection rate of the flu among these patients to six percent, the expected rate being 20 percent. It also helped the fight against all flu strains covered by the vaccine in 66 percent of patients.

for-profit or large nonprofit health systems, but those provisions didn’t take effect until Dec. 1, and don’t apply to applications filed by hospitals before that date. There are now four such proposals pending before state regulators that were filed before Dec. 1, covering transactions involving Lawrence + Memorial, Waterbury, St. Mary’s, and the parent company of Rockville General and Manchester Memorial hospitals.

In their application for approval of the deal to the state Office of Health Care Access, the Yale system – which includes Yale-New Haven, Bridgeport and Greenwich hospitals – and L+M Corporation said both organizations and communities would benefit from the affiliation: both organizations would be better-positioned to maintain their charitable missions, patients would have access to more providers, and the organization would be better positioned to provide more cost-effective services in the L+M service area.

The application also said there are no plans to change the price structure as a result of the proposal, and said competition would not be reduced.

Hospital officials noted that the proposal – which they characterize as an affiliation, not an acquisition – will go through significant vetting by federal and state regulators in both Connecticut and Rhode Island, since L+M’s parent company also owns Westerly Hospital.

“The way that the process is going to take place is going to allow for ample dialogue and discussion before anything is approved,” L+M spokesman Michael O’Farrell said.

“Reprinted with permission from ctmirror.org” WWW.CONNTACT.COM

WHO’S WHAT WHERE

ELM CITY

Bar Association (NHCBA).

Previously, he served as an Executive Committee Officer and, earlier, chaired its Lawyer Referral Service. Parese received his Juris Doctorate from Quinnipiac University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from University of Connecticut.

Hutchinson WTNH News 8 announced Laura Hutchinson as the new co-anchor of Good Morning Connecticut alongside Keith Kountz.

Hutchinson has spent the last 6 years anchoring the morning news at WWLP in Springfield, MA, and working on the 22News I-Team.

She earned her degrees in broadcast journalism and political science from Temple University in Philadelphia.

J. Travis Hinson, M.D. will join the faculties of The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) for Genomic Medicine and UConn Health. Hinson previously worked at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and as a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate.

Hinson earned his M.D. from Harvard Medical School after earning a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.

Hinson Melanie Eldridge, assistant professor of biology and environmental science at the University of New Haven, has been selected to receive the first William L. Bucknall Excellence in Teaching Award. The honor was created to recognize outstanding teaching and service by a full-time faculty member at UNH. John M. Parese, an attorney from the New Haven-based law firm Buckley & Wynne, has been named President of the New Haven County NOVEMBER 2015

Karen Ragaisis has been

Massaro president and campaign director at Quinnipiac University. Before joining Quinnipiac, Massaro was director of leadership giving at Trinity College.

Massaro has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Northeastern University.

Parese appointed clinical assistant professor in the School of Nursing at Quinnipiac University.

Ragaisis earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Bridgeport and has a master’s degree in counseling and M.S.N. in psychiatric mental health nursing from the University of Saint Joseph. She graduated with a doctor of nursing practice degree and completed her postgraduate certificate program in nursing education from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Before joining Quinnipiac, Ragaisis was an adjunct clinical faculty member at the University of Connecticut’s School of Nursing. She was a psychiatric nurse practitioner and continues to practice in a per diem capacity in the emergency department at Hartford Hospital.

Seann Kalagher, associate dean of student affairs at Quinnipiac University, has been elected to the board of directors of the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA), where he will serve a two-year term.

ASCA professionals facilitate the best practices of student conduct administration and conflict resolution on college and university campuses in the United States and Canada.

Linda Massaro has been appointed associate vice

Ashika Brinkley has been appointed to Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, CWEALF, Board of Directors.

Brinkley works as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health and is a chemistry professor at Goodwin College and serves on the Board of the United Way of Greater New Haven. sThree individuals have been named to head Bridgeport city departments. Nestor Nkwo, longtime Bridgeport Finance and budget official, has been appointed to head the Office of Policy and Management.

Attorney R. Christopher Meyer, former assistant Bridgeport city attorney, has been appointed to the post of Bridgeport City Attorney. Janene Hawkins, JD, and Pastor of the Walters AME Zion Church in Bridgeport, has been appointed Director of Labor Relations.

Constance L. Royster has joined Open Communities Alliance’s Board of Directors, a Connecticutbased civil rights organization. Royster is currently a senior partner at Ideas for Action, LLC, a national management consulting firm. A member of the Yale College Class of 1972, she was part of the first group of women undergraduates at Yale University. She also graduated from Rutgers Law School.

COMMUNITIES

JOINS UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN

"Elm City Communities loves making a difference because we know we are part of a larger community. Partnering with United Way is the best way to help all of our residents achieve financial stability and thrive."

Karen DuBois-Walton, Executive Director Housing Authority of New Haven (Elm City Communities)

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

uwgnh.org

HOST A WORKPLACE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN LEARN MORE: Jim Travers 203-691-4212 jtravers@uwgnh.org 21

TECHNOLOGY Connecticut Companies Make Deloitte’s US Tech 500 Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, which ranks companies expanding greatly in technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy around the country, has included seven Connecticut companies on their list.

“Connecticut is at the forefront of our nation’s efforts to secure a clean energy future” Assisted Living Company Using Monioring Technology With Alzheimer’s Patients

compliance with their medications..

and fuel cell technology was showcased.

D’Aquila says Automated Medication Dispensers, provide visual and auditory alerts, sending patient reminder calls, as well as letting a caregiver know if procedures are not being followed.

“This was a great opportunity for our company to participate in the exhibition,” said Trent Molter, president and CEO at Sustainable Innovations LLC. “The industry is transitioning more and more from research and development to commercial applications that are cost effective.” Connecticut is home to two of the larg-

From 2011-2014 the list of 2015 companies have grown their revenue from percentages ranging from 109-21,984 percent. The highest percentage from a Connecticut company was 877 percent.

Another technology helping both patients and caregivers are Remote Monitoring Systems.

This companies are the following: SurgiQuest, a medical device manufacturer in Milford, CT, which saw the highest growth, Revolution Lighting Technologies, a manufacturer based in Stamford, CT, Clarity Software Solutions, a software company based in Madison, CT, a software developer in Farmington called Evariant, HP One, a software company in Trumbull, the Cheshire-based biopharmaceutical company Alexion, and finally APS Technology, an oil extraction technology company in Wallingford.

These motion detection wireless sensors allow caregivers to be notified of a problem, before they escalate to something more severe such as, room-to room activity, sleeping patterns, leaving the room, and moisture.

These sensors help to prevent patients from either a fall or wandering away from their room.

Wallingford company awarded battery contract Proton OnSite in Wallingford, CT was recently awarded $2.5 million contract thanks to the U.S. Department of Energy. This contract was given in order for the company to make a battery specializing in the capability of making hydrogen in order to power fuel cells. In the meantime it will also deposit energy on the electric grid.

Proton OnSite shared the total award money by the departments Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy of grants totaling $125 million with 41 other private sector companies.

This objective of this company project is to make a “hydrogen-iron flow battery.”

This can either be continuously charged with grid electricity or sunlight exposure.

In a statement reported by the New Haven Register, U.S. Energy Secretary

Ernest Moniz said, “The ARPA-E projects selected highlight how American ingenuity can spur innovation and generate a wide range of technology options to address our nation’s most pressing energy issues.”

Some members of the state’s federal legislative delegation, like Senator Richard Blumenthal gave a statement in regards to the Proton OnSite Project.

Blumenthal states, “Connecticut is at the forefront of our nation’s efforts to secure a clean energy future, developing cutting edge technologies to generate and store renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions and help combat climate change…

This award ... is a testament to the ingenuity and creativity we have come to know and expect from Proton Energy.”

Quinnipiac First to Participate in CT Tech Challenge

“What we found is that there is a huge demand for talented and skilled programmers and technology professionals,” said Katie Magboo, project manager for the Connecticut Skills Challenge. “It also showed that industries need to be pointed in a better direction in terms of searching for that talent within the state. The goal of the Skills Challenge is to connect local companies to the talent that is being cultivated on the campuses of Connecticut.”

22

According to D’Aquila, one important way of treating Alzheimer’s Disease is through medication compliance. Even though there isn’t a cure for the disease, medication can help to slow it down and ease some of the symptoms that occur.

Patients of the disease that are in mild to moderate stages can improve significantly while in

Visit the website: www. assistedlivingtechnologies.com for additional information.

Fuel Cell innovator Trent Molter getting ready to commercialize its technology with help from NASA.

Global Leaders Fuel – Fuel Cell Industry At the 2015 Fuel Cell Seminar & Energy Exposition last month in Los Angeles, Connecticut’s position as the leader of the research, development, and the manufacture of hydrogen

est fuel cell companies around the globe.

Sustainable Innovations has recently won P{hase I and Phase II SBIR contracts from NASA to develop a hydrogen resource recovery system (HRR).

Connecticut Technology Council Announces Five New Board Members The Connecticut Technology Council appointed five new board members at its Annual Meeting on December 9. This year’s appointments will replace the five retiring board members who served the council for the past three years. The appointed board members are Jackie Scheib, Partner at Robinson+Cole, Michael Hammond, General Counsel at Insurity, Josh Geballe, CEO of Core Informatics, Stephen Lovass, President of Gems Sensors & Controls, and Steve Shwartz, Co-Founder and CTO of Device 42.

On Nov. 17, Quinnipiac University became the first school in Connecticut to participate in the Connecticut Technology Council’s Skills Challenge.

The challenge was held in the Center for Communications and Engineering on the Mount Carmel Campus, where student participants in the computer science and software engineering majors were tested on their coding skills.

Rob D’Aquila, president of Assisted Living Technologies, Inc, in Meriden, CT, say’s he has found a new solution for dementia and Alzheimer’s caregivers through wireless technologies.

Newly appointed members will serve a three-year term. The mission of the CTC is to support the state’s growing technology sector and spur job creation.

The top students from the challenge will be included in an online directory, a place where technology companies can look for local talent in the area.

Similar challenges like this one taken up

by Quinnipiac, will be held for others schools including: Central Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, the University of Bridgeport, the University of Connecticut and the University of New Haven.

Students who reach the top from each school will be challenged in March.

Retiring board members are: Chris Kalish, President of the IP Factory, John Caezza, President of ARRIS Group, Inc., Brent Biernat, First Vice President of COCC, Bill Rucci, Senior IT Professional, and Eleanor Tandler, CEO of NovaTract Surgical.

Josh Geballe, CEO of Branford’s Core Informatics.

Michael Hammond, Generl Cousel Insurity

Jackie Scheib, Partner, Robinson + Cole

Stephen Lovass President Gems Sensors & Controls

Steve Shwartz Co-Foundeer, CTO Device42

WWW.CONNTACT.COM

DESIGN BUILDERS • GENERAL CONTRACTORS • CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS

PDS has been meeting the needs of the construction industry since 1965.

Our dedicated team of Hamden, CT Total Project Size: 21,000 Square Feet

This project was a 21,000 square foot renovation which includes a new showroom, service bay for 10 vehicles, bathrooms, waiting area and ofces.

Construction included new high-end nishes and extensive mechanical, electrical and plumbing.

design and construction professionals welcomes the challenge of serving its past and future

customers on their most demanding projects.

107 Old Windsor Road, Bloomeld, CT 06002 | (860) 242-8586 | Fax (860) 242-8587 | www.pdsec.com NOVEMBER 2015

23