Deb Volansky’s life in the teleconferencing world

BY JUSTIN MCGOWN jmcgown@westfairinc.com

Deb Volansky, CEO and owner of Danburybased Connex International, has been part of the world of teleconferencing for more than 35 years. She can recall a time before services like Zoom and Webex were household names, let alone available in homes as the key to keeping in touch with distant relatives and quarantined coworkers.

“It’s amazing to see how the industry has changed and grown,” said Volansky. “When I started, the technology was voice activated, meaning only one person could talk at a time, and a 20-port call was considered large. Outbound calls were made using a credit card specifically for long distance dial-outs. Clients calling from the side of the road using a payphone was commonplace.”

Volansky started with Connex as a parttime Bridge Operator or “BOP” while she was in college. She returned to the company after graduation and rose through the ranks from trainer to account rep to director of operations, becoming president and CEO by 2002. She marked her 21st work anniversary with Connex by purchasing the company.

Connex was founded in 1982 currently serves more than 2,200 clients. It maintains connections with its host communities in Kansas, Alabama, North Carolina, and Florida as well as the Connecticut offices through the ConnexCare program which provides time and talent as well as financial support to local nonprofits.