Mickey's Mail - 2/28/18 - So Many Great Events
Instead of a blog this week, I thought I would offer up some pictures of the past 16 months since I took on the role of BRBC’s President and CEO.
It has been a great ride with our region’s premier business association. We’d need a thousand pictures to do justice to all our events, our affiliates, our influence, and most of all, to all our members and their incredible employees who do us proud every day.
Our events bring us together - they are just one of the many ways the BRBC connects commerce and community to create a better Bridgeport Region!
My first picture above of me and Valerie Senew, First Vice President & Senior Growth Manager, People's United Bank is just one of many great photos from our Networking Extravaganza at People's United Bank just last week. You'll see more on our Facebook page later this week and in next week's Monday Morning Memo.
I hope you enjoy my walk down memory lane with all the photos showcased below.
Row 1: Ashley Battle, Business Development Director, Barnum Financial Group with me at a Thrive “Thirsty Thursday” in Black Rock; my introduction of Sikorsky Lockheed Martin President Daniel Schultz at an Inside the CEO's event; James Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International at our Annual Dinner last December; my tour of Bridgeport Energy with Jake Manner, Maintenance Manager, Donald Ross, Plant Manager, and Sandi Hennequin, Vice President, U.S. Public Affairs, Emera Energy.
Row 2: A “pizza cutting” (instead of a ribbon cutting) with Declan Mahar, Owner, Jordan Bochanis, Executive Slice President, and Joel Faxon at PizzaCo in Stratford. Next is our Regional Legislative and CEO Caucus meeting with Gregg Dancho, Zoo Director, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo; Timothy Hodges, Vice President Government Relations and CRA Investment Officer, People’s United Bank; State Senator, District 128 Tony Hwang; and Mayor of Stratford Laura Hoydick; Phil Schwer, Plant Manager, Wheelabrator Bridgeport with me at its annual barbeque; and a TV interview with Steve Geyer of SCORE Greater Bridgeport.
Row 3: 2016-2017 BRBC Chair Armando Goncalves, Market President, People’s United Bank; BRBC Vice Chair Kate Hampford Donahue, President and CEO, Hampford Research, Inc. (and now our current chair) with Karen Delvecchio, BRBC Executive Vice President and me; Susan Herbst, UCONN President speaking at our 2016 Annual Dinner; Susan Katz, UB Mass Communications Professor instructing her class on the creative process they would engage in with the BRBC for developing a new logo and marketing materials for us.
Row 4: Elizabeth Torres, Chief Executive Officer, Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust speaking at an Leadership Greater Bridgeport (LGB) meeting on economic development; Steven Culmone, President and CEO (with Patty Gallagher, Vice President, Branch Manager of The Milford Bank in Stratford looking on) at a tour of Ashcroft Inc. after a Stratford Chamber meeting; Past Chair of Leadership Greater Bridgeport, James Gildea, Plant Manager, R.C. Bigelow Incorporated receiving the Jayne Kuchma LGB Alumni Award by Philip Kuchma, President of Kuchma Corporation at LGB’s graduation ceremony; Ramon Peralta, Creative Director, Peralta Illustration and Design and Katherine E. Ginis, Chief Marketing Officer & Partner, Poppy’s Cheesecake, Inc. panelists at the BRBC’s Women’s Leadership Council professional development program entitled “Think Like an Entrepreneur”; Congressman Jim Himes, District 4 stopping by our office; and Willie McBride, President of WC McBride Electrical Contractors giving me a tour of his office.
Final picture is our inestimable staff at People’s United Bank Business Hours last week with Jeff Bishop, Trumbull Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and Business Retention Director and I as the bookends. Left to right between us: Karen DelVecchio, Executive Vice President of the BRBC and Executive Director of the Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce; Jocelyn Paoletta, Communications Director and Executive Director of our Women’s Leadership Council; Gwen Brantley, Leadership Greater Bridgeport and Thrive Director; Joan Law, Executive Director of our Stratford Chamber of Commerce; and Stephanie Lindley, my right hand and assistant.
Thanks to Roger Salls of Roger Salls Photograhy and other friends of the BRBC for helping us keep a great record of our events and members with the photos they share.
There are more great events ahead - hope to see you at one of those soon!
Mickey
