SPEAKERS CINDI BIGELOW President & CEO Bigelow Tea @crbigs @BigelowTea Before assuming her role as the thirdgeneration president and CEO of familyowned Bigelow Tea in 2005, Cindi Bigelow spent 20 years in virtually all areas of the company that her grandmother founded. Bigelow is instrumental in expanding Bigelow Tea into new channels while building awareness and brand engagement across social media all to ensure Bigelow Tea is accessible everywhere, 24/7. As passionate as she is about producing the finest cup of tea, Bigelow is equally concerned about community and sustainability issues. She initiated the Annual Bigelow Tea Community Challenge that has donated over $1 million to local charities and participates in volunteer projects that include Habitat for Humanity s Adopt-a-Home program. Under her leadership, the company was one of the first in Connecticut to install solar panels to offset energy usage, and she has implemented other innovations that have earned Bigelow Tea the distinction of being a Zero Waste to Landfill company. Bigelow holds a bachelor s degree from Boston College, an MBA from Northwestern University s Kellogg School of Management, and honorary doctorates from Fairfield University and the University of New Haven. She frequently makes appearances speaking to students and industry leaders, sharing insights on business ethics and career development and has received numerous awards for her years of community service. Favorite pastimes include being with her children, skiing, tennis, yoga, and drinking lots of tea. JOE BRENNAN President & CEO CBIA @CBIANews Joe Brennan is president and chief executive officer of CBIA, the state s leading business organization. The 5
organization works to promote a healthy business climate, supporting economic growth and job creation in Connecticut. Brennan also is president of CBIA s Education & Workforce Partnership, which supports STEM education in public schools and training programs that enhance the skill sets of employees at member companies. Brennan has served on numerous legislative and administrative task forces on state and local taxes, economic policy, manufacturing competitiveness, workforce readiness, and other issues. He also serves on several boards, including CONNSTEP and the Governor s Prevention Partnership. Prior to joining CBIA as a staff attorney in 1988, Brennan was in private law practice in Manchester. He received his juris doctorate from the New England School of Law in Boston, and a bachelor s degree in political science from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. He has overseen CBIA s public policy operations since 2006 and most recently served as executive vice president of CBIA, prior to assuming his current role in December of 2014. MICHAEL BROODER Office Managing Partner Marcum LLP @MarcumLLP Michael Brooder is the firm s office managing partner in Hartford, Connecticut. Brooder serves as the national high technology industry group leader as well as the New England SEC leader, and is also a member of the construction and real estate industry groups. In addition, he is the Marcum Foundation regional board leader in New England. Brooder has more than 25 years of experience conducting, reviewing, and analyzing financial data for publicly traded and privately held companies in various industries. He has extensive experience with reporting requirements for publicly traded companies, including comfort letters, registration statements, and 10-Q and 10-K forms. He consults with clients and assists them with their Sarbanes- Oxley readiness. He offers both public and non-public businesses services related to merger and acquisition transactions. Brooder extends his expertise internally as an advisor to professional staff on accounting and auditing matters, and conducts seminars for staff training. 6
BONNIE DEL CONTE President & CEO CONNSTEP @CONNSTEP Bonnie Del Conte leads the development and execution of CONNSTEP s strategic plan, supporting both the company s mission and vision, and working closely with the organization s board of directors to oversee strategy implementation for long-term results. With more than 30 years of successful corporate leadership experience, Del Conte has provided financial and tax planning services to small and midsize businesses, as well as operational management in both the service and manufacturing industries. Prior to becoming president of CONNSTEP, she was the co-founder of a woman-owned accounting and technology resource company. Del Conte is co-chair of Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty s STEM Advisory Board for 2017. She also co-chairs the Operational Improvements Committee for the Connecticut Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership and is a stakeholder to the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Fund advisory board. She is a member of the board of directors for the New Haven Manufacturing Association, and a member of the Connecticut Energy Workforce Development Consortium and the Connecticut Employment and Training Commission Advanced Manufacturing Work Group. She has also served on the Connecticut Innovation Ecosystem Planning Group and the state s team for the National Governors Association Policy Academy. In 2011, she was selected as one of the Eight Remarkable Women in business by the Hartford Business Journal. Additionally, Del Conte has been a judge for the Connecticut FIRST robotics regional competition. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Central Connecticut State University, a certified public accountant, and a member of the Connecticut Society of CPAs. DONNA DELLOMO CFO, Treasurer, & Secretary LoveSac @Lovesac secretary. Donna Dellomo is currently serving as the company s chief financial officer, treasurer, and She has 19 years of experience having served as vice president and chief financial officer of Perfumania Holdings, a $540 million publicly traded company with over 290 7
retail locations, owned and licensed brands, and a wholesale distribution network from January 1998 to January 2017. She also held progressive positions from 1988 to 1997 as internal audit manager, accounting manager and corporate controller at Cybex International, Inc., a $125 million publicly traded company that manufactured and distributed fitness, rehabilitation, and healthcare equipment. Dellomo is a Certified Public Accountant with initial focus on audit and tax and is also a member of the board of trustees of Molloy College. LYNN FUSCO President & CEO Fusco Corporation @FuscoGroup of Connecticut Ambulatory Care Center. Under Fusco s leadership, the company has become renowned for sustainable building with extensive experience in LEED and Connecticut High Performance projects, including Fairchild Wheeler Multi Magnet High School and the UCONN Health Outpatient Pavilion both earning recognition from the Connecticut Green Building Council. Fusco Corporation has also been recognized as the Green Builder of the Year. In addition to her role as president and CEO, Fusco serves on the boards of directors of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and the Eugene O Neill Theater in Waterford. Lynn Fusco is president and chief executive officer of the Fusco Corporation, one of the leading construction and property management companies in New England. She is the third generation Fusco to lead the company started by her grandfather in 1924. Fusco Corporation has built many of the region s landmarks including several in New Haven: Yale baseball stadium, the Yale Clinical Laboratory, the Connecticut Tennis Center, and the University RICH HANLEY Associate Professor of Journalism Quinnipiac University @QUJournalism Rich Hanley is an associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University. A graduate of the University of New Haven and Wesleyan University, Hanley served as a journalist for local, national, and global media for 23 years in print, television, and online before joining Quinnipiac in 2001. 8
He has produced, written and directed several Emmy-nominated documentaries for CPTV and PBS. Hanley oversaw graduate programs in journalism and interactive media for many years in addition to his teaching. In 2007, Hanley received the Charter Oak Society Distinguished Faculty Member Award from Quinnipiac, and in 2017 he became the first-ever Frank H. Netter School of Medicine Outstanding Capstone Mentor for his work with a medical student in developing studies and training programs for youth hockey coaches to spot concussion symptoms in players. He was a weekly contributor to the popular Politics, Burgers & Beer segment on WNPR s Faith Middleton Show for several years. Hanley is frequently interviewed by news media on the intersection of politics and technology, appearing in media outlets ranging from The New York Times to Variety to offer insights into the origins and distribution of disinformation through social media, among other topics of vital interest to democracy and the democratic process. DAVID LEWIS President & CEO OperationsInc & AllCountyJobs.com @DavidLewisHR David Lewis is president, CEO, and founder of OperationsInc, one of the Northeast s largest human resources outsourcing and consulting firms, specializing in support for businesses small and large. Since its inception in 2001, the firm has experienced steady, unprecedented growth and now engages 50-plus HR professionals in support of a base of more than 1,300 clients. Lewis is leveraging a 30-plus year career in human resources and operational management for leading firms including Merck/ Medco and Computer Associates. The media views Lewis as a subject matter expert in the areas of human resources, workplace management, and small business issues. He is regularly cited as a source in national publications such as The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal. Lewis is also the on-air HR subject matter expert for Your Business, an MSNBC weekly show on small business issues. 9
GARY ROSE Professor & Chair of the Department of Government Sacred Heart University @sacredheartuniv Gary Rose, Ph.D. is professor and chair of the Department of Government at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. A political science professor for many years, Rose specializes in the field of American politics. In addition to his teaching, Rose has published books on various political subjects, including presidential elections, the American presidency, constitutional law, and Connecticut politics. A widely quoted political commentator, Rose routinely provides political analysis for local, state, and national media. He has appeared on Fox News with Judge Jeanine Pirro, provided political commentary on NBC Nightly News, and has served as a guest on many Connecticut television and radio shows. He has been quoted extensively in numerous newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The recipient of several teaching and scholarship awards, Rose in 2011 was named The Connecticut Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. His most recent book is titled Haywire: A Chronology of the 2016 Presidential Contest. The 800-page tome tracks every dimension of the contentious 2016 contest over the course of four years. His latest writing project involves the 2018 Connecticut gubernatorial contest and the multitude of complex public policy challenges that will confront Connecticut s next governor. CHRISTINE STUART Editor-in-Chief CTNewsjunkie.com @ctnewsjunkie Christine Stuart saw the evolution of the internet as an opportunity to deliver news in new and interesting ways. She purchased the site in March 2006 from its founder, Dan Levine, and began reporting on state government and politics. Readership has increased each of the past 11 years. Before CTNewsJunkie, Stuart was a stringer for The New York Times between 2007 and 2009 and before that she worked at the Journal Inquirer for four years. She started her career as listings editor at the Hartford Advocate from 1999-2002 and before that was an intern at the Hartford Courant from 1996-98. 10
JOHN TRAYNOR Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer People s United Wealth Management @Peoples KELLI-MARIE VALLIERES President & CEO Sound Manufacturing, Inc. & Monster Power Equipment, Inc. @SoundMFGInc As chief investment officer, John Traynor directs the overall investment process and has ultimate responsibility for the work of various investment committees. He also serves as the chief spokesperson for the firm s investment outlook through regular strategy briefings. He appears regularly on CNBC s Nightly Business Report and Fox Business Network, as well as being quoted in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Prior to joining People s United Wealth Management in 2011, Traynor served as director of investment strategy and alternative investments at Hawthorn, a $22 billion family office in the PNC Financial Services Group. Traynor is a board member on the Council of Churches, the Professional Advisors Council for the Fairfield County Community Foundation, chairs OARS, and is a member of the Patterson Club, Saugatuck Rowing Club, and the University Barge Club. Kelli-Marie Vallieres is the president and CEO of Sound Manufacturing, a precision sheet metal contract manufacturer, and Monster Power Equipment, a landscape equipment manufacturer. Vallieres earned her degree in educational leadership and adult learning from the University of Connecticut in 2007. She is involved in many workforce development initiatives and serves as president of the Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance and director of the New England Board of Higher Education Problem-Based Resource Center. She is also on the boards of CBIA and EWIB. Vallieres is passionately engaged in developing workforce skills to benefit her team members and the local workforce pipeline. He graduated from Villanova University with a bachelor s in business administration, with a concentration in finance. 11
JONATHAN WHARTON Assistant Professor, Political Science & Urban Affairs Southern Connecticut State University @PreppyProf A West Hartford native, Jonathan Wharton is assistant professor of political science and urban affairs at Southern Connecticut State University and resides in the City Point section of New Haven. He serves as commissioner on the New Haven City Plan Commission, stakeholder for New Haven s Long Wharf Responsible Growth Plan, and until this past March chaired the New Haven Republican Town Committee. Wharton is also a deacon and sings in the choir at New Haven s historic Congregationalist Center Church on the Green. Wharton s research and publications have centered on state and local politics as well as economic development. His first book, A Post- Racial Change Is Gonna Come: Newark, Cory Booker and the Transformation of Urban America, focused on Newark s coalition politics and economic development approaches. Wharton s most recent book, Democracy in New England: A Community Politics Reader, examines several works about local politics and economic development in various regional cities. Prior to academia, Wharton worked as a congressional aide for U.S. representatives Charles Rangel (D-NY), Glenn Poshard (D-IL), and Chris Shays (R-CT). He was also a research analyst in the New Jersey state legislature in the Office of Legislative Services and government affairs researcher for several Washington nonprofit organizations. 12