Chamber President Eager for Business to Business Expo

As we get closer to our 2011 Business to Business Expo event on Oct. 28, I want to remind the business community of the great breakfast and lunch speakers that will be featured presenters on the day of the business showcase.

Our breakfast meeting will feature experts Peter Gioia, vice president and economist, Connecticut Business & Industry Association, and Donald Klepper-Smith, chief economist and director of research, DataCore Partners LLC, and economic advisor to Farmington Bank for an informative economic forecast. 

The presentation will address the fact that we are all feeling the increased pressure that today’s economy creates and will provide an in-depth discussion on the current economic trends and how to strategically plan for the year ahead. 

At lunchtime, Catherine Smith, state Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner, will speak on what is going on in Hartford and across the state to continue to weather the storm and what lies ahead. 

What lies ahead certainly is a major question mark in the eyes of many. We are coming up on an important time at the beginning of November because we will have the opportunity to vote for the local leaders who will be charged with the task of steering our municipalities though these difficult times.  With that said, the Chamber has been and continues to host candidate forums all across the county via the different Chamber division meetings.

We had great forums last week at our Durham/Middlefield division along with the Cromwell division; Portland/East Hampton and Chester/Deep River/Essex the week before that. This week, the slate is equally full with our all-Middletown division and East Haddam/Haddam divisions that will host candidates for mayor or first selectman.

It is important for everyone, including those in the business community, to know what each candidate stands for and learn as much as possible about the individuals who seek to lead their respective municipality.

I was also at the National Governor’s Economic Forum, held in Hartford, on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy hosted the event and there were economic development specialists from Maryland to Maine along with the governors of Delaware and Nebraska; we discussed ways in which states can become more business friendly to create taxes and jobs.

I congratulate the Middlesex County Substance Abuse Action Council once again this week for an outstanding achievement. The organization, which is in the Chamber’s Business/Industry Foundation, celebrated its 21st anniversary at its annual meeting on Oct. 14 at the Inn at Middletown. Twenty-one years ago, there was only one chamber in the country that was involved with substance abuse prevention and, when the opportunity presented itself, we decided to step up  to the plate and get involved.  Since that time, this organization has grown tremendously in each year of its existence.

I would like to congratulate the five award recipients who were honored at the meeting as well: Prevention Program Award recipient Jennifer Schulten of Durham/Middlefield; Terry Concannon Award recipent State Sen. Paul Doyle; Father Michael O’Hara Volunteer Award recipient, Cindi Coutu, chair of East Hampton Prevention Committee; Harry Eben Burr Business Award for Prevention Awareness recipient Aidan Charles of Charles Coaching & Nutrition Services, Middletown; and Youth Volunteer Award recipient Megan Lohutko, Westbrook High School student.

For information, email Matt Fraulino at matthew@middlesexchamber.com or call (860) 347-6924.