U.S. HUD Secretary to Guest at Chamber Breakfast

A huge event for the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce is Friday morning's event on housing with U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan at the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in Haddam.

Secretary Donovan will discuss federal housing policy and strategy. Check-in for the event, sponsored by Liberty Bank, begins at 10:30 a.m. and the program will begin at 11 a.m. 

Following remarks, a panel featuring local experts on housing issues in Connecticut will provide its reaction and explore how HUD’s policies are being implemented in Middlesex County.

Panelists include: Catherine Smith, commissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development; David Fink, Policy and Communications director, Partnership for Strong Communities; Tony Lyons, Board of Directors president, HOPE Partnership, Old Saybrook. The Chamber’s Affordable Housing Committee Chairman Bob Fusari will moderate the discussion of the morning.

When Fusari was chairman of the chamber’s Board of Directors in 2006 and 2007, he convinced me that housing is an issue that should be of great importance to the business community and our Affordable Housing Committee serves as the legacy of his chairmanship.

Earlier this week, the chamber's 14th annual graduation awards ceremony for the Side Street to Main Street Business Leadership and Development program was held. The 11 graduates of this year’s class will bring the graduate total to 170 students who have successfully completed the program.

The program is designed to assist minority small business owners in the community who have not had formal business training, develop the necessary skills and qualities for effective business success. Aetna has funded this program since day one.

Last week, the Chamber hosted the 27th Annual Business After Work Auction and Taste of Downtown at the Italian Society Hall in Middletown. In all, 350 guests sampled the food of 13 of downtown’s best restaurants and eateries: Downtown Bar & Grill, First and Last Tavern, Iguanas Ranas Taqueria, Mondo, New England Emporium Eatery & Marketplace, Nikita’s Bar & Bistro, One MacDonough Place, Puerto Vallarta Restaurant, Sweet Harmony Café & Bakery, Tavern at the Armory, Tschudin Chocolates & Confections, Tuscany Grill and Typhoon Restaurant.

Nearly 125 businesses and individuals donated items for the live and silent auctions, raised $9,000 for this year’s Holiday on Main Street. Taste of Downtown Business After Work Committee Co-Chairmen Al Santostefano and Rich Greco are commended for organizing this event.

This year, 75 volunteers from the community made this event such a great success.

For information on Chamber activities, see middlesexchamber.com or contact Matt Fraulino at (860) 347-6924 or matthew@middlesexchamber.com.