Middletown's Simmons Joins East Haddam Economic Development

The East Haddam has hired Peter Simmons of Middletown as the town’s new Economic Development Coordinator. Simmons brings nearly 25 years of experience in managing economic, community development, and business assistance projects with the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

Simmons is also a licensed professional engineer, and managed military construction, renovation and maintenance projects at home and overseas in his career as an officer with the U.S. Navy Reserve Civil Engineer Corps. After restructuring occurred at DECD this summer, Simmons started his own economic development consulting business and East Haddam’s part-time coordinator position was an ideal fit.

The Commission was pleased with the level of interest in the position and interviewed numerous strong candidates, many of whom had town or state-level economic development experience.

The new Coordinator continues the progress of Melissa Ziobron, the town’s first Economic Development Coordinator, who was in the position for four years. The position serves as a liaison between established and new business interests and various East Haddam departments/commissions and with regional and state agencies.

Current priority projects for Simmons include the review of recent failed State and Federal grant applications, assistance with new businesses interest in several commercial properties, attending the former Sunrise Resort walk-through, and work with the Village Revitalization and mobility projects. He will also be visiting established local businesses and commercial property owners during the next few months.