Sept. 25 Business in Brief

• Kara Spinnato of Franklin has been named director of sales for the Courtyard by Marriott in Norwich and SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Waterford. Both properties are managed by Waterford Hotel Group.

Spinnato will be responsible for the sales effort of the hotels, including developing and maintaining new accounts, supervising sales-related personnel and implementing sales and marketing strategies to maximize profits while maintaining guest satisfaction.

Spinnato has a bachelor's degree with a specialization in marketing and professional selling from the University of Connecticut.

• Attorney Linda L. Mariani of the New London-based law firm of Mariani & Reck LLC has once again been selected by her peers for inclusion in the 2011/2012 list of Connecticut Superlawyers and New England Superlawyers.

Mariani & Reck, which is located at 85 Broad St. in New London, has one of the largest and most successful matrimonial law practices in Connecticut referrals received from legal colleagues, therapists, school officials and members of the courts staff.

To reach the law firm, call (860) 443-5023.

• The Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center and NEAT Marketplace at Oak Hill in Hartford are partnering to present a conference titled "App-Tastic: Assistive Technology Conference," to be held Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Mystic Marriott from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The conference will include information about the iPad and its uses in education and as an assistive device. CEUs are available to those with Connecticut Department of Education certification. Tickets are $25, and the conference is open to educators, families, veterans, senior citizens and the public. Registration and payment are due by Tuesday, Oct. 4. For more information, call Katie Flynn at (860) 445-7626, extension 115, or email KFlynn@lighthousevocedcenter.com. Information and registration forms are available at www.lvecenter.com.

• A business breakfast on Monday by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut will feature U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. The breakfast is scheduled from 7:45 to 9 a.m. on Monday at the Holiday Inn at 10 Laura Boulevard in Norwich.

To obtain additional information, visit www.ChamberECT.com. The cost is $17 for chamber members and $25 for others.

• The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut has announced a kickoff event for the Young Professionals of Eastern Connecticut, a group it has organized.

The event is scheduled to take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the Octagon Steak House at the Mystic Marriott & Spa, 625 North Road, Groton.

Any young professional interested in attending the initial networking social should contact Meg Akeman at the chamber office at (860) 701-9113 or at www.ypect.com.

Annual membership is $50. The organization is open to young professionals, regardless of whether they work for a company or are self-employed.

• A ribbon cutting will be held Saturday for The Bridge Market, a grocery store with a range of offerings, including a catering service. The store is located at 118 Fort Hill Road in Groton.

Co-owned by local businesswomen Karen Dole and Valerie Ackley, The Bridge Market will offer groceries, a deli counter and a bakery. There will be specialty coffees from Green Mountain and a Giffords ice cream counter, as well as the Catering Corner.

The 11 a.m. ribbon cutting hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut will be part of a broader celebration that will include music by the Cartells.

• Julia Balfour, a creative director in Lyme, along with her team at Julia Balfour LLC, are being honored with 10 GD USA awards as part of the American Graphic Design Awards program.

GD USA is a news magazine for graphic designers and other creative professionals. The graphic design awards are held each year to showcase excellence within the creative community. More than 8,000 entries were submitted to represent outstanding work across all media and across the country.

Julia Balfour LLC is a full-service creative agency that specializes in design, programming and social media. For more information, call (860) 577-0340 or visit www.juliabalfour.com.

• Patricia Russell of Lisbon, who has more than 20 years of local insurance industry experience, has joined the SAVA Insurance Group in its personal lines department as an account manager.

She holds a Connecticut property and casualty license, as well as her life and health insurance licenses. The SAVA Insurance Group is located at 750 Broad St. Extension in Waterford and can be reached at (860) 437-7282. The firm's website is www.savainsurance.com.

• Deborah Campagna of Ledyard is the Little Learners Children's Center new infant and toddler program manager.

She holds a head teacher certification from the state of Connecticut and is currently working to complete her bachelor's degree in education.

For more information about the Little Learners Children's Center, visit its website at www.LittleLearnersCC.com or call (860) 572-4411.

• The Eastern Connecticut Association of Realtors is offering several continuing education courses for real estate licensees in October at several locations throughout eastern Connecticut.

Courses include: Oct. 5 at The Harvest in Pomfret, 9 a.m., Realty Safety & Security; 1 p.m., Computer Security Data & Identity Management; 6 p.m., Connecticut Real Estate Agent Fiduciary Duties Review & Law Update. On Oct. 18 at the Courtyard Marriott in Norwich: 9 a.m., Analysis & Marketing of Commercial Real Estate; 6 p.m., Contracts.

Real estate brokers need to complete their continuing education requirements before March 31 to renew their licenses. The renewal date for salespersons is May 31 and April 30 for appraisers.

Call (860) 892-2595 for information, or for complete schedules and registration forms, visit www.easternctrealtors.com. The direct link to the calendar page is www.easternctrealtors.com/calendarofevents.html.

• Raymond Geer, owner of Sun Turtle Office Furniture in New London, recently won an all-expenses paid trip for two to Vail, Colo., sponsored by the HON Co., which makes office furniture.

Geer was honored with the trip for being a top sales representative for HON.

Geer's HON furniture sales between October 2010 and July 2011 placed him fourth in HON's region that includes Connecticut as well as 37th overall in the nation. Sun Turtle Office Furniture is a Connecticut certified minority business enterprise. Sun Turtle Office Furniture is located at 1 Bailey Circle in New London. Its website is www.SunTurtleOfficeFurniture.com.

• Jen Sklodosky of North Stonington has become an independent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct sales company of easy-to-prepare foods.

For more information about Tastefully Simple products, taste-testing parties or starting your own Tastefully Simple business, contact Sklodosky at jsklo@hotmail.com.

For more information about Tastefully Simple, visit tastefullysimple.com.

• A seminar for families caring for a loved one diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease or any dementia will be held on Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Colchester Senior Center.

Speakers include Muhammed Qureshi, M.D., a geriatrician with United Community and Family Services, Rose M. Levine, a dementia care manager with Elderevaluations, and Dan James, who is with CareCo Medical. For information or to register, call (860) 537-3911 or (860) 859-7749.

• Press releases for this Business in Brief column, which runs each Sunday, should be sent to businessbriefs@theday.com.

Submit all items for consideration by Monday morning for publication in the following Sunday's business section. Generally, press releases should be no more than two to three paragraphs in length because of space limitations. Remember to include pertinent information, such as your company's telephone number, hours of operation and website address.

For general questions about Business in Brief submissions, call Anthony Cronin, The Day's business editor, at (860) 701-4326 or send an email to a.cronin@theday.com.