ELECTED

B. Michael Rauh, President & CEO of Chelsea Groton Bank, will serve through November 2018 as past chairman of the Connecticut Bankers Association. Michael J. Casparino, of People’s United Bank, was elected chairman. The CBA represents state and federally chartered commercial banks, savings banks, savings & loans and trust companies in legislative, regulatory and general banking issues in both Connecticut and Washington. 

NETWORKING

The Ignite Program of Thames River Innovation Place will present Business Speed Mentoring for entrepreneurs on Wednesday, Dec. 6, from 5-7 p.m. at Harris Place, 165 State St., New London. The event will feature the opportunity to speak one-on-one with mentors on business planning, marketing, financing and other areas; a fireside chat, and networking reception. This event is free to attend, but registration is requested. For more information and to register, visit www.bit.ly/Ignite120617.

Mentors include Maria Miranda from Miranda Creative and Sara Connolly from Temple Media to discuss marketing; David McBride, Executive Director of Thames River Innovation Place, and Kristin Harkness and Hannah Gant, Spark Coop, to discuss business strategy, planning and financing. Liberty Bank will be on hand with information on business banking and traditional financing. Brochure and website writing can be discussed with Michele DiLima and Bridget K. Brown of StoryMatters, LLC. R. MacPherson Photography will take professional headshots for $20 throughout the event.

The Ignite Program is a partnership between The Commons and Spark Makerspace established under the Thames River Innovation Place grant from CTNext and sponsored by the TRIP collaborative.

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT and the Young Professionals of Eastern CT will host a combined Business After Hours and YPsocial networking event on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Starbucks at Waterford’s Crystal Mall, 850 Hartford Turnpike, 2nd floor. Admission is $15 for Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT members and $25 for non-members. Register in advance to avoid an additional $5 fee for unregistered walk-ins at www.ChamberECT.com/events or call (860) 701-9113. YPECT is administered as a division of the Chamber. It is presented in part by Atlantic Broadband and McCue Mortgage/Keith Turner.

EVENT

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT Foundation's 34th annual Holiday Gala at Mohegan Sun will be held Friday, Dec. 8, 5:30-9:30 p.m. Proceeds raised will be distributed by the Chamber Foundation to local children and families in need. Purchase tickets by visiting www.ChamberECT.com/gala or call the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT office at (860) 701-9113. The 34th annual Holiday Gala is sponsored in part by The Mohegan Tribe, Backus Hospital, Family First Life, and The Day.

WORKSHOPS

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT and the Community Foundation of Eastern CT will co-host a Nonprofit Conference on the topic of Financial Planning on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Holiday Inn, 10 Laura Boulevard, Norwich. This workshop focuses on best practices for financial planning for nonprofits and teaches participants how to incorporate practical tips and tools in order to maintain robust, flexible financial plans. The workshop will be led by Andrea Mills, MBA, CPA, CCSA, CGGMA, and Principal of Financial Management Associates of New York. Admission is $40 per person and includes continental breakfast and luncheon. Scholarships are available from the Community Foundation of Eastern CT: contact jennob@cfect.org for details. Sign up and learn more online at www.ChamberECT.com/events or call the Chamber at (860) 701-9113.

SCORE will host “Web Foundations for Small Business,” presented by Anne Driscoll, Thursday, Dec. 7, 6–7:30 p.m., The Public Library of New London, 63 Huntington St.; for more information contact Driscoll at anne.driscoll@scorevolunteer.org.

RIBBON CUTTING

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT will host a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Chelsea Groton Bank's Center Groton branch on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2-4 p.m. at 1319 Gold Star Highway. This event is free and open to the public with no RSVP necessary. Learn more at www.ChamberECT.com/events or call (860) 701-9113.

Murphy’s Barber Shop and Social Club has opened at 29 Broadway Ave., Mystic. Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce hosted a Ribbon Cutting last week. Owner Chris Thorp spent the 1990s bartending in Mystic, then travelled around the world cutting hair at bike rallies, most notably “Trip Out UK” and “Flanders Chopper Bash.” Murphy’s Barber Shop and Social Club is open 7 days a week. To make an appointment, call 860-287-4174.

Windham Falls Estates, 425 Drozdyk Drive, Groton, is under new management and has a new name: Solstice Senior Living at Groton. Solstice Senior Living has assumed management of 32 NorthStar Healthcare Income, Inc., independent living communities nationally. Each community will be rebranded under the Solstice umbrella, with Integral Senior Living providing management and NHI maintaining business and real estate ownership.

Gerald “Gerry” Jackson has been named Solstice’s senior vice president. Jackson has more than 30 years of experience in senior living, assisted living and behavioral health, including leadership roles in training, operations, and program and staff development.

For more information, visit www.solsticeseniorlivinggroton.com.

GIVING

Mystic Oil Co., Inc. has secured grants for local math and science programs ranging from $500 to $1,000 per school through ExxonMobil’s Educational Alliance program, on behalf of independently owned Exxon and Mobil gas stations in our community.

The grants are: Wheeler Middle School, $1,000, Mystic Village Mobil, 66 Whitehall Ave., and Sunny’s Mobil, 2414 Gold Star Highway, Old Mystic; North Stonington Elementary, $1,000, Mystic Mobil, 34 E. Main St., and Spicer Marketplace Mobil, 560 New London Turnpike, North Stonington; Salem School, $500, Sam’s Food Stores Mobil, Centerbrook; New London Science & Technology Magnet School, $1,000, Guy’s Oil, 87 W. Main St., Niantic, and A1 (Kenyon’s) Mobil 241 Boston Post Road, Waterford; and Mohegan Elementary School in Montville, $500, Mohegan Sun Mobil, 2 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville.

For 2017, Mystic Oil Company secured 13 grants totaling $6,500 for schools in Connecticut and New York. Headquartered in Mystic, Mystic Oil Co., Inc., is a locally owned fourth-generation business that supplies gasoline and diesel fuel to 100 convenience stores and fueling stations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York. Founded in 1956, the company celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2016.

Local Wireless Zone stores recently donated over 1,200 pounds of food to the Gemma Moran Food bank in New London. Wireless Zone employees ran a food drive with the help of friends, family and customers and presented the food with a $3,000 sponsorship check to Gemma Moran and Alice Socia of United way at their annual training meeting.

To make sure everyone in Liberty Bank’s service area can enjoy a turkey dinner this holiday, the Liberty Bank/Rotary Club Thanksgiving Drive, in its 14th year, has raised a record-breaking $356,372. 

Each dollar raised by local Rotary clubs and Liberty Bank offices was matched with 25 cents from the Liberty Bank Foundation, resulting in a total match of $73,074. Recipients included Colchester Social Services, residents of Schwarz Manor and Eastwood Manor, Norwich; Care & Share of East Lyme; Groton Social Services; Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, youth services bureaus in Old Saybrook, Westbrook, and Old Lyme; Waterford Interfaith Food Locker, and The Salvation Army, New London.

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