EMPLOYMENT

Meaghan Linn Grasso has joined William Raveis Real Estate's Mystic Office at 39 East Main St. She completed a 60-hour Practices and Principles Course and Connecticut. Real Estate Law course at Eastern Connecticut Association of Realtors in Franklin. She can be reached at www.meaghangrasso.raveis.com or 860-772-9643. 

Benjamin M. Servideo has joined the Westerly Community Credit Union as the Small Business Lending Officer. He comes to WCCU with over 7 years’ experience in the industry, most recently from the Washington Trust Company, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rhode Island. He lives in Pawcatuck. Servideo can be reached at (401) 637-4436 or bservideo@westerlyccu.com.

Pamela Klapproth has been named Chief Executive Officer of Fairview, The Odd Fellows Home of Connecticut, in Groton. CEO James Rosenman will be departing mid-January, and Klapproth will begin Feb. 11. She is a licensed Nursing Home Administrator. Fairview specializes in rehabilitation and post-acute care, cardiac rehabilitation, long-term care, memory care and independent senior housing. For more information visit www.FairviewCT.org.

Dorothy Schrage has joined the administrative team at Seniors Helping Seniors. A long-time Mystic resident, she has spent over 10 years in the senior industry helping people maintain their independence and live happy and healthy lives. Schrage will be working part time in the Mystic office and joins Peg Girard, Margot Larkin and Maria Cerino as well as Dottye Bessette, RN. The agency opened in Stonington in 2007 and has expanded to provide services throughout all New London County as well as southern Rhode Island. Call 860-536-4767 for more information. 

WORKSHOPS

SCORE will host workshops on:

"Understanding Your Money - Financial Statements," Tuesday, Jan. 15, 6-8 p.m., Dime Bank, 290 Salem Turnpike, Norwich. Presenter is Jim Toner. Sponsored by Dime Bank.

"Maximizing LinkedIn for Your Professional Career or Business," Thursday, Jan. 17, 5:30–7 p.m., Acton Public Library, 60 Old Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook. Presenter is Maria Miranda.

"How to Start and Run a Successful Non-Profit Organization," Tuesday, Jan. 22, 9:30-11 a.m., Old Saybrook Town Hall, 302 Main St.  Presenter is Bob Potter.

"Cost, Price and Profit," Wednesday, Jan. 23, 5:30-7 p.m., East Lyme Public Library, 39 Society Road, Niantic. Presenter is Eric Munro.

"Effective Financial Planning," Monday, January 28, 5:30–7p.m., Groton Public Library, 52 Newtown Road.

“Bank Funding Your Small Business,” Monday, Feb. 4, 5:30-7 p.m., Acton Public Library, 60 Old Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook. Sponsored by Edward Jones – Ann Pellegrini, Clinton East office.

For more information, contact Anne Driscoll at anne.driscoll@scorevolunteer.org.

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT will host a workshop about "Smart Speaker Marketing – Using Voice Technology for Your Business" on Wednesday, Jan. 16, noon-1 p.m. at the Chamber's office, 914 Hartford Turnpike, second floor, Waterford. Marketing experts from Miranda Creative and Voxion are the presenters. Admission for employees who work for a Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT-affiliated business is $5, non-member admission is $15. Learn more and register at www.ChamberECT.com/events or call (860) 701-9113.

NETWORKING

“Coffee with the Chamber” will take place Tuesday, Jan. 15, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Muddy Waters Café, 42 Bank St., New London. Mingle with fellow newcomers to the area and ask questions to staff from the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT. This meetup is organized by the Chamber’s Community Concierge program. Learn more at www.CommunityECT.com or call the Chamber at (860) 701-9113.

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT will host its first Business After Hours networking event of the year on Thursday, Jan. 17, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at The Meadows, 769 Stonington Road, Stonington, co-hosted with Gourmet Galley Catering. Early Bird registration before Jan. 15 is $15 for Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT members, $25 non-members. Prices increase by $5 after Jan. 15. Admission includes complimentary hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer, and soft drinks. Learn more and register at www.ChamberECT.com/events or call (860) 701-9113.

HONORS

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT is seeking nominations for Regional Chamber Awards, which will be presented at its Annual Meeting in the spring. Visit www.ChamberECT.com and submit nominations for the following categories: Small Business of the Year, Business of the Year, Community Revitalization Award, New Business of the Year, Nonprofit of the Year, Best Place to Work, Industry Innovator, Tourism Leader of the Year, and Young Professional of the Year. Nominations close on Feb. 1. Self-nominations are allowed.

GoBankingRates.com has named KeyBank one of its Best Banks of 2019 and one of the Best National Banks of 2019. This was based on several factors, including accessibility, checking account fees, savings interest rates, and the availability of services, such as auto and mortgage loans, credit cards, and investment services. The bank has a branch at 20 Main St., Old Saybrook. For more information, visit www.keybank.com. 

GIVING

Grand Wine and Spirits raised more more than $9,000 for Tthe erri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation during its fall breast cancer awareness fundraising campaign. On Tuesday, Dec. 11, Chuck Bowe, owner of Grand Wine and Spirits, presented a check to Sandy Maniscalco, co-founder of TBBCF, and Deb Gillig, TBBCF events and promotions coordinator. Every year from mid-September through October, the five Grand Wine and Spirits stores in the region are lit up in pink tags with donations being made to TBBCF with the purchase of many brands of wines, beers and liquors. Since 2011, Grand Wine and Spirits has raised more than $50,000 for TBBCF. The company also has been a Sapphire Sponsor for the past three years. Grand Wine and Spirit shops are located in Mystic, Waterford, Old Lyme and Groton.

Local non-profit organizations are invited to apply for Pfizer Connecticut Laboratories’ 2019/2020 competitive grants. Applications from organizations serving communities in southeastern Connecticut, the greater New Haven area, and southern Rhode Island will be considered. Priority will be given to programs that bring STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) to students from elementary through high school. Additional grants will be made to programs that provide for the underserved or to support local civic and cultural institutions.

Grants will range from $1,000 and will not exceed $10,000. Organizations can apply online at http://pfizercommunitygrants.versaic.com no later than March 31 for programs taking place July 2019 through June 2020. For more information, email PfizerConnecticutLabs@Pfizer.com.

The Westerly Community Credit Union will be awarding $4,500 in scholarships to area schools including Chariho, Exeter-West Greenwich, Narragansett, Prout, South Kingstown, Stonington, Westerly, and Wheeler for the 2018/19 school year. They are sponsoring three college scholarships and one vocational scholarship each in the amount of $1000. The Westerly Community Credit Union will also be awarding $500 through the Cooperative Credit Union Association College Scholarship Program. The deadline for these scholarships is March 15.

Applications are available at any Westerly Community Credit Union branch location, www.westerlyccu.com, and at the guidance departments at the local high schools.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union awarded over $575,000 in annual $100 cash bonuses to its Gold Rewards members during December 2018, which is the highest amount ever paid since the program began nine years ago. Charter Oak began its Gold Rewards program in 2010 and since that time has paid over $3.6 million in annual $100 cash bonuses.

For more information, visit www.CharterOak.org, or stop by any of Charter Oak’s branches in New London or Windham counties, or call 860-446-8085 or 800-962-3237.

NEW BUSINESS 

Waterford residents Brian and Melissa Rheaume, owners of Laundromat Express in Waterford and Laundry for Less in Norwich, have launched Magic Basket Laundry Pickup and Delivery Service. Customers can schedule a pickup and leave their laundry by the door. Items will be returned the next day. The service is offered to residents of Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterfordl, New London, Groton and Mystic. For more information, visit www.Magicbasketlaundry.com.

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