TRAINING

A new free webinar for business people from the advisory group SCORE, “Beginner's Guide to Local SEO: 6 Steps to Improve Your Google Rankings,” will be held at 10 a.m. May 4 via Zoom.

Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Guilford, it will feature marketing veteran Sarah Blecher speaking on how to improve search results for businesses on Google. People often search in Google and contact the top listings in the search results. To build your business, it’s vital to make your way to the top of the local search rankings.

In this hour and a half webinar, Blecher will walk you through the process of optimizing your online presence to increase local traffic, visibility, and brand awareness for local customers.

To inquire how to preregister, contact Anne Driscoll, anne.driscoll@scorevolunteer.org.

PEOPLE & PLACES ON THE MOVE

Marisol Herrera, state director of the Procurement Technical Assistance Center based in Groton, has been named a Certified Procurement Professional by the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

Herrera has worked from the Southeastern CT Enterprise Region office on Thames Street in Groton since September 2022. SeCTer is the federally designated economic development agency for the region.

Herrera was required to complete over 85 hours of training and demonstrate capability in 34 different topics to be eligible for certification.

Debra L. Brown of Killingworth has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer at Essex Savings Bank in the wake of Shawn Honan’s pending retirement.

Brown previously had been assistant treasurer/controller for 23 years, stated Diane Arnold, president and CEO. She began her career as accounting department supervisor in March 1995 and four years later was promoted to controller and assistant vice president shortly thereafter. She is also team leader for the non-profit Angel Ride Inc., since 2009 and served on their board as Treasurer and in 2018 received the Community Foundation of Middlesex County Unsung Hero award.

Norwich Arts Center has published a collection of artwork by 26 Eastern Connecticut artists titled “Wanderings: Works by Norwich Arts Center Artists.”

The 122-page book, with a forward by Connecticut writer and painter Glenn Alan Cheney who published the book through his company New London Librarium, includes 100 full-color images of paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other works by many local artists.

Artists besides Cheney featured in the book are Debora Aldo, Glynis J. Blanker, Virginia Chase, Karen Coombs, Rita Dawley, Mark Dixon, Michael Dubenetsky, Carol Dunn., Blaney Harris, Sandra Jeknavorian, Susan Scott Kenney, Melody Knight Leary, Gerlinde Lehner, Mary Ann Lewis, Gabe Lipman, Susan Masse, Lori Neumann, Marianne Nicholas, Susan Parish, Mark Patnode, Yujuan Patnode, Lori Rembetski, Lisa Shasha, Gretchen van der Lyke and Gabrielle Zane.

All proceeds benefit the Norwich Arts Center, which has copies available at 60 Broadway in Norwich from noon to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The book is also available at NLLibrarium.com and amazon.com.

Breezeline, a cable operator that serves New London, Groton and surrounding communities, has launched its Breezeline Stream TV service in Connecticut that it says brings live TV, On Demand, DVR and streaming apps together in one platform that can be used both inside and outside the home.

The cloud-based service already has been successfully introduced in New Hampshire, Maine, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Florida and Ohio.

The service also features live rewind, start over, and catch-up features and the ability to record up to 300 hours of high-definition content with unlimited simultaneous recordings. For information, visit https://www.breezeline.com/streamtv.

ANNUAL MEETINGS

Norwich-based Dime Bank recently hosted its 154th annual meeting at Lake of Isles in North Stonington, where President & Chief Executive Officer Nick Caplanson announced that James Gomes, originally of Norwich and now living in Cheshire, has been named a corporator of the bank. James is the Northeast vice president of Automotive Partnerships for iHeart Media, in Hartford.

The meeting included a rundown on 2022’s highlights, including the opening of Dime’s 14th branch in Vernon in December. Dime also announced that it was recently named among the region’s “Best Place to Work” from the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. The bank received this award at the chamber’s annual meeting March 30.

Following its 150th annual meeting on March 29, Jewett City Savings Bank President and CEO Michael Alberts announced the election of a director and four new corporators.

Graeme J. Everson, owner and operator of Mercer Monument Works of Plainfield, was named a bank director. Everson serves on the board of the Moosup Fire Department and is a member of the New England Monument Builders Association, Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and Plainfield Business Association.

The new corporators are Kate K. Beauparlant of Voluntown, Katina Simmons of Jewett City, Beth A. Steele of Norwich and James Zahansky of Pomfret Center.

During the meeting, the bank recognized the retirement of director Phillip Tetreault. He is the owner of T & S Oil Company, and is an owner/member of Route 12 Bulk LLC and PET Investments in Plainfield.

PARTNERSHIP

The Big Y supermarket chain and Eversource have announced that 21 grocery stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts recently took advantage of incentive programs to upgrade energy efficiency. The grocery store chain is now saving some 9.3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equivalent to removing 840 gasoline powered vehicles from area roads for a year.

New efficiency measures include Variable Frequency Drives in rooftop units with carbon dioxide controls, electronically commutated motors in freezer cases, and anti-sweat door heater controls. Eversource and Big Y are also exploring other green energy solutions such as additional EV charging stations, tactics to work on greenhouse gas emissions targets, and participation in future community solar projects.

RECOGNITION

The annual Regional Chamber Awards, known as The ECTys, were handed out March 30 at Foxwoods Resort Casino, with Flanders Fish being named Small Business of the Year and Robinson + Cole law firm winning Business of the Year.

In addition, Veterans’ Rally Point (EasterSeals) earned the Community Revitalization Leader award, The Barn won the New Business Award, S.T.E.P.S. Inc. was named Nonprofit of the Year, Dime Bank was cited as Best Place to Work and Olde Mistick Village was recognized as Tourism Leader of the Year.

Young Professional of the Year was Jessica Talerico of Old Lyme Hardware; Volunteers of the Year were Dara Wicken and Angie Clay of Navy Federal Credit Union, and Board of Directors Special Award went to Alwyn Christy of Lighthouse Inn.

In addition, two arts and culture awards were announced at the ECTy celebration. The Cultural Coalition’s Outstanding Arts & Cultural Organization award went to Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, while it Outstanding Business Supporter of Arts & Culture was the Women's Business Development Council.

Hartford HealthCare said it has been named to the Fortune list of America’s Most Innovative Companies 2023.

Among innovations cited, Hartford Healthcare opened an innovation hub called “Launch,” partnered with Google Cloud to change access to health care, teamed up with the Morningside Group and created a partnership with CT Innovations to support startups in Connecticut.

Bank rating firm BauerFinancial Inc. has awarded Chelsea Groton Bank a 5-Star rating for the 116th consecutive quarter, since 1994. Financial institutions that have earned this top rating for 100 or more consecutive quarters have the added distinction of being named a “Best of Bauer Bank.”

“With high capital cushions and an established track record, Chelsea Groton Bank is well-positioned to continue to thrive and be a source of strength for its community,” Karen Dorway, president of BauerFinancial, said in a release.

WHAT’S AHEAD

The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut and the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce will host the “State of Groton & Stonington” forum from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Friday, April 28 at the Hilton Mystic, 20 Coogan Boulevard.

Stonington First Selectman Danielle Chesebrough, City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick, and Town of Groton Manager John Burt will be among the speakers. The program will be the first in-person Groton business update since 2019.

Tickets are available at MysticChamber.org or ChamberECT.com. Presentations begin at 8 a.m. Hot breakfast is included in the $25 Chamber member, $35 non-member price. Sponsored tables are also available for reservation.

EMPLOYMENT

Interns available through Norwich program

The 2023-24 Norwich Youth, Family, & Recreational Services Youth Employment Program has announced the availability of youth interns ages 14-24 from all over the Greater Norwich area.

“We pay these interns, so you don't have to!” according to a newsletter from the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is looking for worksites that can provide a “learning-rich job experience where youth can find the link between work and training.”

The Connecticut Youth Employment program runs year-long. However, most interns work from July through August. Each intern is eligible to work 80 to 150 hours per program year. The Eastern CT Workforce Investment Board, local foundations and the State Department of Labor fund the program.

For information, contact Hector Sanchez at hsanchez@cityofnorwich.org.

EVENTS

Students from Fitch High School, Holy Family High School, Ledyard High School, North Stonington High School, Norwich Free Academy, Montville High School, and Waterford High School convened in the Crozier Williams Student Center at Connecticut College on March 14 for the 17th annual Money Madness seminar presented by Chelsea Groton Bank.

Keynote speaker was Samanta Roseme. She shared her journey of becoming a hospice nurse and being frustrated by the lack of standards. So she and husband Caleb founded Assured Quality Homecare, and implemented training and standards to provide the elderly with high-quality caregivers.

Representatives from the Byrnes Agency, Better Business Bureau CT, CT Department of Banking, United Way, and Chelsea Groton Bank took part. Budgeting, cybercrime and identity theft, education financing, insurance basics, leadership and team building, social media scams, college success, and the importance of saving were among the topics. To learn more, visit www.chelseagroton.com/ChelseaUniversity.

To submit a Business Brief, email businessbriefs@theday.com.

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