Kathy Weinberger has been named 2024 Volunteer of the Year at Mystic & Noank Library. She will be honored at the library at 12:30 p.m. June 12 so friends, colleagues, and community members can express their gratitude for Kathy's remarkable service.

"We are thrilled to recognize Kathy as our Volunteer of the Year," said Chris Bradley, Executive Director. "Her dedication exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and has made a lasting difference at the library."

The celebration will include a light lunch and heartfelt tributes to Kathy's achievements. For more information, contact Ellen Warfield at (860) 536-7721 or development@mysticnoanklibrary.org.

India Charles of New London has been appointed to the Elevate to Even Plus Board of Trustees. The nonprofit helps connect underserved residents to paid summer internships.

As a dedicated advocate for social welfare and an undergraduate student at the Eastern Connecticut State University majoring in Social Work, Charles already has a deep background in the field. While studying Social Work at Three Rivers College, India was part of the inaugural Elevate to Even Plus internship program in Eastern Connecticut that led to a part-time position as a Tenant Representative for UniteCT at NLHHC.

India has also served as a part-time Food Pantry Assistant at FRESH New London, and Stacey Slater, Board Chair. cited “India’s ... profound understanding of community needs (and) ... fresh perspective and proactive approach.”

For more information visit www.eleven-plus.org.

Jonathan M. Roy has joined the Jewett City Savings Bank's team as Vice President, Controller.

Roy brings over nine years of experience in financial statement auditing services to the team, previously serving as Audit Manager at Wolf and Company, P.C, as well as Asset Manager at Vesta Corp. He is a graduate of Western New England University, holding a Master of Science in accounting and a Bachelor of Science in business administration in accounting.

Current Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer James (Jim) McDonald, will be retiring in June. At that time Roy will step into the Chief Financial Officer position.

Liberty Bank’s 2nd Annual Kindness Scholarship is now open for applications. The bank will grant $5,000 scholarships to three eligible high school students graduating in 2024 who demonstrate a dedication to making a meaningful difference in their communities by “leading with kindness.”

To be eligible for Liberty’s Kindness Scholarship, students must be attending a high school in a city or town served by Liberty Bank. For more information, visit https://www.liberty-bank.com. Applications must be submitted no later than Friday, May 24. Questions should be directed to Anne Fenton, Liberty Bank Brand Experience Manager, at afenton@liberty-bank.com.

A free SCORE webinar on “Branding for Impact: Small Business Success in Service Industries” sponsored by Essex Savings Bank will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, on Zoom.

Award-winning brand creator, consultant, and executive coach Lyn Chamberlin takes participants through the common obstacles that small service businesses encounter in establishing a strong brand.

For questions on registering, email Anne Driscoll, anne.driscoll@scorevolunteer.org.

Backus Hospital announced that it earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit watchdog. Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country based on over 30 measures of errors, accidents, injuries and infections as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent them.

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program focused exclusively on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries that kill more than 500 patients a day nationally. For information, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org.

The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut has awarded the Thames Valley Council for Community Action $15,000 to implement its Homelessness Prevention/Diversion Financial Assistance Program, which offers families at risk of eviction monetary help for security deposits, rent payments, overdue utility bills, and related expenses.

TVCCA’s chief operating officer Jon-Paul Mandelburg said the grant “not only resolves our clients’ immediate housing crises, it includes a case management component to engage with each family and work with them on issues related to their housing instability.” For more information contact Program Director Ida Parker at 860-425-6574 or visit tvcca.org.

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce recognized four coaches from Girls on the Run at Northeast Academy in its Community Proud series sponsored by CorePlus Credit Union.

Lynore Plouffe, Tara Hoyt, Justin Brinner, and Amanda Sisley have dedicated themselves as coaches for Girls on the Run at Northeast Academy for multiple seasons, serving as role models for the program’s participants. Girls on the Run is a nationally acclaimed non-profit organization committed to empowering third- to eighth-grade girls through programs that enhance their social, emotional, physical, and behavioral skills.

Miranda Creative is partnering with the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut for "Step by Step," a series of hands-on, in-person workshops to help master a variety of marketing tasks.

Step by Step will be held at noon on the first Thursday of each month until October. All hour-long sessions will be held at the Regional Innovation Center, 92 Eugene O'Neill Drive in New London.

Each class is $5 for Chamber members and $20 for non-members. Bring your own laptop and lunch. Register online at info.chamberect.com/events. To suggest a topic for Step by Step, email rtaskoski@mirandacreative.com.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union has been named one of the 2023 Top Lenders in The Commercial Record’s annual rankings.

Charter Oak is also home to three of the 2023 Top Credit Union Loan Originators in Connecticut for volume of loans and number of loans. Ann Gauthier was ranked number one for highest volume of loans, followed by Sharon Dimarco ranked third and Susan Shepherd, ranked fifth. For highest number of loans, Dimarco ranked second, followed by Shepherd fourth and Gauthier eighth.

The Commercial Record, published by The Warren Group, compiles the top 10 mortgage lenders and top 10 loan originators among Connecticut’s credit unions, banks and mortgage companies every year. To learn more, visit CharterOak.org.

Connecticut Magazine and Rhode Island Monthly’s 2024 Top Doctors list includes 18 Lawrence + Memorial and Westerly hospital-affiliated physicians.

The affiliated physicians selected for the 2024 Top Doctors list are: MaryAnn Bentz, MD, dermatology; Glenn Brady, MD, anesthesiology; Joseph Brito, MD, urology; Mical Campbell, MD, gastroenterology; Joseph Cecere, MD, anesthesiology; Francis Falck, MD, ophthalmology; John Frese, MD, gastroenterology; Jon Gaudio, MD, cardiovascular disease; Alan Greenwald, MD, gastroenterology; Christopher Hutchins, MD, orthopedic surgery; Amzad Khan, MD, gastroenterology; Harry Ma, MD, vascular surgery; Thomas Peter, MD, nephrology; Katherine Rotker, MD, urology; Fred Santoro, MD, pediatrics; Eugene Sapozhnikov, MD, gastroenterology; Wendy Silversmith, MD, rheumatology; and Timothy Tran, MD, urology.

SCORE Eastern CT will host a free Webinar, "Revenue Resilience: Maximize Recurring Revenue and Diversify Your Customer Base” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 4, on Zoom. To register, visit https://www.score.org/easternct.

Webinar host is Aaron Friedman, CEO and founder at Guideposts. This new webinar is targeted toward entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to establish a secure financial future by creating reliable recurring revenue streams and expanding their customer base.

Chamber Events

The Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours co-hosted by Thames Financial Management & Goldblatt Bokoff LLC at Preston Ridge Vineyard from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at 100 Miller Road, Preston. Register at norwichchamber.com.

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut will present Business Before Hours with Chelsea Groton Bank from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on May 15th at the bank headquarters, 904 Poquonnock Road, Groton.

Event tickets are $10 for members and $25 for non-members, available for purchase at www.mysticchamber.org or at the door. Pre-registration is recommended.

The Buzz is a weekly roundup of business news compiled by Business Editor Lee Howard. To get in The Buzz, email businessbriefs@theday.com. To easily access urls cited in print, go to www.theday.com and type “The Buzz” into the search bar.