New England Science & Sailing, a Stonington-based ocean adventure education organization, announced that Eric Isselhardt will be stepping down from his position as Chief Executive Officer to pursue other opportunities, effective immediately. NESS founder and Board Chair Spike Lobdell will assume the role of CEO.

Isselhardt joined NESS in 2020 as executive director of education, then assumed the role of president in 2021, and then as the second CEO of NESS in 2022. Established in 2002, NESS grew from a small community sailing organization to a leader in experiential education, serving thousands of students each year through water-based learning platforms that include marine science, sailing, powerboating, and a dventure sports.

NESS was accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges in 2018. Lobdell in a release reinforced that “NESS remains committed to its founding mission – to empower K-12 students with a love of learning and advance academic opportunities through ocean-based experiential programs.”

The Eastern CT Association of Realtors is moving, and will celebrate its grand opening of the new headquarters with a ribbon cutting from 4 to 5 p.m. July 12 at 35 Connecticut Ave, in Norwich.

The Greater Norwich Chamber of Commerce event will be followed by a special evening at the Sea Unicorns baseball game at Dodd Stadium. Attendees of the ribbon cutting ceremony will be treated to a champagne toast and a tour of the newly renovated space.

ECAR President Molly Bruno said the new headquarters has been in the works for a few years and will serve the association “for years to come." The new facility represents a significant milestone for ECAR, providing a modern and efficient space for its operations and community engagement.

The renovation project was led by RCA Construction, who transformed the building to accommodate ECAR on the main level, while the lower level is occupied by tenant AWP.

For more information,, visit www.easternctRealtors.

The Stonington Community Center has has distributed $52,975 to 44 applicants from the seven college scholarship funds the COMO manages.

This year’s scholarship awards were presented to the following students: Hendricks Whitman Award and Scholarship: Ethan Torres; Mary H. Boatwright Endowment Fund: Catherine Statchen; Robert and Doris Ramsbotham Scholarship Endowment: Elias Dahl, Krista Jones, Corinne Steeno; Frank Turek Scholarship Endowment Fund: William Banfield, Luke Costanzo, Olivia Fustini, Abigail Gibson, Eleanor Gross, Ray Jones, Tori LoPresto; The Josh Piver Memorial Scholarship Fund: Evelyn Conley, Julia Fustini, Jackson McCarney, William Sawin, Ethan Torres.

Also, Francis Drake Endowment Fund: Emory Anderson, Maeve Bennett, Sarah Berger, Tucker Callahan, Alexandra Canty, Giulianna Caradimos, Ashton Cheetham, Anders Dahl, Katherine Danaher, Jacob DelMonaco, Ava Dresback, Elizabeth Fowler, Rachel Fretard, Julia Fustini, William Fyke, Paige Geobel, Elise Greene, Griffin Harris, Jake Linicus, Olivia Mayorga, Jackson McCarney, Bailey McCarney, Annalea Parker, Cole Phelan, Brianna Plew, Sofia Regan, Nina Robbins, Ahmed Salha, Henry Sawin, Ethan Torres, Matthew Turrisi; Beth-Ann Stewart Arts and Pottery Scholarship: Evelyn Conley.

For more information, visit www.thecomo.org/scholarships.

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce highlights Annie Chapman of Mystic Yoga Shala as part of the Community Proud series, sponsored by CorePlus Credit Union.

Annie Chapman has dedicated her life to empowering individuals through the practice and teaching of yoga. Her commitment to enhancing the well-being of others is evident in her extensive work and volunteer efforts at Mystic Yoga Shala.

Three years ago, Annie collaborated with the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce to launch Yogapalooza, an ducational event that introduces participants to a variety of yoga styles. This year, Yogapalooza was held on June 20 at UConn Avery Point, promising a day of learning, practice, and community engagement.

In addition to her yoga practice, Annie is one of the visionaries behind Fiddleheads Food Coop. She spearheaded the initial meetings that led to the establishment of this thriving cooperative, which has since grown into a full-service grocery store in New London.

Yale New Haven Health has partnered with Dispensary of Hope to provide access to free prescriptions for patients with limited incomes.

Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy North Haven Medical Center, and Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital are Dispensary of Hope partners. The retail pharmacy at Bridgeport Hospital will also become a partner when its on-site pharmacy opens later this year.

Dispensary of Hope partner pharmacies provide free medication to low income, uninsured Americans. The Dispensary of Hope delivers critical medicine – free of cost – to the people who need it the most but cannot afford it. They are a charitable medication distributor dedicated to providing pharmacies and safety-net clinics with reliable access to vital medication – generously donated by pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce will host a Young Professionals event on Thursday, June 27,, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Shuttle Press & Bindery, located in Unit 77 of the Velvet Mill in Stonington.

Shuttle Press & Bindery, established in 2014, is renowned for its well-designed, quality, hand-crafted paper goods. Long before the era of Instagram-able wedding invitations and Pinterest-perfect stationery, the letterpress was the king of printed media.

For information and to RSVP, visit https://business.mysticchamber.org/chamber-events/Details/shuttle-press-bindery-young-professionals-event-1129367?sourceTypeId=Website.

Connecticut Public is premiering its latest documentary, "Fighting For Home: How Housing Policy Keeps Connecticut Segregated," a look beneath the surface to uncover a systemic legacy of exclusionary zoning, redlining, and housing discrimination in the state. By examining these issues, the documentary uncovers how these policies have perpetuated a cycle of racial segregation and inequality that persists today.

The fill will premiere Thursday, June 27, at 8 p.m. on CPTV. The documentary will also be available for streaming at ctpublic.org/housing.

Yale New Haven Health celebrated the inaugural Yale New Haven Health Innovation Awards Ceremony, where five outstanding teams were each awarded $100,000 to bring their groundbreaking projects to life. The event, hosted by Yale Ventures, drew over 2,200 entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders from around the world to New Haven.

Winning projects were determined based on unmet medical need, likelihood of technical success, novelty, business model and competitive landscape, and team composition and skills/background. YNHHS includes five hospitals: Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven. For information, visit www.ynhhs.org.

A Connecticut Tourism Update with Anthony Anthony and Rachel Lenda will be hosted during a luncheon sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT, the Northeastern Connecticut Chamber of Chamber and Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, June 24, at Holiday Inn Norwich (10 Laura Blvd.).

Anthony, chief marketing officer, and Rachel Lenda, director of tourism, will share the latest marketing strategies and opportunities designed to boost tourism in Connecticut. For information, visit ChamberECT.com.