NewHavenBIZ

n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m O c t o b e r 2 0 1 8 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 7 When I got to Huntsville, aer I got settled I went and talked to the president of the chamber of commerce, which was the primary economic-de- velopment organization for that region, told him of my interest in getting involved with economic development. We worked out an arrangement where I worked at the chamber of commerce two mornings a week — I didn't have to be at the TV station until one o'clock — on a volunteer basis. How did you segue from working as a part-time chamber volunteer to a professional career in economic development? A job opened up not at the [Huntsville] chamber, but at a partner organization [the North Alabama Industrial Development Association] that covered economic development for the entire northern Alabama region, a job in project man- agement. e chamber had recommended me for that job, so I made the career switch. During this same period you also joined the military. I had joined the Alabama Army National Guard in the summer of 2004, and in February 2005 I went to basic training for ten weeks. Four years later you were called up and deployed to Afghanistan. I went to Afghanistan for a year in 2009 [as an Army infantry officer]. I originally thought we were going to be doing mostly training of Afghan soldiers; when we got there [the mission] was more operational security and assisting with border security — we were right on the border with Pakistan. Were you in combat? Not per se. Nowhere in Afghanistan is safe. But we didn't have anything extreme happen to us. We were stationed at the main border crossing; our base was within a mile of the border. e border is very important to Afghanistan because one of their only forms of revenue is tariffs and taxes on goods that enter the country. So it was important for that to be safe and secure and successful in order to stabilize the [Afghan] government. Did that experience change the way you thought about the world, or life? I don't think it did. I wish I could give you a deeper answer. It was a great experience, and I feel very fortunate that I was able to come home safe — physically and mentally. After basic training you worked for the North Al- abama Industrial Development Association. Then you came home to Connecticut. What brought you back? I really enjoyed working there, but I started to feel a longing to come back home. I'd been away for a while, and felt a natural tug to come back to Connecticut and the Northeast. I was searching for economic-development jobs in the Northeast, and there just happened to be an opening at United Illuminating for an econom- ic-development specialist. I applied for the job, came up here for an interview, then a week aer that I got the job [in 2007]. What was it like? at was a great opportunity for me. It brought me back to Connecticut , doing eco- nomic development in a region I feel strongly about. It really tuned me into what we have as a region and the overall value proposition that greater New Haven has — technology, biosci- ence, an entrepreneurial spirit. But then you went to Texas for a time and entered law school. In 2013 I got married. My [physician] wife and I moved to Dallas, Tex. for her fellowship in neonatology. I decided to go law school [in Texas] full-time, knowing we'd be coming back to Connecticut when my wife's training was completed. Why? I had always been interested in the law, but there wasn't a particular law job beyond general interest in the law [as it pertains to econom- ic-development issues]. So aer that we came back to Connecticut and I did a clerkship at the state appellate court here for a year. And then got back on your career track. Yes. In 2016 I went to work for Eversource [formerly Connecticut Light & Power, the state's largest electric-utility company] as a community relations specialist. In that role I had a certain number of [municipalities] and was responsible for the [company's] relationship with the chief elected official to let them know about things going on with the company, but also to be the key point of contact in the event of [power] outage issues — storms, construction projects, etc. Which brings us almost to your joining the New Haven Chamber. At the beginning did you find out about the position, or did they find you? I think some friends told me about the posi- tion. From my time at UI I was aware of [pre- vious GNHCC president] Tony [Rescigno] and the great work he had done. I knew it was a great platform [for regional economic development] so I decided to apply in [July 2017]. The way that people work today has changed. Workers are no longer tethered to a physical workspace. One reason people join groups like chambers of commerce is the opportunity to physically interact with other business people — to be in the same room and speak face-to- face. at is part of the unique selling proposition we offer. In a world of technology where there are so many ways to interact with other business people, we still are the place for face-to-face networking. But getting that message across is a challenge that we face every day. New Haven has a growing number of young pro- fessionals living and working here. How do you make a value proposition to the millennial who thinks chambers of commerce were something Grandpa joined? We embrace it. We see the different ways people work now. But if you have a business you still need to get your name out, get your brand out, make connections with other people in the community. Even if you're not directly selling in the New Haven region — say, you have an Internet-based company that's selling globally — it still matters that you have connections here. New Haven is very relationship-driven. People value a good business climate, and having a voice making the case for what businesses need here in Connecticut is still key. Anther important benefit that is important is forging relationships with other kinds of businesses your company needs to work with — banks, law firms, accountants. So even if you're not selling right here, those connections still matter. Connecticut is one of the most business-hostile places in the United States — from taxes to regulations to mandates. How can you work productively with elected officials and lawmak- ers who are indifferent at best, and hostile at Continued on page 43 'We have a long history at the chamber — 225 years. But the future is what I am focused on.'

• Cover