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34 n e w h a v e n B I Z | M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 9 n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m C-SUITE LaBarbera tapped to lead Gaylord Healthcare Murtha Cullina LLP has named Peter S. Blasone executive director of the law firm, which has offices in New Haven and Hartford. A CPA, Blasone has more than 20 years of finance and executive leadership in the legal industry. His experience includes strategic and financial planning, general business management, human resources and recruitment, infor- mation technology and marketing and business development. He will work closely with the firm's ac- counting department to supervise financial management, including planning, reporting, forecasting, budgeting and improving controls. He will also serve as a strategic ad- visor to the Executive Committee for all matters relating to business functions, overall operations and firm personnel. Blasone previously was exec- utive director of Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass LLP in New York. He earned an MBA in financial management from Pace University and his bachelor's in business administration from Iona College. Gov. Ned Lamont has nom- inated Josh Geballe of Guilford as commissioner of the state's Department of Administrative Services (DAS). In this position, Geballe, who has an extensive background in information technology and business management, will be tasked with leading a review of human re- sources, procurement and IT prac- tices across state agencies to assess opportunities that can streamline processes, improve services, and produce savings. Geballe will begin serving as the Commissioner-designate by March 1. His nomination was sent to the General Assembly on Feb. 14 for its advice and consent. Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in New Haven has promoted its recently hired head of investor relations to senior vice president and chief financial officer. Brian Di Donato succeeds longtime Achillion CFO Mary Kay Fenton, who le the company at the end of last year aer 18 years. Before he joined Achil- lion in August 2018, Di Do- nato was man- aging director and co-port- folio manager at Sorin Capital Management and president and chief investment officer at Capmark Investments. He also held management positions at Morgan Stanley and UBS Securities. In his new role, he will continue to lead investor relations and will also oversee finance, accounting and treasury, Achillion said. His appointment is the latest of several senior management changes over the last year as the company downsized and shied its focus from infectious diseases to rare disorders. Achillion is currently develop- ing drugs that inhibit Factor D, an enzyme that plays a role in some immune-related disorders. Blumshap- iro, the largest regional busi- ness advisory firm based in New England, with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, has named attorney Frank E. Rude- wicz to the firm's leadership team. Rudewicz will lead Blum's litigation and valuation practice. Rudewicz has more than 30 years of experience in conduct- ing domestic and international investigations for fraud, forensic accounting, asset tracing and other litigation related matters. Rudewicz earned his JD from the University of Connecticut and a BS in industrial technology and public safety management from Central Connecticut State University. n S onja LaBarbera of Wallingford has been appointed the first female chief executive officer and president of Gaylord Specialty Healthcare in the health- care system's 117-year history. LaBarbera assumed the position following the retirement of previous CEO George Kyriacou. LaBarbera arrived at Gaylord 14 years ago in the position of director of inpatient therapy and ascended the ranks to become chief operating officer. It was in this position that she played a key role in increasing system-wide volumes and patient satisfaction scores and more than tripled the size and scope of Gaylord's outpatient Physical erapy, Orthopedics & Sports Medicine program. Kyriacou, who retired as CEO at the end of 2018, attributes much of Gaylord's success over the last decade to LaBarbera, whom he called a leader for the future — a trait "increasingly important and rare in a health-care system that's in constant flux," he said. Said Robert Lyons, chairman of Gaylord's board of directors: "It's imperative to identify leaders who can position our organization for the future and do it in a positive, cost-effective way that meets patients' needs and delivers integrated care." LaBarbera, he said, "epitomizes someone who can take Gaylord from where it is today to where it needs to be tomorrow." Headquartered in Wallingford, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a not-for-profit health-care system that provides medically complex care and rehabilitation services to more than 10,000 patients annually. e system comprises three outpatient centers including a Center for Concussion Care and a 137-bed, long-term acute care hospital widely recognized for its expertise in brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke and cardiopulmonary care. n A P P O I N T M E N T S T H E L O O P Brian Di Donato Frank E. Rudewicz Josh Gabelle Sonja LaBarbera

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