Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com • August 24, 2020 • Hartford Business Journal 21 EDITOR'S TAKE Surviving 2020 requires entrepreneurial mindset H artford Business Journal's 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes event has become extremely popular in recent years. For those who are unfamiliar with the event, we invite nine CEOs to share their 10 ideas for leadership best practices. This year's event ran into a couple of roadblocks. It was originally sched- uled for March, but COVID-19 shut downs prevent- ed that from happening. We eventu- ally rescheduled 90 Ideas as a virtual event on Aug. 4, but then a day prior, Tropical Storm Isaias knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of residents, including some of our speakers. We had to postpone and reboot the program again. Finally, over the last week, HBJ launched a 90 Ideas mini series, publishing individual video presen- tations by each of our speakers. Revenue was down for the event (we couldn't sell tickets) but our readers and supporters still re- sponded well to it. What's the point of this tale? Well, it demonstrates that the only way to survive and thrive in 2020 is to have an entrepreneurial mindset — be willing to adapt new and innova- tive ideas to make things work. The evolution of 90 Ideas in 90 Minutes — from an in-person to a virtual to a mini-series event — is a perfect example, having been im- pacted by both the pandemic and tropical storm. That's my best leadership advice in a year in which the hits keep on coming. Decision-makers must be willing and able to reinvent long- standing practices and processes on the fly in order to overcome the challenges of a once-in-a-century pandemic, which has caused unprec- edented business interruptions. The adapt-or-die mindset has never been more relevant. Here's a look at some of the best advice this year's 90 Ideas speak- ers have shared over the past week. Their words of wisdom are needed now more than ever. One of the most essential char- acteristics of a leader is inspira- tion — defined as the ability to move people to action. — Jay Wil- liams, President, Hartford Founda- tion for Public Giving Think as big as possible about where you can go. Don't be afraid to map out the largest vision of what's possible. — Claudia Reuter, GM, Americas East, Techstars Develop diverse and talented teams. Hire and develop talented people, and give them the freedom to do their jobs. Know your weak- nesses and make sure you have team members who can compen- sate. — Jennifer Delmonico, Man- aging Partner, Murtha Cullina Sweat the details. Consistency is key. — Chef Tyler Anderson Speak truth to power. You have a voice — use it. Organizations will not succeed if everyone says 'yes' to their boss. Speak up, have an opinion, challenge the situation. — Dana Neves, Vice President & General Manager, WFSB Passion is the oxygen of life. If there is no passion, there is no drive. — Coleman Levy, Consul- tant/Advisor, Coleman B. Levy LLC Build and protect your personal brand. Keep your promises. Be truthful. Be kind. Be authentic. — Beth Shluger, CEO & President, Hartford Marathon Foundation Success isn't free. It might cost time, sleep, stability, confidence and more. Be willing to make sac- rifices. — Carlos Mouta, Owner & CEO, Parkville Management Be great in their presence. When you're in management, it's easy for people to see you as just a manager and not as the incredibly skilled ar- tisan or tradesperson you truly are. So make sure you sell or engineer or program or remove a spleen mas- terfully in front of your staff. — Eric Cavoli, Partner & Creative Director, CashmanKatz OPINION & COMMENTARY Greg Bordonaro, Editor OTHER VOICES CT, U.S. must invest more in wastewater infrastructure By Tori Fournier W e can all agree that wastewater treatment doesn't make for a great conversation starter. Simply put, "sewage isn't sexy," but it is essential to the modern health of a thriving community. Connecticut re- ceived that reminder loud and clear in July when 2 million gallons of raw sew- age spilled out of a collapsed 50-year- old pipe contaminating Mill River, New Haven Harbor, Long Island Sound and several shoreline town waterfronts causing many closures. From a clogged sink to a massive multi- town waterfront shutdown, there is an underlying common threat below the surface — aging infrastructure. For decades the No. 1 challenge fac- ing water and wastewater utilities has been aging infrastructure. But don't just take my word for it — the Ameri- can Water Works Association (AWWA) annually surveys water professionals to identify the industry's biggest chal- lenges, and in 2019 aging infrastruc- ture, once again, topped the list. As CFO of a waterproofing and infrastructure restoration Con- necticut business, Savy and Sons, we have seen it all, from leaking waste- water clarifiers to collapsed sewer mains spewing thousands of gallons of sewage into the environment. I can confidently say that it makes sense financially to take preventable measures instead of waiting for some- thing to break down. Too often towns and large complexes, like apartment buildings or manufacturing facilities, wait for the latter, costing them up to 95% more than it could have, had they taken precautionary actions. Far too often people have the perspective out of sight, out of mind, but that is a costly perspective. Most of Connecticut's infrastruc- ture is more than 50 years old and beyond its intended lifespan. While our water infrastructure is still functioning and safe, many of the pipes are worn out and less reliable. Investing in infrastructure is a win for Connecticut residents who rely on clean water to keep them safe, especially as washing our hands has been shown to be a critical line of defense against the coronavirus. For years we have been talking about tolls and how it is essential to have dedicated funding streams for our roads and bridges, but when have you heard a similar push for water and wastewater pipes? Wait- ing for pipe failure, which can result in closing facilities and costlier replacement, cannot be the answer. It's not just towns that struggle to tackle how to pay. AWWA's survey shows the water industry is very concerned with how to finance the much-needed renewal or replace- ment of vital infrastructure. The U.S. Environmental Protec- tion Agency estimates $271 billion is needed for wastewater infrastructure over the next 25 years. While the fed- eral government provides some fund- ing through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF), according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 95% of spending on water infrastructure is made at the local level. In 2015 the annual assistance agree- ment for the CWSRF was $5.6 billion and in 2016 that number increased by $2 billion to $7.6 billion. Despite the clear need, water services tradition- ally receive less than 5% of the federal government funding dedicated to infrastructure supports. In 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave the condition of America's water and wastewater infrastructure a "D+" grade and es- timated that aging pipes and inad- equate capacity annually results in the discharge of 900 billion gallons of untreated sewage into U.S. waterways. We shouldn't be OK with a D+. It is time to do better and make the investment in improving aging in- frastructure to protect clean water for the next generation. Tori Fournier is the chief financial officer of Savy and Sons, an Amston-based waterproofing and infrastructure restoration company. Tori Fournier

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