Hartford Business Journal

HartfordBusiness.com | February 22, 2021 | Hartford Business Journal 37 smash hit "Hamilton" have sold out night after night, bringing throngs of people to downtown Hartford, many of whom also patronize local bars and restaurants before and after shows. In 2020 Fay had to manage the challenges of the pandemic. In March, 10 days before the forced COVID-19 shutdown, The Bushnell fortuitously refinanced and paid down some of its debt, which freed up some much-needed cash flow. Also in 2020, Fay got married to his longtime partner, Peggy Beley. Fittingly, the secret ceremony, which had no guests, was held at The Bushnell. Paddi LeShane & Pat Sullivan Lobbying has become a lot different in the age of COVID-19. In fact, the state Capitol has been closed to lobbyists during the 2021 legislative session, forcing influence peddlers to find alternative ways to sway policymakers. Paddi LeShane and Patrick Sullivan have been navigating those waters as one of the region's foremost power couples and top lobbyists. The husband and wife duo own and run Sullivan & LeShane Inc., one of the most powerful lobbying firms in Connecticut, and sister company Sullivan & LeShane Public Relations Inc. Sullivan has been known as one of the most influential lobbyists at the state Capitol and his firm's major clients include Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, NRG Energy, MGM entertainment and Lyft, among others. LeShane runs the agency's day- to-day operations and personally lobbies on behalf of many of the firm's prominent clients. She was the former chair of the Hartford Parking Authority and is on the board of trustees of the University of St. Joseph. Jane McBride Gates The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, which includes a dozen community colleges and four regional state universities, continues to face financial pressures and massive budget cuts due to David Fay 2021 POWER 50 apartments and retail space and provide a much- needed boost to Hartford's vibrancy and grand list. Freeman, a Jamaica native, in just over a decade has built one of Greater Hartford's largest minority-owned firms specializing in land development, engineering design and construction services. He founded Freeman Cos. in 2009 shortly after summiting Mount Everest. Freeman is a popular motivational speaker, and is or has been a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, U.S. Green Building Council, Construction Institute and Greater New England Minority Supplier Diversity Council. Charles Lee & Eric Rosow While New Haven is known as the state's bioscience epicenter, Greater Hartford has its share of successful healthcare-related companies. Two leaders in this arena are accomplished geneticist Charles Lee, of the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, and Eric Rosow, CEO of Diameter Health, both of which are based in Farmington. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that hit Connecticut back in March 2020, Jackson Lab's Farmington operations, led by Lee, have been key to the state's response effort. Jackson Lab, or "Jax" for short, was an integral part of Connecticut's early in-state diagnostic testing efforts, and Lee also served on Gov. Ned Lamont's reopening advisory committee that helped lay out the staggered easing of restrictions that took place last spring and summer. Lee and his team are now conducting more than 120,000 coronavirus tests per week, a number that includes newly emerged and more infectious COVID strains that recently reached Connecticut and are anticipated to lead to a third spike in cases as spring approaches. Lee, who left his faculty position at Harvard University in 2013 to lead Jackson Lab as its scientific director, today oversees hundreds of scientists in a Farmington facility located on UConn Health's campus and built with the help of nearly $300 million in state funds. Rosow is an entrepreneur who leads one of Greater Hartford's most successful medtech companies. Diameter Health raised $18 debuted several months into the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Mouta is pursuing a 30,000-square-foot expansion that will include a gaming area, bar, and potentially a brew pub. Kenny's latest investment was buying out, alongside Lazowski, New York investor Jeffrey Ravetz's stakes in 101-111 Pearl St. and Spectra Plaza at 5 Constitution Plaza, which contain more than 550 downtown Hartford apartments combined. Lexington last summer also wrapped construction on the second phase of its $32 million "The Borden" apartments in Wethersfield and is working with Lazowski and New York realty investor Shelbourne Global on the mixed-use redevelopment of various properties on Pratt Street in downtown Hartford. Howard K. Hill Efforts to promote racial equality have come front and center over the last year, both across the country and here in Connecticut. One business leader trying to make a difference is Howard K. Hill. Hill runs the successful Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, which owns funeral homes in Hartford, Bloomfield and New Haven. He is also the board chair of the Prosperity Foundation, a community foundation designed to strengthen Connecticut's Black communities in areas including health, education and economic development. Hill has long been known as a community leader and his profile was lifted in 2020 when the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving announced it was giving the Prosperity Foundation a $1 million grant to support its mission. Hill said the funding "was an important first step needed to bridge a 225- year wealth-gap when it comes to our whole health, education, economic development and overall sustainability for a people badly in need of the opportunity." In June of last year Hill organized a mock funeral for George Floyd, the Minneapolis man whose death in the hands of police set off a wave of racial injustice protests across the globe. Rohan Freeman Rohan Freeman, founder and president of engineering firm Freeman Cos. LLC, reached a milestone in 2020 when he broke ground on a $26 million project that will redevelop longtime blighted Hartford properties at the corner of Park and Main streets. When construction is completed this year the mixed-use development will give rise to 126 COVID-19. On Jan. 1, Jane McBride Gates was thrust in the middle of overseeing the system — which is responsible for churning out a large number of future Connecticut workers — when she was named interim president, replacing the retired Mark Ojakian. The CSCU system has faced years of financial constraints, especially as its schools experience declining enrollments, creating tension, at times, between faculty and leadership at the Board of Regents for Higher Education. For example, tension spiked at the end of 2020 as a result of tough contract negotiations with faculty unions. A plan to consolidate the state's community college system also caused pushback in recent years. Gates joined the CSCU system in 2011 as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Western Connecticut State University. Since 2016, Gates has served as CSCU's provost and senior vice president for academic and student affairs — a role she continues to serve in while also being interim president. Previously, she has held leadership roles at Savannah State University and Arkansas State University. Carlos Mouta & Martin Kenny When it comes to developing apartment buildings in Hartford, the names Martin Kenny and Carlos Mouta are two of the most recognizable. The two men — who have not to date collaborated on any projects — have been in real estate for decades, and between them control well over 1,000 residential units in Hartford County. Mouta has been heavily focused on Hartford's Parkville neighborhood while Lexington Partners' Kenny — a frequent business partner of parking magnate and realty investor Alan Lazowski — has focused on the central business district and nearby suburbs like Glastonbury, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor. Mouta's biggest recent project was the Parkville Market food hall, a $5 million, 20,000-square- foot facility that 45 46 48 47 49 44 Carlos Mouta Charles Lee Paddi LeShane Jane McBride Gates Rohan Freeman Howard K. Hill Martin Kenny Eric Rosow Pat Sullivan

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