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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | A p r i l 2 0 2 1 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 29 Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment CEO Kontomerkos stepping down Uncasville-based Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) recently announced a C-suite shakeup, with Mario Kontomerkos leaving as CEO, Ray Pineault stepping up as interim CEO and Carol Anderson hired as CFO. Pineault served as COO at MGE before being promoted to the top spot. Anderson is a new hire who previously served as senior vice president at Scientific Games Corp., a Las Vegas company that makes casino, interactive and instant lottery games. Pineault will lead the company on an interim basis, as MGE searches for a new CEO. Pineault has over 20 years of experience with MGE. He also served as regional president at MGE and president and general manager of the flagship Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. Pequots name first tribe member as Foxwoods CEO e Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation has named Jason Guyot as its new president and CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino. Guyot has been interim CEO since April 2020 and has led Foxwoods through the financial crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Guyot began his career at Foxwoods in 2003, holding positions in human resources, marketing, gaming and hotel operations. He also held the role of senior vice president of resort operations, guiding the property's food and beverage, hotel operations, resort services, engineering and resort sales and development divisions. Shubert Theatre picks new leader following national search A veteran of Broad- way started leading New Haven's Shubert eatre on March 15. A search committee conducted a nation- wide search and picked Anthony McDonald to serve as the theater's new executive director. McDonald has theater management experience. Most recently, he had worked with the Nederlander Producing Co. of America at the Minskoff eatre, home to Disney's "e Lion King," and before that, at the Gershwin eatre, home to "Wicked." e search committee included members of boards of both the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and CAPA Connecticut. e Shubert eatre is a business unit of CAPA. In his new role, McDonald will lead the nonprofit organization and work to expand its programming, educational offerings, fundraising efforts and audience. McDonald replaces John Fisher, who is retiring aer two decades as executive director. Halloran Sage announces new partner in New Haven Connecticut-based law firm Halloran Sage recently announced attorney Ethan Ung has been admitted as a partner. Ung, a patent attorney, works in the firm's New Haven office, and he is a member of its litigation and intellectual property practice groups. Ung represents insurers and corporate clients, helping them manage risks, mitigate damages, and resolve a range of disputes involving claims in general liability, medical malpractice and products liability. He also counsels startups and established businesses in protecting and enforcing a range of intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks and copyrights. Chambers announce new leadership, staffing roles ree staff members at area chambers of commerce took on new roles as of March 15. Ray Andrewsen is now executive director of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce. He has spent a year at the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce (GNHCC) as the director of membership services where he produced content for the business community during the chamber's virtual signature events such as the Big Connect Expo, the Internship, Career & Jobs Fair, and monthly webinars. Gary Ciarleglio was promoted to regional director of sales and relationship management. In this role, he will oversee business development at both chambers. Ciarleglio joined the Quinnipiac Chamber in May 2015 as business development executive, and he has worked to grow membership, sponsorship and event sales. Elizabeth Herlihy, who is currently a business development executive at GNHCC, will continue her work in an expanded role as director of New Haven services. She will work to deepen the chamber's connections with the community and support business activities across the city. n C - S u i t e Why your company should hire people with disabilities V i e w p o i n t By Jane Davis Last year, we supported more than 1,000 people with disabilities by training them for fulfilling work opportunities, providing job placement assistance and helping them maintain their jobs for the long term. One such success is David who was matched with Stop & Shop. When spring COVID cases spiked, David went into overdrive, eagerly saying "yes" to all tasks despite stressed customers and an array of new protocols. His managers recently reached out to us saying, "I know nobody is perfect, but David is our perfect." Hiring someone with disabilities isn't charity, it's actually one of the smartest things you can do for your bottom line. Here are four of the many reasons why integrating employees like David into your hiring plan makes good business sense: Move the needle on your key HR benchmarks Across our client base, we've moved the needle on key HR benchmarks, including an average 14% higher retention rate. e reason is simple: the individuals we place are motivated, eager and prescreened for the position. Employees we place also receive continued job training and counseling from Ability Beyond — at no cost to the employer — for 90 days as they acclimate to the job. Employers we've worked with have also noted a 53% higher rate of self- identification, significantly decreased time to fill key positions and a greater range of diversity within disability including 21% veterans with disabilities. The process is much simpler than you think Working with a nonprofit disability employment service such as Ability Beyond can help you ensure the right fit for both employee and employer and navigate the nuances of Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. It's our goal to make the transition for both you — and your new employee — as simple as possible. It simply makes cents If the prior reasons weren't compelling enough, we've seen firsthand that people with disabilities — the largest diversity group in the world — are fiercely loyal to companies who value diversity and inclusion. According to the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 87% of the public would rather do business with companies that hire people with disabilities. And with one in 10 Americans living with a substantial disability, creating a workforce that is reflective of your customer base can help your business tap into their immense $645 billion annual spending power in the U.S. Different perspectives drive innovation Let's face it. If a person has a physical or mental disability, they are plenty accustomed to having to figure out innovative ways to do things differently to accommodate their ability. ese very same individuals can bring their unique problem-solving abilities to the table and offer a different perspective to some of your biggest business challenges. With these perspectives, you can see why including people with disabilities into your hiring plan is a win-win for all involved. n Jane Davis is the CEO of Ability Beyond, a nonprofit that matches employers with workers who have a disability. Jane Davis Gary Ciarleglio Mario Kontomerkos T he number of U.S. businesses that are making it a corporate priority to hire people with disabilities is on the rise — and for good reason. Savvy businesses keenly understand that recruiting highly trained and dedicated people with disabilities is one of the smartest hiring strategies they can employ. As CEO of nonprofit Ability Beyond, I am fortunate to witness the incredible impact that our residential living, transitional, day programs and employment services have on more than 3,000 people with disabilities we serve annually. Anthony McDonald Ethan Ung

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