NewHavenBIZ

22 n e w h a v e n B I Z | F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 | n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m P o w e r 2 5 end-to-end, wire, and tubular contact pins, products primarily used by the tele- communications, automotive, connector and lighting industries. e company also sells the metal chains attached to lights you oen find in closets and cellars and on products such as lamps, vertical blinds and key chains. Its subsidiary, the McGuire Manufac- turing Co. in Cheshire, makes plumbing fixture trim. During her time as CEO, Mayer has navigated challenges, such as finding new talent to replace an experienced but aging workforce, and the pandemic. She has worked to improve the compa- ny's culture, including through greater transparency related to decision-making. She promotes a team atmosphere by regularly getting workers from different areas to interact. According to Mayer, both McGuire and Bead divisions more than doubled their profit goal in 2021, amid rising material costs and employee turnover — and following substantial losses in 2020 due to the pandemic. Mayer also is active as a representative for the industry. She has served as president of ManufactureCT, the state's largest manufacturing association, for the 2020-21 term. She was recently named to the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's board of directors. 21. John Ciulla, President & CEO, Webster Bank John Ciulla is leading Wa- terbury-based Webster Bank through a period of consolidation and change. Ciulla is pres- ident and CEO of Webster Financial Corp. and Webster Bank. On Feb. 1, the bank closed on its $10.3 billion merger with Sterling Ban- corp of New York, a deal Ciulla has said provides a "compelling opportunity to create value for our stakeholders." Webster Bank will keep its name, but it has indicated it plans to relocate its headquarters to Stamford. e company now has approximately $65 billion in assets, $44 billion in loans and $53 billion in deposits based on balances as of Dec. 31, 2021. It operates 202 financial centers in the Northeast. Webster Bank recently reported that its total loan volume more than doubled to $175 million in calendar year 2021, up from $80 million in 2020. Ciulla has had a long career with Webster. He originally started working there in 2004 as senior vice president for middle market banking. He went on to have several leadership roles, including as chief credit risk offi- cer from 2008 to 2010. He was promot- ed to executive vice president and head of middle market banking in 2011, to head of commercial banking in 2014, and to president in 2015. Ciulla became CEO of Webster in 2018 and began serving as board chairman in 2020. Ciulla also is a member of the board of directors of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the state's larg- est business organization. 22. Howard K. Hill, Business Owner; Board Chair, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce Howard K. Hill owns Howard K. Hill Funeral Services, a fami- ly-owned business with more than 40 employees and locations in New Haven, Hartford and Bloomfield. Hill's business has been helping families cope with their grief since 2004. Hill has adapted his business to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. He made technology changes so families can make arrangements, such as selecting caskets and flowers, online. Families have also had the option of streaming funeral services. Hill has had leadership roles in the industry, including serving two terms as board chair of the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association, the first Black man to do so. Hill, whose funeral home clientele has primarily been the Black community, has made it a goal to serve diverse groups. According to Hill, he also hopes to spread a message of inclusion through his new role as board chairman of the Great- er New Haven Chamber of Commerce, a role he took over in October. Hill says he will work to help the business communi- ty at large, and also help to develop and expand the Black business base. Hill founded nonprofit organizations, e Prosperity Foundation and e Black Business Alliance of Connecti- cut. e Prosperity Foundation has raised more than $400,000 and aims to strengthen the state's Black communities in key areas, such as health, education and economic development. e alliance offers services to minority business owners, including training, marketing and helping entrepreneurs gain access to capital. 23. Cynthia Merkle, President & CEO, Union Savings Bank Cynthia Merkle is the first woman in Union Savings Bank's history to serve as president and chief execu- tive officer, a role she's had since 2015. Merkle has more than 40 years of experience in the banking industry. She started her career at Old Stone Bank and had various roles there before landing at Union Savings in 2013. Union Savings has more than two dozen locations in western Connecticut. Merkle is also a past chair of the Con- necticut Bankers Association. She was the first woman to serve in that role. Merkle has been a voice for community banks in the state as an officer on the association's board of directors. As head of the Danbury-based Union Savings Bank, Merkle has led its efforts to adopt mobile and digital tools for customers, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which has amplified many customers' move away from habitual branch use for routine transactions. In recent years, the bank has launched a contactless debit card and a new "Early Payday" service, which gives direct deposit customers access to their paychecks up to two days earlier. Under Merkle's leadership, Union Savings recently launched "USB Spend- ing Insights," a new AI-enabled mobile app developed to help customers track their spending and better manage their finances. Merkle also serves as leader of the bank's charitable foundation, and she helped create the Union Savings Bank Teachers' Closet, which provides free school supplies to teachers in communi- ties with disadvantaged students. 24. Patricia Melton, Executive Director, New Haven Promise As the leader of New Haven Promise, Patricia Melton works to help New Haven public school students turn their dreams of attending col- lege into reality. e scholarship and career devel- opment program, launched in 2010, helps city students pursue their post- high school educations and ultimately, future careers. Its goals include creating a competitive workforce, increasing homeownership and enhancing the city's economic development. A longtime educator, Melton's career has impacted thousands of young people by increasing their access to education. Prior to coming to New Ha- ven Promise, Melton, a Yale graduate, served as a chief academic officer for a large school district in Indiana. During her tenure with New Haven Promise, the program has seen growth in both applications and awards. Melton has helped launch initiatives such as the competitive scholarship Passport to Promise, and a peer mentoring initia- tive called the Promise Ambassadors Program. Also, the Promising Leaders Program is a leadership and career development pilot created with Yale's School of Management. Yale University, Yale New Haven Hos- pital and e Community Foundation for Greater New Haven provide support for the organization. Yale University recently announced it is increasing its financial commitment to the program by $1 million annually, from $4 million to $5 million. e program so far has helped more than 2,200 students. According to Yale, it has contributed more than $25 million in scholarship aid to eligible city students to date. 25. Kevin Hart, Founder & CEO, Green Check Verified e marijuana industry is on fire, and Kevin Hart's North Haven-based company Green Check Verified provides a key service to navigate its complex rules and regulations. Hart is founder and CEO of the company, which audits marijuana-related businesses and verifies that they are operating within legal bounds. By doing so, Green Check helps provide assurances to more traditional financial institutions, so they feel comfortable serving customers in the cannabis industry. Green Check provides soware that helps cannabis companies navigate complex regulations and avoid breaking any rules. Hart, whose background includes decades working for soware companies, started the business in Science Park in New Haven in 2017. It grew quickly and needed more space, and moved to North Haven in 2019. In September, the company announced it was partnering with Austin-based Abrigo, which makes fraud detection soware for the banking industry. rough the deal, Abrigo will send its clients interested in serving the cannabis industry to Green Check, which will ensure they are in compliance with regulations. Hart has said he anticipates the deal will boost his company's client base. Today, Green Check indicates it has more than 1,500 business clients, and it works with banks and credit unions around the country. According to Hart, the full legalization of cannabis in Connecticut will be another growth opportunity for Green Check. Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection recently began accepting applications for adult-use cannabis retail establishment licenses. Green Check estimates the cannabis market will grow by 73% by 2026. n Continued from previous page

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