Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | FEBRUARy 20, 2023 29 2023 POWER 50 Her tenure got off to a bumpy start. In January, Campbell Soup Co. announced it was relocating the Norwalk headquarters of its Pepper- idge Farm subsidiary to New Jersey; LEGO announced it was moving its U.S. headquarters from Enfield to Boston, in search of a more vibrant city and talent pool; and Stratford helicopter maker Sikorsky's parent company announced 800 layoffs, although it wasn't clear how many would occur in Connecticut. Daum said one of her main focus areas is revitalizing town centers and urban areas, which would make Connecticut more attractive and competitive. One initiative includes the $100- million Communities Challenge grant program, which invests in tran- sit-oriented development and other housing projects. The first two rounds of funding gave more than $80 million to 20 cities and towns, leveraging about $217 million in private investment, she said. The program will also help with the state's lack of affordable housing, which is seen as a signif- icant factor contributing to the workforce shortage. Strategic brownfield remediation funding will help cleanup areas where housing or mixed-use development is most needed, she said. Daum said she will also continue to prioritize performance-based incen- tives for larger businesses instead of the up-front, job-creation incentives that were handed out by previous administrations. Small businesses and minority- and veteran-owned companies are also getting a boost from the $150-million Small Business Boost fund. Daum said she also wants to promote all of Connecticut through new tourism efforts, from the shore- line and rural areas to attractions in the bigger cities. A statewide rebranding campaign is on the horizon, Daum said. Leander Dolphin As managing partner of Hartford law firm Shipman & Goodwin, Leander Dolphin leads one of the state's largest legal firms with 134 Connecticut attorneys. Dolphin took over the firm's leadership role last year, and her stature within Greater Hartford's legal industry has only grown since then. In October, Gov. Ned Lamont appointed Dolphin to serve as chair- person of the 12-member Connecticut Judicial Selection Commission, which is responsible for seeking out and recommending judges for the Supe- rior, Appellate and Supreme courts. Region Develop- ment Authority, an agency that has been a prime mover for Capital City redevelopment. Since its launch in 2012, the agency has used about $150 million in state funding to leverage $665 million in housing development, yielding roughly 2,800 new apartments by Freimuth's accounting. Most of that state funding went out as low-interest loans that helped make the arithmetic "pencil out" for developers. That also means most of the money is slowly returning. The 12-person agency's work extends beyond Hartford. For example, it has been an active player in East Hartford's efforts to revitalize its long-deteriorating Silver Lane commercial artery. The CRDA is also responsible for managing the XL Center, Rentschler Field, Connecticut Convention Center, Front Street Entertainment District, Hartford Regional Market and several public garages. Freimuth's agency works with developers on a constant churn of proposals and projects. Last year it oversaw completion of 89 apartments in the Sage Allen development along Temple Street in downtown Hartford, as well as the debut of 97 apartments above the historic Pratt Street retail district nearby. CRDA also lent to a 270-unit apartment building that opened next to Dunkin' Park in 2022. This year the agency aims to finish the stalled sports-betting venue under construction inside the XL Center. Freimuth is also working to reach a public-private partnership deal with Oak View Group to invest an addi- tional $100 million in the aging XL Center arena. Among the many projects Freimuth and his staff will continue to advance is the creation of a new neighborhood on parking lots south of Bushnell Park, additional apartments around Dunkin' Park, the transformation of a former downtown state office building on Elm Street into 169 apartments, and more. Alexandra Daum Alexandra Daum, as the new commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development, has her sights set on urban development, business support, housing and tourism. The 35-year-old married mother of two living in New Haven is a Harvard Business School graduate who served as deputy commissioner under David Lehman, replacing him earlier this year. Vincent J. Candelora & Kevin Kelly Rep. Vincent J. Cande- lora and Sen. Kevin Kelly are the top-elected Repub- licans in Connecticut and face an uphill battle dealing with a governorship, House and Senate all controlled by Democrats. Connecticut Republicans failed to make gains during last Novem- ber's elections, but that doesn't mean they aren't having any influence. When Gov. Ned Lamont announced plans to cut the income tax this year for middle-class earners, Candelora was quick to point out the proposal mirrored a GOP plan put forward last year. In June, Republican state lawmakers — led by Candelora, the House Republican leader, and Kelly, Senate Republican leader — pitched a $746-million tax cut that proposed to reduce the income tax from 5% to 4% for individuals earning less than $75,000 and joint filers earning less than $175,000 annually. The GOP leaders also are exploring options for sales tax relief, including repeal of a 1% surcharge on restaurant meals added in 2019. Another top issue for Candelora and Kelly in 2023 is energy afford- ability. In January, they unveiled energy reforms that aim to control ratepayer costs. The proposal included moving charges resulting from public policy decisions from ratepayer bills to the state budget; adding nuclear and all sources of hydro power to the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard program; and restoring independence to utility rate regulators by sepa- rating the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protec- tion, among other measures. Outside the legislature, Cande- lora, who lives in North Branford, helps run two family-owned busi- nesses — a manufacturing company and sportsplex. Kelly is an elder law attorney and owner of Kevin Kelly & Associates PC, a law firm based in Stratford, where he also lives. Michael Freimuth Michael Freimuth is perhaps one of Hartford's most important deal- makers. Freimuth is widely known and well regarded as the steady and capable hand behind the quasi-public Capital Montez Carter Montez Carter took over as Trinity Health Of New England's president and CEO on Oct. 3. He oversees the third-largest health system in Connecticut behind Yale New Haven Health and Hartford HealthCare. Trinity Health's Connecticut port- folio includes St. Francis and Mount Sinai Rehabilita- tion hospitals in Hartford, St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, along with Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Trinity Health's Connecticut opera- tions reported $1.6 billion in operating revenue and an operating surplus of $34.7 million in fiscal 2021, down from a $65.9-million surplus a year earlier, according to financial data from the Office of Health Strategy. Carter said one of his top priorities is for Trinity Health Of New England to continue to evolve to meet the community's needs. "That can happen in different ways," Carter told the Hartford Busi- ness Journal in December. "Some of that could be through expansion. Some of that can be through acquisi- tions. Some of that could be through partnerships with other existing providers. So, I think that all of those options are available to us." Carter has worked for Michi- gan-based parent company Trinity Health for more than a decade, most recently as president and CEO of St. Mary's Health Care System in Georgia, which includes three hospitals, a medical group, a home healthcare/hospice agency, outpatient facilities and a retirement community. Carter began his career as a phar- macist, then moved into a leadership role as vice president of operations at St. Mary's Hospital in Athens, Georgia. He later became presi- dent of St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro, Georgia, and St. Mary's in Athens. He was chosen as Trinity Health Of New England's president and CEO after a national search that included about 50 internal and external candidates. Carter, a sports fan and collector of vintage sports memorabilia, is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has served on several boards, including the American Hospital Association. He received his MBA from the University of Alabama and his doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Mississippi. 11 Montez Carter 12 14 15 13 Vincent J. Candelora Alexandra Daum Leander Dolphin Michael Freimuth Kevin Kelly

• Cover