Hartford Business Journal

36 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | FEBRUARy 20, 2023 2023 POWER 50 available in the state's community college system. Lavoie formerly served as general manager of Carey Manufacturing in Cromwell, a builder of catches, latches and handles, as well as elec- tronic hardware. He made headlines in recent years by reshoring some of Carey's outsourced operations back to Connecticut. Prior to his job at Carey, Lavoie was vice president of sales, marketing and human resources at Bristol-based ETTEREngineering Co. In addition, Lavoie is a member of Connecticut's Industry 4.0 Working Group, the Governor's Workforce Council and other manufacturing-re- lated state boards. Johanna Bond In business and sports, it's hard to replace a legend. But that's exactly what Johanna Bond is doing this year. Bond is the new president and CEO of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, a role she took over from Larry McHugh, who retired at the end of 2022, after nearly four decades in the job. Colloquially known as "coach" to many, McHugh was a former high school teacher and football coach who built one of Connecticut's largest and most influential business groups with more than 2,000 members. He was also a major UConn booster, having chaired the flagship state university's board of trustees for years. Bond actually interned at the chamber when she was a college student at Central Connecticut State University, first joining the business group in 1994. Since that time, she took on increasing levels of responsibility including director of events, vice pres- ident and most recently chief oper- ating officer. She has led many key programs and projects throughout her 28-year career, according to the chamber. development initiatives aimed at bolstering employment in the state. Her office works with the departments of economic and community development and labor on these employment-related efforts. With more than 100,000 open jobs in the state, Vallieres' work is seen as crucial to the growth of Connecticut's economy, and the state has launched several initiatives under her watch. In August, Vallieres' office launched a $70-million job training program called CareerConneCT, aimed to fill more than 6,000 skilled jobs as busi- nesses around the state face ongoing hiring challenges. The new program created an online portal where people can sign up for skills training for jobs in manufac- turing, health care, information tech- nology and other industries. Paired with two new marketing campaigns highlighting open jobs in the state, officials hope the initiative will provide a boost to the workforce. Vallieres is also vice chair of the Governor's Workforce Council and is a member of the state's Social Equity Council, which oversees the social equity components of Connecticut's adult-use marijuana program. Vallieres was president and CEO of Sound Manufacturing and Monster Power Equipment in Old Saybrook for 14 years before stepping down to join the Lamont administration. Paul Lavoie In 2022, Gov. Ned Lamont named Paul Lavoie Connecticut's new chief manufacturing officer, taking over the post from Colin Cooper, who retired. In the role, Lavoie has been responsible for coordinating state and private-sector efforts that promote growth in Connecti- cut's manufacturing industry. One of his major tasks has been trying to figure out how to broaden the talent pipeline as the industry struggles to fill thousands of available jobs, and his department has initiatives already in the works. In November 2022, the state formally launched its "Hearts and Minds" marketing campaign aimed at employing more people in the state's manufacturing sector. Through the multimedia campaign, job-seekers can find open positions in the industry or explore job-training programs The state has already approved provisional licenses — a key step in opening a cannabis business — for more than 40 new recreational marijuana cultivators, retailers and other operators that have 14 months to get their compa- nies off the ground. Among the first social equity cannabis entrepreneurs planning to open new businesses this year are Hartford residents Kennard Ray and Tiana Hercules. Partnering with local dispensary chain Fine Fettle, Ray's company — FFD 149 — recently won local approvals to open a 45,600-square- foot social equity cultivator facility in Bloomfield at 10 Mosey Drive. In addition, Ray and Fine Fettle plan to open six equity joint venture adult-use retail stores. Ray's cultivation business isn't up and running yet, but his company's equity joint venture dispensary in Manchester — to be located at 91 Hale Road — should be ready to debut early this year. Ray is active in the local Hartford community. After spending some time in prison when he was younger for drug- and gun-related convictions, Ray founded and became co-di- rector of the Full Citizens Coalition, an organization committed to civic engagement and restoring voting rights to ex-felons and convicts. He's also CEO of Earth Strong Naturals LLC, a Hartford-based tobacco leaf company. Hercules, who is on the Hartford City Council, is partnering with Florida-based multistate cannabis operator Ayr Wellness and has plans to open a large-scale social equity cultivation facility with more than 15,000 square feet of grow space. The endeavor, Connecticut Cultiva- tion Solutions, will be Ayr Wellness' first Connecticut operation. Hercules said she's still finalizing a location for the marijuana grow operation she hopes to open in Greater Hartford. Hercules is a criminal defense lawyer who earned her degree from the UConn School of Law. She also has an MBA from UConn. She was appointed to the Hartford City Council in late 2021 as a member of the Working Families Party. Kelli-Marie Vallieres Since 2020, Kelli- Marie Vallieres has been chief workforce officer in Connecticut's Office of Workforce Strategy, a new depart- ment created to develop workforce pathobiology, and completed her master's at the University of Notre Dame. Torigen's experimental autologous cancer vaccine is based on the research of Dr. Mark Suckow, Kalinauskas' former Notre Dame professor. Derrick Gibbs Jr. Entrepreneur Derrick Gibbs Jr., CEO and founder of Middletown-based homecare and behavioral health provider Change Inc., is pivoting into a new industry: cannabis. Gibbs is hoping to soon open his equity joint venture cannabis dispen- sary Budr Hartford LLC in West Hart- ford. He received approvals from the town in late 2022 to move forward with the project. Gibbs said he's renting part of a retail building at 1037 Blvd., for the dispensary, which will take up between 3,500 to 4,000 square feet. There's an additional 1,500-square- foot section of the property that can be used for take-out food services and he's marketing that space to other businesses that would like to operate next to the dispensary. Gibbs is partnering with Chica- go-based Green Thumb Industries for his equity joint venture. Gibbs, a former firefighter who once considered becoming a nurse, founded Change Inc. in 2009. The Middletown-based homecare and behavioral health services provider caters to people with diagnosed mental illnesses, brain injuries, devel- opmental needs and the elderly. He also runs Middletown-based Nurses at Home. Change Inc. has made some acquisitions in recent years. In 2019, it bought Maple Leaf Manor, a Hart- ford residential care home for adults. A year earlier it acquired Bozrah- based QC Homecare Solutions' homecare division. Kennard Ray & Tiana Hercules With the state's adult-use cannabis industry still in its infancy, dozens of entrepreneurs are hoping to carve out a piece of the multimillion-dollar sector through new businesses such as retail stores, grow operations, delivery companies and product packagers. 46 48 49 50 47 Derrick Gibbs Jr. Kelli-Marie Vallieres Paul Lavoie Johanna Bond Kennard Ray Tiana Hercules

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