Hartford Business Journal

Biz Briefs Tel: (860) 236-9998 | Fax: (860) 570-2493 Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Hartford Business Journal P.O Box 330 Congers, NY 10920-9894 Peter Stanton | CEO, pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com Tom Curtin | President, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Subscriptions Annual subscriptions are $132.00. To subscribe, visit HartfordBusiness.com, email circulation@ hartfordbusiness.com, or call (845) 267-3008. Advertising For advertising information, please call (860) 236-9998. Please address all correspondence to: Hartford Business Journal, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103 Stay Connected For breaking and daily Greater Hartford business news go to: www.HartfordBusiness.com HBJ on Twitter: @HartfordBiz HBJ on Facebook: www.facebook.com/HartfordBiz HBJ on Linkedln:www.linkedin.com/company/the-Hart- ford-Business-Journal Daily e-newsletters: HBJ Today, CT Morning Blend: www.hartfordbusiness.com/enewsletters Hartford Business Journal (ISSN 1083-5245) is published bi-weekly, 27x per year — including two special issues in November and December — by New England Business Media, LLC, 100 Allyn Street, Suite 3, Hartford, CT 06103. Periodicals postage paid at Hartford, CT and at additional entry points. Editorial Greg Bordonaro | Editor, ext. 139 gbordonaro@hartfordbusiness.com Michelle Tuccitto Sullo | Managing Editor, ext. 127 msullo@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Health Care, Higher Education Drew Larson | Web Editor, ext. 121 alarson@hartfordbusiness.com Michael Puffer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Real Estate, Economic Development, Banking & Finance Hanna Snyder Gambini | Staff Writer hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Economic Development, Arts, Culture & Tourism Skyler Frazer | Staff Writer, ext. 145 sfrazer@hartfordbusiness.com Beats: Manufacturing, Cannabis, Technology, Transportation Stephanie R. Meagher | Lead Researcher Heide Martin | Research Assistant Steve Laschever | Photographer Business Tom Curtin | Publisher, ext. 124, tcurtin@hartfordbusiness.com Jessica M. Quinn | General Manager, ext. 137 jquinn@hartfordbusiness.com David Hartley | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 130, dhartley@HartfordBusiness.com Daniel Schilke | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 135, dschilke@HartfordBusiness.com Emily Paskind | Senior Accounts Manager, ext. 133, epaskind@hartfordbusiness.com Tracy Rodwill | Human Resources Manager trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com Production Bartosz Zinowko | Production Director, ext. 147 bzinowko@hartfordbusiness.com HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 10, 2023 3 Tournament champion Keegan Bradley at the Travelers Championship. Travelers Championship raises more than $3M for charity; expected to continue as elevated PGA event next year T he Travelers Championship raised more than $3 million for charity, the title sponsor, Travelers Cos. Inc., announced. The funds will benefit more than 160 nonprofits, the company said. The Travelers Championship, held at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, ended late last month with Vermont native Keegan Bradley breaking the tourna- ment record for his sixth PGA Tour victory. Bradley finished three shots ahead of Zac Blair, with 23 under par. The Travelers Championship donates its net proceeds to charity. The primary beneficiary this year was Ashford nonprofit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. The tournament was one of the first PGA Tour events since a merger was announced in June between the PGA and Saudi- backed LIV Golf. Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Travelers, told CT Insider that he is confident the Travelers Championship will continue as an elevated event on the PGA Tour. Travelers' title sponsorship runs through 2030. Last year, the PGA elevated the status of the Travelers Champion- ship by increasing the prize pool to $20 million. There are 17 PGA-des- ignated events, which are intended to attract top PGA Tour players. The purse will likely remain at $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the champion. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED ESPN lays off about 20 on-air personalities, parts ways with big names In its most recent round of layoffs, ESPN has parted ways with about 20 on-air personalities, including big names like NBA analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Rose. The layoffs are part of a broader cost-cutting effort by ESPN's parent company Disney, which set a goal of eliminating 7,000 jobs through several rounds of layoffs. The first round of layoffs began in April, and included well-known communications director Mike Soltys, who spent 43 years at the company. The Bristol-based sports entertainment network has been dealing with several headwinds, including the cord-cutting trend that has led to a decline in lucrative cable subscribers. Other big names included in the layoffs were Suzy Kolber, Keyshawn Johnson and Max Kellerman. Hartford HealthCare names Joanne Berger-Sweeney new board chair A renowned neuroscientist and college leader, Joanne Berg- er-Sweeney, has been appointed chair of the Hartford HealthCare (HHC) Board of Directors. Berger-Sweeney succeeds Greg Deavens, whose term ended. Deavens will remain a board member. Berger-Sweeney is the president of Trinity College, and a board member of the Capital Region Development Authority. East Hartford's pro- development Mayor Walsh won't seek re-election In a surprise decision, East Hart- ford Mayor Mike Walsh said he's not running for re-election this November. In just one-and-a-half years in office, Walsh has been a major cham- pion of new development projects in town, and has drawn acclaim from devel- opers and others for being pro-business. In a July 3 memo to the town council, Walsh said he will not seek re-election this fall in order to focus his attention on moving forward a large-scale rede- velopment of Founders Plaza, which includes the demolition of several existing buildings to make way for hundreds of apartments, along with new restaurants, entertainment, office space and passive recreation. What exact role he will play in championing the project — known as Port Eastside — is unclear, but Walsh said he will work with the next admin- istration to ensure it comes to fruition. 'Economic headwinds': KPMG to reduce workforce by 5% KPMG, one of the world's four largest accounting firms, announced that it will lay off 5% of its U.S. employees. The firm has two Connecticut loca- tions, in Stamford and in Hartford's Gold Building. As of November 2022, KPMG reported 572 Connecticut employees, including 187 in Hart- ford, according to Hartford Business Journal's Book of Lists. KPMG cited "economic headwinds, coupled with historically low attrition" as the reasons for the reductions. KPMG cut about 2% of its U.S. workforce in February, according to Reuters. State community college tuition to increase in FY 2024 Tuition and fees are going up at the state's community college by about 5% in fiscal year 2024. The Board of Regents for Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) approved the increase at its meeting in late June. The state's dozen community colleges merged into one institution — called Connecticut State Commu- nity College, or CT State — with multiple campuses as of July 1. The 5% increase in tuition and mandatory fees at CT State represents a $266 annual increase for full-time community college students, according to CSCU Chancellor Terrence Cheng. The board set CT State tuition at $183 per credit, which would trans- late to $4,386 for full-time students annually in fiscal year 2024. Inside an ESPN studio. HBJ FILE PHOTO Joanne Berger- Sweeney Mike Walsh

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