Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1505758
HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 21, 2023 A15 2023 | 40 UNDER FORTY Dr. Kaydian Reid is the director of public health programs and an assistant professor at the University of St. Joseph. Reid oversees the public health programs' curricula, ensuring quality education and collaborating with faculty and community partners to improve population health. As a health equity researcher, Reid focuses on the role of ethnic identity in health among Black immigrants from the English- speaking Caribbean Islands. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? Earning a doctorate of public health degree with a concentration in social and behavioral health has been my biggest professional accomplishment. The degree has continued to allow me to address and reduce health inequity among minority pop- ulations while improving population-level health via scholarship, teaching and service. How are you involved in the community? I serve on the Connecticut American Council of Education Women's Network and Blue Hills Civic Association board of directors, as well as Lucinda's House executive committee. I provide ongoing technical assistance to community-based organizations around program planning, implementation and evaluation to promote policy, systems and environmental changes. What do you like to do outside of work? I like to give back to my community, especially through initiatives on achieving health equity. I enjoy spending time with my loved ones, especially my 5-year-old daughter, Zala Simone. Also, I enjoy running, saunas, reading and traveling. Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • Inaugural MPH program director at USJ and launched the PharmD/MPH. • Received the 2022 Dean's Excellence in Teaching Award for junior faculty, and the 2023 Reverend Stack Teaching Excellence Award, which is the highest honor for teaching at USJ. • Significant impact on the public health workforce in the greater Hartford region to achieving health equity via research, respon- sive curriculum and student mentorship. Kaydian Simone Reid Age: 38 Company: University of St. Joseph Title: Assistant Professor and Director of Public Health Programs No. of years with current company: 4 Town where I live: Hartford Town where I work: West Hartford College: University at Albany, State University of New York Highest degree: Doctorate degree in public health, University at Albany, SUNY Erin Peterson began her career in IT 16 years ago. She quickly went from scheduling coordinator to account manager. Continuing to leverage her passion for helping businesses enhance their technology with her approach, Peterson outperforms year over year in sales and building client relationships. She is currently general manager of ADNET Technologies' Rocky Hill location. She is responsible for sales engagement, sales automation, client engagement support, brand awareness, client acquisition and retention. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? My biggest accomplishment was taking over my team from our CEO Christopher Luise in 2021. He's a tremendous leader, and I was grateful and extremely humble stepping into his shoes to lead our sales team. It has been an amazing learning experience, and the team continues to evolve and grow. How are you involved in the community? I worked with the CT River Valley Chamber to start the Women's Networking Group "WAVES." Bringing business women together in our community is very important to me. Supporting and understanding working women's challenges is critical to our suc- cess. I'm passionate about creating a safe space for local business women to connect. What do you like to do outside of work? Outside of work, you can usually find me with my husband and daughters. If we aren't out looking for new adventures, I'm riding my Peloton, supporting small local businesses, attending various concerts or spending time with family. Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • Devoted to being a female leader in the technology industry. • Strong career growth, holding top sales for an entire year at ADNET in 2021. • Being a leader in a company named one of HBJ's Best Places to Work for the last 10 years. • One of the founding women of the CT River Valley Women's Networking Group "WAVES." Erin Peterson Age: 39 Company: ADNET Technologies Title: General Manager No. of years with current company: 8 Town where I live: Higganum Town where I work: Rocky Hill College: University of St. Joseph Highest degree: Bachelor's degree in psychology John Seagrave is a partner at Barron Financial Group LLP, a fee-only wealth management firm located in Torrington. Previously in a marketing background, Seagrave pivoted to focus on his passion: working directly with people to better their livelihood and be a trusted resource. He is currently focusing his efforts on business development, servicing his clients and building the Barron Financial Group brand in and around the community. What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? Aside from recently being named partner at the firm, my biggest accomplishment was becoming a certified financial planner professional. Widely considered the gold standard in our industry, just completing the education portion and passing the exam was an undertaking. Completing it just as COVID arrived really put a bow on the journey. How are you involved in the community? My involvement includes serving on a variety of different nonprofit and chamber boards. This work inspired me and my fellow colleagues to create a grassroots initiative called "Stock the Shelves" – a business-ori- ented food collective aimed at supporting the needs of food banks and soup kitchens across the northwest corner. What do you like to do outside of work? Outside of work and community events, my free time is generally spent enjoying our hometown of Burlington or traveling with my wife Marissa and son Jack. When time permits, I try to sneak in 18 holes as well! Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • After changing careers only six years ago, I became the youngest partner at Barron Financial Group. • Assisted the firm in doubling our assets under management to over $100 million since my arrival in 2017. • Developed and implemented several mar- keting and referral strategies resulting in a 15% annual increase in revenue and organic client growth. • I subscribe to a deep understanding of the role and importance a business has in sup- porting our local community and its needs. John Seagrave Age: 35 Company: Barron Financial Group LLP Title: Partner No. of years with current company: 6 Town where I live: Burlington Town where I work: Torrington College: UConn Highest degree: Master's degree in kinesiology Sara Scribner Age: 34 Company: Hoffman Auto Group Title: Marketing Manager No. of years with current company: 9 Town where I live: Newington Town where I work: East Hartford College: UConn Highest degree: Bachelor's degree in sociology, UConn What's been your biggest professional accomplishment so far in your career? A big accomplishment was being promoted to my current role, marketing manager. It is important to me to represent women in leadership and the automotive industry. How are you involved in the community? Through our foundation, I have had the opportunity to work with many organiza- tions within our local community. I am a committee member for our annual golf classic, which raises support for organi- zations in our community that focus on education, health, the arts and social well- being. It is an honor to have the opportunity to give back. What do you like to do outside of work? I love spending time outside with my family and friends. I also enjoy a good book in the sunshine by the water. Why do you deserve to be a 40 Under Forty? • Collaborated with a team on launching our 100-year anniversary campaign. • Implemented a review generation tool to get customer feedback and identify ways to elevate our service. • Was named youngest female marketing manager in Hoffman Auto Group's history. • Is a dedicated committee member of the Burton and Phyllis Hoffman Foundation. Sara Scribner is the marketing manager for the Hoffman Auto Group, a family-owned automotive dealership group. Scribner joined Hoffman nine years ago in a sales role and was quickly promoted to a position in the marketing department. With the support of a team of two, she oversees the group's marketing strategy. She is passionate about finding ways to adapt to the dynamic changes in the market and providing an elite experience for customers.