Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JULY 22, 2024 19 Southbury-based EV charger devel- oper and manufacturer G9EV has named Don MacNeil as head of sales. With 15 years of experience in the EV industry, MacNeil joins from Orange Charge, where he was head of sales leading the effort to electrify multi-unit housing for EV drivers. Prior to that, he was senior vice president, business development at JuiceBar in Norwalk. KeyBank announced that Hans Jung has joined the bank as senior relationship manager within its Connecticut and western Massa- chusetts middle market commercial banking team. In this role, Hans will work with compa- nies with annual revenues from $10 million to $2 billion, offering a range of corporate finance services, treasury management and liquidity services. In addition, Hans will be working with private equity sponsors to support their investment strategies with acquisition financing. Hans has a background in corporate finance, transaction banking, trade finance, capital markets and liquidity management, culti- vated from previous underwriting, portfolio management and rela- tionship management roles with Santander Bank and Webster Bank, among others. The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has named Kevin Cassesse its Connecticut chapter executive director. Cassesse joins APDA with over 14 years of profes- sional experience, including in executive director roles in Connecticut for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Abilities Without Boundaries. He has a fund- raising background and a certifica- tion in professional fundraising from Boston University. His volunteer work includes roles with Save a Suit, the Special Olympics and Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut. The APDA Connecticut chapter is based in Shelton and offers programs and resources to serve the 20,000-plus people with Parkinson's disease and their care partners living in the state. New Haven-based behavioral health services provider Vita Health has named Victor Giannini as its vice president of enterprise sales. Giannini will be tasked with expanding access to Vita's nationwide suicide services for those in crisis. He joins Vita from Talkspace, an online mental healthcare provider, where he was responsible for growth and imple- mentation, benefit consulting and representation of the company within the market. The nonprofit CTData Collabora- tive has added three members to its board of directors. The three recent additions are Julia Camarco, a corpo- rate attorney and a partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP; Lakshmi Prathima Devarasetty, head of engineering at Google; Rachael Klayman, a senior development officer at Ascendus. FOCUS | WORKPLACE or years of being more introverted, working in private settings, and are therefore less tolerant of noise, interrup- tions and other distractions, she said. Employers should take that into consideration when considering office design. Many offices are designed for senior executives to occupy much of the private office spaces, with newer hires using the more open, collaborative areas. Location is a top amenity As much as employers can put attractive amenities in the workspace, another trend is putting the work- space where the amenities already exist, experts said. Locations like downtown Hartford and West Hartford Center are consid- ered more vibrant areas with coffee shops, restaurants and bars, which are more appealing to workers. Lockton Insurance moved from Farmington into its renovated space in Blue Back Square, which is "the hottest area right now," Olsen said. "They wanted to put employees in an area where there are opportunities all day long" for meeting a client or coworker, shopping, getting lunch or just walking around a central area, something larger corporate parks are missing, he said. Across the street in Blue Back Square, Olsen is starting a "gut office renovation" for Day Pitney, which has 15-year-old space at 75 Isham Road that is outdated and more corporate looking, with heavy furniture and dark finishes. The new look, which is what most designers are seeing now, will be more modern with high-end finishes that are lighter and brighter, while being open and inviting. Also, renovation budgets "are bigger than ever before because of the finishes, not just walls, or paint, but flooring, desks, we're seeing some really high-end design for office space, to make people feel more at home," Olsen said, adding that several of his recent office redesign projects can reach into the millions of dollars. Building more private office space is more costly, as each space needs its own lighting, HVAC and walls. And more offices mean more square footage. Olsen said office renovations slowed down for a bit in the years following the pandemic, but have picked up again, specifically in areas like Blue Back Square and downtown Hartford. Grieco said even larger corporate parks can create inviting, effective workplaces. He said Corporate Ridge in Rocky Hill is an example of a corporate park with top-notch ameni- ties like a cafeteria and fitness center. But places like West Hartford and downtown Hartford are attracting new tenants since they have ameni- ties "built in," he said. "And there are very few examples around Hartford County where you have that downtown feel," Grieco said. Examples of companies that have moved or announced moves to down- town Hartford include engineering firm Fuss & O'Neill, which is relocating from Manchester to the Gold Building, and PES Structural Engineers, which recently relocated its Connecticut regional office from West Hartford to the Front Street Entertainment District. Both companies cited down- town's amenities as key draws for their employees. "When people are on-site, on campus, they want a variety of spaces and dedicated workplaces," Finucane said, with vibrancy being a key factor, like access to cafés and social spaces, either in the office or surrounding areas. Haylee Granato works in a private space at Lockton Insurance's new office in West Hartford. HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Movers & Shakers The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford announced that its longtime CEO Samuel Gray will be leaving to join the national organization. In September, Gray will begin a new role for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as the regional vice president of field services for the Northeast region. Gray, who spent 23 years with Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, will remain with the Hartford orga- nization through August while a successor is found. The board of trustees said it will work with a search consultant to identify the nonprofit's next CEO. Pullman & Comley litigation attorney James T. (Tim) Shearin is the new president of the Connecticut Bar Association. He began his one-year term on July 1. Shearin served as CBA vice president in 2022-2023, and president-elect in 2023-2024. Margaret I. Castinado is the outgoing president. Shearin was chairman of Pullman & Comley from 2013 to 2022, and before that chaired the firm's litiga- tion practice for 15 years. James Shearin Don MacNeil Hans Jung Kevin Cassesse Victor Giannini Julia Camarco

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