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C-SUITE | 2025 AWARDS HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEMBER 8, 2025 B3 Recognizing top C-suite leaders LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Heather M. Gates .....................B3 Timothy P. Geelan ....................B5 James E. Shmerling ...................B7 C-SUITE AWARDS Al Subbloie .................................B5 Lou Auletta ...............................B7 Edward Danek Jr. ......................B8 Daniel Rezende ..........................B8 Nandini Natarajan ...................B9 John Bourdeaux ........................B10 Mary-Jane Foster ......................B10 Kyle Ramm ...................................B11 Douglas Magazu .......................B13 Jennifer Farley ..........................B13 Andre Santiago .........................B14 S tarting with her first job as a legal advocate, Heather M. Gates has always been focused on breaking down barriers to health care. When she became president and CEO of Community Health Resources (CHR) in 1993, the agency had a $3 million budget and employed about 80. Today, CHR provides a comprehensive system of care with an $85 million budget and nearly 1,000 employees. In her current role, Gates works with an amazing team to oversee all clinical and administrative aspects of CHR, advocate fiercely on behalf of the thousands of children, families and adults served, and works hard to maintain a warm and welcoming culture systemwide. What have been the biggest professional accomplishments in your career? roughout my career, I have been a part of efforts to improve access to services for those with mental health and substance-use challenges. As the president and CEO of CHR, I have built one of the largest organizations in the state, serving over 25,000 children, families and adults every year. I am proud of our values and the quality of the services we offer to those most in need. It is a major accomplishment to run a financially stable, large organization, given the uncertainties of funding year in and year out. CHR has been named a Top Workplace 12 years in a row, and I have been honored to receive the Top Leader award on three occasions. I am proud to be a leader in our field and represent Connecticut nationally on the National Council for Mental Wellbeing board of directors as the first vice chair. In what ways are you involved in the community? I am involved in the community through the work of CHR, engaging with community members about the needs of those we serve. I serve on the board of directors of e Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance and advocate for resources with policymakers. In my personal life, I serve on the board of directors of Minnechaug Land Trust as the secretary. On the Job Guiding business principle: Stay true to your values and the mission of the organization. Best way to keep your competitive edge: Listen to what others are telling you and be humble. Best business decision: Focusing on growth to become large enough to weather the ups and downs of unpredict- able funding. Keeping our eye on the quality of services at the same time we are growing. Worst business decision: Taking on contracts that do not fully pay for the cost of care. Biggest missed opportunity: Taking more vacations! Goal yet to be achieved: A budget of $100 million. Personal touch in your office: Artwork done by individu- als with mental health challenges. Personal Side Favorite way to relax: Having dinner with friends. Hobbies: Gardening, reading and hiking Last vacation: Trip to Idaho to visit my son. Favorite movie: "e Color Purple" e car you drive: Volvo Currently reading: "e House of Doors," by Tan Twan Eng Favorite cause: Mental well-being and the environment Second choice career: Engineering Heather M. Gates President & CEO COMMUNITY HEALTH RESOURCES Size of organization: $85M budget Employees: 950 Education: MBA, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts A s part of Hartford Business Journal's 2025 C-Suite Awards, we recognize top executives who have made significant contributions to their organizations over the past year. is year's honorees stood out for their leadership and commit- ment to excellence across a range of stakeholders, including investors, employees and the broader community. ey represent a diverse mix of roles, from CEOs of major companies to nonprofit lead- ers, CFOs and other key executive positions. We also honor three Lifetime Achievement Award winners whose careers have left a lasting imprint on their organizations and the state's business community. ey include Heather M. Gates, president and CEO of Community Health Resources; Timothy Geelan, former president and CEO of Ascend Bank; and James E. Shmerling, president and CEO of Connecticut Children's. e selection process was driven by nominations from the business community. We'll be celebrating all of our winners during a special event on Oct. 9 at Farmington Gardens. We hope you can join us in honor- ing these top Connecticut leaders. Greg Bordonaro Editor Hartford Business Journal Contents