Hartford Business Journal

26 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 15, 2025 Schulitz, a certified financial planner and chartered alternative investment analyst, will report to CEO Ken Russell, who will continue to lead the company's strategic direction. Schulitz previously held senior roles with RMC Investment Advisors, Voya Financial and Wilshire Associates. East Hartford-based InterCommunity Health Care said President and CEO Kimberly Beauregard will retire next spring after more than two decades leading the nonprofit's growth. She steps down April 1 and will serve as a special adviser through June 30. The board named Chief Operating Officer Tyler Booth as her successor. Beauregard expanded InterCommunity from a financially unstable agency serving a few hundred adults to a system with 21 sites, 400 employees and more than 7,000 patients annually. Booth, who joined the organi- zation in 2006, has been COO since 2010 and helped drive revenue growth. Karen Goyette has been named to Beck- er's Hospital Review's 2025 list of "Chief Transformation Officers to Know." Goyette, executive vice president and chief strategy and transformation officer at Hartford HealthCare, was recognized for leading major initiatives that expanded access, virtual care, urgent care and ambulatory services across the system, including the launch of the HHC 24/7 virtual primary care platform. She also advanced retail clinic growth, strengthened care navigation and oversaw large-scale ambulatory and strategic projects that improved affordability and systemwide perfor- mance, according to Becker's. Wooster Square Advisors in New Haven said Jason Merker has joined the firm as a wealth manager. Merker has more than 25 years of experience in investment manage- ment, real estate and law. Law firm McElroy Deutsch, which has a Hartford office, said former Connecticut Superior Court Judge Cesar A. Noble has joined the firm as of counsel in its litigation and insurance services group. Noble retired this year after 11 years on the bench, including work on the complex litigation docket and as a civil and criminal trial judge. He mediated more than 100 cases and presided over several high-profile matters, including the revocation of former Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez's pension. Norwalk-based Xerox Holdings Corp. has appointed Chuck Butler as chief financial officer as part of its ongoing restructuring. Butler was formerly the company's chief global services officer. Current CFO Mirlanda Gecaj left Dec. 2. Butler joined Xerox in July after serving as senior vice president and CFO at Lexmark International, which Xerox acquired for $1.5 billion. EXPERT'S CORNER Why CT property owners should prepare now for 2026 tax assessment appeals By Nicholas W. Vitti Jr. and Joseph D. Szerejko W hile the time to appeal property tax assessments is in February, it is critical for Connecticut property owners to take action now to determine if they will appeal and, if so, to get the wheels in motion well ahead of the deadline. Bridgeport, Fairfield, Greenwich, Newington and Westport are among 32 Connecticut municipalities conducting a general revaluation on the Oct. 1, 2025 Grand List. Depending on the municipality, property owners have either already received a change-of-assess- ment notice from their local tax assessor or will receive one within the next month. In a revaluation, the assessor deter- mines the value of every parcel of real property in the municipality as of the Oct. 1 revaluation date. Connecticut law requires municipalities to conduct a general revaluation at least once every five years. Therefore, the assessment estab- lished on the revaluation date will be used to determine the taxes to be levied for the next five years. Appealing immediately after a reval- uation maximizes a property owner's potential tax savings. Challenging a property's assessed value is particularly important this year given real estate market volatility and, in many cases, a shifting tax burden from office and retail properties to multi- family residential and industrial assets. The key issue in a property tax appeal is the property's true value as of the Oct. 1 revaluation date. Even if an assessment has decreased since the last revaluation, an excessive assessment will result in the property owner bearing a disproportionate share of the tax burden. Once change-of-assessment notices are issued, there may be an opportunity to meet informally with the assessor or a representative to discuss the new value. However, if a property owner wants to challenge an assessment formally, a written appeal must be filed with the local Board of Assess- ment Appeals by the Feb. 20, 2026 statutory deadline. In some cases, that deadline may be extended, but unless your municipality notifies you otherwise, assume the Feb. 20 deadline applies. Here are steps property owners should take during a revaluation. Watch for change-of-assessment notice from the municipality related to the revaluation. This notice usually contains information on the new assessed value, the opportunity to meet informally with the assessor or his representative and the deadline to appeal to the local Board of Assessment Appeals. Review the notice carefully. Does it accurately identify your property? Do you own other parcels for which you did not receive notices? If the assessor's new value is stated in the notice, do you believe that it reflects the property's true fair market value as of Oct. 1, 2025, based on market conditions and property-specific facts? If you believe the new value is too high, assemble information that supports your position. Recent appraisals, listings, offers to purchase, sales of comparable properties, income and expense statements, and leases can all help establish value. Data closest to the Oct. 1, 2025 revaluation date will be most relevant. Decide whether to attend an informal meeting or to appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals. Often, factual errors or mistakes may be corrected during an informal meeting with the assessor or his/her representative. The formal appeal process, however, begins with filing a written appeal with the Board of Assessment Appeals. Once the appeals board issues its decision, decide whether to appeal to Superior Court. If a property owner remains dissatisfied with the board's deci- sion, the only recourse is to appeal to the state Superior Court. A court appeal must be filed within two months of the board's decision, or the right to appeal is lost. Identify a qualified appraiser early. Under 2022 revisions to the state's General Statutes, if a court appeal involves an assessment over $1 million, the property owner must file an appraisal with the court within 120 days of commencing the appeal. That requirement underscores the importance of hiring an experienced appraiser early in the process. As with any contested administrative or court proceeding, the decision to pursue a tax appeal should be made carefully. A thoughtful analysis of whether an appeal is warranted is essential and can often result in a financial benefit, regardless of whether a formal appeal is ultimately filed. Nicholas W. Vitti Jr. and Joseph D. Szerejko are members of Harris Beach Murtha's Commercial Real Estate Practice Group and American Property Tax Counsel representatives for Connecticut. Opinion & Commentary Movers & Shakers Joseph Szerejko Nicholas Vitti Jr. HABCO Industries President and CEO Brian Montanari has been elected chair of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's board of directors. Montanari, who joined the Glaston- bury-based aerospace and aviation manufacturer in 2007, succeeds Marietta Lee, president and CEO of The Lee Company. Lee will remain on CBIA's board as immediate past chair. As board chair, Montanari will help guide CBIA's policy work and initiatives focused on economic growth and improving Connecticut's business climate. The board also elected two vice chairs: Michael Brooder, Hartford office managing partner at CBIZ, and Leander Dolphin, managing partner at Shipman & Goodwin. Grey Ledge Advisors, the Guilford-based investment advisory subsidiary of Ascend Bank, has appointed Michael Schulitz as president. Brian Montanari Michael Schulitz Kimberly Beauregard Cesar Noble Chuck Butler Karen Goyette Jason Merker Tyler Booth

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