Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com March 16, 2015 • Hartford Business Journal 7 wHaT'S aHead: ■ 3/23 Focus: Bioscience ■ The List: largest cT Bioscience firms ■ Nonprofit Profile: Miss porter's School calendar Wednesday, March 25 Demystifying Big Data The UConn School of Business is offering a breakfast seminar titled, "Demystifying Big Data,'' from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. March 25 at the Society Room, 31 Pratt St., Hartford. Professor Ramesh Shankar, assistant department head for the university's information systems program, will discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with leveraging Big Data and extracting full value. Participants will gain an understanding of the business value offered by the emerging ecosystem of Big Data technologies such as Apache Hadoop, Spark, Hive, and others. The event is geared toward human resources, marketing, information technology, operations management and healthcare leaders, as well as chief financial officers, chief operating officers and CEOs. To register go to: http://alumni.business.uconn.edu/events/ or call 860. 486.5498. F O r a C O m P l e T e l i s T O F G r e a T e r H a r T F O r d b u s i n e s s e v e n T s , G O T O w w w . H a r T F O r d b u s i n e s s . C O m a n d C l i C k O n ' T H e a G e n d a . ' a l l C a l e n d a r i T e m s m u s T b e s u b m i T T e d e l e C T r O n i C a l l y v i a O u r w e b s i T e , H a r T F O r d b u s i n e s s . C O m . governMenT & poliTicS CT GOP says legislative package would help women House Republican Leader Themis Klarides introduced a host of bills last week that she and her GOP colleagues say would help women improve their economic position in the workforce and as business owners. Klarides and other leading Republicans introduced bills that would establish privately-funded scholarships for women pur- suing STEM degrees; create a workforce reentry program for women within the Department of Labor; and offer tax credits to employers that offer childcare services to workers. Legislative committees recently held hearings on those three bills. Labor Department Commissioner Sharon Palmer testified that her department's American Jobs Centers already offer workforce reentry support, while the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women lauded the intent of the childcare legislation, but said it preferred a broader state policy. Republicans also have bills that would require 25 percent of the state's angel investor tax credits to go to women-owned busi- nesses and to provide funding for round-the-clock security at the state's domestic violence shelters. AG Jepsen forms data security division State Attorney General George Jepsen said he has formed a department within his office that will work solely on investigations and litigation regarding privacy and data security. The division will expand upon the work of a privacy task force created in 2011, and Jepsen says it will help maintain the state's standing as a leader on the topic. Since 2011, Jepsen said in a statement, his office "has taken a lead role in investigating massive consumer data breaches involv- ing Anthem, Target, Home Depot and others as well as significant issues impacting consumer privacy, including the Google Street View Wi-Fi data collection case." "Sadly there is no reason to predict that the demands of privacy and data security concerns will subside in the foreseeable future," he added. Jepsen has appointed Assistant Attorney General Matthew Fitzsimmons to head the new department, which will continue to receive assistance from a contracted technical consultant. hat's stopping us from realizing that potential? Why does our economy struggle to keep pace with the rest of the country? Connecticut has tremendous economic assets—world-class companies, a skilled, educated, productive workforce, and a proud legacy of innovation. Yet we're not seeing the investment and growth we need. Too many people, particularly young people, are finding good jobs elsewhere. Independent studies and reports constantly rank our economic competitiveness in the bottom tier of states. Those rankings reflect decades of policy decisions that increased business costs and jeopardized jobs and opportunities. Connecticut faces tough challenges. Fiscal problems, aging transportation systems, high energy costs, and burdensome regulations and mandates all hold us back. And we must to do more to develop the talent to meet workforce needs. CBIA is fighting for change. Not just for our thousands of member companies, but for everyone in the state. This is about changing mindsets and making good policy choices. For having lawmakers consider every legislative proposal for its impact—positive or negative— on our economy. And making them understand that real change creates an environment of opportunity, builds economic vitality and prosperity, and benefits everyone. We can do better. We have to do better. House Republican leader Themis Klarides (middle) introduces new policy. educaTion Former Eastern CT provost is new USJ president The University of St. Joseph in West Hartford said it has named Rhona Free as its new president. Free was most recently provost and vice president of academic affairs at Eastern Connecticut State University in Windham, where she also taught as an economics professor and helped develop eight new student-major programs. She is USJ's ninth president and succeeds Pamela Trotman Reid, who announced her retirement in October. Free praised Trotman Reid in a statement, saying she has po- sitioned USJ well through academic programs and establishing a downtown Hartford presence. Free has a bachelor of arts from Sarah Lawrence College and a master's degree and doctoral degree in economics from the Uni- versity of Notre Dame. She starts her new job July 1. P H O T O | C O n T r i b u T e d

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