Meet business and nonprofit leaders whose contributions inside and outside the boardroom have made lasting impacts.
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The concept “servant leadership” seems to be popular these days.
For those who are unaware, it's a type of leadership philosophy in which the leader of an organization puts the needs of his or her subordinates first, in some ways, reversing the traditional power structure within a company.
It speaks to a selfless leadership style and it's a philosophy shared by Hartford Business Journal's 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award winners, who are highlighted in this special section.
As part of this year's awards, we are honoring a group of business and nonprofit executives who, over the years, have put as much zeal and effort into their community or philanthropic work as they have in their own organizations.
They include Tom Barnes, chairman of the Barnes Group, who represents the fifth generation of his family to have been actively employed by the Bristol-based manufacturer founded by his great, great grandfather. In addition, Tom Barnes chairs the company's charitable foundation, and he's active in many other community organizations.
Suzanne Hopgood is best-known locally as chair of the Capital Regional Development Authority, but she's also been a trailblazer, confronting and overcoming boardroom politics — including bias — to helm top power positions at numerous U.S. companies.
Adrienne Cochrane spent years helping empower disenfranchised people during her time leading the Urban League of Greater Hartford. She was recently appointed CEO of the YWCA Hartford Region, where she will be carrying out the nonprofit's mission to eliminate racism and empower women.
Finally, Howard Orr has spent the last four decades running electron beam welder KTI Inc. in East Windsor. He became president at age 24, after guiding the company out of bankruptcy. He's also given back in many ways, having served on more than 30 nonprofit boards and commissions including Suffield's Economic Development Commission.
In our ninth installment of the Lifetime Achievement Awards our winners hail from the private and nonprofit sectors and have demonstrated how hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence and the community can translate into professional and personal success.
As you read their individual profiles join us in congratulating them for their many accomplishments. We'll celebrate their success July 18, at a breakfast at the Hartford Club in Hartford.
Also, it should be noted that this year's winners were largely chosen by HBJ's editorial team. While we did solicit nominations from our readers, our staff made their own picks, taking into consideration candidates who have made lasting impacts on their organization and the broader business community.
And as we congratulate this year's Lifetime Achievement class, please remember that we'll be back next year looking for the next group of winners. We encourage all of our readers to nominate worthy candidates.
— Greg Bordonaro, Editor
This year's winners include:
Tom Barnes
Chairman of the Board, Barnes Group Inc.
Adrienne W. Cochrane
Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Hartford Region
Suzanne Hopgood
CEO, The Hopgood Group LLC; Chairman, Capital Region Development Authority
Howard Orr
Owner/President, KTI Inc.
