David C. Robinson, executive vice president and general counsel at The Hartford Financial Service Group Inc., has been elected to chair the MetroHartford Alliance’s board of directors, officials say.
Robinson is succeeding Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Travelers Cos., effective immediately, MetroHartford said late Wednesday.
MetroHartford, based on Pratt Street in downtown Hartford, is a not-for-profit organization that promotes economic development in Greater Hartford.
MetroHartford’s board includes a number of high-profile executives, including Hartford Foundation for Public Giving President Jay Williams and Kevin Dillon, executive director and CEO of the Connecticut Airport Authority (CAA). Its board members can be found here.
Robinson assumed his current role at The Hartford in 2015 overseeing its law department, government affairs and compliance. He also chairs the property-casualty insurer’s environment committee.
He is also a member of the quasi-public Capital Region Development Authority’s (CRDA) board of directors alongside Bessette.
“The Hartford region has always boasted an exceptional quality of life, and people are excited about the momentum of residential development, new entrepreneurial startups, growth of unique local businesses, and the revitalization of neighborhoods in Connecticut’s Capital City,” Robinson said in a statement.
Bessette said he will remain on the board after serving as MetroHartford’s board chair for more than two years. During his tenure, MetroHartford began functioning as a regional economic development organization and brought back the old Hartford Chamber of Commerce name it hasn’t used for 17 years.
Robinson’s appointment comes months after MetroHartford announced a shakeup in senior leadership.
In October, the organization named Julie Daly Meehan as chief operating officer. Daly Meehan’s former position of chief investor relations officer was filled by Kate Baumann.
This story has been updated to include comment from Andy Bessette
