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David S. Mercugliano has been named managing partner of Pelorus Advisors, a financial business coaching firm in West Hartford and Cheshire. He will be directly responsible for business development in Pelorus’ Health Care Services practice group. Mercugliano brings 20 years of clinical and practice management expertise and has led the turnaround of major regional rehab providers. He is board-certified as a geriatric clinical specialist
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Stephen Jewett is joining Duby McDowell Communications as a senior partner specializing in public affairs. Jewett, 36, is director of corporate communications and public affairs for ConnectiCare health plans, an EmblemHealth company. He has been an active spokesperson at both the state and national level on the health reform debate. Jewett previously worked at Griffin Hospital, where he oversaw marketing and survey research. In 2010, Jewett served as the senior advisor to state Attorney General George Jepsen’s successful campaign. He started his career at the Connecticut Senate Democratic Caucus and served as campaign manager for several high-profile races.
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Attorneys Karen A. Daley and Rex J. Iacurci have joined Pullman & Comley LLC as associates. Daley will be based in Bridgeport practicing health care law. She has been director of risk management and associate counsel at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford. Before that, she was the director of risk management at Bridgeport Hospital. She began her career at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston, where she was a surgical critical care nurse, trauma outreach nurse and clinical advisor for more than 10 years. Iacurci joins the employee benefits section of the firm’s corporate and business department in Hartford. He was senior counsel at Northeast Utilities Service Co. in Hartford, where he was responsible for providing analysis, consultation and advice concerning all aspects of employee benefit plan and executive compensation compliance. He also brings 12 years of experience as a senior tax attorney with Texaco. He also is a certified public accountant.
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Annette Labrecque Comer, vice president and associate senior underwriter in the Stewart National Title Services Boston office, will now oversee the office’s commercial underwriting for New England in addition to her national underwriting responsibilities. Comer has over 30 years of experience in the commercial sector of the title insurance industry, and is an associate member of the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts and an active member in New England Women in Real Estate.
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John McGrane has joined GEI as a senior consultant after spending more than 20 years in the Department of Public Works for the City of Hartford. He will be based in GEI’s Hartford office and be responsible for helping to expand GEI’s flood management and municipal engineering practices across the Eastern United States. He spent the past 12 years as the city’s assistant public works director/city engineer, and director of the Greater Hartford Flood Commission. This included management responsibility for the department’s capital improvement budget, which approached $40 million annually.
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Matt Burris has been named general manager for Riverhouse properties’ new venture Belle Terrace, the former Avon Old Farms Inn. Burris comes to Belle Terrace from Mohegan Sun Resort where he most recently served as conference and travel industry sales manager. He had been at Mohegan Sun for 15 years. Burris sits on the board of Camp Quinebaug and assists in fund-raising efforts for its annual golf tournament. Riverhouse Properties is the parent company for The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in Haddam and The Society Room of Hartford.
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Union Savings Bank has hired Raymond T. Giovanni as assistant vice president and branch manager for the bank’s newest location at 411 Monroe Turnpike in Monroe. Giovanni brings 12 years of banking experience. Most recently, he was vice president, branch manager for Bank of America in Monroe. Prior to his career in banking, he was the general manager of the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, and taught elementary school in Bridgeport. Giovanni is a board member and former treasurer of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce. The branch will open in mid June.Â
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Simsbury Bank has promoted Paula Giorgio to assistant treasurer from senior accountant. She has over 21 years of accounting and financial analysis experience in the financial services industry.
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Vin DiGioia has joined Mascola Group, a New Haven-based marketing firm, as strategist and interactive specialist to the agency’s team of senior-level marketing and communications professionals. He has been assistant director of online services for the Association of Yale Alumni in New Haven. DiGioia also has served as director of web marketing within a smaller, New Haven-based web marketing firm previously in his career.
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Thomaston Savings Bank has hired Todd Burton as retail banking sales manager, responsible for leading the bank’s strategic retail expansion into greater Bristol and the surrounding markets. He brings a diverse and extensive banking background, most recently serving the Hartford/Meriden and Greater Danbury areas, where he was responsible for effective management of 10 branch locations. He is active in chambers of commerce in Meriden, Greater Waterbury, Greater Danbury and Central Connecticut, as well as volunteering his time to United Way, Abilities Beyond Disabilities and Habitat for Humanity. Also, Kim Lebron, vice president commercial loan officer, has been promoted to vice president commercial loan manager and Francis Berthiaume, vice president mortgage lending sales manager, has been promoted to consumer loan officer and will assume all consumer lending responsibilities.
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Waterford Hotel Group has promoted Gregory Smith to vice president, business development. Smith, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, previously held the position of vice president, finance and CFO with Waterford Hotel Group. In his new role, Smith will direct and coordinate company growth through management contracts, joint ventures, acquisitions, and other new developments. He joined the organization in 2009. Previously, Smith served as chief financial officer/chief administration officer for Boykin Management Co. and held numerous positions with Interstate Hotels & Resorts, including vice president of international finance and regional director of finance, vice president and corporate controller, and hotel controller. Waterford Hotel Group Inc., an affiliate of Waterford Group LLC, manages more than 60 hotels nationwide.
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