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Bobsie Ness, president and general manager of Marriott ExecuStay, will be honored with an award at the 17th annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award Dinner on Sept. 23. The event will benefit Scoutreach, a program helping youth at risk program for Boy Scouts Connecticut Rivers Chapter. It serves over 23 urban communities in Connecticut. Each year, the ceremony honors individuals within their communities who have given their time, effort and resources for the population of youth in need.
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Jody Ferrer, president of West Hartford-based The Perfect Promotion, has been appointed Circle of Red co-chair for Go Red for Women and the American Heart Association. She joins co-chair Laurie Aylsworth, vice president/transmission project at Northeast Utilities. Circle of Red women aim to impact their local community by making a personal and significant financial contribution to help find a cure for heart disease. In her role, Ferrer is responsible for helping the organization plan unique experiences for its donor base; using connections to spread awareness about the Circle of Red; serving as a spokesperson and assisting with marketing. Ferrer’s company, The Perfect Promotion, will also be sponsoring “The Clothes Line” at this year’s Hartford Heart Walk in October.
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People Products Inc. in Newington recently hired Rico Dence Sales as its canvassing manager. Sales moved from San Diego and brings with him 12 years of sales, hiring and sales management experience. In the next 30 days, he will be hiring and training employees to assist in lead generation for the organization. Peoples Products, Inc. specializes in energy efficient HR40 replacement windows, stylelite siding, roofing, gutters and doors.
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New Opportunities Inc. used a program funded by federal stimulus dollars to lure six people with business backgrounds into the non-profit world. Starting last November, the three seasoned professionals and three early-career business majors contributed their talents to community events, program services and administrative tasks as apprentices in a supervisory development program. They applied skills in marketing, operations, finance and management to solve problems and generate ideas for the Community Action Agency based in Waterbury. Apprentices helped stage a Portrait of Positive Aging Photo Exhibit and a Higher Education Fair; they also were part of the team that won the agency a $5,000 marketing package from the Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce. Apprentices are Jason Zwang, Matt Olschefski, Ramon Solernou, Linda Herrmann, Renee Bass and Marion Hubbard, who has been hired by NOI Energy Services.
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Teri Trotter, a retired attorney with a diverse background in corporate legal matters, has been elected to the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc., parent company of Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR). She has worked in several corporations specializing in labor and employment issues. Most recently, she was primarily responsible for the professional development of General Electric’s 400 lawyers worldwide, reporting to the general counsel. She has a history of involvement with community organizations. In the late 1980s, in addition to her legal responsibilities at North American Van Lines in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, she served as the company’s corporate contribution officer. She served on the board of the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art for many years.
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Kostin, Ruffkess & Company LLC, a Farmington-based certified public accounting and business advisory firm, has promoted eight people across its three offices. Promoted in Farmington are Ray Fortier, senior; Tobias Freeman, supervisor; Marta Kuczek, supervisor; Ryan Taylor, supervisor. Tanya Robbins was promoted to senior status in the New London office. Promotions in the Springfield office included Ruslan Kuzmenko, senior; Valerie Mussina, supervisor; and James Walsh, supervisor. The appointments were effective July 1, according to Richard V. Kretz, managing member of the firm.
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West Hartford business owner Michael Gualtieri recently completed a two-year term as president of the Messenger Courier Association of America, the largest recognized national trade association of the same-day delivery industry. Gualtieri will serve as the immediate past president until May, 2012. He is the founder and president of ProCourier Inc., West Hartford.
