One of the New Haven business community’s most respected members, Walter J. Nester Jr. of North Haven, retired May 1 following a career that spanned eight decades.
Born in the Cedar Hill section of New Haven, Nester went to work at the New Haven Register in the autumn of 1951 following graduation from Wilbur Cross High School. Two years later he left to join the U.S. Marine Corps as the Korean War was winding down. He spent three years in the Corps before returning home to rejoin the Register as an advertising salesman (as they were called then) in 1956. While working at the paper he also earned a BS in marketing following six years of taking classes part-time at the then-Quinnipiac College.
In those days the Journal Register Co., which traces its roots to the time of the War of 1812, was owned by the Jackson family, headed by Publisher Lionel Jackson. It published both a morning paper, the Journal-Courier, and the afternoon Register, until they were combined into the seven-day Register in 1987.
Nester became advertising department director in 1979 and led the department during the paper’s high-water mark of influence and financial success. During the 1980s the paper’s daily circulation peaked at about 100,000, and when Nester left in 1990 he was executive vice president and general manager. By then Jackson had died and the paper passed into the hands first of television producer Mark Goodson and later to a succession of chain owners culminating in Hearst Media, which owns the paper today.
After he retired from the Register Nester became advertising director of the Middletown Press around the time of its acquisition by the Berkshire Eagle (today the Middletown paper is also owned by Hearst, as are most of the remaining Connecticut dailies with the notable exception of the Hartford Courant). He also worked as an advertising-sales consultant with a group of family newspapers, and as director of development and community services for Family Counseling of New Haven.
In 2002 Nester joined the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce as a business development executive, and stayed for 18 years in a key role with one of the oldest business groups in the United States.
New Haven Chamber President and CEO Garrett Sheehan summed it up: “Walter has been a true professional and has always taken great pride and care in supporting our businesses,” he said. “His connections go beyond taking care of member businesses; he really cares about the people behind them.”
On May 1 Nester decided to take a break after 69 years on the job.
For now, anyway. Nester joked that he’s “working on my résumé.” At least, we think it’s a joke.
“He’s already missed,” said Sheehan.
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KeyBank has named three new bankers to its commercial and business banking teams:
Michael McGuire of Southington has joined KeyBank Commercial Banking as middle market relationship manager, working with clients with annual revenues ranging from $25 million to $250 million in the Hartford/Springfield area. McGuire has more than 10 years of commercial banking and credit experience from previous roles at Bank of America and TD Bank. He holds a BS from Saint Peter’s University.
Melissa Bierowka of Southington has been hired as senior business banking relationship manager serving business clients with annual revenues of $3 million to $25 million in greater New Haven. Bierowka has more than 15 years of business banking and finance experience, most recently with Capital One Bank. She was graduated from Central Connecticut State University.
Maryssa Tedder of Naugatuck joins KeyBank as a business banking relationship manager serving business clients in the New Haven and Waterbury areas. She brings 13 years of business banking and branch experience from previous positions with Bank of America and Citizens Bank. She holds a BA from American Intercontinental University.
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Mark Gius of Southington, professor of economics at Quinnipiac University, has been appointed to the Connecticut Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The mission of this federal agency is to inform the development of national civil rights policy and enhance enforcement of federal civil-rights laws. Gius, who joined the Quinnipiac faculty in 1994, earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Pennsylvania State University.
