The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Chamber welcomes new chairman
MIDDLETOWN — Tom Byrne, president of Connecticut Rental Centers, was elected Chairman of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce.
Byrne will serve a oneyear term, which began June 18. He takes over for Don DeVivo, president and CEO of DATTCO. Byrne was selected to serve as chairman by the Board of Directors, according to a press release.
“Our greatest strength is our membership and together we will continue to overcome today’s challenges to become stronger in the future,” Byrne said in a prepared statement.
Byrne was born and raised in the Middletown area. He started working at his father’s rental business (then Taylor Rental Center in Portland), sweeping floors and washing equipment on the weekends, the release said. He m graduated from Xavier High School in 1980 and went on to get his degree in economics from Stonehill College in 1985.
Throughout high school and college, Byrne worked summers for his father servicing equipment, washing dishes and installing tents. After graduating from college, he learned the ropes of how to run a business from his father. That same year, Taylor Rental of Middletown became Connecticut Rental Center.
In 1986, Byrne married Dawn Mancarella of Middletown and they had three children, Meaghan, Garrett and Riley, according to the chamber. They have one grandchild, Deveny. In 2011, his father retired, and Byrne became president and owner of Connecticut Rental Center.
His wife came into the business as vice president, his son Garrett as general manager, and his son Riley as assistant manager.
His father Bob Byrne, a past chairman and Distinguished Award Winner, always told him how important it was to support and to be a part of the community to have a successful business, the release added.
In 1985 and 1986, Tom Byrne chaired the Middlesex Expo for the chamber and was chairman of the Central Business Bureau between 2015 and 2019. He served on the Board of Directors for many years and the Executive Board for several years.
In 2013, Byrne received the St. Francis Xavier Award from Xavier High School. That same year, he and Connecticut Rental Center were honored at the Middletown Mayor’s Ball with the Corporate Citizenship Award.
In 2014, Connecticut Rental Center was awarded the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year (1-30 Employees) award. In 2017, the store received the American Rental Association’s Image Award for “a commitment to improve the rental industry through a remodeling, rebuilding, or renovation project.”
On April 25, 2019, Connecticut Rental Center celebrated 50 years in business and former mayor Dan Drew proclaimed it Connecticut Rental Center day in Middletown.
Byrne also received the Al Award for Volunteerism from the chamber, and his company received the Distinguished Business Award from St. Vincent DePaul of Middletown in 2019.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
BOSTON — Allison Marie Fortunato of Cromwell made the Dean’s List at Wentworth Institute of Technology for the spring 2020 semester.
Ithaca College
ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca College congratulates the following students named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2020 semester: Jordan Gallant, a Documentary Studies & Production Writing major of Killingworth; Emily Hackett, a Cinema & Photography major of East Hampton; Elizabeth McCann, a Sociology major of Old Saybrook; and Stone Washburn, a Music with Outside Field major of Old Saybrook.
Iowa State University
AMES, Iowa — More than 12,500 Iowa State University students were recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the spring semester 2020 Dean’s List. Students must have earned a grade-point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale while carrying a minimum of nine credit hours of graded course work.
Locals are: Killingworth resident Megan Sue Tischbein and Middletown resident Rachel M. D’Andrea, both of whom majored in Veterinary Medicine.
Union College
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — Union College announces area students who graduated recently:
Ryan Baldwin of Deep River, Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude, majoring in Mathematics.
China Campagnuolo of Killingworth, Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, majoring in Spanish and Hispanic Studies.
Arnold Moore of Killingworth, Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, majoring in Leadership in Medicine.
Imogene Welles of Essex, a Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, majoring in Biology and Visual Arts.
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Matthew Pendleton of Clinton has been named to Southern New Hampshire University’s winter 2020 Dean’s List. Eligibility requires a student accumulate an academic grade-point average of between 3.5 and 3.699 and earn 12 credits for the semester
The following individuals were named to the winter President’s List. Eligibility requires that a student accumulate an academic gradepoint average of 3.7 to 4.0 and earn 12 credits for the semester.
They are: Samantha Chapps of Old Saybrook, Megan Decker of Durham, Samantha Glance of Deep River and Gyanna Russell of East Hampton.
DeSales University
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Moodus resident Jenna C. Sullivan made the Dean’s List for the spring 2020 session at DeSales University. To qualify, a student must have a minimum 3.50 gradepoint average of no fewer than 12 credit hours.
College of Charleston
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Madden Sullivan of Deep River was named to the College of Charleston spring 2020 Dean’s List. Sullivan is majoring in Finance. To qualify, students must earn a grade-point average of 3.600 or higher and complete a minimum of 14 semester hours.
Lasell University
NEWTON, Mass. — Graduates of Lasell University’s class of 2020 include the following local residents: Kelly Cappitella of East Haddam, BS in Exercise Science; Caroline Donlan of Middletown, BA in Fashion Communication & Promotion; Madison Kasperski of East Hampton, Summa Cum Laude BS in Psychology; Ryan Lysak of East Hampton, BS in Entrepreneurship; Natalia Martins of Westbrook, BS in Event Management; and Alexis Quiles of Middletown, BA in Law and Public Affairs.