New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
New economic development director has deep roots in the community
CHESHIRE — Growing up in town, Andrew Martelli got his first taste of Cheshire’s inner workings as a high school student.
“When I was at Cheshire High School, I was student liaison to the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development,” Martelli said. “I remember thinking at one point how cool it would be to do economic development for the town. It was always kind of a dream job for me.”
A little more than two decades after that formative experience, Martelli’s dreams came true when he was hired to replace Jerry Sitko as the town’s economic development coordinator.
Sitko retired at the end of June after 30 years in the job. The position was vacant for a little more than a month before Martelli began his new job.
Before taking on the role, Martelli was a project manager and new construction liaison for NeighborWorks/
New Horizons, a New Haven-based organization focused on developing affordable housing. After graduating from college, he spent a decade working for the Waterbury Development Corp., the city’s economic development arm.
Cheshire Town Manager Sean Kimball said Martelli’s salary is $100,000 a year. He was selected from a field of more than twodozen applicants and was one of eight people who was interviewed for the job, according to Kimball.
“We had some really top notch candidates apply, so the fact that he was selected speaks well of his skill set,” Kimball said. “There were some town planners from other communities, economic development professionals from other communities.”
But as impressive as Martelli’s resume is, what sold Kimball was Martelli’s “deep connections and love of this community.”
“Part of attracting businesses to come here is being extremely positive about Cheshire and the town’s future,” Kimball said of Martelli.
Another added bonus in hiring Martelli is that he has significant grant writing experience, according to Kimball.
Martelli also serves the town in a volunteer capacity on the town’s Board of Education.