business briefs

PEOPLE

Brett Lovett has joined Jewett City Savings Bank as branch manager of the Putnam office. Before joining Jewett City Savings Bank, Lovett served as branch manager of CorePlus Credit Union’s Plainfield branch for five years, and three years before that served as a branch employee. He lives in North Grosvenordale. Chelsea Groton Bank team members graduated from the Center for Financial Training, the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT’s Leadership Program, the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce LEAD Program, and the Connecticut Bankers Association’s Connecticut School of Finance and Management. Team members also completed additional schooling and earned professional certifications in various concentrations. Through the Center for Financial Training, Dee Houde, Customer Care Team Lead, earned an Advanced Financial Services Diploma and Intro to Consumer Lending Certificate, and Megan Susi, AT, Customer Solutions Manager in Salem, completed the Introduction to Financial Services Operations. Bank graduates of the Chamber Leadership Program were Luisanna Tineo Cabrera, Retail Loan Originator, Penni Harlow, AVP, Customer Solutions Manager in Mystic, and Mario Siciliano, VP, Technology Operations Manager. Renee Simao, AT, Talent Acquisition Manager, and Tori Thomas, Customer Solutions Assistant Manager in Center Groton, completed the GNACC LEAD Program in 2022. Alysha Yepes, AT, Customer Solutions Manager of the Norwich-Westside branch, and Ana Healy, AT, Retail Administrator and Skills Coach, graduated from the Connecticut School of Finance and Management. Katherine Allingham, SVP, chief risk and compliance officer, completed the American Bankers Association Foundational Risk Management School; Kelly Meakem, AVP, digital banking operations manager, became an Accredited ACH Professional; and Jennifer Willingham, AVP, cash management officer, completed COCC Cash Management University. Professional certifications were also earned by Chelsea Groton team members: Kelly Allard, FVP, loan servicing and lending compliance manager — Mortgage Compliance Professional Level 2 and School of Mortgage Banking Level 1; Christina Caplet, VP, security manager — ICBA Bank Security; Sarah Duval, AT, risk management specialist – ABA Operational Risk Management; Tam Higgins, FVP, human resources manager – Lee Hecht Harrison Coaching; Beatriz Lawler, accounting assistant – Bookkeeping Basics; and Damen Norton, AVP, lending compliance & encompass administrator – KensieMae Administrator. Richard Centola, P.E. and Thomas Curry Jr., P.E., S.E. of GNCB Consulting Engineers, P.C., in Old Saybrook have been named as principals of the firm. Centola joined the firm in 2002 and has 30 years in the AEC industry. Curry joined the GNCB team in 2021.

WORKSHOPS

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce is offering training sessions help businesses with their Search Engine Optimization. Steve Bibby, owner of Stratedia, will be conducting free SEO trainings for Mystic Chamber members. Mystic Chamber members can register at www.mysticchamber.org. Training Session 1: Basics in SEO, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 4–5 p.m.,Andiamo, 247 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic. Training Session 2: How to Optimize Your Google Listing, Wednesday, March 29, 4–5 p.m., location TBD. Training Session 3: Social Media Trends, Wednesday, April 26, 4–5 p.m., location TBD. SCORE: “Starting and Running a Service Business,” presenter Eric Munro, Thursday, Feb. 16, 5:30-7 p.m., Zoom. “The ABCs of a Business Plan and Understanding a SWOT Analysis,” sponsored by CorePlus Federal Credit Union, presenter Tanisha Baptiste of the Small Business Administration, Thursday, March 9, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Zoom. Contact for questions/info: Anne Driscoll, anne.driscoll@scorevolunteer.org.

NETWORKING

The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce will hold its first Young Professionals Networking Event,: Thursday, Feb. 16, 5:30–7 p.m., Bank & Bridge Brewing, 54 W. Main St., Mystic. The event is $10 for all Young Professionals. Admission will include 2 drink tickets and light bites. Tickets can be purchased at www.mysticchamber.org or at the door. Trivia starts at 6:45 p.m. Chamber of Commerce of Eastern CT Annual Meeting & ECTy Award Celebration will be held Thursday March 30, 5-9:30 p.m., at Foxwoods Resort Casino. $80 per person on or before March 13, or $90 per person after. $720 per reserved table of eight. The annual awards honor excellence in community engagement, innovation, customer service, and business best practices. Young Professionals of Eastern CT 'YPSocial' will be held at Florence Griswold Museum, Thursday, March 9, 5-7 p.m.. The museum is at 96 Lyme St., Old Lyme. Free to members; $15 for non-members. Sponsored by Homestead Funding.

RIBBON CUTTING A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held to celebrate the renovation of Muddy Waters Cafe, Feb. 13, 10-11 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. EVENTS

The Connecticut Sun will host a golf tournament to benefit the Connecticut Sun Foundation May 11 at the Mohegan Sun Golf Club, 7 Dows Lane, Baltic. Registration for the event will open on Monday, Feb. 13.