Watertown/Oakville Chamber to Honor Community Leaders at Annual Awards Dinner

Next Wednesday, November 2, the Watertown/Oakville Chamber of Commerce will host its 52nd Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner honoring local leaders and businesses. The prestigious 2016 Community Leader of the Year Award will be presented to Dr. Bridget H. Carnemolla, Superintendent of Watertown Schools since 2014. The 2016 Unsung Hero Award will be presented to Attorney Paul Jessell, a partner with the firm of Slavin, Stauffacher & Scott, LLC in Watertown. The 2016 Beautification Award will be given to ECI Screen Print Inc. in Watertown.

The Watertown Oakville Chamber of Commerce’s 52nd Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Grand Oak Villa at 555 Sylvan Lake Road in Oakville and will include a silent auction to raise funds for the Watertown/Oakville Chamber of Commerce, a not for profit and division of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. Reservations are required by Wednesday, October 26, 2016 .

“The criteria for selecting the notable Watertown/Oakville Chamber’s Community Leader of the Year involves a nominee’s personal impact on the business community; how he or she demonstrates leadership; noted accomplishments and the extent of their community involvement,” stated Lori DosSantos of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and chairwoman of the Watertown/Oakville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Dr. Bridget H. Carnemolla is widely-acclaimed as a strategic thinker and problem solver who has restored a culture of respect for others and for oneself within the Watertown school system following her strong accomplishments within the Watertown High School. “Bridget understands our children. They understand her. I believe they have found a place in each other’s hearts,” stated a former school superintendent. “Watertown, it seems, has gotten under Bridget’s skin,” the Board of Education asserted. “She progressed through many ladders of problems and issues we’ve had including lack of discipline and safety and rampant dress code violations, and she instituted initiatives that many of her predecessors never thought of.”

Prior to her appointment as superintendent, Dr. Carnemolla was principal of Watertown High School where she oversaw the budget, operations, staff and teaching of 957 students, one of Connecticut’s largest student body. She is credited with successfully adding such resources as extra academic support, increased tutoring in after-school labs, creation of student success plans, and the addition of an online credit recovery program. Additionally, she admirably influenced the increase in the high school graduation rate from 82% to 92%.

Previous recipients of the prestigious Watertown/Oakville Community Award include Susan Atkins of Bradshaw Jeep in 2006; Dr. Joseph Erardi, Superintendent of Schools in 2007; Bill Dunbar of Copes Rubbish Removal in 2008; Peter Baker of Crystal Rock in 2009; Dennis Strozzi of Siemon Realty in 2011; Stephen Martino of Martino’s Pizzaria in 2012; Chuck Frigon, Watertown Town Manager in 2013; Rich Dupont of Resource Development Associates in 2014; and Jack Traver of Traver IDC in 2015.
The criteria for the Unsung Hero Award, DosSantos explained, “Is a person or group who often works behind the scenes; has provided substantive yet unrecognized contributions to their community or business; exhibits fair and honest business practices; lives, works, or owns a business in Watertown-Oakville; helps, supports and empowers other people to advance; and need not be a Chamber member.”

Attorney Paul Jessell, the Chamber’s 2016 Unsung Hero Award recipient is currently a partner with Slavin, Stauffacher & Scott, LLC. He has been a notably-active, highly-involved member of the Watertown community at large. Since 2001, he has been with the Watertown Rotary, and has served as the Town of Watertown’s Attorney since 2007 after serving as Special Counsel from 2001 to 2005. Currently he is on the board of Easterseals of Greater Waterbury, has served on the board of Evergreen Cemetery for the past four years, and has offered his legal services pro bono to the Watertown Foundation since 2008. Attorney Jessell served the Watertown Land Trust from 2005 to 2010; the board of the Watertown Youth Soccer between 1993 and 1998; the Watertown Water & Sewer between 1995 and 1998; as chairman of the Watertown Town Council between 1991 and 1993; the Watertown Planning and Zoning Commission from 1989 to 1991; and the Watertown Zoning Board of Appeals between 1987 and 1989. Paul Jessell, Esq. is known as an advocate for “all that is good in our community,” as stated by Susan Atkins of Bradshaw Chrysler Jeep who nominated him for this award. “A Watertown native, he has been involved with coaching, non-profits, civic organizations and politics. He participates in many events, lends his guidance and business sense, and performs countless hours of legal service at no charge to numerous organizations.”

The Watertown/Oakville Chamber’s Beautification Award recognizes individuals, companies and organizations for efforts that add to the aesthetics of the area by improving their properties or key access points to our community. DosSantos stated this award’s criteria is that, “The nominee must be a Chamber member, Watertown-Oakville-based business, demonstrated a special effort to improve and/or maintain a high standard of beautification of their property, and that physical enhancements may be, but not limited to, exterior renovations, landscaping, signage and seasonal decorations.”

ECI Screen Print Inc., recipient of the Chamber’s 2016 Beautification Award, relocated its operations in 2015 to the former New England Country Bakers building to Mountain View Drive in the Watertown Industrial Park in 2015. The company invested into extensive renovations of the interior and exterior of the building and surrounding landscape. The building was completely renovated to accommodate ECI’s needs to continue to manufacture fine quality industrial and medical device products, plus increase its workforce and production capacity. For nearly 25 years, ECI has been a leading manufacturer of human interface products including printed electronics, bio-sensors, membrane switches, industrial graphics, labels and more found in the OEM, medical, military, food equipment and avionics industries. ECI was founded in 1991 by Edward F. Cook, Jr., president, who stated, “ECI’s dedicated staff worked extremely hard to help design and then position their equipment within the now free-flowing open-concept of our top-to-bottom renovated building that was designed to create a more fluid and collaborative workplace. Plus we have plenty of room to expand over the expanse of land that is currently unoccupied that surrounds our landscaped building and parking areas.”

Business Sponsors include Thomaston Savings Bank and Secor, Cassidy & McPartland, PC. Supporting Sponsors include Anchor Consulting Services, Bradshaw Chrysler Jeep, Litchfield Bancorp, Resource Development Associates and Shipman & Goodwin, LLP. Sponsorships are still available to show your support of the recipients of the 2016 Watertown/Oakville Annual Meeting & Awards Dinner by calling Courtney Ligi at the Chamber offices.

Tickets are $50/person and reservations are required by Wednesday, October 26 by calling the Watertown Oakville Chamber at 203-757-0701 or visiting www.watertownoakvillechamber.com.

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Submitted by Southbury, CT

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