Frank J. Monteiro, chief operating officer for MacDermid Performance Solutions on Freight Street in Waterbury, has been named the recipient of the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s 2017 Malcolm Baldrige Community Award.
The award is the Chamber’s most revered, honoring the legacy of Malcolm “Mac” Baldrige, the former CEO of Scovill Inc. and Secretary of Commerce under President Ronald Reagan. Baldrige, also a former chairman of the Chamber, continually demonstrated his belief in community, leadership, and volunteerism as he worked to promote economic development in Greater Waterbury.
“The prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Community Award is presented annually to a business leader in the region in recognition of his or her commitment to the community and as someone who has demonstrated a commitment to the economic development and growth of Greater Waterbury,” said William J. Pizzuto, Ph.D., Director of the University of Connecticut Waterbury Campus and Chairman of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, who co-chairs the event with Jaci Carroll, CEO/founder of Jaci Carroll Staffing Services Inc.
“Our Chamber is quite delighted to present this award to Frank Monteiro for all his exceedingly generous contributions to and support of the entire Waterbury community and the region,” Pizzuto added.
The award will be presented during the 23rd Annual Malcolm Baldrige Chamber Awards Dinner on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in the Plantsville section of Southington. The evening, which will include a silent auction, is a major fundraiser for the not-for-profit Waterbury Regional Chamber and benefits the Chamber’s economic development efforts.
Nominees for the Malcolm Baldrige Community Award are considered for their roles in supporting employment opportunities, for enhancing the overall economic growth and quality of life in the region, for playing a leading role in initiating new business or development, and for their community leadership. Past honorees are Ralph Carpinella of Carpin Manufacturing Inc.; Judge James Lawlor, chairman of the Waterbury Housing Authority; M. Catherine Smith; attorney Gary B. O’Connor; Frederick Blasius Jr. of Blasius Chevrolet Cadillac; Peter Baker of Crystal Rock; Waterbury Mayor Neil M. O’Leary; Burton Albert of Albert Bros. Inc.; Sen. Joan V. Hartley; Joel S. Becker of Torrington Supply Co.; Charles T. Kellogg of Hubbard-Hall Inc.; Norman S. Drubner of Drubner Industrials; Carmen A. Vacalebre of Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group; state Banking Commissioner John P. Burke; John A. Michaels of Michaels Enterprises; William J. Pape II of the Republican-American; Jaci Carroll of Jaci Carroll Staffing Services; James C. Smith of Webster Bank; Daniel Leever of MacDermid Inc.; Robert W. Garthwait Sr. of Cly-Del Manufacturing; Joseph Carlson II of Hillside Properties LLC, and former Gov. John G. Rowland.
Malcolm Baldrige, a former Woodbury resident, guided Waterbury’s Scovill Manufacturing Company for more than two decades. He served as Commerce Secretary under President Regan, and during his tenure implemented new laws to help American businesses grow while also negotiating trade agreements with Russia and China. He is also universally praised in business and industry for his legacy of success through quality.
Monteiro, the 2017 honoree, worked to not only retain MacDermid’s research and development facilities and 200 jobs at the company’s Freight Street location but also to expand the business by adding 75 to 80 jobs in a second MacDermid building. He is also a strong supporter of the Chamber’s Leadership Greater Waterbury professional development program and its’ Young Professionals Organization of Waterbury Region and has played a vital role in supporting charitable efforts throughout Greater Waterbury.
Born and raised in Waterbury, Monteiro joined MacDermid Inc. in 1998 as general accounting manager. Since then he has held various positions, including chief financial officer, and in 2015 was named the chief operating officer of the Performance Solutions business of Platform Specialty Products, which encompasses the original MacDermid operations and the acquisitions of OMG Electronics & Photomasks and Alent, Plc.
In 2003 he moved with MacDermid to Colorado but returned to Waterbury in 2013. Currently, Monteiro serves on the Board of Directors and Finance Committee for the Connecticut Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; the boards of the Palace Theater, Waterbury Sportsmen’s Club, Christopher D. Corbett Memorial Foundation, Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, Mattatuck Museum, Naugatuck Valley Community College, and United Way of Greater Waterbury, for which he has served as co-chair of its Finance Committee’s 2016-2017 Annual Campaign. He previously served on the Waterbury Regional Chamber Board of Directors and on the boards of various organizations in Colorado and Greater Waterbury. He resides in Prospect with his wife Sandy and son Anthony.
In addition to Monteiro, the Chamber will honor Lori A. DosSantos, CRPC, a financial advisor with Bank of America Merrill Lynch, with its 2017 Leadership Award, and James A. Higgins, MBA, vice president, community bank, banking center manager II for Webster Bank, with its 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award.
The Leadership Award is presented to a Chamber member who demonstrates leadership and contributes to accomplishing the Chamber’s mission to serve its members as a network, resource, and advocate. DosSantos, the 2017 Award winner, is chairwoman of the Watertown Oakville Chamber, an affiliate of the Waterbury Regional Chamber. Recently she led the Watertown Oakville Chamber’s effort to establish two $1,500 scholarships awarded to Watertown High School seniors, one for a student planning to pursue a career in business, the other for a student planning a career in a STEM- or trade-related field.
A lifelong resident of Oakville, DosSantos has been a Bank of America Merrill Lynch financial advisor in Southbury for five years and is a partner with the Green Wealth Management Group. She holds life and health insurance licenses, FINRA registration series 6, 7, 63, and 65, and has been a financial advisor for more than 30 years. She is a graduate of Naugatuck Valley Community College, where she obtained her Associate of Science degree in Business Administration. Today she serves on numerous local boards, including three years as chairwoman of the Watertown Oakville Chamber and nine years on the Chamber’s Business Women’s Forum Board. She is an active member of the Smaller Manufacturers Association, and lead money-counter for six years for her parish, St. Mary Magdalen. DosSantos resides in her childhood home with her 89-year-old mother Irene, and her children Christopher and Marissa, and is engaged to Raymond Blanchard.
“Lori has long been a tremendous asset to both the Waterbury Regional Chamber and the Watertown Oakville Chamber of Commerce for several years,” Ward said. “She is a strong supporter of our Chambers and our member businesses.”
The Chamber’s Volunteer Award is presented annually to a member who dedicates his or her time and expertise to volunteering for the organization. Higgins, MBA, and manager of the Webster Bank branch on Bank Street in downtown Waterbury is currently secretary of the Chamber’s Young Professionals Organization (YPOWR), where he has been very involved in its Task Force since joining the group three years ago. He also co-founded and chairs YPOWR’s Business Connection Group as well as a Chamber Business Connection Group. In addition, he is a Chamber Ambassador, assisting in membership retention and development.
Born in Waterbury, Higgins has lived in the Waterbury and Bristol areas. After graduating from Bristol Central High School in 2006, he went on a 10-year collegiate journey spanning six different colleges. While in college, he worked full-time as a call center representative and, at age 20, became the center’s director of operations, supervising a staff of 170. From there, he moved into sales for two companies: Indeed.com and First Data, where he was introduced to Webster Bank. He subsequently was hired as banking center manager for Webster’s original branch and corporate headquarters on Bank Street in downtown Waterbury.
In 2017, Higgins graduated with a Masters of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Business Management from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven and became involved in the Waterbury community. He serves as treasurer of the Exchange Club of Waterbury, on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Waterbury and Main Street Waterbury, and as a commissioner for the City of Waterbury on the Finance and Audit Review Commission.
“James is a notably accomplished young professional who continually and very generously steps up to serve the Chamber in many capacities, on numerous committees, and on so many selfless levels,” Ward said.
One of the largest chambers in Connecticut, the Waterbury Regional Chamber has more than 1,000 member businesses.
Sponsors of the 2017 Malcolm Baldridge Chamber Awards event include Diamond Sponsors Webster Bank and MacDermid Performance Solutions; Silver Sponsor Crystal Rock – Water, Coffee, Office Supplies, and Aqua Turf; Bronze Sponsor TBI Construction, A Tomasso Company, and Brass Sponsors Eversource Energy and Zackin Simeyski Sullivan, CPA, LLC. Additional sponsors and silent auction donations are still being sought for the September 26th dinner event.
Tickets are $150/person, $1,750 for a table of 10. Reservations may be made online at www.waterburychamber.com, via email to info@waterburychamber.com, or by calling the Chamber at 203-757-0701.