At its November 2007 meeting immediately following the municipal elections, the CCM Board of Directors appointed new officers and four new board members to fill the posts of municipal leaders on the board who were leaving office.

Here are the new CCM officers:

Elizabeth C. Paterson, Mayor of Mansfield, was appointed President. She had been First Vice-President since June. She is an incorporator and member of the executive board of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership and is chairman of the Mansfield Emergency Management Committee. She is co-chairman of the Mansfield’s University/Town Relations Committee and serves on the presidential search committee for the University of Connecticut.

Paterson has been active in both CCM and the National League of Cities (NLC). She is chairperson of the CCM Task Force on Early Childhood Development and CCM’s Legislative Subcommittee on Education. She is also a member of the CCM Task Force on Children, Youth and Families. Nationally, Paterson was just elected to the NLC Board of Directors and is chairperson of the University & College Community Caucus Steering Committee of NLC.

Timothy C. Griswold, First Selectman of Old Lyme, was appointed First Vice-President. Since June, he had been CCM Second Vice-President. Before becoming first selectman, Griswold was an 18-year member and then chairman of the Old Lyme Board of Finance. He is a member of the Lyme/Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce and the Lyme/Old Lyme Lions Club, and serves on the board of trustees of the Florence Griswold Museum.

He previously served in several senior positions during a 25-year career in banking. He was a vice president for Citizen’s Bank, first vice president of Advest Bank, assistant vice president of United Bank and Trust, and assistant treasurer of Hartford National Bank. Griswold served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

Martin Berliner, City Manager of New London, was appointed Second-Vice President. Since June, he had been CCM Treasurer. Berliner previously served on the CCM board as town manager of Mansfield, where he served for 27 years.

Berliner has been an active member of CCM’s Legislative Committee for many years; and serves on the Board of Directors of CIRMA, CCM’s risk management and insurance services arm.

He is a member of the International City/County Management Association and is a past president of the Connecticut Town City Management Association. Berliner also serves on the board of Ledge Light Health District.

He also served on the Governor’s 2002 Blue Ribbon Commission on Property Tax Burdens and Smart Growth Incentives. Berliner started his career with the City of Hartford, where he served as management and budget director and acting deputy director of the comprehensive manpower program

Michael Stupinski, First Selectman of Ellington, was appointed Treasurer. Since June, he had served as CCM Secretary. He has previously served on the CCM board as Second Vice-President and Treasurer.

Stupinski has served as vice chairman of CCM’s Smart Growth Task Force, and is a member of the board of directors of CIRMA, CCM’s risk management and insurance services program.

Before becoming first selectman, Stupinski was a member of Ellington’s Board of Finance and Cultural Arts Commission. He also served on the School Facilities Task Force and Computer Study Committee. He was previously employed as an engineer and program manager with Hamilton Standard.

Melody Currey, Mayor of East Hartford was appointed Secretary. She has served on the CCM Board since 2006. Before her election as mayor, Currey served for 12 years as the state representative from the 10th Assembly District. As a state legislator, she was deputy speaker of the House of Representatives; deputy majority leader of the House of Representatives; ranking member of the Regulations Review Committee; and a member of the Appropriations Committee and Education Committee.

Currey serves on the executive boards of the Capital Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) and Riverfront Recapture. She is co-chairman of the East Hartford School Readiness Council and ex-officio member of ChildPlan, Inc.

Here are the newly appointed members of the CCM Board of Directors:

William Finch, Mayor of Bridgeport. Before his election as mayor, Finch served seven years as a state senator from the 22nd Assembly District.

As a state legislator, he most recently served as Assistant President Pro Tempore, Senate Chairman of the Environment Committee, and Senate Vice Chairman of the Transportation Committee. Prior to becoming a State Senator Finch served as a Bridgeport City Council member for nine and a half years.

Finch recently worked as Director of Regional Growth and Membership for the Bridgeport Regional Business Council (BRBC). He has also served as member of the Grow Bridgeport Fund, and the Connecticut Zoological Society

Sebastian Giuliano, Mayor of Middletown. Before his election as mayor, Giuliano was a partner in the law firm of Giuliano and Scalora in Middletown; and he earlier practiced law in his own firm. He has also served as a hearing officer for the CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.

Giuliano has served as Vice President of the Kiwanis Club of Middletown; is a member of the Middletown Chamber of Commerce; and a past Vice President of the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center of Central CT.

Ryan Bingham, Mayor of Torrington. Re-elected to a second term, Bingham was first elected Mayor in November 2005 at 22 years old, making him the youngest mayor in the history of Connecticut to ever serve.

During his tenure, he has focused on reviving the downtown area, improving the city’s public schools, and enhancing public safety He attended Marist College and received a B.A. in Political Science.

Mary Glassman, First Selectwoman of Simsbury. Prior to her recent election as first selectman, Glassman served as Director of Legislative Affairs at CT Voices for Children, and Director of Voices’ partner lobbying organization, Advocates for CT’s Children and Youth.

Before joining CT Voices, she ran for Lt. Governor in 2006, was chief of staff for Lt. Governor Kevin Sullivan, and served as special counsel for the Senate Democrats prior to joining the Lt. Governor's Office. Glassman also served as legislative liaison in the state Office of Workforce Competiveness and as legal counsel for House Speaker Moira Lyons.

Prior to her Capitol experience, Glassman served as First Selectman of Simsbury from 1991 to 1999 and was in private practice with the law firm of Pepe & Hazard in Hartford.

Re-elected to the Board of Directors are:

Past presidents of CCM continue to serve on the board. They are:

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) is Connecticut's statewide association of towns and cities. Its 140 member municipalities contain 90 percent of the state's population. CCM represents municipalities at the General Assembly, before the state executive branch and regulatory agencies, and in the courts. CCM provides member towns and cities with a wide array of other services, including management assistance, individualized inquiry service, assistance in municipal labor relations, technical assistance and training, policy development, research and analysis, publications, information programs, and service programs such as workers' compensation and liability-automobile-property insurance and risk management, and energy cost-containment. Federal representation is provided by CCM in conjunction with the National League of Cities. CCM was founded in 1966.

CCM is governed by a Board of Directors, elected by the member municipalities, with due consideration given to geographical representation, municipalities of different sizes, and a balance of political parties. Numerous committees of municipal officials participate in the development of CCM policy and programs. CCM has offices in New Haven (the headquarters) and in Hartford.