CCM Elects New Officers and Board Of Directors for 2008-2009 At June 12 Annual Meeting

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), Connecticut's statewide association of towns and cities, elected its Officers and Board of Directors for 2008-09 at CCM's annual meeting on June 12. Five officers were elected, four municipal leaders were elected for the first time as directors, and 14 directors were re-elected for another year. They join with the six past presidents of CCM who continue to serve on the board.

Here are CCM's officers for FY 2008-09:

	Elizabeth C. Paterson, Mayor of Mansfield, was elected President. She had been appointed President (after being elected First Vice-President) in November 2008 filling the remaining term of Keith Robbins, First Selectman of Bozrah, who did not run for re-election. 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 served on the most recent presidential search committee for the University of Connecticut. Paterson is also Chairman of the Eastern Highlands Health District and Co-Chairman of the UConn Campus Community Partnership. 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 is a member of the NLC Board of Directors.
	Timothy C. Griswold, First Selectman of Old Lyme, was elected First Vice-President. He previously had been elected 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 H. Berliner, City Manager of New London, was elected Second-Vice President. He previously had been elected CCM Treasurer. Berliner served earlier 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 and 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 P. Stupinski, First Selectman of Ellington, was elected Treasurer. He had previously been elected CCM Secretary. During an earlier stint on the CCM Board, he served 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 A. Currey, Mayor of East Hartford was elected Secretary. She has served on the CCM Board since 2006. Before her election as mayor, Currey served for 13 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 as Chairman of the Capital Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) and on the executive board of Riverfront Recapture. She is co-chairman of the East Hartford School Readiness Council and ex-officio member of ChildPlan, Inc.
Here are the newly elected members of the CCM Board of Directors:
	Cynthia Mangini, Councilwoman of Enfield. Now in her fifth tern as a member of the Enfield Town Council, Mangini is a licensed realtor in town and is a long-time volunteer for the Enfield Food Shelf. Mangini serves on CCM's legislative subcommittee for local public education. She previously was a member of the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities (NLC) and is currently a member of the NLC Advisory Council. Mangini also was previously Vice Chairman of NLC's Committee on Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations.
	R. Scott Slifka, Mayor of West Hartford. Before being elected Mayor, he served as a town councilmember and is now serving his third term as mayor. He serves as Associate Counsel to The Hartford Insurance Company and previously served as Chief of Staff to Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz. Slifka was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor as the running mate of John DeStefano in the 2006 Democratic primary. As Mayor, he has been commended for his leadership in establishing the nationally-acclaimed Blue Back Square development and for proposing a transit system to maintain the independence of senior citizens without the use of taxpayer dollars.
	Peter J. Tesei, First Selectman of Greenwich. Before becoming First Selectman, Tesei had served on the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation for 10 years, serving as Chairman for the last six years. During his tenure, Tesei had also been Vice Chairman of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, Clerk of the Board, and a member of its Budget Committee. He was a member of the Greenwich RTM for ten years (1988-1997) and was Vice Chairman of District 9 of the RTM. Prior to being elected First Selectman, Tesei was Vice President of the Wealth Management Group of BNY/Mellon Wealth Management.
	Steven R. Werbner, Town Manager of Tolland. Prior to being appointed Town Manager of Tolland in 2005, Werbner served the Town of Manchester for 28 years. He held numerous positions in Manchester, from Personnel Director to Assistant Deputy Manager and Deputy General Manager, before being named Manchester General Manager in 2002. Werbner is also Chairman of CCM's Legislative Subcommittee on Labor Relations, a member of the Connecticut Bar, the International City /County Management Association, and the International Personnel Management Association.

Re-elected to the Board of Directors are:

	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.
	Woody Bliss, First Selectman of Weston Before becoming first selectman, he was a member of the Board of Selectman and served on the Board of Finance and the Board of Education. Bliss worked for IBM for 34 years and retired in 1993 after having held numerous positions in systems engineering, marketing, and management. He was IBM's Director of Education for North and South America and the Pacific Rim, and was the IBM executive responsible for computer operations at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. He currently is President of Business Atlantic, Inc., a company involved in high-tech education consulting and development. He founded the Weston Kiwanis Club Foundation and served as its first president. Bliss serves on the advisory boards of the Norwalk Youth Symphony and the Discovery Museum. He previously served as county chairman for the United Way, and as a board member of the Fairfield County Boy Scout Council.
	Mark D. Boughton, Mayor of Danbury Prior to becoming mayor, he served in the United States Army Reserve where he achieved the rank of Sergeant. He previously worked at Danbury High School as a Social Studies teacher, and served as a Member of the Danbury Planning Commission from 1995 to 1998. Mark was elected State Representative in 1998, and was re-elected in 2000. He served as a member of the Education Committee and ranking member of the Environment Committee. Mark was elected Mayor in 2001, and re-elected in 2003 and 2005. He also serves on the Alumni Board of Directors of Western Connecticut State University.
	Susan S. Bransfield, First Selectwoman of Portland Before becoming First Selectwoman Bransfield worked with the Connecticut State Department of Education as an education service specialist for the Child Nutrition Programs. She has also served as nutrition services manager for the Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc. and for the Connecticut Department of Public Health as a nutrition consultant for the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC). Bransfield started her career as a nutritionist with the WIC Program in Windham. Bransfield was a member of the Governor's Commission on Education Finance, and is Vice Chairwoman of the Chatham Health District. She also has previously served as vice president of the Northern Middlesex YMCA Women's Board and as Chairwoman of the Portland Economic Development Commission.
	Frank J. Chiaramonte, First Selectman of Harwinton Prior to becoming first selectman, he was president of Chiaramonte & Associates, a management-consulting firm. He served as director of business and workforce development for the CT Community College System; executive director of the Capital Region Workforce Development Board; and dean of continuing education and community services for Greater Hartford Community College. Chiaramonte is vice chairman of the board of directors for Business for Downtown Hartford and the North Central Area Agency on Aging. He also serves as treasurer of CT's Central Regional Tourism District.
	John A. Elsesser, Town Manager of Coventry Elsesser has been Coventry's manager for 20 years. He previously worked as assistant town manager in Avon and as assistant to the town manager in Wethersfield. He has served as a member of the State's Emergency Response Commission and on the Board of Directors of the Windham Region Council of Governments. Elsesser also has served as vice-chairman of CCM's Education Subcommittee and as a member of CCM's Smart Growth Task Force. He is a past president and member of the Connecticut Town & City Management Association and has served on key committees of the International City/County Management Association.
	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
	Matthew B. Galligan, Town Manager of South Windsor Prior to serving in South Windsor, Galligan was village manager of Mamaroneck, NY; town manager of North Branford; and city Manager of Newburgh, NY. He has served as a municipal auditor for the New York State Department of Audit and Control and as an accounting professor for Dutchess Community College. Galligan is a credentialed manager with the International City/County Management Association. He also is a member of the American Society of Public Administrators and the South Windsor Rotary.
	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.
	Mary Glassman, First Selectwoman of Simsbury Prior to her 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.
	Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield Before his election as first selectman, Marconi was vice president of Marconi Construction Company. He started his career as a sales representative and then senior sales representative for Great Northern Paper Company. He first served Ridgefield as a member of the town's Planning and Zoning Commission, before winning a seat on the Board of Selectman prior to becoming first selectman. Marconi is chairman of the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority and the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials. Marconi is co-chair of the Ridgefield Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse, and is a member Ridgefield Lyme Disease Task Force and the Ridgefield Deer Management Committee.
	Michael A. Pace, First Selectman of Old Saybrook He also is chairman of the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA). Prior to being elected first selectman of Old Saybrook, Pace worked for the Waterbury Board of Education as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction; assistant superintendent for personnel and finance; supervisor of grant research and development; and middle school principal. Pace also has served as a selectman of the Town of Woodbury and as a member of that town's Board of Finance. He was also a member of the advisory committee of the Bureau of Certification of the CT Department of Education.
	Eddie A. Perez, Mayor of Hartford Perez has served on the Board of Directors of the MetroHartford Regional Economic Alliance and was a Metropolitan District Commissioner. He was executive director of the Southside Instiutions Neighborhood Alliance in Hartford and served as associate vice president of community and government relations for Trinity College prior to his election of mayor. A former VISTA volunteer, he founded and directed O.N.E./C.H.A.N.E. a neighborhood grassroots in Hartford, and served a program director for Make Something Happen, a joint project of the Urban League of Greater Hartford and the Connecticut Puerto Rican Forum
	David A. Pinney, First Selectman of Somers Before his election as first selectman, Pinney served as a research fellow with the Hudson River Foundation and as a teaching assistant at Yale University. Earlier he worked in the insurance field as a broker with Himmelstein & Associates of Glastonbury and as a sales executive with Vinson Associates of Springfield, MA. He started his career as owner/operator of Maple Knoll Farm in Somers. Pinney serves on the executive committee of the Capital Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) and the board of directors of ACCESS, the community action agency for Windham and Tolland Counties.

Past presidents of CCM continuing to serve on the board are:

	Herbert C. Rosenthal, Selectman of Newtown Rosenthal has been vice chairman of the board of directors of CIRMA, CCM's risk management and insurance services arm. He is has been treasurer of the Housatonic Valley Resources Recovery Authority, and past chairman of the board of directors of the Housatonic Valley Council of Elected Officials. Before being elected first selectman, Rosenthal was a member of the Newtown Board of Education for 13 years, serving as chairman for three years. During that same time, he served on the board of directors of Education Connection, the regional education service center for 33 municipalities in northwestern CT, serving as chairman for 10 years. Rosenthal previously held management positions in the insurance and financial services field, and was a lieutenant in the United States Navy.
	Philip K. Schenck, Jr., Town Manager of Avon Schenck has been on CCM's Board of Directors since 1985, is past chairman of CCM's Budget and Personnel Committee, and was vice-chairman of CCM's Long-Range Strategic Planning Committee. He is a member of and was chairman of the Board of Directors of CIRMA, the risk management and insurance services division of CCM, and was chairman of CIRMA's Investment Committee. He was northeast regional vice president of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and a member of its Board of Directors. He also has chaired its purchasing information network, and served on several of its committee. Schenck also has been active on committees of the Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG), and is a member and former chairman of CRCOG's Municipal Services Committee. He became town manager of Avon in 1978. He previously was town manager of Farmington, ME and assistant to the town manager of Brattleboro, VT. Schenck served in Saudia Arabia in the 1991 Gulf War, where he was executive officer of the 173rd Medical Group, and liaison officer to the International Committee of the Red Cross, supervising prisoner-of-war medical facilities. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel.
	Dannel Malloy, Mayor of Stamford Now in his fourth term, Malloy previously served as an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn, where he tried 23 cases and obtained 22 convictions. He then practiced law as a partner in the Stamford firm of Abate and Fox until 1995. Before becoming mayor, Malloy also served on Stamford's Board of Finance and Board of Education. Malloy ran for governor in 2006, obtaining the endorsement of the Democratic Party, before falling in a primary. He was re-elected to a fourth term as mayor in 2005 and will serve until 2009. Malloy is a past president of CCM and a long-time member of CCM's Board of Directors. He serves as a member of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors' nominating committee, and is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. He also has been an active member of key committees of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
	John Weichsel, Town Manager of Southington Weichsel has been a municipal manager for 53 years, and the Town Manager of Southington for 42 years, a record that gives him more tenure than 99 percent of his peers across the country. He has been a member of CCM's Board of Directors more than 25 years, and was the first appointed official to be named president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. He also is former long-time chairman of CCM's Legislative Subcommittee on Labor Relations After stints in town government management in Kalamazoo, Mich., and Ellenville, N.Y., he became the first town manager in Southington in 1966. A tireless advocate for more state funding for towns, Mr. Weichsel also argues strongly that the legislature should impose fewer mandates that require expensive programs.
	John DeStefano, Jr., Mayor of New Haven Now in his 14th year as Mayor, New Haven has been awarded the highly regarded "All-America City" prize twice during DeStefano's tenure, in 1998 and in 2003. He has prioritized strengthening neighborhoods by cutting crime, rebuilding housing, and investing in education. The Mayor is a leading advocate for property tax reform and smart growth. He was chosen to chair Connecticut's Blue Ribbon Commission on those issues. Reflecting his commitment to organizing for social change, DeStefano founded an advocacy group - 1000 Friends of Connecticut - that is bringing together statewide officials, businesspeople, and grassroots activists to push for reform. Mayor DeStefano is a past president of the National League of Cities as well as a past president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and a longtime member of the boards of directors of both organizations.
	Stephen T. Cassano, Selectman of Manchester Steven Cassano, Selectman of Manchester. Cassano has 28 years of elected leadership - as Mayor of Manchester for 14 years and Deputy Mayor for eight. He also served for eight years as chairman of the Capitol Region Council of Governments and as president of the National Association of Regional Councils. Cassano is currently executive director of the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding He is a past president of CCM and a long-time member of CCM's Board of Directors. Cassano has served as president of the National Small Cities Council and is a former long-time member of the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities (NLC). He is now a member of the NLC Advisory Council. Cassano recently retired after 28 years of service as a sociology professor at Manchester Community College.

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) is Connecticut's statewide association of towns and cities. Its 146 member municipalities contain over 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.