The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), Connecticut's statewide association of towns and cities, elected its officers and Board of Directors for 2007-08 at CCM's annual meeting on June 19. Five officers were elected, two municipal leaders were elected for the first time as directors, and 15 directors were re-elected for another year. They join with the six past presidents of CCM who continue to serve on the board.

Keith J. Robbins, First Selectman of Bozrah, was elected President. For the past two years he has been CCM First Vice President. Robbins is also on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA), CCM’s risk management and insurance services arm; as well as being the chairman of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments for the past two years.

Robbins has been first selectman for eight years. Prior to that, he was a member of the Board of Selectman for six years. In addition to being first selectman, Robbins is also an industrial sales representative for Major Electric Supply of Connecticut.

Elizabeth C. Paterson, Mayor of Mansfield, was elected First Vice President. 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 is chairperson of the University & College Community Caucus Steering Committee of NLC

Timothy C. Griswold, First Selectman of Old Lyme, was elected Second Vice-President. Last year, he was CCM Treasurer. 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 elected 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 elected 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 coming 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.

CCM elected two new members to its Board of Directors:

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.

Thomas S. Scarpati, First Selectman of Madison. Prior to becoming first selectman, he was a management executive with United Technologies. Scarpati is the board of selectman liaison to the town’s board of finance and is a past chairman on the board of directors of the South Central Regional Council of Governments. Scarpati was also a member of the Governor’s Commission on Education Finance.

Scarpati served on the Madison school facilities committee, which created the plan for the referendum for the new high school; and then served on the town’s high school building committee.

He is a past chairman of the board of Our Lady of Mercy School; and is an active member of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club of Madison and the parish council of St. Margaret’s Church

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.