Good Things HOULIHAN LAWRENCE NEW CANAAN GAINS FIVE AGENTS Houlihan Lawrence has welcomed five new agents who have joined the company’s New Canaan office. They are Ayesha Qureshi-Amin, George Johnson, Kara Morgan, Barbara Pincione and Polly Sykes. Qureshi-Amin brings a national and international perspective to her work having been raised in Boston, Beijing and Istanbul. She studied at the London School of Economics & Political Science and enjoyed a 20year career in banking. Prior to joining Houlihan Lawrence, she was an executive director for JPMorgan Chase. She resides in North Stamford. Johnson has intimate insight into the culture and intricacies of multiple communities in Fairfield and northern Westchester having raised his family in Bedford and New Canaan. A seasoned negotiator, Johnson spent 40plus years on Wall Street. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree from John’s Hopkins University. Johnson is a resident of New Canaan. Morgan joins the New Canaan office after a 30-year career in marketing and promotion. A resident of Redding, Morgan is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Connecticut Association of Realtors and Mid Fairfield Country Association of Realtors. Pincione has an extensive background in the travel business and worked in real estate for a leading company. She recently moved to West Norwalk where she bought a small fixer-upper ranch that she and her husband, who is a contractor, are working to transform into a modern farmhouse. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Quinnipiac University Sykes has more than 20 years in the event and experiential marketing business. Combining her professional marketing experience with the global reach of Houlihan Lawrence she will provide her clients with a unique and fresh perspective. A resident of Weston, Sykes is a graduate of St. Lawrence University.
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APRIL 12, 2021
AVIATION MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS TAKE FLIGHT
Gulf Stream G3.
A new program at Dutchess Community College (DCC) in Poughkeepsie is expected to address one of the aviation industry’s most pressing needs: highly trained aviation maintenance technicians. Starting this fall, DCC will offer an airframe and powerplant technician certificate program and an aviation maintenance technician degree that will give students two options for learning how to keep aircraft operating safely and efficiently, while gaining valuable experience in servicing, repairing and testing aircraft and aircraft systems. “The new airframe and powerplant
technician programs represent a significant step in the expansion of DCC’s worldclass aviation offerings,” said Ellen Gambino, DCC acting president. “We know that there is growing regional, national and international demand for well-trained aviation maintenance technicians as many in the field are reaching retirement age thresholds. We believe, DCC can play an important role in addressing this need.” The uniquely designed and intensive coursework will feature plenty of real-world hands-on opportunities to work with stateof-the-art equipment and aircraft, including a Gulf Stream G3, a selection of Cessnas
and a Robinson 22 helicopter. Students will also be among the first group of students to take advantage of DCC’s brand-new 32,000-square-foot Aviation Education Center and hangar located on the Hudson Valley Regional Airport grounds. The certificate can be finished in approximately 12 months while the degree program takes just a little over 20 months to complete. Students with an interest in aviation and a high degree of mechanical and technology aptitude are encouraged to find out more about these exciting new opportunities at sunydutchess.edu/ aviationtech.
GREENWICH POLICE SCHOLARSHIP FUND BENEFIT Since scholarship money can make a difference to a young person’s education, the Greenwich Police Department Scholarship Fund (GPSF) grants to qualifying students of current Greenwich police officers becomes a worthwhile effort. That’s why it is asking the community to support the officers who help keep the community safe by contributing, however big or small, to the scholarship fund. In the 2020-2021 school year, 26 GPDSF scholarships were funded. The number of supported students is expected to increase next school year based on the number of current high school seniors. “Greenwich has such a strong sense of community and we are very appreciative of the community’s support to our scholarship fund,” said Chief of Police James Heavey. Alice + Olivia, the national clothing shop on Greenwich Avenue, values the safety and protection of police officers and on Thursday, April 8, offered shoppers 10% off their purchase and also contributed an additional 10%. FCBJ
WCBJ
From left front row: Officers Rob Smurlo, John D’Inverno and Su Ah Sor. Back row from left: Alice + Olivia staff Marjeta Nezaj and Brianna Forchetti.
GPDSF traces its roots to 1962. At that time, three scholarships were awarded. Today, the fund supports well over 20 applicants annually.
For more information or if you would like to become a sponsor of GPDSF, call 203-622-7844 or visit https://www.gpdscholarshipfund.org.
INSURANCE BROKERAGE FIRM WIDENS ITS MARKETS In anticipation of the pandemic ending and the ensuing economic and employment activity, Meridian Risk Management Inc. in Pelham has launched new practices as part of the insurance brokerage firm’s ongoing commitment to deliver the best experience and resources for its business partners. “We are excited to formalize both our private equity analytics and professional employer organization (PEO) market analytics practices to bring our vast experiences, unique processes and proven solutions to wider markets,” said Tom Clements, managing partner of employee benefits at Meridian. The firm now provides U.S. private equity firms with pre-acquisition due diligence, post-acquisition opportunities and current portfolio savings analyses of their health and welfare plans using the latest technology and security enhancements. “Meridian Risk Management has consulted for us on several key projects already, saving several of our portfolio companies considerable amounts of money,” said Bruce Ennis, chief human capitol officer at Heartwood Partners in Norwalk, Connecticut. “Their interactive project platform and advanced security features were a significant upgrade.” The firm also now provides U.S. employer groups with limited time and resources the ability to analyze multiple PEO platform alternatives through a single resource utilizing a six-step process. “Meridian Risk Management saved our company over 28% in reduced benefit costs, enabling us to reinvest in better, more comprehensive benefit plans with a lower cost to our employees and the company,” said Ed Klein, chief operating officer and general manager of the New York- based Wallauer Paint & Hardware. “Our industry experts work hard to understand your company, culture and goals before designing custom programs that often exceed expectations and dramatically impact bottom lines,” Clements said.