Fairfield Chamber of Commerce honors community contributors

The clubhouse of the historic Brooklawn Country Club was abuzz on the night of June 28 for the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce”™s 77th awards ceremony recognizing community contributions and business successes.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal made a surprise appearance at the event as the networking cocktail hour came to a close, praising the night”™s honorees and presenting them with Certificates of Special Recognition from the U.S. Senate.

“These are real grassroots organizations and people,” Blumenthal told the audience. “Leaders who have done so much for the community, and they provide leadership by example. I have been so inspired by the stories I have heard about the Woofgang Team and the Pet Pantry, and of course Fairfield and Sacred Heart [Universities].”

“But the main reason I”™m here really is to say: thank you,” Blumenthal added. “Small business has been through a tough time and your resilience and resolve has been really inspiring. The federal government has provided some resources, the Paycheck Protection Program, the Shut Venue Operator Grant Program, and the restaurant revitalization program. That was a lot of money. But what it has taken is your courage and your strength to get through this really tough period.”

Blumenthal noted that the gathering was the first since the start of the Covid pandemic that he had attended.

“What it has taken is your courage, and your strength to get through this really tough period,” he said.

The night”™s awards were presented during the dessert course and Fairfield Chamber of Commerce President Beverly Balaz joked, “We took all the carbs and sugar out so you”™re free to eat everything.”

Members of the Chamber”™s board highlighted the many contributions of the business community to Fairfield”™s overall success in weathering the pandemic and the efforts of the individuals that made the Chamber a valuable resource through difficult times.

“As the Chamber president, I want to acknowledge those local businesses,” Balaz said of the importance of recognizing the hard work of local businesses. “They don”™t have the cash behind them that the bigger corporations have to ride through tough economic times. They have to reach into the bank account and pull it out, and yet they”™re there every day to serve the town of Fairfield and the surrounding communities.”

“We all went through a lot during Covid,” said Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, echoing the members of the board. “But as someone who was just four months into office and the health director came around the corner and says, ”˜I think we have a problem”™ the ball just started rolling from there.”

“Besides obviously trying to keep everyone alive in our town, making sure that our businesses also stayed alive was crucially important to me,” Kupchick added, noting she and her husband understood the challenges involved with running a business even under normal circumstances from their 35 years running Kupchick Heating & Cooling.

The honorees were presented with not only their awards from the Chamber and the Senatorial Special Recognitions, but also with proclamations from the town”™s state legislators and citations from the town government.

Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University were recognized with Economic Impact Awards. They were accepted by Mark R. Nemec and Robin I. Cautin, the president of Fairfield University and provost of Sacred Heart University respectively.

Pet Pantry was recognized by the Chamber as Company of the Year. Executive Vice President Adam Jacobsen accepted the award on behalf of the more than 70-year-old family-owned business.

Team Woofgang & Co., which provides vocational training to adults with disabilities through crafting handmade dog treats was recognized as Nonprofit of the Year. Kelly Maffei, co-founder, and Aimee Turner, executive director, accepted the award.

Nicole Kelman of New England Education Consultants was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year for her many contributions to the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce.

Congratulations were extended to Joanmarie Zoeller, the chairwoman of the Fairfield Emerging Leaders Organization 2022-2023, for helping the rebranded Young Professionals Group provide scholarships to emerging talents among Fairfield students pursuing a business degree.

John M. Rosenau of Moneco Advisors was recognized for his long years of service as a member of the Chamber”™s board of directors. Current Board Chairman Kevin P. Brady of MJP Wealth Advisors was recognized for his work prior to the completion of his term at the end of June.