Her Haven, their paint, everyone”™s benefit
A.G. Williams Painting Company Inc., with businesses in Greenwich and Port Chester, N.Y., partnered for a second year with Bridgeport-based Her Haven to help deserving women. This year, Her Haven converted the Huntington House, a Victorian building in Bridgeport, into the Tina Klem Serenity House, named after Tina Klem, a former chief clinical officer of the Recovery Network of Programs.
Pictured are Carey Dougherty, Her Haven founder and executive director, and Doug Kitchen, Fairfield account representative, A.G. Williams Painting Company Inc.
Webster veep battles cross-border hunger
Webster Bank based in Waterbury announced Maria Freburg, vice president and senior business banker, was recently named chairwoman of The Business Council of Westchester”™s Rising Stars Alumni Group.
Freburg is the head of the Steering and Selection Committees for the next two years.
Freburg, who received the 40 Under 40 honor herself in 2011, said that the group will conduct monthly educational seminars beginning in September. “We are focused on raising 40,000 pounds of food for the Westchester Coalition of the Hungry and Homeless over the next 24 months and we will have quarterly events focused on legislative, cultural and social topics,” she said.
Freburg joined Webster in 2010 and is based in its White Plains, N.Y., office.
Socially aware at Webster
Waterbury-based Webster Bank today announced Dawn Melesko, vice president for social media at Webster, was recently named one of the “Top 20 Influencers on Twitter” by Independent Community Bankers of America.This ranking is the first of its kind and highlights social media trailblazers in the financial industry.
Winners were chosen based on their community engagement with fans and followers; the content distributed on their social media platforms; the number of fans and/or followers; and the frequency of posting new content.
Melesko joined Webster in 2011 as associate vice president for social media.
Top-tier talent joins AmeriCares board
Stamford-based AmeriCares announced Samhita Jayanti of Greenwich and New York City and Alan Rwambuya of New Canaan have been elected to its board of directors.
Jayanti is the president and CEO of G3 US, an intelligence and investigative consulting firm. She previously worked for Harvard Business School, The Smart Manager, a business publication in India, Atlas Books L.L.C. and J.P. Morgan. She currently serves on the U.S. Corporate Advisory Board of the National Theatre in London and is a member of the New York Public Library”™s Volunteer Council Steering Committee.
Rwambuya, a private client adviser at U.S. Trust, Bank of America Wealth Management, is the co-founder of the Ugandan Girl Organization, a nonprofit devoted to improving educational opportunities for girls there. He previously worked at Barclays Capital and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
“I have admired the work of AmeriCares for many years,” Rwambuya said. “I am honored to be part of this wonderful organization, which does so much good for so many people here and abroad.”
First County largesse finds 42 nonprofits
The First County Bank Foundation recently distributed a total of $283,000 in grants to 42 nonprofits in Stamford targeting education, job training, medical programs, advocacy and counseling programs and nutrition programs benefiting youth and families.
The foundation also offers CommunityFirst grants, which are awarded year round. Of the $283,000 in total grants, $15,500 are CommunityFirst grants that were awarded to eight agencies, including the Stamford Police Association, Stamford Animal Rescue, Stamford Rotary and the Stamford Senior Center to date.
“The First County Bank Foundation is honored to make these grants available to a number of important causes in the Stamford area,” said Rey Giallongo, president of the foundation, and chairman and CEO of First County Bank. “On behalf of the bank”™s employees and customers, I want to personally thank these organizations and the people who work with them for helping Fairfield County citizens. It”™s not easy and many of us take for granted that others in the community volunteer their time to help others. All of us at First County Bank make sure to donate some of our time and money to bettering the lives of others.”
The in-county grants were as small as $500 for a city bike helmet program and as large as $15,000 for housing upgrades.
Since its inception in 2001, the First County Bank Foundation has awarded more than 760 individual grants totaling $5.8 million.
Return of the Norwalk native
Harriet Haffner, a licensed real estate broker, has joined the Norwalk office of Prudential Connecticut Realty.
“Harriet”™s extensive knowledge of the marketplace and her service-oriented dedication make her a welcome addition to the team,” said sales manager Brenda Maher.
Haffner was a senior associate at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage for 13 years following their acquisition of Haffner Realty, her Norwalk-based company. Now, after four years with Riverside Realty Group in Westport, she is returning to her real estate roots in Norwalk, where then mayor Frank Esposito designated Feb. 25, 1999 as “Harriet Haffner Day” to honor her years of commitment to the real estate industry, her many accomplishments, and her service to the community.
