Fairfield County Newsmakers, 9.16.13
New name for three banks
Residents and business owners in New Canaan, Fairfield and Stamford are seeing their local banks get a new name and look, as The Bank of New Canaan, The Bank of Fairfield and Stamford First Bank officially change their names to that of parent company Bankwell.
There is no change in ownership. Bankwell is owned by Bankwell Financial Group Inc., formerly BNC Financial Group.
“The new name connotes a sense of well-being, and promises a premium banking experience,” said CEO Peyton R. Patterson. “It is straightforward, honest and to the point. In short, clients can expect to be treated, served and advised well at Bankwell.
“We will continue to be the ”˜gold standard”™ for what it means to be a community bank, providing the best possible customer service and adding value to the communities we serve,” Patterson said.
Bankwell reported it has a “definitive agreement to acquire The Wilton Bank later this year,” pending regulatory approval.
Good news arrives over the fence
Wilton-based Riverside Fence has been named to Inc. magazine”™s seventh annual Inc. 500|5000 list, a ranking that showcases the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S. The company ranks No. 2,596 on the list with a three-year revenue growth of 136 percent. It is the only fence company from Connecticut to make the list.
Riverside Fence manufactures all of its wood fencing onsite. The company also offers a variety of fencing, including PVC, aluminum, chain-link, wrought-iron, driveway gates and more.
Ten for the Y
Susan Arturi, Jane Batkin, Anne Harrison, Diane Blanchard, Michele Smith, Karen Keegan, Susan Mahoney, Debbie Siciliano, Heather Wise and Anne Wallace Judge will be honored Sept. 19 at the Spirit of Greenwich Awards sponsored by the YWCA of Greenwich. The event is to be held at a private home. This year the YWCA of Greenwich will dispense $2.4 million in programs and services free of charge via workshops, scholarships, crisis intervention and special events. The Spirit Awards event raises funds for those initiatives. For more information, call Danielle LeBrando at 869-6501.
New CMJ chief
Longtime Trumbull resident and television industry veteran Lou Occhicone has been named as the first President and COO of newly formed CMJ Concepts Inc. in Trumbull. The new division of CMJ Productions II Inc., a global independent production company specializing in high-quality, factual TV series, will focus on creating factual production partnerships with like-minded television networks from around the world. The objective of CMJ Concepts is to develop programming that is fully-financed and provides TV networks with technically customized series and programs that fit their audience profiles.
Prudential Connecticut names top Norwalk sales duo
Prudential Connecticut Realty”™s Norwalk office named Mark Namm as “Top Listing Agent” and Betsy Conti won its Top Selling Award for August.
“These sales executives have achieved tremendous success for their clients,” said Candace Adams, president and CEO. “We are fortunate to have such a high caliber of Realtors who exemplify our vision of providing the best service available.”
People”™s United unites for school kids
People”™s United Bank, with branches strung between New York and Maine ”“ including in Fairfield County ”“ is helping with regional back-to-school efforts, this year targeting the Empire State.
Public schools throughout New York are receiving new classroom supplies for the school year, thanks to a People”™s United Community Foundation $100,000 grant to DonorsChoose.org.
People”™s United Community Foundation joined DonorsChoose.org as a matching program partner, “supporting initiatives that improve the quality of education in low-to moderate-income school districts throughout the People”™s United Bank footprint, from New York to Maine.”
Through the DonorsChoose.org website, teachers submitted project requests for materials and resources needed to enhance students”™ learning experiences.
The People”™s United Community Foundation grant provided 50 percent of the costs for eligible classroom projects, with the remainder donated by individuals, bringing the total campaign impact to $40,000.
Wagner tapped to pilot offices for Coldwell Banker Residential
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage announced Gregg Wagner has been appointed regional vice president of Fairfield and Litchfield counties. Reporting to Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage President Cathleen F. Smith, Wagner will be responsible for the oversight and productivity of the company”™s 15 sales offices in Fairfield and Litchfield. 
Prior to his new role, Wagner served as vice president and brokerage manager of the Cape Cod, Mass., offices for Sotheby”™s International Realty. Both Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and Sotheby”™s International Realty are part of NRT L.L.C., the nation”™s largest residential real estate brokerage company.
“Gregg is a well-respected real estate professional who has a proven track record of cultivating talent, leading offices to greater productivity and motivating his team to achieve impressive sales results,” said Smith “With extensive experience and knowledge of the region”™s market, Gregg will offer the type of expertise that will certainly benefit our agents and our homebuyer and seller clients. I am pleased that he has accepted this important new role with our team.”
“I look forward to working with this talented group of sales associates and management team to achieve their goals and to continue providing the superior customer service that our customers and clients rely on,” said Wagner, a Greenwich native.
New director
Mary Joggerst has assumed leadership of the Child Guidance Center of Southern Connecticut”™s Darien/New Canaan office, 972 Post Road in Darien. Prior to becoming director of the office earlier this year, Joggerst was a clinician in the center”™s emergency mobile crisis program, providing services to some of the highest risk adolescents and children in the community.
As a member of the crisis team, Joggerst, who has a master”™s in social work, provided assessment and stabilization services to children threatening suicide or violence, and to those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. She also dedicated time to providing longer-term individual, group and family therapy to youngsters with a wider range of mental health issues to help them resolve problems and develop skills to more independently manage overwhelming feelings and challenging life circumstances.
“Knowing we are meeting such an intense need is extremely fulfilling,” Joggerst said. “Because we offer comprehensive services, we have the tools here to work with and help some very high-risk children and families.”
Mann and Keystone team for a good cause
Dorothy Mann, the popular women”™s clothing and accessories store in New Canaan hosted a charity event to benefit Keystone House the evening of Sept. 11. The store allowed people to shop all the new fall fashions and accessories with 10 percent of purchases going to Keystone House.
Dorothy Mann, owner, opened the store in 1985 in Greenwich and eight years ago moved to Elm Street in New Canaan. The choice of Keystone as the beneficiary for the event came as the result of a longtime client, Elizabeth P. Ball, president of TFI Envision Inc. in Norwalk.
“I decided to do this event because I take an interest in my customer”™s lives and Liz has always supported my business. I wanted to support and contribute to something she felt strongly about as a thank you. She is a board member and long time supporter of Keystone House of Norwalk.” said Mann.
Keystone is a Norwalk-based nonprofit that provides services for adults with psychiatric disabilities in the Fairfield County area.