Hartford as Soccer Hotbed: Surprisingly, Yes

If you are wondering why there is optimism for the success of the Hartford Athletic, the city’s new professional soccer team planning to begin its inaugural season later this month, a peek back at ratings for televised international soccer in the U.S. provides some hints. In March 2016, the Washington Post reported on the U.S. cities with the highest viewership for the Manchester derby between City and United in the English Premier League the previous week.  Topping the ratings was Baltimore, followed by Kansas City, Hartford, Seattle, Columbus, the San Francisco Bay area, West Palm Beach, and Philadelphia.  Yes, Hartford ranked third that week.  The match was the highest-rated Manchester Derby telecast in U.S. history at that time, attracting 1.17 million TV viewers.

Two years later, when NBC Sports reported on the cities with the highest average season-long ratings on Premier League telecast for the 2017-18 season, Hartford was ranked in the top 10.  Connecticut’s Capitol region was outranked only by Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Providence, Austin, Norfolk and Dallas.

This past Sunday, the top rated U.S. television markets for Manchester United vs. Liverpool, broadcast on NBC Sports Network, once again included the Hartford/New Haven market, at number six.  Leading the way once again was Baltimore, followed by Norfolk, Washington D.C., Milwaukee and Jacksonville.  Boston was seventh, just behind Hartford/New Haven.

Coincidentally, the telecasts are coordinated not in the U.K., but in Stamford, Connecticut, at the massive NBC facility there, which also serves as the command center for NBC’s Olympic coverage.  Approximately 60 work on each match day at NBC Sports’ headquarters, located at 1 Blachley Road on the city’s East Side, the Stamford Advocate reported last summer, just prior to the current season. On NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app, a record 4 million unique viewers watched during the past season, the Advocate reported.

Hartford Athletic, a USL expansion franchise, will kick off its inaugural season with a game in Atlanta on March 9.  The team's home opener is set for May 4. The club announced this week that Trinity Health of New England will be Title Partner and Official Healthcare Provider of Hartford Athletic and featured on both Hartford Athletic’s home and away jerseys.  Dillon Stadium, currently undergoing renovation in Hartford, is slated to be the club’s home turf.

https://youtu.be/CYSdgVN_V18

Craft Brewers Look to Continue CT Growth with Legislative Support

After two ill-fated legislative proposals that would have been detrimental to the state’s burgeoning craft brewery industry disintegrated within days amidst a public outcry, the Connecticut Brewers Guild is conveying its eagerness to work closely with state lawmakers.  Their aim: to help the booming industry create even more good-paying jobs, bolster local craft beer production, and to increase direct-to-consumer sales. “In 2012, when the Connecticut Brewers Guild was founded, there were around 12 craft breweries statewide,” said Phil Pappas, the executive director of the Connecticut Brewers Guild. “Now, our state’s booming craft brewery scene has more than 85 operational breweries with many more in the planning stages. These craft breweries -- all of which are independently owned -- employ over 4,600 people statewide, produce more than 166,000 barrels of locally brewed craft beer, and contribute to an overall economic impact of $746 million annually.”

It is those numbers, and the degree of progress in recent years, that drive the conversation, although Pappas points out that although a lot of progress has been made, there is more work to be done to ensure the industry continues to grow and thrive statewide.  On doesn't need to look further than the map of the COnnecicut Beer Trail to see the impact of the industry all across the sate.

“Connecticut’s growing craft beer industry has been helped by state lawmakers providing a relatively healthy regulatory environment,” Pappas said.  “We thank state lawmakers for their support to date, and now more than ever -- in an increasingly competitive state-by-state landscape -- we need a renewed commitment to strengthen our industry, which is a bright spot in Connecticut’s economy.

“Moving forward,” he added, “we hope to work with state lawmakers and others to create even more local jobs, increase local craft beer production, and drive additional direct-to-consumer sales.”

In 2015, MarketWatch—a financial information website—ranked Hartford/New Haven as one of 10 cities that love craft beer the most. Other cities included Portland (Oregon), Cleveland and Washington, D.C. A year ago, Innovation Hartford reported that 2016 data indicated the craft beer industry in Connecticut contributed $718 million to the economy. That year there were 49 breweries that produced a combined 129,825 barrels of craft beer per year.  A year ago, there were 65 breweries operating throughout the state and another 49 breweries are either in the planning and construction phases or set to open shortly.

“We also look forward to working with representatives from the wholesaler, distributor, retailer, brewpub, and restaurant communities, to positively impact our state’s small businesses and economy both today and tomorrow,” Pappas said. “Our Connecticut Brewers Guild members strive every single day to produce the highest quality, best-tasting craft beer in the market. We consistently seek out ways to improve our product, utilize locally sourced ingredients, generate jobs, support local businesses while cultivating fun experiences for customers on-premise and off-premise.”

CT Start-Ups Receive Financial Assist to Spur Development

Six early-stage Connecticut companies now have additional funds to help fuel their growth, after participating in the Entrepreneur Innovation Awards (EIA) provided by CTNext, the state’s resource organization for entrepreneurial support. Following presentations from 10 finalists at the recent event, the judges awarded $10,000 grand prizes to the following Connecticut-based companies:

• Payball (Norwalk): Developing an easier, digital way for amateur sport organizations to pay officials, event staff and coaches.
• Peak Performance Leadership (Killingworth): Creating a variation on a rope protection system for military and first responders to increase product lifespan.
• Raise Green (New Haven): Creating a crowdfunding portal to finance renewable energy and climate solution projects; developed by students at Yale.
• YouCOMM (Farmington): Developing a patient-caregiver communication system that will replace antiquated call bell systems.

“At its core, Raise Green is a two-sided marketplace that provides people who want to build solar or other types of climate-solution projects with the tools they need to do that and to get it financed,” said Franz Hochstrasser, chief executive officer and co-founder of the start-up. 

According to the University of Connecticut Technology Incubation Program website, YouCOMM is a novel low-cost tablet based communication device to provide effective patient-caregiver communication. The device has 20 need buttons that allow patients to send specific needs to a nurse’s on-call phone.

Two additional companies also received recognition, and funds:

• Lactation Innovations, a Canterbury company developing a non-invasive sensor that detects the volume of milk a baby ingests and provides feedback to the mother, won the $2,000 Crowd Favorite award.
• Secure Election Systems of Westport, a startup developing an iPad-sized electronic absentee voting booth, took home the $2,000 Judges’ Favorite prize.

“The EIA Awards continue to showcase some of the most innovative and promising young companies across the state,” said Glendowlyn Thames, CTNext’s executive director. “We are looking forward to following the progress of the companies and wish all the competitors the best as they work to advance their ideas and visions.”

The six Connecticut companies were among 10 startups that presented their project ideas to a panel of judges for an opportunity to secure $10,000 awards to help support business growth.

Last fall, CTNext awarded $54,000 in grants to six Connecticut-based startups.  Receiving $10,000 were:

• Actively AI – Creating an automated assistant for wellness businesses that handles customer experience and streamlines operations for staff
• Dualflo – Creating a self-seal technology to eliminate the need for open surgery in cardiopulmonary bypass procedures
• Encapsulate– Producing an effective chemotherapy solution with a fully automated tumor-on-a-chip pre-prescription analysis
• Encaptiv– Developing a web-based presentation, sales and marketing software that integrates AI and machine learning
• Kolb Consultants– Developing a process to manufacture “Ray-Board,” a kickboard with a new shape that distributes the body weight evenly when swimming

In addition, Kolb Consultants won the $2,000 crowd favorite award, while VigorSential took home the $2,000 award for judges’ favorite. VigorSential is developing and testing “MycoZaps,” a low-dose vaccine to control Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis), a bacterium mainly affecting cattle that is resistant to common antibiotics.

CTNext’s goal is to build a more robust community of entrepreneurs and to accelerate startup growth by providing access to talent, space, industry expertise, services, skill development and capital to foster innovation and create jobs for people in Connecticut.

CTNext (www.ctnext.com) has more than 2,500 members in its network.

Rebranding of Connecticut's Cities Continues: Waterbury Up Next

The latest Connecticut community to go down the re-branding road is Waterbury.  The Prospect-based marketing firm WORX Group presented its marketing concepts this week to the city’s Board of Aldermen, according to reports in the Waterbury Republican-American. In December, the firm proposed two logos and sought public input, including at a series of focus groups last spring.  The underwhelming choices: The proposals were either a stylized “W” or a version of the city’s “brass horse.”  The horse is modeled after the statute atop the Carrie Welton Fountain by the city’s downtown Green. The proposed logo adds two leaves as wings, symbolizing the city’s rebirth. The “W” has an upward-tracking center, representing the city’s rising trajectory.

The lack of enthusiasm – and some outright criticism – for the initial options prompted a new approach, which led to the latest proposal, a stylized multi-colored W with the city’s name underneath, unveiled this week for the city leadership’s approval.

In recent years, Stamford, Norwalk and New Britain are among the Connecticut communities that have undertaken re-branding efforts, including rolling out new logos for the municipalities.   New Britain took steps to redesign the city’s Main Street bridge over Route 72 with architectural features promoting a beehive theme, as highlighted in the logo launched in 2017, and New Britain began to use the new logo and tagline on signs, letterhead, brochures and its website.

In Waterbury, the local marketing firm has been paid to $81,500 to develop marketing concepts and is proposing a $180,000, one-year, contract that would include a new website, social media, email marketing and other related initiatives. The website and social media campaign would include job openings, available properties, recreation opportunities, local eateries, upcoming events, health care resources, stories on city infrastructure projects and features stories on key city figures and business success stories, the newspaper reported.

The U.K.-based creative agency Canny, which chronicled city rebranding efforts around the world, has pointed out that “Creating a single brand for a city helps highlight its offerings and interactions, allowing it to appeal to both tourists and residents alike.”  The site also notes that “good city branding can make a place seem desirable, but bad city branding can have the opposite effect.”

Manufacturing Assistance Program Aims at CT Companies

If you are looking for more evidence that manufacturing is back in Connecticut, you need look no further than Hartford and East Hartford.  The Technology Labs Assistance Program (TLAP), just getting underway, was created as part of the Hartford/East Hartford Innovation Places Initiative, which is striving to make the area a more vibrant hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Hartford and East Hartford-based companies with less than 300 full-time employees in their Connecticut facilities are invited to apply to a new manufacturing assistance program that offers – among a dozen possibilities - 3D printing, engineering design and prototype development.  Those chosen will receive a project subsidy of 50 percent off the total project cost, with subsidies reaching up to $10,000 annually.

The innovation begins with the partners in the program. TLAP is designed to provide Connecticut entrepreneurs and businesses with easy access to the vast manufacturing resources and services available at various schools, universities and Advanced Manufacturing Centers in the Greater Hartford Area. Participating organizations currently include the University of Hartford, Goodwin College, and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology. Funding for the project subsidies is supported by CTNext.

“There’s a wide array of area companies who perform advanced tech work, but they might not have the machines or resources to, say, build a prototype, optimize a process or fabricate a complex part,” said Paul Striebel of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT). Goodwin College, the University of Hartford and CCAT are part of an effort providing easy access to advanced resources and services available at their facilities.

“We are in a new era of interagency collaborations among state and private educational institutions and corporate partners,” said Cliff Thermer, Goodwin College’s Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Business Development and Department Chair for Business, Management, and Advanced Manufacturing. “The future of Connecticut innovation is bright.”

CCAT and the University of Hartford have a long history of working together developing programs, obtaining grant funding, sharing equipment and facilities, and ensuring that students have interesting research projects as well as hands-on learning opportunities through internships and experiential education.  This is the latest program collaboration.

The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. (CCAT), driving the program, is a dynamic and innovative applied technology organization that leads regional and national partnerships that assist global industrial companies and the manufacturing supply chain across industry sectors to drive advancements, efficiencies and adoption of leading edge technologies.

Project possibilities include – but are not limited to j- Engineering Design Services, Prototype Development, 3D Printing, Part Fabrication, Process Testing & Analysis, Technical assessments in conjunction with engineering projects and manufacturing challenges, Research to support proof of principle, Process Improvement, Commercialization Services, Tooling development and manufacture, Reverse Engineering and Inspection Services and Failure Analysis.

CT Ranks 11th in U.S. in Economic Impact of Immigrants

In an analysis of the economic impact of foreign-born populations on the 50 states and the District of Columbia, Connecticut ranks 11^th in the nation. The states were immigrants have the biggest economic impact, according to the analysis by the financial website WalletHub, are California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Florida and Washington.

To determine the states in which immigration has the most positive economic impact, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across four key dimensions: 1) Immigrant Workforce, 2) Socioeconomic Contribution, 3) Brain Gain & Innovators and 4) International Students.

Connecticut was just outside the top 10 overall, with its top ranking in the socioeconomic contribution category, where it ranked eighth.  Connecticut ranked tenth in both workforce and international student categories, and 13th in “brain gain and innovation.” The four dimensions were examined using 20 key metrics, ranging from jobs generated by immigrant-owned businesses as a share of total jobs to foreign-born STEM workers as a share of total STEM workforce.

"Connecticut ranked 11th in terms of economic impact of immigration. It has the eighth most work visas per capita, and the sixth largest share of active physicians who are international medical graduates at 28.8%, explained WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.  “Twelve percent of households in Connecticut are second-generation immigrants and the median household income of foreign born population is the ninth highest, which means immigrants bring a strong socioeconomic contribution to the state. Additionally, Connecticut has the fifth most H1-B visas per capita."

At the bottom of the list, reflecting the least immigrant impact, were Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming and Mississippi.

Connecticut also ranked 7^th in the share of second-generation immigrant households and 9^th in the median household income of the state’s foreign-born population, $64,168.

Webster Bank, People’s United Climb in Forbes Ranking of Nation’s Best Banks

Webster Bank has earned a place on Forbes’ America’s Best Banks 2019, ranked as number 68 and the highest-ranked bank based in Connecticut. Forbes’ 10th annual list of America’s Best Banks ranks the 100 largest publicly-traded banks and thrifts based on their growth, credit quality and profitability. The data is courtesy of S&P, but the rankings are done by Forbes.  Webster Bank was ranked at number 80 a year ago.

“Webster is proud to be continuously recognized as one of the highest performing banks in the country,” said President & CEO John R. Ciulla. “This ranking is a direct result of the quality and dedication of our bankers who are committed to delivering great service to our customers and achieving outstanding results.”

Over the years, Webster Bank has expanded to become a leading mid-sized bank in the Northeast with more than $27 billion in assets and 157 banking centers from greater New York City to Boston. Webster Bank has close to 3,400 employees.

Bridgeport-headquartered People’s United ranked number 82 on the Forbes list, up from number 92 on last year’s list.  The company’s more than 5,000 employees continue servicing customers through nearly 400 retail locations in Connecticut and throughout the Northeast in New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Among other banks with a presence in Connecticut, Citigroup was #80, Wells Fargo ranked at #85, Bank of America was #89, and Key Bank placed in the top 100 at number 92.

The Forbes reported noted that there were zero bank failures last year for the first time since 2006. There are more than 5,000 banks and savings institutions in the U.S., but assets are concentrated at the top. The 100 largest have $13.8 trillion in assets, representing 78% of total U.S. bank assets, the publication reported.

Home BancShares is the top-rated bank for the second-straight year. Muncie, Indiana-based First Merchants moved up two spots this year to second among the best banks. Rounding out the top five were Community Bank System, CVB Financial and SVB Financial. In addition to CVB and SVB, fellow California-based banks Axos Financial, East West Bancorp and Cathay General Bancorp also landed in the top ten overall, according to Forbes announcement of this year’s annual ranking.  JPMorgan is the leader of the big four (JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo) for the third-straight year, but its rank of 52nd is down 12 places.

Webster offers the full range of financial services, including business and consumer banking, mortgage, financial planning, trust, and investment services. Most recently, Webster Bank has been recognized as New England’s top U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lender, by dollar volume and best overall bank in the Northeast in Bank Director's annual Ranking Banking study released in January 2019.

Cultural and Historic Sites Receive $3 Million in Waning Weeks of Malloy Administration

Aimed at small to medium-sized cultural organizations seeking funding for “collaborative projects which demonstrate a clear vision of how individual sites and organizations can effectively tie together local, regional or statewide cultural assets,” the Good to Great grant program was created in 2014 during the administration of former Governor Dannel Malloy to “go beyond basic facilities repair or expansion to support projects that tell the stories of our cultural and historic sites in engaging, meaningful and relevant ways.” The final round of grants – unless the program is renewed by the Lamont administration – were announced less than three weeks prior to the change in gubernatorial leadership.   The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) announced $3,051,971 in grants to 12 nonprofit organizations through the program in late December.

The grants may be used for capital projects that address the rehabilitation and/or adaptive re-use of existing facilities that will transform the visitor experience, site work associated with rehabilitation projects or additions, rehabilitation of historic landscapes, or protection and/or interpretation of archaeological sites.  Other appropriate uses include artists’ fees, conservator fees, construction costs, ADA accessibility, evaluation services and documentation and exhibit scripts, fabrication and installation to complement capital improvement.

The grants range between $50,000 and $150,000 and require a 25 percent cash match; grantees will have two years from date of grant contract to complete the funded project.  Applicants for the state grant must be a Connecticut 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(13) organization that owns, operates and/or sponsors a cultural venue or historic site in Connecticut with an average annual income of $500,000 or less.

The just under-the-wire recipients:

• The New England Carousel Museum in Bristol was awarded $150,000 to install a new energy-efficient, air-handling system with humidity control to protect the Museum's collection and improve the visitors' experience.
• The Connecticut Electric Railway Association (aka The Connecticut Trolley Museum) in East Windsor was awarded $50,000 to complete the on-going restoration of one of theMuseum's most historically significant trolleys - Connecticut Company Car #3001.
• The Friends of the Pinney House, Inc. in Ellington was awarded $150,000 for the interior restoration of the Pinney House so it can be used as a cultural center, a meeting place and an education site.
• Ebony Horsewomen Inc. in Hartford was awarded $50,000 to erect a pre-fab barn building to create a meeting & classroom space and a mini Black Cowboy Museum.
• The Madison Historical Society was awarded $138,600 for the restoration and preservation of the interior of Lee's Academy and to create an ADA-compatible learning and community center.
• The Denison Society, Inc. (aka Denison Homestead) in Mystic was awarded $150,000 to restore the Homestead's barn so that it may provide areas for programs, workshops and community events.
• The Norfolk Historical Society was awarded $60,546 to redesign the welcome/reception area, reinterpret gallery space and reclaim research space.
• The Keeler Tavern Preservation Society, Inc. (aka Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center) in Ridgefield was awarded $96,575 for facility improvements (climate controlled, fire-protected, well-designed storage) for its most fragile objects that relate directly to major moments in U.S. history.
• The Stonington Historical Society (aka Old Lighthouse Museum) was awarded $56,250 for a comprehensive research effort and the commission of an archeological survey of a potential Venture Smith site; creation of a permanent Venture Smith and slavery exhibit at Old Lighthouse Museum.
• The Ward Heitmann House Museum Foundation, Inc. (aka Ward Heitmann House Museum) in West Haven was awarded $150,000 to repair the foundation and exterior along with period appropriate landscaping so the House can reopen its doors to the public.
• The Eastern Connecticut Center for History, Art and Performance (aka EC-CHAP) in Willington was awarded $1,000,000 to preserve and rehabilitate two secondary buildings for use again as an in-residence artist and a café and conduct a water mitigation plan for the main structure.
• The Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community in Bridgeport was awarded $1,000,000 for the exterior restoration of both structures, as well as the interior restoration of the Eliza Freeman House.

The grant award recipients constituted the final announcement of 2018 by the state Department of Economic and Community Development.  Nineteen days later, Gov. Lamont took the oath of office.  He is expected to announce the department's new leadership and management structure in the coming days.

CT Insurance Department Recovers $7.8 Million for Policyholders, Taxpayers in 2018, Up $1 Million

The Connecticut Insurance Department recovered $7.8 million for policyholders and taxpayers in 2018, helping individuals, families and employers with their claims and complaints, according to department officials. The Department’s Consumer Affairs Unit (CAU) fielded 6,350 complaints and inquiries in 2018 and helped policyholders recoup more than $5.5 million during the calendar year. In addition, the Department’s Market Conduct Division levied approximately $2.3 million in fines against carriers and returned that money to the state’s General Fund.  Both financial results are up from a year ago.

“The Department’s Consumer Affairs staff helps thousands of consumers each year with their questions and concerns about their insurance and makes certain that companies are compliant with all state insurance laws and regulations,” Acting Commissioner Paul Lombardo said.

In comparison, during 2017 CAU fielded 5,800 complaints and inquiries and helped policyholders recoup nearly $4.8 million.  The Department’s Market Conduct Division levied approximately $2 million in fines.  The Department’s fines result from a variety of violations and settlements ranging from untimely claim payments to improper licensing. The Market Conduct enforcement actions are posted on the Department’s Web site at www.ct.gov/cid

The majority of the funds recovered during 2018 for policyholders stemmed from complaints over health, accident, homeowners and life and annuities policies. The breakdown of funds recovered:

• Accident, Health - $2.3 million
• Auto - $1.5 million
• General Liability - $30,000
• Homeowners and Commercial Property - $1.13 million
• Life, Annuities - $523,000
• Miscellaneous - $37,000

Recoveries in the area of Homeowners and Commercial Property more than tripled, going from $344,600 in 2017 to $1.13 million in 2018.

The Department calculates its consumer recoveries based on what the policyholder received as a result of the Department’s intervention. The inquiries and complaints also help the Department identify industry trends that may adversely affect consumers and trigger investigation by the Market Conduct division.

In 2017, the state Insurance Department recovered $6.8 million for policyholders and taxpayers.   That was a slight drop from the previous year, when it recouped $7.5 million in 2016.   and approximately $6 million in 2015.  In previous years, the department recaptured $6 million in 2015, reached a recent high of $8.7 million in 2012, $7.4 million in 2013 and $6.3 million in 2014.

Complaint data also help determine topics for consumer education and serve as tools to help the Department monitor the industry, officials noted.

The mission of the Connecticut Insurance Department is to protect consumers through regulation of the industry, outreach, education and advocacy. The Department’s annual budget is funded through assessments from the insurance industry.

Hartford Area CFA Charterholders Gather to Hear Economic Forecasts, Focus on Guiding Investors Through 2019

In the midst of tumultuous and uncertain economic times, hundreds of Connecticut’s leading investment and financial professionals will be gathering on Tuesday, Jan. 22 in Hartford to delve into the financial outlook for 2019 with one of the nation’s most respected economists, get an inside look at the state’s cybersecurity efforts to protect the integrity of the election process, and connect with industry peers from throughout the region. More than 400 professionals - CFA® members, investment professionals, personal investors, key decision-makers and college students - are expected.  They will hear from keynote speaker Brian Wesbury, Chief Economist of First Trust Advisors L.P., at the 2019 Annual Forecast Dinner hosted by CFA Society Hartford, the local chapter of the CFA Institute. Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill will offer comments on the future of voting security with “Election Cybersecurity: A Wake Up Call”.   It is the organization’s premier networking event of the year, being held at the Connecticut Convention Center.

The Hartford chapter is one of 151 local member societies of the CFA Institute, a worldwide organization and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. Hartford, with a long history of prominence in financial services – has one of the international organization’s oldest chapters, dating back to 1952. It is also one of the largest chapters outside of a major metropolitan area, with more than 700 members working in over 175 investment organizations, serving the Hartford and Springfield, MA region. There is another Connecticut chapter based in Stamford.

The CFA Institute is a global non-profit organization of investment professionals that distinguish themselves through their commitment to their clients and to the highest ethical and investment standards.  The Chartered Financial Analyst® designation, which has been described as the “industry gold standard,” requires passing one of the most rigorous series of exams in the financial industry to earn the credential.  Fewer than one in five candidates become CFA® charterholders.

“We strive to help advisers understand and anticipate stock market and economic changes to be able to provide the best guidance for their clients,” said Juliana Dalton, CFA, president of CFA Society Hartford.  Members include CFA® charterholders employed by leading financial services companies and those who are private wealth managers.  While many have been in the field for decades – providing much-needed expertise to a range of clients, particularly in turbulent economic times – CFA Society Hartford also continues to reach out to young professionals, as well as college students considering careers in the financial services industry.

In addition to the formal speaking program at the annual event, attendees can learn how the demanding CFA® Program provides a strong foundation of advanced investment analysis and real-world portfolio management skills that will provide a career advantage. Successful candidates for the CFA® designation take an average of four years to complete the program, which includes passing three exams sequentially and accumulating 48 months of approved work experience. Each exam level generally requires six months of preparation.

Dalton, Senior Vice President and Senior Credit Risk Manager at Webster Bank, analyzes credit risk across the organization. She will provide introductory remarks on Tuesday, and CFA Society Hartford Past-President Ray Bovich will introduce the keynote speaker as he shares “The Real News About the U.S. Economy”.

“For the past nine years, analysts have predicted apocalypse for the U.S. economy around every corner, but the strong market and economic recovery are both the longest ever,” commented Dalton.  The program will look ahead at what might be next.

For young members of the profession, applying technology to financial analysis can be particularly attractive. “Technology is all to the benefit,” Dalton explained, “as it helps to provide numbers-based and fact-based analysis. But people skills never go away.”  She noted that even with advancing technology – which is integrated throughout the industry – every client’s investment priorities differ, calling for a mix of people skills and technological know-how by CFA® charterholders.

The CFA Society Hartford chapter, in an effort to interest college students, has been running an annual Research Challenge for the past six years in conjunction with local colleges including the University of Connecticut and Trinity College.  Teams of college students analyze a particular company, and present a written report that is judged by local professionals.  The top three teams go on to make an oral presentation before industry practitioners, and the winning team has an opportunity to advance to national and international competition.  The program has grown in popularity, and although it is quite rigorous, is seen as an excellent educational opportunity and hands-on glimpse into the field. The 2018/2019 competition finals will be held next month.

The forecast dinner’s lead speakers will also provide insight.  Brian Wesbury is Chief Economist at First Trust Advisors L.P., a financial services firm based in Wheaton, Illinois. He has been a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago since 1999. In 2012, he was named a Fellow of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. In 1995 and 1996, he served as Chief Economist for the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, and has been ranked by the Wall Street Journal as the nation’s #1 U.S. economic forecaster (2001), and by USA Today as one of the nation’s top 10 forecasters (2004).  Denise Merrill was re-elected in 2018 to her third term as Secretary of the State of Connecticut, and is past president of the National Association of Secretaries of the State.  She previously served in the Connecticut House of Representatives.  Her office oversees elections and business data, among its responsibilities.

For more information about the Hartford chapter, visit www.hartfordcfa.org.  Gold Sponsors for the event include Hartford Investment Management Company (HIMCO), Virtus Investment Partners, Voya Investment Management, and INVESCO.  Individual seats are $110 for CFA® Society Hartford members and $145 for non-members.  There are more than 150,000 CFA® charter holders worldwide in 165+ countries and regions. CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are registered trademarks owned by the CFA Institute.