ManufactureCT What's Next? Forum

Description

Paul S. Lavoie was appointed by Governor Ned Lamont as the Chief Manufacturing Officer for Connecticut in February 2022. The Chief Manufacturing Officer position was created to coordinate efforts from the state and private sector to expand manufacturing in Connecticut. Paul has extensive industry experience, most recently as General Manager at Carey Manufacturing in Cromwell, CT. Carey is known for their reshoring efforts, bringing jobs back from China to Connecticut. Prior to Carey, Paul has owned two businesses and served at senior level positions at publicly traded and privately owned businesses. Paul serves as the co-chair of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls Subcommittee on Education and STEAM, Advisory Board Member of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, and Advisory Board Member of the University of Connecticut Engineering School and Sacred Heart Engineering School. In 2022 and 2023, Paul was named as one of the Greater Hartford’s Top 50 Power Players by Hartford Business Journal.

Carol Boedicker has more than 30 years of experience working in the field of Human Resources and brings a wealth of knowledge that spans far beyond the typical HR realm. Her career has focused on the development of successful partnerships across the organization in order to design, develop and implement policies, programs and processes that define employee expectations and ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. Under her guidance, HABCO’s employee retention rate has continued on an upward climb, with voluntary attrition rates in the single digits. Her strategic thinking and enthusiasm for employee engagement have not only influenced the company’s culture in the most positive way, but they have been the driving force behind the creation of the key link that connects happy and engaged employees to quality products and services. A graduate of Le Moyne College in upstate New York, Carol is a 2nd generation HR professional. Prior to joining HABCO in 2018, Carol was the Chief HR Officer at actûrus (formerly The Pert Group), and VP of Human Resources at American Payment Systems.

Jason Strano is a Senior Energy Efficiency Consultant with Eversource based out of the Berlin, CT office specializing in the Industrial and Manufacturing segment.  Before his time at Eversource, he was working as a manufacturer’s representative specializing in energy and advanced lighting controls.  Jason has also run energy programs for several ESCOs and began his career performing investment grade audits for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and lighting and energy work throughout the Northeast from Maine to Virginia.  He has been working in the energy efficiency trade for over almost two decades and is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM), Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP), and trained energy auditing specialist.  Jason is Vice President of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) chapter in CT and is also a board member with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).   

Victor Morando has spent 35 plus years in manufacturing focused on plastic and rubber injection molding and metal machining and 19 of those years in his current position.  He is the Chief Innovation Officer at Dymotek, a molding company globally known for their capabilities in manufacture and assembly of complex components involving plastic and silicone rubber.  Victor is responsible for the upfront engineering and sales activity for early-stage programs that typically involve automation systems for molding, assembly, inspection, and function testing.  Victor has led the technology investment to support Dymotek’s transition from an injection molder to the technology focused, automated manufacturer they are today.