The Waterbury Regional Chamber announced that Fritz Blasius, owner of Blasius Chevrolet Cadillac, is recipient of their highly-prestigious 2012 Malcolm Baldrige Community Award. Mary Rosengrant-Chiappalone with Biondi & Rosengrant is recipient of the Chamber’s 2012 Leadership Award, and John Famiglietti of Drubner Commercial is recipient of the Chamber’s 2012 Volunteer of the Year Award. All 2012 winners will receive their awards during the 18th Annual Malcolm Baldrige Chamber Awards banquet on Tuesday, September 18 from 5:30 to 9:00 PM at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, CT coordinated by event co-chairs Carmen Anthony Vacalebre, chairman of Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group, and Jaci Carroll, founder of Jaci Carroll Staffing Services Inc. The evening will include a silent auction to raise funds for the economic development efforts of the not-for-profit Waterbury Regional Chamber.
One of the largest chambers in the State of Connecticut, the Waterbury Regional Chamber (www.waterburychamber.com) currently boasts a membership of over 1,100 businesses in the Greater Waterbury region including Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Cheshire, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oakville, Oxford, Prospect, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, and Woodbury. “Each year we present the highly-prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Community Award in honor of business leader, Malcolm Baldrige,” explained Lynn Ward, Waterbury Regional Chamber President and CEO. “The award is given in recognition of individuals whose commitment to the Waterbury community has been exemplified by their vision and leadership in the area of economic development and growth. Malcolm Baldrige believed in community, leadership and volunteerism. That is why we also present our Chamber’s prestigious leadership and volunteer awards to recognize individuals who exemplify the globally-recognized and honored world-wide achievements of business and community leader, Malcolm Baldrige.”
A former resident of Woodbury, Connecticut, Malcolm Baldrige guided Waterbury’s Scovill Manufacturing Company for more then two decades. He was appointed President Ronald Regan’s Secretary of Commerce during which time he implemented new laws to help American businesses grow. Malcolm Baldrige’s accomplishments are chronicled worldwide in newspapers, magazines, documents and journals. His name is well-known throughout United States business arenas, and in Russia and China where he negotiated trade talks during his tenure in Regan’s cabinet. He is acknowledged in America for his legacy of success through quality. Nominees for the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Malcolm Baldrige Awards are considered for their role in creating new employment opportunities in the region, for enhancing the overall economic growth of the region, and for playing a leading role in initiating new business or development throughout the Greater Waterbury region.
2012 Malcolm Baldrige Community Award recipient Fritz Blasius, a lifelong resident of the Waterbury area, is well-known as a pillar of the community who constantly gives back and has been a role model in business leadership and community involvement. Blasius pursued his career with his family owned business, Blasius Chevrolet located on Reidville Drive in Waterbury. Opened 45 years ago in 1967, Blasius has built the business to be the largest GM Dealership in Connecticut for 25 years running with approximately 140 employees, the largest GM Dealership in New England and among the top 50 Chevrolet dealers in the United States. Blasius founded the “Little Flower Fund” which has provided over $600,000 to local Catholic Grammar Schools. In addition to receiving numerous community awards, he has served on the Holy Cross High School Board, St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation Board, the Westbury Scholarship Board and the Police Activities League Board, which he helped found.
Recipient of the Chamber’s prestigious 2012 Leadership Award, Mary Rosengrant-Chiappalone of Watertown, a partner in the real estate appraisal firm of Biondi and Rosengrant, LLC in Waterbury, has been on the board of the Waterbury Regional Chamber for five years. She is a member of the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee, and served on the board and as a past-chair of the Business Women’s Forum (BWF). Presently she serves on the Mattatuck Museum’s Board and Executive Committee where she co-chaired the Brass Button Award and chaired various sub-committees. She is on the Executive Committee of the Naugatuck Valley Community College Foundation Board and in 2011 received the NVCC Board of Trustees Merit Award. Currently Rosengrant-Chiappalone serves on the Campaign Leadership Council of United Way of Greater Waterbury; she co-chairs the Residential Division and has also co-chaired the Leavenworth/Leadership Division. She is a member of the Seven Angels Theater steering committee and co-chaired its 20th anniversary fundraiser; been a member of Saint Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary; past board member of the Waterbury YWCA; and she proudly provided input into the Waterbury City Hall rededication committee.
Waterbury Regional Chamber’s 2012 Volunteer of the Year Award recipient John Famiglietti of Middlebury, is a managing partner with Drubner Commercial LLC in Waterbury. He has been active in the commercial real estate arena for 16 years, and previously owned a catering business for 18 years. Famiglietti currently is on the board of directors for Main Street Waterbury; a member of the Main Street Waterbury’s Economic Restructuring Committee which he chaired for several years and was named Volunteer of the Year for the Committee twice. He also serves on numerous Chamber committees including Public Policy, Wolcott Street-Lakewood Road Association, Malcolm Baldrige Silent Auction Committee, Small Manufacturing Association (SMA), Naugatuck Duck Race, and Main Street Beer Fest. Through the years, he has served on additional Chamber committees including Ambassador, Economic Development, and the Biz to Biz Expo Planning Committee.
Webster Bank is the Malcolm Baldrige Awards Dinner’s platinum sponsor. Gold sponsors are the Aqua Turf Club and Crystal Rock. Silver sponsors are Blasius Chevrolet Cadillac and Cly-Del. Bronze sponsors are AI-TEK Instruments, LLC, Albert Bros., Inc., Hubbard-Hall, Saint Mary’s Health System and The Lombard Group. Brass sponsors are Bank of America, BlumShapiro, Brass Mill Center & Commons, Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group, Connecticut Light & Power, IMTI-Industrial Management & Training Institute, Jaci Carroll Staffing Services, Inc., Naugatuck Savings Bank, Naugatuck Valley Community College Foundation, Pullman & Comley, LLC, and Waterbury Hospital.
Dinner tickets are $150/person. To make a reservation, and learn more about the Waterbury Regional Chamber visit www.waterburychamber.com, call 203-757-0701, or email to info@waterburychambe