The Stamford Advocate
By Richard Lee
Fairfield County communities have been the success story of Connecticut, boasting the highest per capita income in the state, but its status as a leader in business and quality of life may hinge on their willingness to work together. "We have a history of competition, but we're not large enough to afford competition in this region," Christopher Bruhl, president and chief executive officer of the Business Council of Fairfield County, told an audience of 270 at the council's 38th annual meeting yesterday at the Stamford Marriott. The council reported its progress in the One Coast, One Future initiative, originated by U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Bridgeport, an effort to forge cooperation across the county, managed by the council and the Bridgeport Regional Business Council. Through Shays' efforts in Congress, $1 million in federal funds has been awarded to finance the program, which deals with topics such as economic development, health care, higher education, and JobsNet, a regional labor effort. The area, which includes 15 municipalities, has needs that are not being addressed by the current system, according to Shays, who grew up in Darien and moved from Stamford to Bridgeport in 1999. After moving to Bridgeport, it became clearer to Shays that the current format is untenable. "We're in a great place to live and work because of the unique character of our towns," said Shays, who moderated a panel discussion on the program. "We are not limited by our boundaries. We're just too small to compete, but together we can compete with anyone."
In 2004, he asked Bruhl and Paul Timpanelli, president and chief executive officer of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, to form a cooperative effort to address the matter. A panel composed of Alice Knapp, director of public services at Stamford's Ferguson Library; Victor Fuda, Jobs Center director at the state Department of Labor; Jeannie Preziosi, college recruiting coordinator in Stamford for KPMG; Carole Pomarico, adult program director, Fairfield University School of Nursing; and Robert Santy, chief executive officer of the Connecticut Economic Resources Center, detailed progress in developing regional programs in their respective arenas. Through the use of a library card, free access to Wi-Fi service is available in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford, Knapp said. A JobsNet online portal is available for employers and job seekers, Fuda said. Promoting cooperation in the region resonated for many in the audience, including Stephen DeNardo, managing director of RiverOak Investment Corp. LLC in Stamford. "In some ways, you can ask why this wasn't done a long time ago. For us to compete intraregion is ridiculous. It's hard when you don't have county government," he said. "I used to live in Maryland, and I thought county government worked pretty well." It will be a long time before a county system is re-instituted in Connecticut, said Jack Condlin, president and chief executive officer of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce. "It's good to work together because we have common problems," he said. "They've tried to identify the common challenges. Economic development is still local." Original Article: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_9679820 Click here to read more about Christopher's One Coast, One Future initiative
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