New Haven Business Leaders to be Inducted into Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame

Three of Connecticut's notable leaders in Greater New Haven and one of the region’s leading higher education institutions will be honored by Junior Achievement of Southwest New England at the Business Hall of Fame event on Thursday, March 5, 2020. 

The prestigious event recognizes business and community leaders for significant contributions to the prosperity and quality of life of the Greater New Haven region and Connecticut. The 40th annual Business Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Dinner will be held at The Woodwinds in Branford.

Being honored with induction into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame are:

• Thomas Beirne III, Vice President and Senior Wealth Management Planning Officer, Halsey Associates
• Kevin Myatt, Senior Vice President, Yale-New Haven Health
• Marta Moret, Public Health Professor, Southern Connecticut State University
• Gateway Community College 

Beirne and Myatt are being inducted as Hall of Fame Laureates, Moret will receive the Spirit of Hope Award, and Gateway Community College will be recognized with the Community Leadership Award. The Laureates are recognized for contributions to the prosperity of the region through leadership in business and the community. The Spirit of Hope Award recognizes an individual who has exhibited a deep sense of commitment to providing hope for the future of others in the community.

"They have each established a standard of excellence that reflects their commitment to community and determination to improve individual lives in meaningful and enduring ways," said Jeremy Race, CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England. "We are particularly pleased to honor their leadership and their example at this year’s ceremony, which promises to be a very special evening celebrating their impact across the region.”

Thomas Beirne is Vice President and Senior Wealth Management Planning Officer, serving the investment, trust, and planning needs of high net worth individuals and institutions. Actively involved in the community, he serves as Treasurer of the Gateway Community College Foundation Board of Directors, as Secretary of the New Haven Symphony Foundation Board of Directors, and on the Board of Directors for the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. He is a past President of the Rotary Club of New Haven, and past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New Haven Rotary Charitable Trust. Professional affiliations include membership on the Connecticut Tax and Estate Planning Council. He is a former Alderman for the City of Milford.

Marta Moret is President of Urban Policy Strategies, a New Haven-based consulting firm that conducts research and assessment in public health. UPS evaluates the impact of community-based interventions in areas such as HIV/AIDS, childhood obesity, substance abuse, and cardiovascular diseases.  She is an adjunct faculty member in Public Health at Southern Connecticut State University, and previously served as Deputy Commissioner for the Connecticut Department of Social Services, Vice President for a program at the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, and Executive Director of the Hispanic Health Council. She currently serves on the boards of Women’s Health Research at Yale and the New Alliance Foundation.

Kevin Myatt is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System, the second largest employer in the Greater New Haven area.  He joined Yale-New Haven in 2007 after serving five years as Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to relocating to the New Haven region, where he has quickly become actively involved in the community, he has served on the boards of directors for a number of organizations, including Aid to Adoption of Special Kids, Black Family and Child Services in Arizona, and Urban Leagues in Arizona and Nebraska.

The largest of Connecticut's community colleges, Gateway Community College serves the residents and businesses of the Greater New Haven region with innovative educational programming and relevant social and cultural opportunities. Each year, more than 14,000 individuals choose from over 90 accredited degree and certificate programs, which they take for college credit, professional development, and personal enrichment. Gateway has community partnerships with area organizations and businesses that support academic programs and provide internships and community engagement opportunities.

Junior Achievement is a global leader in providing cutting-edge, hands-on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work-readiness education. During its four decade history, the JA of Southwest New England Business Hall of Fame has inducted more than 140 individuals and organizations for their career achievements and contributions to the community.

The support of leading local businesses and individuals is indispensable in furthering JA's work with local schools throughout the region. Top sponsors for the Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony are Gateway Community College, JPMorgan Chase, and Webster Bank.

Providing children from kindergarten through 12th grade with positive adult role models who illustrate ways to build self-confidence and develop financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness skills, is a hallmark of Junior Achievement.  JA volunteers come from all walks of life and use their personal experiences to make the JA curricula of more than a dozen programs practical and realistic, helping to empower students to own their economic success.  

The program committee for the JA Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New Haven includes Mary Ellen Cody, Gateway Community College; Kentha Heng, Gateway Community College; Brian Levine, Bank of America; Hugh Manke, Updike, Kelly, Spellacy, P.C.; James Miller, Marcum, LLP; Tony Rescigno, Southern Connecticut State University; Sue Rapini, Southern Connecticut State University; and Diane Wishnafski, DLW Consulting, LLC.  All net proceeds will benefit JA educational programs.

Last school year in Connecticut, with the help of more than 3,300 volunteers - business professionals, parents, retirees, and college students - JA of Southwest New England taught more than 47,000 Connecticut students about business, jobs, and the importance of education for success.   In 2019, Junior Achievement of Southwest New England was awarded one of Junior Achievement USA’s highest honors for the fourth consecutive year: the Five Star Award, in recognition of its growth in student impact and superior fiscal performance.

To learn more about Junior Achievement’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 5, or for reservations or sponsorship information, contact Jacqueline Lombardi, JA's special events and marketing manager, at 860-525-4510 ext. 230 or jlombardi@jaconn.org.