CMSC recognized four Board members for their years of service during our Annual Meeting in June.  Incoming Chair Ryan Bingham also recognized outgoing Chair Mike Andreana for his years at the helm, leading the organization through a time of transition and growth.

The Board members recognized for their service are:

Shelly Saczynski 

• Shelly (pictured above) was first elected to the CMSC board in 2007 and served three terms. She took a year off, then came back! She served as Chair of the Board from 2009 to 2013 and Chair of the Governance Committee from 2019 to 2021. Shelly’s many contributions to CMSC can be summed up in comments from two long-time leaders of the organization:
  • CMSC’s founding CEO, John Simone, said: “I believe Shelly stands out as having provided us with the most Wisdom, Wealth and Work. She always wanted to know what our most important priorities were and how she and the board could best help in addressing them.  She was committed equally to the well-being of her fellow board members and our staff.”
  • In the words of former CMSC Board member Kim Healey, “Shelly is thorough, inquisitive, rational, disciplined, dedicated, and ALWAYS shows up. She is the “go-to” person for non-profits when they need confidential, clear eyed advice.”
  • We agree, CT Main Street Center is a better organization because of Shelly!

Randal Davis

• Randal served on the Board for five years, from 2017 to 2022.
• He was elected to the CMSC Board when he was Special Advisor to former CT DOT Commissioner James Redeker. In this capacity, Randal was an important liaison between a changing DOT and our Main Street Communities – especially as Complete Streets and Transit Oriented Development became priority areas on Main Street.
• Randal continues to serve the people of Connecticut, and is currently the Deputy Director of Development Services for the City of Hartford.
• He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Board for Partnership for Strong Communities
• Over the years, he has consistently been a voice of calm reason, asking the important questions, and providing CMSC with wise guidance.

Diana Deng 

• Diana served on the Board from 2016 to 2022, and as our Board Secretary from 2017 to 2022.
• She was recently promoted to Assistant Director of Real Estate Development at CIL, whose vision is “that all people will have access to quality housing that enhances independence in neighborhoods of their choice”
• She also formerly served as Policy & Communications Analyst for Partnership for Strong Communities.
• In addition to her Board roles, Diana supported CMSC by championing the necessity of quality housing choices in vibrant communities, an important priority area for CMSC.

Toni Berlandy

• Toni served on the Board from 2016 to 2022.
• As a Community Relations Specialist for Eversource Energy, Toni served as an effective liaison between CMSC and Eversource and the Eversource Foundation.
• She is responsible for developing and maintaining a relationship with thirteen municipalities in Northern Central Connecticut
• Toni has been an effective champion of CMSC’s mission and work, conveying our impact to Eversource leadership. This was critical in securing our historic funding support from the corporation.

Michael Andreana

• Mike served as Chair of the CMSC Board of Directors from 2018 to 2022.
• He has been invaluable to our organization, having led us through what was perhaps the most challenging – and rewarding – time in our history as we faced the Covid pandemic and its ripple effects.
• Mike is always kind, thoughtful, and analytic. He’s a great listener, and always acts in the best interest of the organization.
• In his capacity as an attorney, Mike was the principal drafter of Connecticut’s 2015 new Tax Increment Financing statute and has assisted in the creation of more than a half dozen TIF districts in Connecticut.

Two New Members Join CMSC Board

In addition to recognizing our outgoing Board members, we also welcomed two new members: Susan Decina from the CT Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and Matthew Kaufman from Hartford Healthcare. 

Susan Decina
Economic & Community Development Specialist, State of CT DECD

Susan has extensive project management experience with DECD programs including the Small Business Express Program, Urban Act, and the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP). She also has significant experience working with partners in the area of Small Programs, including the CT Small Business Development Center, Connecticut Main Street Center, Middlesex County Revitalization Commission, and Business Industry Foundation of Middlesex County, Inc. Formerly, she worked with the Office of Brownfield Remediation & Development and was the Director of Planning for the Town of Portland. She also served as Assistant Planning Director for the City of Danbury.

Matthew Kaufman
Regional VP of Operations, Hartford HealthCare – Eastern Region

Matt is responsible for hospital operations at Backus Hospital, Windham Hospital and the Plainfield Emergency Department.  He was the Regional Incident Commander during the Covid-19 Pandemic, responsible for developing regional testing and vaccination centers including the mega vaccination site at Foxwoods Casino. He also facilitated the annual regional capital planning process. He was formerly the Director of Service Line Development and Director of Clinical Integration at Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta GA.