Recognizing organizations and individuals for their unparalleled commitment to Main Street.
2017 Award Winner John Simone stands with a team of supporters from Eversource, including Board member Toni Berlandy (r).
Connecticut Main Street Center established the Founder’s Award, presented by Eversource (formerly the Connecticut Light & Power Company Award) in 2001 to recognize organizations and individuals who dedicate themselves to promoting an awareness of the necessity of a comprehensive management approach to the revitalization of Connecticut’s Main Streets.
The award is named for its first recipient, The Connecticut Light & Power Company (now Eversource), which launched the State’s Main Street program in 1995. CL&P still stands as the only private corporation in the country to solely sponsor and administer a statewide Main Street initiative.
CT Main Street Founder’s Award, presented by
Award Recipients:
Each year, an organization or individual is selected that has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to comprehensively addressing the needs of Connecticut’s downtowns. Past recipients are listed below.
2020 – The Cities Project
The Cities Project is a collaboration between seven leading Connecticut journalism organizations who publish periodic articles exploring challenges and solutions related to revitalizing Connecticut’s cities. Members of the collaboration are CT Mirror, Connecticut Public Radio, Hearst Connecticut Media, Hartford Courant, the Waterbury Republican-American, Hartford Business Journal, and Purple States. Together these seven media companies describe the key challenges our cities face, identify solutions that other cities around the country have implemented to address similar challenges, and explore the feasibility of implementing those solutions in Connecticut.
2019 – Robert W. Santy, President & CEO of Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC)
2018 – R. David Genovese, CEO of Baywater Properties
2017 – John Simone, Founding CEO, CMSC
2016 – Upper Albany Main Street & University of Hartford
2015 – Hiram Peck, AICP, Director of Community Planning & Development, Town of Simsbury
Delpha M. Very, Economic & Community Development Director, Town of Putnam
2014 – William Warner, Former Middletown Planning Director
2013 – Toni A. Gold, Urban Planner & Hartford Advocate
2012 – The Northwestern Connecticut Regional Planning Collaborative
2011 – Connecticut Public Radio / WNPR for Where We Live
2010 – The Partnership for Strong Communities, for its HOMEConnecticut Campaign
2009 – Keith J. Kumnick, SIOR
2008 – Linda A. Osten, former Principal Planner for the Capitol Region Council of Governments, awarded posthumously
2007 – Martha A. Hunt, former President & CEO of the Connecticut Economic Resource Center
2006 – The Hartford Courant
2005 – Webster Bank
2003 – John W. (Jack) Shannahan, State Historic Preservation Officer
2002 – State of Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development
2001 – The Connecticut Light & Power Company
