Competing and connecting

Each year, our 40 Under Forty program gets bigger and better.
That’s good news for everyone except the judges. When we asked three past winners to sort through the nominations, little did any of us realize we’d be handing them a binder that weighed more than five pounds.

From well over 250 nominations for more than 160 individuals, our judges honed the list to the best and brightest. Among the 75 percent who didn’t make this class were some strong candidates who most certainly will be community leaders in years to come. While they didn’t make the class this year, we encourage them to try again.

Today, in this special section, we’re delighted to welcome the Class of 2011 into a select society of 40 Under Forty honorees.

The Hartford Business Journal has been selecting 40 Under Forty honorees for 15 years now and we’re proud of the leadership these men and women have shown.

Among this year’s honorees, we have entrepreneurs and corporate executives, folks who work in nonprofits and folks who advise others on handling their profits. They all have achieved a level of success early in their careers, yet for each, the best is likely yet to come.

As you read these short profiles, you’ll see they share a passion for what they do, a willingness to expend the time and energy it takes to be the best, a zest for life and an appreciation for seeking a balance in their lives. They also share an uncommon commitment to giving back to their communities.  

And they all understand that connections make our community work. We’ll pay tribute to these people with a gala event Sept. 26 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Our keynote speaker will be Liz Lynch, top business development strategist and author of the bestselling book “Smart Networking: Attract a Following In Person & Online.”

In introducing this class, we need to thank our partners who help us in making the publication and the 40 Under Forty event happen. We owe a special thank you to Tracy A. Dumont, conference center manager of the Lyceum (www.Lyceumcenter.org ) for hosting this year’s photo shoot.
Please join me in congratulating these 40 outstanding men and women. They inspire the next generation and help keep the leaders in our community on their toes. And don’t miss your chance to connect with them, first in these pages and then in person Sept. 26.

Meet the 2011 Winners:

Winners, (A - C), (D-M), (N-Z)

Apostolidis, Beka  
Baños, Alexander R.   
Bittner, Jason   
Boothroyd, Jay   
Brinson, Corey J.   
Caron, Neil    16
Carpino, Christie M.    
Carso, Jessica   
Concepcion, Julio A.   
Copeland, Grant   
Costanzo, Tony   
Cruz Cedillo, Paula   
Cusano, Todd E.   
Deenihan, Jr., Richard M.   
DeLisle, Heidi C.   
Faienza, Enzo   
Ferrucci, Andrea   
Furness, Aimee   
Giulietti, Jason   
Griggs, Tara   
Kennedy III, Daniel   
Landmon, Chad   
Lindberg, Ingrid C.   
Lundbye, Justin B.    
Marcucci, Melissa J.   
Mazur, Andra B.    
Mead, Rebecca   
Miller, Julia   
Newman, Jason D.   
O’Brien, Isabella K.    
Palerma, Jodi   
Pasquale, Melissa R.   
Payne, Cherron M.    
Perrault, Amy B.    
Sager, Jennifer   
Scorso, Rebecca   
Skehan, Shawn   
Staib, Karen T.    
Terricciano Sirignano, Kate   
Williams, Chad   

Photos by J. Fiereck Photography         Click HERE for information about the judges