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December 2, 2024

Waterbury’s economic development chief takes role at AdvanceCT; former Mayor O’Leary to fill gap

Michael Puffer Waterbury Development Corp. Executive Director Thomas Hyde at a little league field his agency created on the site of an abandoned and burned textile mill
By Michael Puffer

Thomas Hyde, who has led Waterbury’s economic development agency for four years, is leaving to become chief of staff for AdvanceCT, the nonprofit handling Connecticut’s business recruitment and retention efforts.

Hyde announced his pending resignation as executive director of the Waterbury Development Corp., and as CEO of the closely linked Naugatuck Valley Regional Development Corp., last week. Hyde told the Hartford Business Journal his Waterbury job ends the first week of January.

“I really and truly have loved this job,” Hyde said. “I love the team I work with. I’m sad to leave, but I’m excited about this next opportunity. I really like coming to work every day. We do really meaningful things here.”

Former Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary has agreed to temporarily take the helm of the WDC and NVRDC, while a search for Hyde’s replacement is conducted. Officials hope to make a hire by February.

O’Leary led the city for 12 years before deciding not to run for reelection and leaving office a year ago. He helped recruit Hyde and is familiar with the Waterbury Development Corp. staff, as well as its projects. He has agreed to step in on an interim basis, while the search for a new director is ongoing.

“I’m pleased to do it for them,” O’Leary said. “A lot of the projects are things that started in my term of office, so I’m happy to help out in any way I can.”

O’Leary anticipates a short run as a caretaker for the agency, likely six to eight weeks. He said he is not taking a salary and is not putting his name into consideration as Hyde’s replacement. O’Leary has worked as a consultant since leaving public office, for Eversource, Cigna and other organizations.

O’Leary said Hyde has done “an incredible” job, bringing many projects to fruition.

“I’m sorry to see him go, but I’m excited for him in his next venture,” O’Leary said.

Current Mayor Paul Pernerewski was also highly complementary, noting Hyde's "terrific" work. 

"On a personal level, he's been a good friend, very easy to work with, and has made my first year in office immeasurably easier," Pernerewski said. "While we will miss him, he has a great opportunity. We wish him nothing but success." 

Pernerewski said Hyde will be difficult to replace. The city, he said, is seeking candidates with backgrounds in development and strong work ethics, as well as a familiarty with, and understanding of, the city.

The Waterbury Development Corp. has advanced more than $100 million in economic development projects during Hyde’s tenure, including ongoing reconstruction of underground utilities and streetscapes in the city’s downtown; several multimillion-dollar brownfield cleanups; the construction of a greenway along the Naugatuck River and major park construction projects, among others.

Hyde, as head of the Naugatuck Valley Regional Development Corp., has facilitated a proposal for a 3 million-square-foot Amazon warehouse on a 183-acre site straddling the Naugatuck and Waterbury city line. Permitting for that project is underway and Hyde said he looks forward to seeing it under construction.

For Hyde, the most memorable projects have been the transformation of brownfields into parks, including a new Little League baseball diamond at a burned-out mill property on Mill Street, and a pocket park on the site of a burned-down bar on Bank Street.

Hyde, 34, was recruited to helm the newly created NVRDC in 2020, with the Amazon proposal as its headlining project. A Derby native, Hyde served as an aide to former Gov. Dannel Malloy. He next worked for the state Department of Economic and Community Development for nearly four years, as director of outreach, and then director of government affairs and special projects.

Once in Waterbury, Hyde was quickly tasked with also helming WDC, which has a lot of overlap with NVRDC. The NVRDC depends on WDC for its staffing.

Hyde said he was introduced to John Bourdeaux, president and CEO of AdvanceCT, while working on a data center proposal for Naugatuck. That project never panned out, but Hyde kept in touch with Bourdeaux, keeping him apprised of projects in Waterbury and Naugatuck. That led to the job offer, Hyde said.

“I wasn’t necessarily looking for a new job, but this is a perfect fit for me,” Hyde said. “My whole career has been focused on the state and its role in economic development. It is a really great opportunity for me to take what I learned at the state and local level and bring it to a new organization.”

The Waterbury Development Corp. has a staff of 11 and runs with a $1.8 million budget, Hyde said. He is joining an organization that, in 2023, ran with 25 staff and a $4.7 million budget, according to its federal tax return.

“We selected Tommy based on his strong track record in economic development in Connecticut, his prior work at DECD, and his deep commitment to Connecticut’s long-term growth,” Bourdeaux told the Hartford Business Journal. “Tommy has been a hard worker and consensus builder in his work, and we value that at AdvanceCT.”

Hyde will work in “all aspects” of AdvanceCT, Bourdeaux said. He will start with the business retention and expansion team, and also work with Bourdeaux on long-term strategic and financial planning, Bourdeaux said.

“Tommy will be a force multiplier for all of our work,” Bourdeaux said.

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