Bryan P. Hurlburt ’02 was nominated by Governor Ned Lamont to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture.  Mr. Hurlburt is currently executive director of the Connecticut Farm Bureau Association, the state’s largest and oldest agricultural organization.  In this role, he advocates on behalf of its members to promote policies that enhance the economic viability of agriculture in the state, a responsibility Governor Lamont says he would like Mr. Hurlburt to continue doing in this new role.

Derek Slap ’12 EMBA was sworn into office on March 1 as the Democratic state senator of the 5^th State Senate District.  He was elected to replace former Democratic state Senator Beth Bye.  Mr. Slap is focusing on the public health crisis of teen vaping, as well as fighting age discrimination in the hiring process. Last year he introduced pay equity legislation that became effective January 1.

Kenneth S. Hyne ’84 MBA has joined SageView Advisory Group as managing director in the Connecticut office.  Mr. Hyne has over 30 years of experience in the investment consulting field, specializing in plan development, implementation and investment monitoring for defined benefit and defined contribution plans.  He began his career at the investment and retirement divisions at CIGNA, then went on to Advest, Inc. as the senior director of Investment Management Services. Most recently, he served as the president of USI Investment Advisory Services and Senior VP of USI Consulting Group.

Rodney A. Butler ’99 is currently the Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council and interim CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino. Mr. Butler has been named a Citizen of the Year by The Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut. The award is presented annually to someone “who has made outstanding strides on behalf of the civic and business community.”

William S. Simon, ’81, ’88 MBA has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Anixter International Inc. Mr. Simon is the former President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Walmart U.S., a leading retail corporation. Prior to joining Walmart, Mr. Simon held several senior positions at Brinker International, Diageo, Cadbury-Schweppes, PepsiCo and RJR-Nabisco.

Michael Trinks ’98 has been promoted to Partner at Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina, Glastonbury-based accounting and advisory firm.  Mr. Trinks has been with the firm since 2003 and was most recently Director, Assurance & Advisory Services, specializing in audit and consulting for clients in the manufacturing, technology, bio-tech, construction, and service sectors.

David J. Rotatori ’04 MBA has been named Chief Executive Officer of Ion Bank. Mr. Rotatori, a lifelong resident of Naugatuck, started his financial career with Naugatuck Savings Bank (now Ion Bank).  He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Global Management Accountant with more than 28 years of experience in financial services organizations.

David F. McBride, Jr. ’94 MBA the current executive director of Thames River Innovation Place, has been named New London’s finance director.  Mr. McBride is the former director of finance, director of business diversification and vice president of the Fast-Casual Food & Beverage Division for the Mohegan Tribe.

Rhonda Germany Ballintyn ’88 MBA has been appointed to the Board of Directors for Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation, a leading global medical technology company.  Ms. Germany Ballintyn will also serve on the board’s compensation committee.  She recently retired from Honeywell International Inc. where she was the Corporate Vice President, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer.

State Representative Derek Slap ’12 EMBA has been named CEO and President of The Connecticut Technology Council (CTC).  CTC board chair Severine Zygmont said Mr. Slap became its top candidate due in large part to his state government and nonprofit experience as Vice President of Marketing and Communication at the UConn Foundation.