Jacinth C. Smiley ‘91 has been appointed group vice president of Corporate Strategy by Hormel Foods. In this role, Smiley will be responsible for leading the development and execution of the company’s growth and investment strategies.

Lesa Vanotti ‘10 MBA, president & CEO of Torrington Savings Bank, has been recognized as one of the Hartford Business Journal’s 2021 Women in Business.

Daniel Silva ‘00 has been appointed chief information security officer of Union Savings Bank. In his new role, Silva will oversee information security, legal processing, physical security, and Bank Secrecy Act compliance. Silva joined USB in 1998.

Kelli-Marie Vallieres ‘92, ‘05 MA, ‘08 Ph.D., was appointed by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to lead a new state office, the Connecticut Workforce Unit, designed to collaborate with the Department of Economic and Community Development and Department of Labor to advise state officials on workforce strategies and initiatives. Vallieres was also recently named among the Hartford Business Journal’s 2021 Power 50.

Eric Galvin ‘96, CFO of ConnectiCare, was recently named among the Hartford Business Journal’s 2021 Power 50 for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Galvin significantly expanded ConnectiCare’s telemedicine coverage and quickly mobilized resources ensuring the successful transition of the company’s 700 to remote work.

Joseph Kask ‘86, CEO of BlumShapiro, Inc., recently negotiated the joining of BlumShapiro with Minneapolis-based CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA), the 8th largest accounting firm in the country. Mr. Kask is now CLA’s managing principal for all of New England.

Rodney A. Butler ‘99, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, parent to Foxwoods Resort Casino, recently stepped in as interim CEO for Foxwoods. Mr. Butler will serve as one of the lead negotiators on gambling legislation, with regard to the future of gambling in Connecticut.

Charles N. York II ‘99 has been appointed chief operating and financial officer at Day One Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on accelerating new, promising targeted therapies for children and adults with cancer. York joins Day One from Aeglea BioTherapeutics, where he served as CFO and head of corporate development.

Tyler J. Hurlburt ‘00, a licensed financial advisor and wealth manager, has joined Energea as partner, head of investor relations. Energea is the first crowdfunding platform for alternative energy projects in the United States, connecting investors to premium renewable energy projects to accelerate renewable energy development in select global markets. Hurlbutt previously worked for Ameriprise, Prudential, Wells Fargo, and TIAA.

Jennifer Czarnowski ‘10 has joined Neubert, Pepe & Monteith. Attorney Czarnowski, who has conducted research for the University of Connecticut’s Center for Land Use and Education Research, will be joining the commercial finance and real estate teams as an associate.