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Susan Froshauer displays a plaque presented by EDC Chair Perry Maresca (rightt). Also in picture are (L-R): Town EDC Coordinator Terry Elton, new CURE CEO Dawn Hocevar, and First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove.
This past month members of the Branford Economic Development Commission, Board of Selectman, Board of Finance, Branford High School along with Town Hall department heads joined with Branford biotech officials at the Blackstone Memorial Library to say “farewell and thank you” to Susan Froshauer, outgoing CEO and president of Connecticut United for Research Excellence, Inc. (CURE). Then they welcomed incoming CEO Dawn Hocevar. They also welcomed a new name for the organization: BioCT.
Branford, with dozens of life science companies, has been a CURE member since 2001, the first municipality to join the organization.CURE is a not-for-profit organization that works to keep Connecticut competitive in bio-science by building and supporting educational and business networks in order to maintain a critical mass for the industry in Connecticut.
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First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove (pictured) welcomed the audience to the event.
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Dr. Froshauer (pictured) led the statewide organization for the past five years, promoting Connecticut as a place to start and expand life science R&D operations. She worked closely with Town Hall strengthening its position in the state biotech community.
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Perry Maresca, EDC chair, (pictured) said, “We have worked very well with Susan since she joined CURE and received some benefits. We now look forward to working with Dawn in her new role as CEO with this important organization.”
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Hocevar, (pictured) a California native and Branford resident, brings to CURE decades of experience in development in the field of scientific equipment and business operations. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Chemistry from San Jose State University and worked at Stanford University for six years prior to joining Fisher Scientific. She was with Fisher Scientific for 20 years and has experience in distribution, sales, management, and marketing.
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New Haven’s Lindy Lee Gold (pictured) of the state’s Economic & Community Development office, spoke about the biotech industry impact in Connecticut.
In a letter to the organization’s membership on Jan. 5, the new CEO announced that its name was being changed from CURE to BioCT.
The statement read, “This name connects the bioscience industry with Connecticut, so it is very straight forward as to our purpose and identity.”
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The reception was hosted by the Economic Development Commission. The program included remarks by Maresca, First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove, as well as CURE’s co-chair Stanley Choy and Gold. The event was catered by the Branford High School’s culinary program,(pictured) “The Class Act.”
Note: Bill O’Brien serves on the Branford Economic Development Commission.
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