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Suited to a ‘T’ (as in Tony)
Why North Haven's Rescigno couldn't say no to the chamber challenge
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Business New Haven
9/4/2000
By: BNH
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On September 5 Anthony Rescigno says goodbye to the North Haven First Selectman's office to become president of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Regional Leadership Council, replacing Matthew Nemerson.
Who was on the chamber's search committee?
It was made up of members of the Regional Leadership Council and the chamber board, including [chamber Chairman Anthony] Vallillo, [H. Pearce Co. President] Barbara Pearce, [attorney] Al Smith, [Regional Water Authority President] John Crawford, [immediate past chamber Chairman] Roger Joyce, to name a few.
Who made the first move: you, or them?
Someone on the committee suggested that they would like me to apply. They made the first move.
Describe the internal debate as you were considering whether to make this change.
From the very beginning, when I read the job description and had informal conversations with some members of the search committee, I was convinced really early on that this was something I wanted to do - even though I really loved what I was doing in North Haven as first selectman, had no intention of leaving and was not out looking for jobs. The job description, the challenges I saw, the things that some of the members were telling me they wanted accomplished - all suited me to a 'T'.
What have you learned from talking to people since this became public?
I've heard a variety of things; a lot of them are my own observations having spent about 30 days now trying to get a handle on this job. We need to increase membership over a broader spectrum. Increasing the chamber's profile is something I would like to see accomplished and others would like to see accomplished. Building a stronger relationship with the suburban chambers is something we want to see happen. I certainly want to play a greater role in the region in setting a business agenda, and I think the chamber members can help me do that.
When you say 'increase membership over a broader spectrum' - what part of the potential membership spectrum has been neglected?
I'm not sure there's been any specific area that's been lacking, but I think we need to bolster the small-member[segment], and I also think we need to make sure all the large companies in town are members of the chamber. It was suggested to me - and your editorial ['Chamber at the Crossroads'] a few weeks ago suggested as well - that we had to make a decision, that you can't do both [effectively advance a small-business and large-business agenda]. I'm not convinced that's the case. I don't see why we can't serve two masters and offer some really terrific services to smaller companies that need certain things, and offer [different things] to the bigger guys.
But those needs are not always congruent.
They're not the same in many cases. But I think our job here at this point is to identify the kinds of services needed by companies with, say, 15 to 20 employees as well as those that have 500 employees. Big companies have a tremendous interest in major legislation at the state level and in some cases at the federal level; the little people are going to be interested more in networking, meeting their fellow business people, and educational kinds of programs and services. There should be programs for women. There should be programs for smaller businesses. There ought to be programs for start-ups.
You also have quite a rebuilding job to do in terms of staff. How will you approach it?
I've been very careful and very reluctant to plug holes and hire people quickly just to fill positions. I realize that's a little risky, because the longer we go with positions empty, the more things are liable to fall through the cracks. But I'm anxious to evaluate each position, what everybody does, and how we might get more creative in what we do here and maybe make things more efficient if I can.
In a lot of places chambers are often at odds with local governments, and in some cases business people look to their chambers to function almost as a government watchdog. Has this chamber historically been too cozy with New Haven city government?
I don't think so. I think we need to be cozy, if that is the word, with as many elected officials as possible. We need to work with them. That's where I think my greatest strengths are: being able to call up any of the mayors or first selectmen in the region and say, 'These are the issues facing the business community; we'd like to see your community get on board' whatever the issue may be. Working closely with each one of those people is important. 'Cozy' has a negative connotation. Working closely in a cooperative spirit is what we need to do.
You also are now executive director of the Regional Leadership Council, which we have referred to half-jokingly as the 'shadow government,' but about which most regular business people are utterly unfamiliar. Tell us about it.
It's made up of the major employers in the region; there are roughly 20 or 25 members. I think they could expand that. That particular group has a very important role because they are the major employers and they do have the most resources, frankly, in terms of people and money; they have an influence on setting the business agenda for the region. The gratifying thing to me when I was hired and sat in those interviews, I said to them, 'I'm not going to be interested in this job unless the smaller companies are going to have their say in setting the agenda.' And I got no opposition from any of [the search committee members]. They are welcoming the opportunity to increase the tent and bring as many people in as possible.
You have communicated progressive views regarding regional cooperation on issues that transcend municipal boundaries. What would you identify as the two or three top agenda items that will require inter-municipal cooperation to be accomplished?
[Tweed-New Haven] Airport is the No. 1 issue we need to address as a region. It should be very important to the business community [and] I think it is. I think it should be very important to the suburban communities. There are huge companies in the suburbs - Bayer, Blue Cross, Bristol-Myers, Pratt & Whitney - that would be served by an airport. I'd like to see the harbor better utilized. Transportation is a regional issue that we need to work on, and there are major problems with transportation. Also, education, job creation - there are no borders when it comes to these issues.
With regard to the airport, do you see a major new role you could play that Matt Nemerson could not, or is the key sticking point really friction between East Haven Town Hall and New Haven City Hall?
I don't think it's a role I can play better than my predecessor, but I think there are some things we can do to take it to a new level. We need to get the state involved. We need to show the legislature and the governor that [the airport is] truly an asset that is not being tapped, and get away from this local squabbling. I had a conversation a few days ago with [New Haven Mayor] John DeStefano, and I told him that if the [South Central] Council of Governments took a vote tomorrow, it would be 14-1 in favor of improvements to that airport. If we take it to a state level, maybe we can solve the [New Haven-East Haven] squabble. BNH
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