We’re the EDC
and this is what we do.
Stonington’s Economic Development Commission is an energetic, committed team of 12 volunteers striving to grow the tax base while preserving the residential character of the Town as described by the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). We are an advisory body, and make recommendations to our key partners: the Board of Selectmen, Department of Planning, and the Planning & Zoning Commission. The EDC focuses on initiatives that support economic growth: a table of our initiatives and progress is included on all Regular Meeting Agendas and Minutes available on the EDC page of the Town website.
The goal of the EDC is to encourage businesses and residential developers to invest in Stonington. The EDC focuses on the key economic clusters that drive the Stonington economy: Maritime, Agriculture and Fishing, Real Estate, Tourism, Manufacturing and Elder Care.
Want to help plan your town? There are three openings on the EDC starting January 2024.
We help by meeting with investors before they seek zoning approval for their project. The EDC offers pre-application guidance and support to developers / investors, as well as advocating at Planning and Zoning Commission meetings when approvals are sought for projects that align with Town goals as outlined in the 2015 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). More about our economic clusters:
About the Town of Stonington
Stonington is a healthy, multi-generational community with strong ties to the past and a clear view of the future.
Stonington is located between New York City and Boston and is the last shoreline town before entering Rhode Island. It has small town New England charm and an excellent quality of life. There are 3 exits on Interstate 95 and convenient AMTRAK passenger rail service from a station in Mystic. The town has 18,500 residents; there are 5 village-like areas consisting of Mystic, Old Mystic, Stonington Borough, Wequetequock and Pawcatuck.
Major New London County employers are General Dynamics/Electric Boat, Pfizer, Dominion Nuclear Power, the US Navy Submarine Base, Computer Sciences, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casinos, Lawrence and Memorial Hospital and Backus Hospital. The town is home to Davis Standard, an international industry leader in the manufacture and supply of extrusion and packaging machinery. Technical companies located in Stonington include Zachry Engineering and Cable Components Group. Stonington is home to two internationally recognized tourist businesses: Mystic Seaport Museum and the Mystic Marine Life Aquarium. Senior living/healthcare is a business segment currently experiencing growth with over $80 million recently invested or in the process of being invested.
The Town budget for FYE 6/2024 is $80 MM and budget/spending growth on a four-year rolling average basis is only 2.2%. Stonington’s finances are well managed, and the Town has continued to maintain its AAA bond rating. The mill rate for FYE 6/2024 is 17.45. Over the last 14 years the mill rate has ranged from a low of 15.10 to a high of 23.85. The reduction has been driven primarily by higher home revaluation appraisals and secondly by an increase to the Grand List. The Grand list grew by over 6% from 2018 to 2021 which excludes the revaluation. The Education budget for FYE 6/2024 represented 52% of the total budget ($41.6MM) and in 2015 Stonington approved bonding to refurbish two elementary schools and combine middle schools due to lower enrollment. The education system is excellent with relatively small class sizes. The total number of students for the 2020-21 school year is 1,901 down by over 150 from the previous year. Median Household income in 2021 was $81,667 which is 4% higher than the statewide median income of $78,444.
Economic Development Commission Members
Kevin Bowdler
Kevin has resided in Stonington for 13 years and was a summer resident for many years before. Kevin is an accountant by background and worked in Investment banking for 20 years in 5 different countries. Kevin is currently a small business owner and was drawn to EDC to share his experience and help keep Stonington economically viable by promoting growth strategies that will encourage new residents, tourists and businesses to our area.
Donald Fiore
Don is a native of Pawcatuck having graduated from Saint Michael School, Stonington High School and Providence College. His professional career was with the of State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. The statewide child support enforcement program was created under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act, and Don was assigned to the Judicial District of Windham. After six years, he was promoted to the Supervisor of the Putnam Child Support Enforcement Office. Following his retirement after 33 years, Don returned home to Pawcatuck and decided to volunteer for the Town of Stonington. He was appointed as an alternate member of the Economic Development Commission in January 2022 and was subsequently appointed as a regular member of the commission in January 2023.
Daniel McFadden
Dan has resided in Stonington for 8 years with his wife, and has kept a boat in the area since 2003. He is the Director of Communications at Mystic Seaport Museum and is interested in ways the town can support the tourism and maritime industry industries to grow local economic activity.
Sarah M. J. Welch
Sarah moved from Boston to Pawcatuck in 2020 with her husband and growing family. With an MBA and Master's of Environmental Management from Yale, she currently works in consulting, applying expertise in human behavior and biases to amplify the social impact of a wide variety of clients. Sarah grew up in a small town in Maine, and her experience also includes several years in ecological and public space design in New York City. Since settling in Stonington, Sarah and her family have found a strong sense of belonging and forged meaningful connections here. She is eager to serve her adopted town and is particularly interested in how thoughtful development can foster resilient social connections and thriving communities.
Suzanne Lane
Suzanne Lane is the owner of the Gray Goose Cookery, the regions premier Independent Kitchenwares Store for 35 years. Lane graduated from UCONN with a MA in Higher Education Administration. An expert in the culinary field she is also a National Consultant for Independent Retailers and local governments.
Elsie Bisset
Elsie’s interest in strengthening the economic climate of our community prompted her to join the EDC. She recently retired as Director of Economic Development for the Town of Killingly. Her wealth of experience in municipal economic development melds with EDC’s vision for economic vitality and community cohesiveness. During her tenure of 23 years, she managed commercial, industrial, downtown and entrepreneurial business development, including expansions and redevelopment of greenfield and brownfield projects. She was the town’s liaison to the Killingly Business Association, the Eastern CT Tourism District, served as Vice Chairman of the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor and is a past president of the CT Economic Development Association (CEDAS). Elsie holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Baltimore and a Certificate from the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.
Charles Glew
Charles is the President of Cable Components Group (CCG) in Pawcatuck, CT and Gendon Polymer Services in Toronto, ON. These companies develop polymer compounds and specialty extrusions for data-communication, control, and power transmission cables. Both companies are wholly owned by Marmon Holdings, a Berkshire Hathaway Company. Prior to his time with Marmon, he was with SABIC Innovative Plastics (formerly GE Plastics) and ThermoAura focusing on thermoelectric and thermoplastic-composite materials development. He grew up in Charlestown, Rhode Island while attending Pine Point School in Stonington, CT. From there, he attended Portsmouth Abbey School and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an M.S. in Technology Commercialization.
Cullen Hagan
Cullen has resided in Stonington for 2 years and lives in Pawcatuck with his wife and 2 boys. He is a life-long Southeastern CT resident having grown up in Lyme and previously lived in Waterford. Cullen has an MBA from UConn, a background in business development & analytics and has worked across a variety of roles at Mohegan Sun and now CVS Health. He joined the EDC at the beginning of 2020 and is passionate about small businesses and local economic development.
Hannah Cedermark
Hannah moved to Pawcatuck in 2022 with her husband and two young boys. After years of moving related to her husband's work as a Navy dentist, Hannah is very happy to reconnect with her New England roots. Hannah's professional career has focused on real estate finance and development. She has worked closely with local government, not-for-profit and for-profit partners to create or preserve thousands of rental housing units for low- and middle-income households. Hannah has an undergraduate degree from NYU's Gallatin School where she created an individualized study centered on the sociology of public and private space and she has a Master in City Planning from MIT. Hannah is excited to be a part of the EDC and is enthusiastic about supporting the community and encouraging local businesses and economic activity.
Virginia Abernathy
Virginia has resided in Stonington for 5 years with her teenage daughter. She was born and raised in Westerly and was an active duty Military spouse for 12 years residing on bases in Mississippi, Tennessee and Groton CT. She has an undergraduate degree in English Literature and a graduate degree in Accounting. Virginia is currently working for the Department of Labor at a Job Corps Center in Exeter, RI as an Accounting Manager and has a small Bookkeeping firm that she operates part time. Virginia was drawn to the EDC to become more involved in her Town.