Kevin Brown, who wears two economic development hats as seCTer Board Chair and President and Executive Director of Norwich Community Development Corporation, was named Member of the Year by the Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS), during its Annual Meeting and Best Practices Awards Ceremony in October.
“The Member of the Year Award recognizes a CEDAS member who has exhibited leadership in the economic development profession or within the organization. The award focus is on the implementation of an initiative demonstrating real results and outcomes in the past year,” according to award criteria.
“While it’s an honor to be recognized by my peers statewide, this award is really a testament to the work of the NCDC staff and to all of the progress we’ve made together with business owners and municipal leaders in Norwich,” Brown said.
Brown leads the Norwich Revitalization Program focused on rehabilitating vacant space to attract new business, and funding building code corrections and exterior repairs to help retain existing businesses.
Brown and his NCDC staff are also responsible for American Rescue Plan Act-funded programs to build out large-scale projects.
Thus far, Brown has overseen seven major development projects of $1 million or more, which resulted in 370 jobs and more than 460,000 square feet of commercial space activation. These projects represent more than $78 million in total investments, with a 21:1 ratio of private to public funding.
In the small-business sector, the NCDC’s work has led to the establishment of 19 small businesses that created 116 jobs in more than 90,500 square feet of formerly dormant commercial space. This work represents $5.4 million in overall investment, with a 2:1 ratio of private to public funding.
