Electronic Valley to Receive Chamber Honor

The Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2004 Platinum, Gold and Silver Medal Award recipients. Presented to those who exemplify the spirit of selflessness and volunteerism, these awards are among the most prestigious and time-honored community service awards in the Valley.

The Platinum Award recipient, Kenneth E. Schaible, Sr., has a long history of community involvement at many different levels. Over the years, Ken served as Chairman of the Boys and Girls Club Capital Campaign, which made the new Club possible. Ken previously was a member of the Board of Directors and served as Treasurer of the Recreation Camp in Derby as well as being a corporator at Griffin Hospital.

A past director of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, he was also president of the Connecticut League of Savings and Loan Associations in Hartford and served for many years on the board of the Valley United Way.

Currently, as a member of the Board of Directors for the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Ken is completing his seventh and final year and chairs its Development Committee and serves on the Finance and Chairs the Audit Committee. He is also a member of the Foundation’s Valley Advisory Committee, and a founding member of the Valley Community Foundation.

He also serves as Chairman of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation and is a board member with the Parent Child Resource Center. Other affiliations include the Shelton School to Work Committee and the Derby-Shelton Kiwanis Club. He is a Mason at King Hiram Lodge in Shelton and a Shriner at the Pyramid Temple in Milford.

The 2004 Gold Seal Award recipients are Mary B. Casalveri, James Connery, and Reverend Robert E. Linder.

Mary has been a very active community leader for over 35 years, in addition to being a full-time professional and mother of three. From work with the Valley United Way and Valley Health District to the Shelton Drug & Alcohol Commission and Griffin Hospital, Mary has demonstrated her interest in improving the lives of others. There are also many personal achievements that have gone well beyond the role of volunteer. As a result of her many affiliations, Mary has come in contact with and has assisted many individuals who need love, a helping hand or even financial assistance. One of her strongest skills is her ability to engage others in community service being instrumental in encouraging her friends and family to be active.

Jim, a resident of Shelton is continuing a lifelong journey of community service that earned him the title of Eagle Scout many years ago. A partner with Connery & Oppel, LLC, Jim is a great businessman, family man and an "all-around asset" to the Valley through his many volunteer affiliations. In addition, he is expanding his horizons out of the Valley and is a licensed Battlefield Guide in the Gettysburg National Military Park. Jim has been active with Spooner House, the Boys & Girls Club, Kiwanis Club and the Shelton Board of Apportionment & Taxation. From the Housatonic Council of Boy Scouts of America, the Derby-Shelton Rotary and the Shelton Historical Society, he is active as a member and holds a variety of board positions.

Reverend Linder has made a tremendous impact on this community since moving here just a decade ago. "Serves this community and its people with singular distinction"… "works tirelessly advocating for the residents of our community," are just a few thoughts his nominators use to describe him. As the pastor of the Clinton African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, he is a powerful preacher and teacher. In addition to being an active member of the board of the Ansonia Branch of the NAACP, Area Congregations Together/Spooner House and JobLink, Reverend Linder serves as a board member for the American Red Cross, Catholic Family Services and is a Corporator for Griffin Hospital. He is also active with the Ansonia Rotary Club and the South Central Area Agency on Aging.

The Electronic Valley is the 2004 Silver Medal Award recipient. In 1995, a group of volunteers, as an initiative of the Healthy Valley, created www.electronicvalley.org and really put the Naugatuck River Valley on the world-wide map! In an era that has seen the rise and fall of the dot.com industry, the Electronic Valley has provided the Valley with a solid technology base and infrastructure that does much to promote the quality of life and provide information. The Electronic Valley is innovative and informative and most importantly, continues to be volunteer driven. With over 50,000 visits per month, resulting in roughly 200,000 page views per month, traffic comes from all across the country as well as all over the world. If you haven’t visited the Electronic Valley you are always welcome!