The EDC Gets New Members

Over the past few months, I’ve been waiting to see what the result of a “meeting” of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) was, where only one member showed up, and an enthused public was ready to breathe new life into the commission. With only nine seats on the EDC and more than enough new applications to fill all of those seats, First Selectman Bill Morrison reached out to the remaining members to see who was still interested in participating. 

At the June 9, 2025, Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting, the board got a few new members, but retained some of the old. Interestingly, Larry McKinney, owner of McKinney Construction, and the only member who showed up to the aforementioned EDC meeting, has chosen to step aside and let new people take the helm. These existing members remain:

• Chris Paradiso - Owner of Paradiso Insurance

• Larry Vaughn - Owner of Stafford Sand and Gravel

• Scott Nigro - Owner of AquaPump and a developable plot of land on Route 190, next to Subway

• Joshua Simmons - Doesn’t have a business interest in town as far as I know, and was a brand new member of the EDC when it stopped meeting

As for the new members, let’s start with Jacob Long, President & CEO of American Woolen. During Wednesday’s meeting, Morrison said that Long wanted to be the chair of the EDC if he were to participate. With no one else asking for the job, that position was granted. According to a 2014 Journal Inquirer story posted on Congressman Joe Courtney’s office, “Gov. Dannel P. Malloy on Friday said that to support the Warren Mill initiative, the DECD will provide American Woolen with a $300,000 “job creation incentive loan,’ as well as a $100,000 matching grant through the Small Business Express Program. Funds will be used to help cover building acquisition costs, Malloy said, as the company seeks to add up to 38 workers to its payroll.” 

Long came to an EDC meeting in 2023. At the time, we reported: “Long continues to build a consortium of investors and U.S.-based garment manufacturers, which he hopes will help develop New England’s blue-collar workforce into a ‘guild-quality’ resource akin to the workforce prevalent in the world-class Italian textile industry. Long envisions Stafford becoming a destination for textile tourists, entrepreneurs, and skilled craftspeople proud of their expertise in producing high-quality woolen material. He mentioned how Japanese clients know where New England is and are keenly aware of the region’s charm. Stafford Springs is a ‘darn good story,’ quipped Long.

Long wanted to update the current members of the EDC about his ongoing efforts to promote Stafford as he continues to work with U.S. Representative Joe Courtney to gain support with State of Connecticut officials to capitalize on the social and physical assets of Stafford and other regional businesses in Rhode Island and New York City that are involved in the consumer nondurable goods industry.” 

Later in the BOS meeting, Stafford property owner Derek Dimmock, who attended via Zoom, asked if all of the members lived in town. Morrison said they do not. They are either residents or business owners in town. Long is not a resident, and neither is Nigro. 

The EDC got four other new members. One of those is Charles “Chuck” Alfano, who attended that EDC meeting and wrote a follow-up Letter to the Editor, sharing his thoughts on economic development in town. 

Aaron Eberhard, founder of Vector Manufacturing, was also at the EDC meeting and is one of the new commission members. He is also a volunteer for the Brownfields Advisory Board and has hopes of bringing an incubator to unused spaces in Stafford, according to some of the thoughts he expressed to me after the EDC meeting. Rob Corona and Lori Fortuna, a business coach, among other things, round out the new additions to the EDC. Corona has an interesting resume. He says he has been in Stafford Springs for over 25 years, and has spent most of his career in the retail world, directing the category management marketing space for a large convenience store retailer. Now, he is the director of national accounts for Barrel One Collective, based in Boston, which owns breweries such as Harpoon, Long Trail, Smuttynose, Wachusett, Clown Shoes & Greater Good. He's also a co-founder of a tech startup in the digital advertising space called Dopecast.*

I’m looking forward to the first meeting.

*Corona's work history was added after this article was first published.