Politics & Government

Southbury Selectman Chosen to Head Naugatuck Economic Development Corp.

Southbury resident and Democratic Selectman Ron Pugliese appointed chief operating officer of NEDC.

This article was written by Paul Singley. 

The future success of Naugatuck's business climate now hinges largely on the efforts of a longtime elected official and public servant.

The Naugatuck Economic Development Corp., NEDC, voted unanimously Wednesday night to hire Ron Pugliese, 63, as its chief operating officer. He will replace Dave Prendergast, who is retiring after 10 years as the borough's first economic development director. 

Currently, Pugliese and his wife live in Southbury, where Pugliese serves as a Democratic selectman. 
"I'm very excited; I think very highly of Naugatuck," Pugliese said. "I think Naugatuck is a very, very good town with a lot of potential to be an even better town."

Pugliese, a former longtime corporate lobbyist and government relations officer, will earn $72,000 overseeing the quasi-public agency in Naugatuck. He most recently served as head of the Waterbury Development Corp. after being appointed by Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary in 2011. He resigned from that position a few months ago after he and O'Leary had differences of opinions, according to Republican-American archives. Naugatuck officials immediately reached out to Pugliese to see if he was interested in applying for the borough's economic development job.

Pugliese, a Waterbury native, lived in Naugatuck for 30 years. Here, he and his wife, Janice, raised a family of three boys. Ron Pugliese was active in many facets of the community, including local government and volunteerism. He served as a burgess and on the Economic Development Commission, as well as on the boards for Naugatuck Youth Services and the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls. (Read extended bio below.) 

Jay Carlson, chairman of the NEDC, said there were 19 applicants and that Pugliese clearly stood out. 

"I think his resume is impressive and the fact that he had so much experience in Naugatuck and knows his way around Connecticut government agencies was definitely a big reason why he was our number one candidate," Carlson said.

Pugliese Bio

Ronald J. Pugliese was born in Waterbury, CT, graduating from local schools and Western Connecticut State College with a degree in education. He was a Teacher in Waterbury including a year at Sts. Peter and Paul School.

He worked at Alloy Foundries Division of the Eastern Company in Naugatuck from 1977-1979 after moving to Naugatuck in 1976. Ron worked in metal sales at Standard Metals in Hartford from 1980-1985, and at Connecticut Tube Products from 1985-1991. Ron became General Manager of Connecticut Tube Products in May 1987, and then became President of the Company in November of 1987.

He left the Metal field in 1991 becoming President of the statewide trade association, Connecticut Retail Merchants Association. Ron managed all the Lobbying, marketing of the Association and all Public Relations for the Connecticut retail industry. In 1994 Ron joined Household International, which later became HSBC and left the Company in 2009, when HSBC decided to exit the Consumer Finance industry. Ron was Senior Vice President of Government Relations with responsibility for all of New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan and Minnesota. He was President of the Credit Industry Research Council and for many years Chairman of the New England Financial Services Association. Ron became President of the East Hartford Chamber of Commerce in 2010 until his 2011 appointment by Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary as Director of Economic Development for the City of Waterbury.

Find out what's happening in Southburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ron and his wife Janice have been married since 1972 and are the proud parents of three sons, Jay, a Detective in Naugatuck married to Rachel, Gregg a Teacher in Waterbury, married to Jen and Jeffrey a Chamber of Commerce Executive in Middletown, married to Katie and five Grandsons, Ben, Max, Sam, Hayden and Evan.

Ron was a member of the Board of Mayor and Burgesses in Naugatuck from 1983-1989, Democratic Town Chairman in Naugatuck, President of the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls, President of WARC in Waterbury and a Member of the Connecticut State University Board of Trustees from 1997-2011. 

Find out what's happening in Southburywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ron and Janice have resided in Southbury since 2007, where Ron is a member of the Southbury Board of Selectmen. Ron is presently Chair of the Palace Theater Board of Directors in Waterbury, Vice Chair of the Western Connecticut State University Foundation Board and a member of the Board of Trustees of Goodwin College in East Hartford.  


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