[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6361706,"mediaKeyId","2170320-bb63b1320441ce7928d7da7f4c55410c","parentId",2170320,"title","Nominee Gaffney Fesco urges rail access, cargo pivot at New London State Pier","audioSeconds",208,"startMs",7571000,"endMs",7779000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170320-bb63b1320441ce7928d7da7f4c55410c&start=7571&end=7779","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170320-bb63b1320441ce7928d7da7f4c55410c/thumbnail_7571000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6361706/Connecticut/Nominee-Gaffney-Fesco-urges-rail-access-cargo-pivot-at-New-London-State-Pier","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361706-37a55f8cb1b9444457996207494a2a19/orig.mp4?Expires=1770841707&Signature=kSHmIqeYdonrzFQjga5jGQnUCAmk7mi0x4oq6qk7gUFFp~vRi-cS9MhF3gYTDlm6ol-Nq2APj0IaURTI-KOvhnzIkGmObgFkAWBz73Y-w9yAsl3hIi0Av8wvxOqMqM0dIGGoYJ~oLgAP0JA13JWChW6fdPKfo2w932pbFClE4aBxyZQ89lIS28h27GjcgCgr57qFWHpSD8aLoiYI0aYFk~b2vrSlHChqmakPkqpOECmHUgkyuyYZv75VoldxMmJ0LcbPa7an4ucEK~oX0kmKp53HTWhQOwrJR0FmY7scmFCteXNHQ2ldBC1MJz46ziU1PRNqKOf2BBTdfsTlV-DWtA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CGA - Executive & Legislative Nominations","date","2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","article","Gaffney Fesco, nominated for a term on the Connecticut Port Authority board, testified Jan. 30 that the authority should emphasize restoring rail access to the New London State Pier and diversify pier activity to accommodate bulk and general cargo, in addition to offshore wind work.

Fesco, who serves on the Port Authority board in an interim capacity, said the state pier’s construction work is nearing completion but noted remaining remedial issues with the contractor that must be resolved before rail trackage can be extended onto the pier. “A port isn't a port unless it has a railhead, a rail connection,” he said, adding that the state should also consider warehouse improvements and additional storage acreage at the pier to increase throughput.

Fesco outlined several priorities: restoring rail access via the New England Central Railroad, coordinating with municipal ports in New Haven and Bridgeport to maximize statewide capacity, and working with the Connecticut Office of Tourism to attract cruise calls and boost visitor spending. He suggested outreach to recreational- and commercial‑fishing communities, environmental groups and regional stakeholders as part of an inclusive port strategy.

Committee members asked about federal offshore‑wind policy shifts and how the Port Authority should respond. Fesco said existing wind‑related contracts would continue to generate work in the near term but counseled a pivot to cargo and export markets if federal support slows. He emphasized marketing and business development to attract exporters and container traffic, and he noted New Haven already has rail intermodal capabilities while Bridgeport lacks rail access.

The committee moved Fesco’s nomination forward. Members praised his private‑sector and maritime experience and pressed for follow‑up on infrastructure remediation, rail projects and economic development strategies tied to port operations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","The Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee Public Hearing followed by a Committee Meeting 2025-01-30","oneSentenceSummary","Gaffney Fesco, nominated to the Connecticut Port Authority board, said the authority should reestablish rail connections and diversify cargo to increase exports and local economic activity while maintaining wind‑assembly capabilities at New London State Pier.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature CT, Connecticut","taxId",77677,"location","Connecticut","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6361711,"Electric Boat HR leader Sean Coyne backs CTECS industry engagement as he seeks board seat",424,348000,772000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170320-bb63b1320441ce7928d7da7f4c55410c&start=348&end=772","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170320-bb63b1320441ce7928d7da7f4c55410c/thumbnail_348000.jpg","/articles/6361711/Connecticut/Electric-Boat-HR-leader-Sean-Coyne-backs-CTECS-industry-engagement-as-he-seeks-board-seat","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361711-92f8567e44ae05e7e7f895fe73244747/orig.mp4?Expires=1770841707&Signature=k~cchZ3moJD0sUzMhPyobfBl66GT6REsqZsm35bIHKqJAjBH1wiSqVLaXF4YtcrbfNZdEZfSbUAmQ-QnhcPDVBXYUBUFxe2yQLs8qgVDj8XNhzZhCNmmLZ39IX5BMLJDM9wqZC6DjYIuvIBFXtb5d9e5aDa7DmdazFLFdOfynZY5LAFLDdqY2aSwyfSo7i8oV5rKWwDfE25fu4gV7GNna43BiMUU~1JUlWmSlPkxU8BPxuw8IMZNbj59mkZ1W5AMT7WQXbfsMTFMOz92RctjyaMFtGDYEvYKCwmds6pPph5b7BLOF5Y-jXjTSAuQspchkCxaTqhX1laEydLfuIUE7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sean Coyne, nominated to a seat on the board of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS), testified to the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee on Jan. 30 that his work recruiting and training a high‑volume manufacturing workforce would inform his board service.

Coyne introduced himself as “vice president of human resources at Electric Boat since May of 2022,” and described employer programs that feed students into skilled‑trade positions, including the Manufacturing Pipeline Initiative and a paid summer SHIP internship program for high‑school juniors. “In 2024 alone, over a thousand individuals went through the manufacturing pipeline programs and then started a trade job at Electric Boat,” he said.

Coyne said he has been on the CTECS board since late October and expects his role to emphasize employer engagement and the development of industry committees. He told senators and representatives that the board’s top priorities should be identifying and hiring permanent leadership — in particular a superintendent — and strengthening links between industry demand and program offerings.

Committee members asked Coyne how CTECS can expand its recruiting and outreach, including marketing to parents and earlier grades, and how the board can hold leadership accountable for student outcomes and program quality. Coyne said industry partnerships, high‑school signing days and outreach to guidance counselors are part of the solution, and he described his intent to use existing networks, including the Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance and the Governor’s Workforce Council, to bring more employers and sectors (beyond manufacturing) to the board table.

Coyne described Electric Boat’s SHIP program as an 8‑week, paid, 40‑hour internship for high‑school juniors and said participation grew from about 20 students in his first year to about 50 last year. He also said Electric Boat hires large numbers of workers — “in the three years that I’ve been the EB Vice President of Human Resources, we’ve hired over 13,000 employees” — and that the company shares recruitment responsibilities with workforce boards and schools.

The committee voted to advance Coyne’s nomination. Several legislators asked that new board members focus on measurable outcomes such as credential attainment and increasing the number of trained graduates entering local trades and other sectors.","Sean Coyne, Electric Boat vice president of human resources, told legislators his industry experience and youth pipeline work would inform his service on the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System board; the committee moved his nomination forward.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6361716,"Committee moves Dr. Alice Pritchard forward as executive director of CTECS",656,4276000,4932000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2170320-bb63b1320441ce7928d7da7f4c55410c&start=4276&end=4932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2170320-bb63b1320441ce7928d7da7f4c55410c/thumbnail_4276000.jpg","/articles/6361716/Connecticut/Committee-moves-Dr-Alice-Pritchard-forward-as-executive-director-of-CTECS","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6361716-78fe13dcfc4c6612e74ce884375f8116/orig.mp4?Expires=1770841707&Signature=ALR1EISZEH10c8oxX1PSgzBZwW1xabJ3cXgWPOct1X0ic36nufbYsJTazXWdgWipHb-TKFedptuXb2c5stW5OnCg1drWBRkbgHL-j1dz8vG8WOVW25Hxt34AEaT69AoN7Y9FwixbcwZVCujOErofyw-MkE6TuaBmrLeJ0DehkRq4S2UArV-c~49S4v3q86D8VObaUx4UUNGTLrYxIPRuXj7mfWzIDxBPaaKYFpuDscp8GjiIGxQkpnOtd~e4EymyUiIERUTS-LBwAwVmvBYX-r1fo8TvdKTUEbZZtNs1yeOGWmkvxSPLtRHmAw2BZeUVwiVs6s~WkPUNYASlm6-Okg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dr. Alice Pritchard, nominated to be executive director of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, told the executive and legislative nominations committee on Jan. 30 that she is focused on stabilizing operations and improving student outcomes as the agency moves into its third year as a stand‑alone state department.

Pritchard told the panel she has visited many CTECS campuses since taking the interim post in late November and described the system as “a really strong foundation from which we can build.” She said the agency is balancing near‑term operational work — human resources, finance, procurement and facilities — with efforts to improve student retention and academic supports.

The nomination hearing underscored demand for CTECS programs: Pritchard said the agency received roughly 6,000 applications for about 3,000 ninth‑grade seats in the system’s 14 schools that accept applicants statewide. “We have parents fighting to get their kids into our schools,” she told the committee, and said the places where CTECS can grow may include trade areas with unmet capacity and adult evening programs.

Lawmakers pressed Pritchard on longstanding concerns that preceded her tenure, including special‑education services, classroom staffing and the gap between students who apply and seats available. Pritchard said the state Department of Education has an active review of special‑education matters and that she and Interim Superintendent Freeman Burr are conducting school visits and operational assessments. She also said a consulting firm will review the agency’s transition from the State Department of Education to its current autonomous structure, focusing on HR, finance and procurement.

Committee members repeatedly raised the need to build stronger regional and higher‑education partnerships, expand dual‑enrollment and apprenticeship pathways, and to use existing community‑college and university facilities where possible rather than build new plants. Pritchard said she has begun talks with community colleges and other state agencies about dual enrollment and employment pipelines, and suggested that partnerships — including co‑location with community colleges or industry sites — could be part of a strategic expansion plan.

Members also asked how CTECS can better market career and technical pathways to parents and earlier‑grade students. Pritchard and witnesses said some progress exists — for example, “high school signing days” and media coverage that highlights student successes — but that broader outreach to guidance counselors, parents and middle‑school students is needed.

Public testimony included written and in‑person support for Pritchard from long‑time CTECS stakeholders. Paul Angelucci, a former shop teacher and union officer, said he had led a coalition to force management change previously and urged the committee to confirm Pritchard because she is focusing on placing a CFO and a permanent superintendent and addressing special‑education staffing.

The committee voted to carry the nomination forward for final action; members said they will continue to monitor implementation progress and expected periodic reporting on student retention, credentialing and staffing.

Dr. Alice Pritchard pledged to return with updates on the agency’s corrective measures and said she was prepared to work with legislators, the board and education and workforce partners to improve outcomes for students across the state.","The legislature’s Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee advanced Dr. Alice Pritchard’s nomination to serve as executive director of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System after testimony about recruitment, enrollment pressure and operational reviews.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nominee Gaffney Fesco urges rail access, cargo pivot at New London State Pier

Electric Boat HR leader Sean Coyne backs CTECS industry engagement as he seeks board seat

Committee moves Dr. Alice Pritchard forward as executive director of CTECS