Ion Bank's Charles Boulier III To Receive Waterbury Regional Chamber's 2018 Malcolm Baldrige Award

WATERBURY, Conn. - Sept. 19, 2018 - PRLog -- On September 26, Charles J. "Chuck" Boulier III, the chief executive officer of Naugatuck-based Ion Bank and its parent company, Ion Financial, will receive the Waterbury Regional Chamber' 2018 Malcolm Baldrige Community Award.

The award is the Chamber's most respected, honoring the legacy of Malcolm "Mac" Baldrige, the former CEO of Scovill Inc. and Secretary of Commerce under President Ronald Reagan. Baldrige, who also was a former chairman of the Chamber, continually demonstrated his belief in community, leadership, and volunteerism as he worked to promote economic development in Greater Waterbury.

The award will be presented during the 24th Annual Malcolm Baldrige Chamber Awards Dinner on Wednesday, September 26, 2018, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. The evening will include a silent auction and is a major fundraiser for the not-for-profit Waterbury Regional Chamber, supporting the Chamber's economic development efforts.

"The Chamber presents the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Community Award each year to a business leader in the region who is committed to economic development and growth in Greater Waterbury," said William J. Pizzuto, Ph.D., Director of the University of Connecticut Waterbury Campus and Chairman of the Chamber's Board of Directors. "Our Chamber is thrilled to present this year's award to Chuck for all of his incredibly generous contributions to and support of the entire Greater Waterbury community and the region."

Mr. Boulier has had a long and distinguished career in finance, assisting three different banks in the region as they doubled in size, both in assets and employees. First was Waterbury-based Centerbank, which grew into one of the region's largest financial institutions. Later, as treasurer and chief financial officer, he assisted American Savings Bank and American Financial Holdings in completing a public offering and growing into the state's third-largest bank. In 2009, he was elected president and director of Castle Bank & Trust, which merged into Naugatuck Savings Bank and subsequently became Ion Bank. In 2003 he became president & CEO of Ion Bank, which has doubled in size through acquisitions and by opening new locations.

A Waterbury native, Mr. Boulier is a chartered financial analyst. He received his MBA in Finance from the University of New Haven, an accounting degree from Bryant College, and attended Naugatuck Valley Community College. He is a director of the Ion Bank Foundation and chairman of the American Savings Foundation and America's Mutual Banks. He also serves on the boards of the Waterbury Regional Chamber and Saint Mary's Hospital Foundation. He chaired the United Way of Greater Waterbury's 2017-18 annual fundraising campaign and serves on the 2018-19 Campaign Council. In addition, he serves on the Investment Committee of the Connecticut Community Foundation and the Quinnipiac University Business School Advisory Board and is a corporator for Griffin Hospital in Derby.  In 2010, he was named the United Way Naugatuck & Beacon Falls Campaign Coordinator of the Year.

In 2016, Mr. Boulier received the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce's Dibble Award, honoring his outstanding contributions to business and the socioeconomic well-being of Naugatuck. He is only the second person to be awarded both the Dibble Award and the Malcolm Baldrige Community Award. Joseph Carlson II of Centerbank and Hillside Properties LLC is the other.

Mr. Boulier and his wife, Beth, reside in Wolcott. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Nominees for the Malcolm Baldrige Community Award are considered for their roles in supporting employment opportunities, for enhancing the overall economic growth and quality of life in the region, for playing a leading role in initiating new business or development, and for their community leadership.

Past honorees are: Frank Monteiro of MacDermid Performance Solutions; Ralph Carpinella of Carpin Manufacturing Inc.; Judge James Lawlor, chairman of the Waterbury Housing Authority; M. Catherine Smith; attorney Gary B. O'Connor; Frederick Blasius Jr. of Blasius Chevrolet Cadillac; Peter Baker of Crystal Rock; Waterbury Mayor Neil M. O'Leary; Burton Albert of Albert Bros. Inc.; Sen. Joan V. Hartley; Joel S. Becker of Torrington Supply Co., and Charles T. Kellogg of Hubbard-Hall Inc.

Also: Norman S. Drubner of Drubner Industrials; Carmen A. Vacalebre of Carmen Anthony Restaurant Group; state Banking Commissioner John P. Burke; John A. Michaels of Michaels Enterprises; William J. Pape II of the Republican-American; Jaci Carroll of Jaci Carroll Staffing Services; James C. Smith of Webster Bank; Daniel Leever of MacDermid Inc.; Robert W. Garthwait Sr. of Cly-Del Manufacturing; Joseph Carlson II of Hillside Properties LLC, and former Gov. John G. Rowland.

The Chamber will also honor Timothy D. Bergstrom, Regional President-Hartford and head of Business Banking for the Connecticut market for Webster Bank, with its 2018 Leadership Award, and Joseph Riolo, owner of Route 63 Automotive in Watertown, with its 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award.

One of the largest chambers in Connecticut, the Waterbury Regional Chamber has more than 1,000 member businesses.

Tickets for the 24th Annual Malcolm Baldrige Awards Dinner are $150/person, $1,750 for a table of 10. Reservations may be made online at http://www.waterburychamber.com, by sending an email to info@waterburychamber.com, or by calling the Chamber at 203-757-0701.