Jackson Labs COO to Keynote Chamber Annual Dinner

The Farmington Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner will take on a different flavor this year, with the keynote address being presented by one of the top leaders of the organization expected to be the engine of Farmington’s future economic development: Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D, executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Jackson Laboratory.

“Our annual dinners are normally focused on the presentation of awards. We’ll still be presenting the awards, but we are especially happy this year that Dr. Hewett will be able to give us some insight into what we might expect from the economic development impact of The Jackson Laboratory,” said Robert Perry, president of the Farmington Chamber. “The $1.1 billion research facility planned for the campus of the University of Connecticut Health Center will have a tremendous rippling effect not just on Farmington, but on the entire Farmington Valley.”

The annual dinner will be 5:30 – 9 p.m., Wednesday, May 9, at the Farmington Club, 162 Town Farm Road, Farmington.

Hewett joined The Jackson Laboratory in 2004 and has led the Laboratory’s efforts to develop The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine that will be located in Farmington. He was the leader of the team that negotiated with the State of Connecticut for $291 million in funding plus the 17 acres of land on the UConn Health Center campus for the new lab.  He is currently working with Edison Liu, M.D., the Laboratory’s new president and chief executive officer, to design and construct the facility and recruit its faculty and staff.

“It’s an exciting opportunity and we’re starting to generate some buzz. We’ve just hired one of the world’s leading genomicists who is doing pioneering work to understand and mitigate cancer.  I’m looking forward to working with the economic development leaders in the Farmington Valley,” Hewett said.

He explained the new lab will be working to identify clinical targets using the human genome to treat and ultimately cure a variety of human diseases.

In addition to the keynote address, the Chamber will also present awards for:

• Business of the Year;
• Small Business of the Year;
• Good Citizenship of the Year; and
• Chamber Member of the Year.

For further information or to register for the Farmington Chamber’s Annual Dinner, please go to www.farmingtonchamber.com, click on Upcoming Events, or call the Chamber at (860)676-8490.

The Farmington Chamber of Commerce represents both large and small businesses that are primarily located in Farmington. For information about the Chamber’s programs or how to become a member, please go the www.farmingtonchamber.com.