John Tunila, Esq., Chairman
Main & Eldridge, LLC
1091 Main Street
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 643-2181
Property Owner
Mr. Tunila is a partner in the law firm of Diana, Conti & Tunila, LLP. He has worked from the firm’s Downtown Manchester office on Main Street since 1984, making him very familiar with the changing face of the Downtown and its many businesses and residents. John is also a Downtown property owner.
John has many areas of expertise and interest gained through his profession and services on the boards of various non-profits. These include legal, real estate, finance and accounting, facilities management, policy development, advocacy, small business development, and non-profit experience.
John’s goal as a commissioner is to enhance, promote, and advocate for the economic and aesthetic improvement of the Downtown. Working with his fellow commissioners, downtown business and property owners, residents, and visitors, he is committed to being a tireless advocate for the benefit of the Downtown District.
Beth Stafford, Vice-Chairman
Executive Director, CEO
MACC Charities
P.O. Box 3804
Manchester, CT 06045-3804
www.macc-ct.org
Phone: 860 647-0440
Business Lessee (Bistro on Main – 867 Main Street)
Ms. Stafford lives, works and worships in Manchester because she loves this town, the city with village charm. She worked for the Town of Manchester Social Services department for eleven years before assuming her role at MACC. She is passionate about fulfilling MACC’s mission to be a relevant and beneficial response to emergency needs in the community; whether one time, chronic or systemic in nature.
Ms. Stafford previously served on the Downtown Manchester Special Services District commission as a representative of the downtown faith groups. She was recently elected as the Vice-Chairman and is excited to continue supporting the businesses and residents of the district. She is also a member of the Manchester Greater Chamber of Commerce Executive Board of Directors.
Tammy Gerhard, Secretary
763 Main St., LLC
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone:
tammygerhard@yahoo.com
Property Owner
Ms. Gerhard is both a property owner and business owner in Downtown Manchester. She is one of the four owners of Silk City Coffee that include her husband, Glenn, and, Sarah and Rob May.
Tammy sees serving on the Board of Commissioners as an opportunity to further meet the needs of downtown Manchester. A natural “people person,” with a professional background in counseling, she loves connecting with others. Tammy believes this skill set will be helpful in recruiting new businesses to Main Street, as well as in supporting and encouraging those business owners as they settle into the area.
Tammy believes in the importance of involving a new generation in the Downtown. She would like to reach out to bring new, young, motivated people onto the Downtown Marketing Committee to help develop creative marketing strategies for Downtown.
Tammy loves coming up with new ideas, strategizing how to make them happen and seeing them followed through to completion. Her work on the Downtown Strategic Planning Committee allowed her to participate in brainstorming ways to enrich the Main Street area. She looks forward to working with commissioners and constituents to help bring these ideas to life.
Nick DuBaldo
Beller’s Music
881 Main St.
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 649-2036
nick@dubaldomusic.com
Property Owner
As a businessman who grew-up in Manchester and is present on Main Street on a daily basis, Mr. DuBaldo is aware of the business owner’s needs, the Town processes, as well as the shortcomings and potentials of our area.
Nick’s commitment as a commissioner is to increase the viability of our historic, commercial Downtown. With an eye towards blending practicality and excitement, he is committed to working cooperatively to promote and responsibly implement special events that draw customers to the Downtown. He is excited to be a part of efforts to improve the SSD website to make it a more dynamic and useful tool for businesses, visitors and those seeking to open a business in our Downtown. Nick looks forward to assisting in identifying and streamlining the process of inviting new businesses to come to the Downtown, be successful and stay here.
Joseph Lipiner
Main Street Manchester, LLC
681 Main St.
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 – 649 – 6939
Joe@framedimensions.com
Property Owner
Joseph Lipiner is the President of Frame Dimensions, LLC. Founded in 1984, his business operates two downtown Main street locations, one in the West Hartford Center and one in Downtown Manchester. Being immersed in both east and west of Hartford business communities, for over 35 years, Joe has experienced many of the changes and challenges that local small businesses have faced over the decades.
Joe is also a downtown Manchester property owner. He completely restored his 681 Main Street, circa1900, building in 2013.
Joe graduated from the University of Hartford with an accounting degree in 1980 and an MBA in 1981. Joe practiced as a CPA for 4 years, but soon answered the call of small business entrepreneurship. He launched Frame Dimensions as an ideal way to marry his business background with his passion for creating and working with his hands.
Joe has served on the boards of Tolland County, Manchester and West Hartford Chambers of Commerce and other business organizations. He was a local boy scout leader for more than 27 years.
Joe is a steadfast proponent of the Main Street USA consumer experience. In his role as a commissioner, Joe wants to utilize his small business retail experience to build on the renewed energy of Downtown Manchester as a premier destination for local shopping, dining, entertainment and professional services. With his extensive local merchant contacts, throughout central Connecticut, Joe will continue to look for other businesses that would be a great fit for downtown.
Joe and his wife Susan live in West Hartford. They have three grown children and a new granddaughter.
Daniel Mulligan
Dubaldo Realty Eight Twenty Five (825) Main LLC
825 Main St.
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860
Property Owner
Robert Sulick
Mulberry Street
981 Main St.
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 645-8646
bob.sulick@yahoo.com
Business Lessee
With a 45 year history in the food service industry and active involvement in his family business, Mulberry Street Restaurant, Mr. Sulick brings a customer service ethic and hospitality industry perspective to the commission.
As a Downtown business owner, Bob’s goal is to make Downtown Manchester “the Nirvana of Connecticut Main Streets”. He will use his open mindedness and creativity to help generate an active and sustainable business environment. Some of the skills he will employ to achieve this can be found in his expertise in finance and accounting, public relations and communications, education and instruction, program evaluation, personnel and human relations, outreach and advocacy and small business development.
VACANT
Ex-Officio Commission MembersGary Anderson, Director of Planning & Economic Development
Town of Manchester
41 Center St.
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 647-3044
ganderson@manchesterchamber.com
Gary Anderson has served as Director of Planning and Economic Development for the Town of Manchester since September, 2016, returning to the Town where he served as Senior Planner from 2006 through 2012. Since his return Mr. Anderson’s focus has been on Economic Development, particularly Downtown and in the surrounding area. Mr. Anderson coauthored both Manchester 2020 Plan of Conservation and Development and the Broad Street Redevelopment Plan.
From 2012 through 2016 Mr. Anderson served as Director of Planning and Economic Development for the Town of Easton, Massachusetts where he led that community through a comprehensive master planning process and a subsequent period of planned growth. He guided zoning reform for the Queset Commercial District and downtown North Easton Village, and led a recodification of the entire zoning bylaw.
Mr. Anderson holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Drew University and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and the American Planning Association and is certified by the National Charrette Institute. He lives in Connecticut with his wife Sara and their two children and is an avid runner and sports fan (NY Giants, NY Mets, UConn).
Robert Pagani, Chairman
Greater. Manchester Chamber of Commerce
20 Hartford Rd.
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 646-2223
bob.pagani@colliers.com
The Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) is a rich resource for the commission and SSD members, offering support through the benefits the Chamber provides with marketing assistance, networking opportunities, business start-up counseling, referrals, Grand Opening celebration coordination, and economic development outreach.
Since 1901 the GMCC has been dedicated to strengthening the business community through numerous benefits and services created to assist the business owner in their day to day operations, especially those businesses operating on lean or limited budgets. The Chamber’s outreach and knowledge of businesses that are looking to expand into new territories assists in economic development efforts for the Downtown and Town of Manchester.
Downtown Manager
Manchester Special Services District
983 Main St. Suite 10
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 645-2101
DMSSD@manchesterct.gov
Constable Johnson
Downtown Manchester Special Services District
983 Main St. Suite 10
Manchester, CT 06040
860 645-2101
Downtown Manchester Special Services District
903 Main Street, Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860 647-5276
dmssd@manchesterct.gov
