Tag Archives: awards

Mark Comstock, Hydrangea and Bonsai Enthusiast, Receives Statewide Gardening Recognition for Volunteer Efforts

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Mark Comstock will receive the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s Certificate of Individual Achievement on Oct. 22.

OLD LYME–A local bonsai enthusiast and hydrangea purveyor has been recognized with a Certificate of Individual Achievement from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut. 

The Duck River Garden Club in a press release lauded Mark Comstock, owner of Hydrangea Galore in Old Lyme, for the recognition. It will be presented at the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut’s 96th Annual Awards Meeting and Luncheon on Oct. 22. 

The honor is awarded for outstanding contributions to an individual, a garden club or a group of garden clubs. 

The Duck River Garden Club described Comstock as a conservationist and an expert in hydrangeas as well as the art of bonsai. They cited various classes he has presented to multiple garden clubs, the Lymes’ Senior Center and the general public – including one on the intersection of bonsai and conservation that included a demonstration on a local pitch pine tree. 

In addition to donating his plants for Duck River Garden Club sites throughout town and to the club’s garden sale each May, he recently solved a water issue by bringing in his 500 gallon water tank for the duration of the sale. 

“Mark is professional, enthusiastic and generous with his vast horticulture knowledge,” the club said.

Comstock in a phone interview Monday said he was honored to be recognized.

“But I think the real honor should go to the entire Duck River Garden Club for everything that all the members do together,” he said. “We are an incredibly, incredibly active and beneficial garden club for the town of Old Lyme. And there is no other group that I would rather be serving the town with during my horticultural endeavors.”

For Comstock, membership in the club goes “deeper than horticulture.” It’s about meeting other people and learning about the town by becoming actively involved in it.

“They’re so tightly in step with what’s going on in town, and they care so much about making the town beautiful,” he said. “And those are the people I want to be around.”

Suisman Shapiro Attorney Kristi Kelly of Old Lyme Named Finalist for 2025 ‘US Women, Influence & Power in Law’ Awards

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Suisman Shapiro Attorney Kristi D. Kelly is a finalist in the collaborative leadership category of the 2025 US Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards. 

NEW LONDON–Suisman Shapiro Attorney Kristi D. Kelly has been named a finalist in the 2025 US Women, Influence & Power in Law (WIPL) Awards. 

Suisman Shapiro in a press release said Kelly is a contender in the Law Firm Collaborative Leadership category. The national award honors women attorneys who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision, and a sustained commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in the legal profession.

Suisman Shapiro lauded Kelly as a legal advisor, mentor, and advocate whose work spans labor, employment, and municipal law. A director with the firm, she represents municipalities, public agencies, and private employers in matters ranging from collective bargaining and employment investigations to compliance and discrimination claims. She regularly appears before local governments and state and federal administrative bodies, including the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Labor.

At Suisman Shapiro, Kelly leads the firm’s Human Resources Committee with a focus on increasing diversity and inclusion. This year, she will launch the firm’s inaugural Women in Leadership Committee, a strategic initiative designed to foster mentorship, connection, and career advancement for women at Suisman Shapiro.

Eric W. Callahan, managing director of Suisman Shapiro, said Kelly represents the values the firm strives to uphold. 

“Kristi brings a thoughtful and collaborative approach to her work that has had a meaningful impact across our firm,” Callahan said. 

Kelly said collaboration has always been key to how she approaches her work. 

“I’m fortunate to work alongside colleagues, who value mentorship, inclusion, and supporting one another’s growth — both personally and professionally,” she said. 

Before joining Suisman Shapiro, Kelly served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Washington and as a civilian labor attorney for the U.S. Department of the Army in Alaska.

Kelly is a VA-accredited attorney, who donates pro bono services on behalf of disabled veterans through the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center. She was honored with the Connecticut Bar Association’s 2020 Honorable Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Service Award. She also served as president of the Board of Higher Edge, a nonprofit that supports first-generation college students, and currently sits on the Board of the USS Groton Sail Foundation.

Winners of the 2025 US Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards will be announced at an awards dinner on Oct. 7 during the WIPL Conference in Washington, D.C.

The awards are presented by Corporate Counsel, a national publication of the Law.com network. 

Dick Shriver of Old Lyme Among Recipients of Rockfall Foundation’s ‘Environmental Champion’ Awards

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Dick Shriver

MIDDLETOWN–The Rockfall Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2025 Environmental Champion Awards, including ‘Estuary’ magazine founder and Old Lyme resident Dick Shriver. 

The environmental conservation and education organization in a press release identified Shriver as a recipient of its Certificate of Environmental Achievement for promoting conservation and stewardship of the Connecticut River Watershed. 

The award will be presented during Rockfall’s 90th Anniversary Celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown. 

Shriver, a U.S. Air Force veteran who went on to an esteemed career in government and private industry, retired to Old Lyme in 2007. From the place where the Connecticut River meets the Long Island Sound, he launched estuary magazine in 2020 to focus on the vast Connecticut River watershed spanning four states. 

According to the Connecticut River Conservancy, Shriver has held executive positions including assistant secretary of the US Treasury Department and Senior Vice President of Chase Manhattan Bank. In academia, he has served as professor of business finance and marketing at the International Management Institute in Kiev, Ukraine and Executive-in-Residence at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. 

Also receiving Rockfall’s Certificate of Environmental Achievement is Diana Martinez, a Middletown agriculture and environmental justice advocate and creator of the Miller Street Community Farm and Pathways to Agriculture program. 

The Oct. 8 event will feature a keynote address by Christine Palm, a former state representative and climate education advocate, about engaging youth in climate action and advocacy. Palm will receive Rockfall’s President’s Award, given once every ten years, recognizing her decades of leadership in environmental policy and education. 

The Tom Odell Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Bruce Dodson, the Killingworth Land Conservation Trust leader who helped protect over 1,100 acres of open space; and Chet Arnold, Essex Land Trust leader and co-founder of the University of Connecticut Center for Land Use Education and Research. 

The anniversary celebration and award presentation will include live music, food, and displays from 2025 Rockfall grant recipients. Tickets are $75 for members and $90 for nonmembers.

For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.