![Secondo gives a speech during a recent town event. The Chamber president and CEO has been a fixture for the past 12 years, but he’s stepping down at the end of this month.]()
By TAYLOR HARTZSTAFF WRITER The “Suddington” sign hangs like a good-natured joke on the conference room wall at the Chamber of Commerce. His love for the town was embraced and ridiculed during a recent chamber Roast of their outgoing president and CEO. For more than a decade, Art Secondo has been the face of Southington’s growing business community. Sometimes funny, sometimes controversial, but always colorful and hard-working, Secondo has been a fixture at ribbon-cuttings and local events. Now, after 12 years of serving as president and CEO of the local chamber, the man affectionately called “Mr. Southington” will soon be stepping down. Chamber Vice President Dave Pestillo said that Art’s love for the town was always evident, and that will be hard to replace as the chamber begins the search for Secondo’s replacement. “Art absolutely loves Southington. He eats Southington. He breathes it. He really loves this town,” said Pestillo, who thinks Secondo’s town pride really helped the chamber grow in size and visibility– a goal Secondo had right from the start. Secondo, a life-long Southington resident, served his community as a restaurant manager, sports bar owner, radio commentator, and newspaper editor, before accepting the title of Chamber of Commerce President […]