Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce To Present Award To Mayor Hess

The Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce will present its 2017 Lewis A. Dibble Award to N. Warren “Pete” Hess III, Mayor of Naugatuck this Wednesday, January 10, 2018.

The award is presented each year in recognition of an individual’s outstanding contributions to business and the socioeconomic well-being of Naugatuck.

Mayor Hess will receive the award during the Chamber’s Annual Meeting at the Crystal Room at 98 School Street in Naugatuck. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails, followed by the awards program and dinner at 6:30. For the past 40 years, this annual celebration dinner and presentation of the Dibble Award has grown to become one of the most prestigious business events in the Naugatuck community.

In addition to Mayor Hess receiving the 2017 Dibble Award, the Chamber will celebrate the success of its 2017 programs and acknowledge members of its board of directors.

Lewis A. Dibble founded the Naugatuck Chamber in 1921, and since 1976 the Chamber has honored his leadership by recognizing a key leader in the local community. Past Dibble Award recipients include Charles Boulier of Ion Bank (2016), William Calderara (2015), Naugatuck Chamber Chairman and Naugatuck Economic Development Corp. CEO Ronald Pugliese (2014), Mayor Robert Mezzo (2013), David Prendergast (2012), Laurie Yelding (2011), Thomas Sarracco (2010), John Roman (2009), Harry Cashin (2007), Rocco Corso (2006), Terry Barber (2005), Rebecca Zandvliet (2004), John Ford (1995), Robert Sutherland (1997) and Frederick D. Zonino (1992).

Mayor Hess, a Democrat, is currently serving his second term after running unopposed this fall. Since taking office in 2015, he has worked to improve economic development in the borough, including working with developers to receive final approval to develop Parcel C downtown, and he has proposed developing a transportation “port” in the borough.

Pete Hess began his law career in 1974, working with Attorney Michael J. Daly III in Waterbury. He also cites Attorney Henry S. Marlor as a mentor. In 1978, he opened the Law Offices of N. Warren Hess III, with a focus on civil litigation, municipal law, and real estate transactions. He also handled litigation as special counsel for the borough of Naugatuck and served as counsel to Regional School District No. 16 Board of Education for more than 40 years. During the 1980s and ‘90s, his practice began to focus on complex real estate transactions while continuing to work with the Naugatuck Economic Development Corp., the borough, and other municipalities. Currently, his firm also handles wills, trusts, probate matters, elder law and Medicaid planning.

Mayor Hess is also a strong supporter of Mission 22, a campaign to raise awareness of veteran suicides nationwide. In 2017, he supported a Mission 22/Vietnam Veterans festival in Naugatuck that included his participation in an all-day, 22-kilometer (13.7-mile) hike along trails throughout the Naugatuck State Forest.

A graduate of Naugatuck High School, Pete Hess graduated with honors from Boston University and received his law degree from the University of San Francisco, where he was inducted into the McAuliffe Honor Society. He is a member of the bar in both Connecticut and California.

In addition to his law practice and serving as mayor of Naugatuck, he enjoys hiking, golf, movies, reading, and cooking. He is also an avid fan of the New York Mets and all things UConn. He is a resident of Naugatuck with his wife, Krista, and their dog Beaumont, and he has two sons, Brandon and Spencer.

The cost for the Naugatuck Chamber’s Annual Dinner is $75/person. To register, visit the Chamber’s website, www.naugatuckchamber.com, or call 203-729-4511.