The Fairfield County Business Journal recently celebrated the 2018 winners of its annual "40 Under Forty" ranking. Young professionals under the age of 40 were nominated and selected based on their leadership skills and contributions both to their industry and to business growth within Fairfield county. This year’s list honors two people with strong connections to ýƵƹۿ: Lori Jones, an employee at the University, and alumna Christine Stafstrom ’05, MBA’11.
"Become as active as you can within your community; join boards and organizations, go to networking events and get involved."
— Christine Stafstrom '05, MBA'11
Christine Stafstrom holds the title of Vice President of Wealth Management Marketing and Bank-wide Brand and Advertising for People’s United Bank. “I was honored to hear that I’d been chosen to receive this award,” said Stafstrom, who was recognized for her influential contributions as an experienced financial marketing professional.
In addition to her job at the bank, Stafstrom has served as the vice chair of the Food Policy Council for the city of Bridgeport for nearly five years, and is a board member for THRIVE Young Professionals, an organization which works to bring a diverse group of young professionals together to grow their connection with the Greater Bridgeport region.
Stafstrom graduated from ýƵƹۿ with a degree in finance and continued on to receive her MBA from the University’s Dolan School of Business in 2011. While attending Fairfield, she met her husband, Steven Stafstrom ‘05, who is currently a state representative for Connecticut.
When asked what advice she would give to young alumni just starting out in their careers, Stafstrom replied, "Prior to my current role, I worked for a very fast-paced, growth-oriented company and we used to say that “no” was never an answer. I think that mentality serves people very well within the office – don’t think of anything as “not your job”; just roll up your sleeves and pitch in. Also, become as active as you can within your community; join boards and organizations, go to networking events, and get involved. The wider and more diverse your network is the better off you will be."
The second recipient with ýƵƹۿ ties, Lori Jones, works as director of programming and audience development at at ýƵƹۿ. Her responsibilities as director include a wide range of tasks, from yearly project management of artistic planning to overseeing the creation and production of all marketing collateral. “Truly my greatest moments at the Quick are when I experience our audiences connecting with an artist,” Jones said. “I am very passionate about the power of the arts and community.”
In addition to being the round-the-clock ‘go-to person’ when things need to get done at the Quick, Jones is the co-president and a board member of the New England Presenters (NEP), a non-profit consortium consisting of arts presenters hailing from the east coast. She also serves as a committee member for the Fairfield Emerging Leaders Organization (FELO), a group of community leaders seeking to provide a platform for young professionals to engage in business-sponsored activities in the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce.
Jones, who was nominated by the Chamber of Commerce for the 40 Under Forty ranking, was quick to point out, “I’m a firm believer that I don’t do this work alone — I’m lucky to work with really amazing people at the Quick and to have had wonderful mentors and coworkers throughout my career.”
On June 19, Westfair Communications hosted an awards event for the 40 Under Forty 2018 winners at the Italian Center in Stamford, Connecticut. For a full list of the Fairfield County Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty honorees, .
