With international uncertainty about national trade policy, Connecticut officials are looking to bolster international business ties \u2014 and they\u2019ve tapped a Ridgefield economic leader to a newly created role. On Wednesday, AdvanceCT announced the appointment of Glori Norwitt, chair of Ridgefield\u2019s Economic & Community Development Commission, as Connecticut\u2019s first \u201cspecial international envoy,\u201d a volunteer position [\u2026]<\/p>\n
With international uncertainty about national trade policy, Connecticut officials are looking to bolster international business ties \u2014 and they\u2019ve tapped a Ridgefield economic leader to a newly created role.
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\nOn Wednesday, AdvanceCT announced the appointment of Glori Norwitt, chair of Ridgefield\u2019s Economic & Community Development Commission, as Connecticut\u2019s first \u201cspecial international envoy,\u201d a volunteer position focused on strengthening the state\u2019s international business relationships.
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\nAdvanceCT President and CEO John Bourdeaux said the new position was created in response to a surge in interest from consular officials and overseas businesses seeking \u201csubnational\u201d partnerships in response to President Trump\u2019s trade policies.
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\n\u201cThere has been a dramatic increase in the past six months of, particularly, consular officials engaging with subnational organizations,\u201d Bourdeaux said. \u201cIn this time when there is a little more uncertainty in the marketplace around things like tariffs and trade and foreign direct investment, we believe there has never been a more important time for Connecticut to maintain and increase our profile on the world stage.\u201d
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\nIn the three months leading up to Jan. 1, AdvanceCT had three meetings with foreign consuls general, according to Bourdeaux. In the next three months there were four. And in the three-month period leading to July 1, there were eight meetings with consuls general, three with foreign ambassadors and two with trade organizations, Bourdeaux said.
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\nIn her new role, Norwitt will welcome foreign diplomats and business leaders, showcase Connecticut\u2019s cultural and lifestyle assets, and facilitate introductions to key state and local officials, the state\u2019s diverse diasporas and other stakeholders. The position aims to promote Connecticut\u2019s economy, arts, entertainment and cultural assets to an international audience.
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\nNorwitt, who holds a law degree from the University of Southern California, practiced employment law in the U.S. and Hong Kong until 2003 before relocating to Connecticut to raise her family. As her children grew, she took on multiple leadership roles with organizations such as CT Against Gun Violence Education Fund, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, and the Center for Empowerment and Education. She joined Ridgefield\u2019s Economic Development Commission in 2019.
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\nNorwitt is married to Richard Adam Norwitt, president and CEO of Wallingford-based electronics manufacturer Amphenol Corp., and co-chair of the AdvanceCT Board of Directors. Both are regular contributors to Democratic campaigns. Norwitt noted Gov. Ned Lamont as a friend she sees at political events and dinner parties.
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\nIn Ridgefield, Norwitt played a key role in the town earning Connecticut\u2019s first official designation as a \u201ccultural district,\u201d recognizing its vibrant arts and culture scene as an economic driver. Norwitt expects to step down from the town\u2019s economic development commission shortly to accommodate her new role.
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\nNorwitt said her appointment follows a recent conversation with Gov. Lamont, who spoke of a growing need for a consistent point of contact for foreign dignitaries and investors. With her background in economic development and international business, she saw an opportunity to make an impact.
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\n\u201cSo, I raised my hand and said I would love to help,\u201d Norwitt said. \u201cI have expertise in economic development, but I also have experience working in international markets.\u201d
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\nLamont, in a statement, touted Norwitt\u2019s economic development experience and understanding of the state\u2019s economy.
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\n\u201cGlori is extremely accomplished, and I\u2019m proud to have her represent Connecticut on the international stage,\u201d Lamont said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With international uncertainty about national trade policy, Connecticut officials are looking to bolster international business ties \u2014 and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":49193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[28,101,16349,16350],"class_list":["post-49192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-business","tag-economy","tag-hbj-today-featured","tag-home-page-featured"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}