Samantha Gonzalez is an Associate Professor at Manchester Community College where she teaches courses in Communication and co-coordinates the General Studies degree program and oversees the College and Career Success courses. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communication from Southern Connecticut State University, a Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Hartford, and is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut. She has spent the last twenty years working in higher education in both public and private institutions.
Samantha has a deep history in South Windsor having grown up in town and was pleased to join the Chamber in 2016. Since her appointment, she joined the planning committee for the Greater Hartford Women’s Conference which she Chaired in 2018, 2019, and 2021 as well as the committee for the annual Restaurant Crawl. Samantha resides in town with her husband of twenty-five years, Michael, a former South Windsor Board of Education member, and her three children.

Benjamyn Frye is the Chief Operating Officer at Skyline Financial Federal Credit Union. He is an experienced banking leader with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. Benjamyn offers a full banking relationship—from deposits to loans to business needs—to help his customers achieve their financial goals. Just like his customers, Benjamyn is passionate about helping his community thrive. He has previously worked with the Salvation Army, Junior Achievement, and was a campaign chair on the United Way board.

Liliana is an accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in Strategic Marketing, Development, Communications, Sales, and Event Planning. She is passionate about transforming client ideas into fully realized projects through creative development and meticulous execution.

Her expertise includes Strategic Marketing and Development for nonprofits, where she has achieved proven fundraising results, as well as impactful marketing campaigns in both the private and public sectors.

Currently, Liliana serves as the Director of City Marketing and Strategic Marketing at Innomarket Innovative Solutions LLC, where she continues to help businesses and organizations grow through innovative strategies.

Beyond her professional achievements, Liliana is a dedicated mother, an entrepreneur, a visionary dreamer, and above all, a doer—committed to making things happen and creating meaningful change.

Gladys Ortiz is the CEO and founder of The GO Affect, a proud latina and mother of 3 beautiful children located in Connecticut.

I pride myself in helping women and men thrive in their everyday lives. I very am fortunate to be an expert in my field for the past 20 years and hold numerous certifications in Leadership and Coaching.

It is important for me to build solid connections while continuing to grow existing relationships, this is something that takes time and requires a great deal of trust.

I am passionate about helping my people work through the mind drama that hinders them from taking action.