A letter from the Executive Director,
Jenn Tracz

Every quarter when we do our newsletter it seems we have so much to say and this time is no different! So many great things have happened over the past couple of months. We released our first ever printed member directory for 2011. We had a wonderful Business Expo and are proud to announce that starting in January 2011 we will be hosting monthly events in Fairfield County.

In this newsletter edition we are introducing the CABOgraphy Series where we highlight a member in our organization in both their professional and personal lives. Two very special items to note in this edition are our celebration of Aetna's achievements with CABO and our push to get CABO members to become certified suppliers through the NGLCC.

If you have questions about how CABO can help your business, feel free to email me at jtracz@thecabo.org. Helping your business is my business if there is something we aren't doing, I want to know.

In this newsletter

From the Executive Director
Aetna's Commitment to Diversity
Protecting your Estate
Save with UPS
Going monthly in Fairfield County
New Series: CABOgraphy

The 2011 CABO Member Directory is here! Click on the image below to download your PDF copy today!

Aetna's Commitment to Diversity

On October 26, 82 CABO members and Aetna employees gathered at the prestigious Customer Care Center in downtown Hartford to celebrate Aetna's commitment to diversity. Aetna President, Mark Bertolini (CEO-elect), Raymond Arroyo, Chief Diversity Officer and Tracy Casey, Director of Diversity, were all proudly in attendance. Aetna has been at the top of the HRC Index for 9 years strong and is CABO's first Cornerstone Health Care Partner.

In the September/October 2010 edition of Diversity Executive Magazine, Raymond Arroyo was featured for Aetna's diversity and mentioned CABO and Aetna's partnership specifically. We should all be proud of the work Aetna is doing and for their ongoing support of CABO and all of its members. If you would like to read the article in Diversity Executive, click here. (They also have free subscriptions if you are interested).

Reach 2,000+ people through CABO

Are you on Linked In, Facebook or Twitter? Are you looking to promote an event? If so, send us an e-mail with the event you are promoting and we will send it out on the CABO Linked In group, Facebook Group and Tweet it on your behalf.

Why become an NGLCC Certified Supplier?

NGLCC Supplier Diversity is huge benefit of belonging to CABO and for a limited time a scholarship by IBM is subsidizing the cost of certification for all CABO members. The main goal of supplier diversity is to match LGBT owned businesses with NGLCC corporate partners to help create successful relationships where both parties benefit. CABO has several members who are certified suppliers and many who are working on it now. If you own 51% of your business, are LGBT, and want to bring your business to the next level leveraging corporate relations, then NGLCC Supplier Certification is for you! Contact Jenn at jtracz@thecabo.org or (203) 687-7233 to get the process started today! Read the recent success story excerpt below to see how supplier diversity works and can benefit you.

The NGLCC's Supplier Diversity Initiative has set the stage for yet another successful partnership between a certified LGBTBE and an NGLCC corporate partner, who have teamed up to provide office products and services to businesses, corporations and individual customers.

"This is one more example of the opportunities made available to LGBT-owned companies that are a part of the NGLCC's Supplier Diversity Initiative," said Victoria Fulkerson, vice president of corporate relations and supplier diversity at the NGLCC. "There are so many amazing connections available for LGBT companies—from corporate connections and educational opportunities to finding other LGBT business owners who want to do business with one another. This partnership [between OutSmart and Office Depot] is further proof that those who invest the time will find success."

The above is an excerpt from an article published by the NGLCC, to read this entire article click here.

Protecting Your Estate
By Elizabeth L. Leamon, Esq. - Murtha Cullina

Proper estate planning is key for same-sex couples.  Although we are lucky to live in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage, unless you are planning never to leave, you may wake up and find yourself in a state or country that does not recognize your marriage.  Although the law is ever changing, approximately 80% of states have laws prohibiting same-sex marriage.  Even if you never plan to leave the nutmeg state, federal law adversely impacts you.  Therefore, special care must be taken to create an estate plan that protects you, your spouse or partner and your family.  OK, so what can you do to protect yourself?

First, you need Wills and revocable trusts. Under federal law, same-sex couples were not afforded the unlimited marital deduction.  However, you can provide in your Will that your assets “pour-over” into your revocable living trust.  Such a trust generally ensures that you make use of whatever personal estate tax exemption amount you have.  In this way, all your assets do not end up in your spouse’s or partner’s estate, potentially subject to estate tax down the road.  The revocable living trust also provides for the distribution of assets to your spouse and children; and generally, it protects those assets from creditors and predators. 
Read more...  

NGLCC and CABO Members Can Now
Save on Shipping with UPS

As an NGLCC National or Affiliate member, your UPS rates have just gotten better. Through our partnership with UPS, you have exclusive access to the UPS Savings Program which provides great discounts on UPS domestic air, international and freight services.

Enroll now to get discount rates of up to 70 percent on these services. If you are already enrolled but would like to take advantage of additional savings, simply update your discount by signing up below.

Click here for more information

In 2011 CABO is going monthly in Fairfield County!

This is the announcement many of our Fairfield County members have been waiting for! CABO is proud to announce we will be holding monthly breakfast networking events in Fairfield County starting in January 2011! Details to follow in the next couple of months. Spread the word!

To kick this off Fairfield County initiative we invite all of you to join us on December 2nd from 5:30PM-7:30PM at the offices of RNT Wealth Management in Westport to celebrate! E-mail us for event information or check our website periodically for updates.

New CABOgraphy Series: 
Printing Super Salesman Rob D’Errico
Makes His Own Headlines in Life

Rob D’Errico, seasoned printing salesman for CABO member GHP Media, the largest commercial printer in southern Connecticut, has put thousands of businesses’ names in print over his successful sixteen year career. But his own story is worthy of press… and an interesting conversation at our next Outreach Event!  For starters, Rob loves Frank Sinatra, cigars, koi ponds, his partner Wil, and their basset hounds,  Dudley and Gracie. Oh, and he’s a proud Republican!

He’s our first CABOgraphy, which showcases and celebrates business members both on and off the clock.For the full interview click here.

A friend of mine who works for an Ad agency first told me about CABO; how fun the meetings are and that it would be a good way to make additional contacts.  CABO has not only opened doors to new clients but has also allowed me to meet people with very different backgrounds.

I was a member of CABO before I worked for GHP.  I approached the owner before I came onboard about the opportunity of GHP becoming a corporate member and how it was important to support the LGBT community, along with the ability to bring in additional business. It was an easy solution as GHP is very supportive of LGBT employees.

Would you like to share your life story and your CABO connection?  Email Board Member, Dan Weaver at dan@barmontproductions.com.  Barmont Productions specializes in telling video stories for businesses and individuals.