Chris Herb, Acting President of CEMA, background and information

Vice-President, Connecticut Energy Marketers Association

As vice-president of CEMA, Herb’s vast role included answering association members’ questions regarding taxes, environmental compliance, OSHA, insurance, and licensing.  He also organized grassroots lobbying efforts matching companies and their employees to their local legislators and prepared written testimony on legislative bills for the executive director and company owners to effectively communicate the nature of opposition or support for certain bills. Herb also testified at numerous public hearings on bills affecting the petroleum industry and performed well under pressure. Herb made recommendations, on a course of action, to defeat predatory bills and support industry-sponsored bills to legislative committees and Board of Directors, drafted language for bills to be introduced into the Connecticut General Assembly that support the petroleum industry and worked with legislators and staff to communicate needs of the industry. Herb is a true professional when it comes to building coalitions from within various industries to reach common legislative goals and has developed legislative and regulatory agenda through various association committees. He also worked to enhance the association’s presence with important government agencies and legislators through meetings and written correspondence. Herb also has extensive public speaking experience to the public, the media and various community and business groups.

From January 1999 to January of 2003, Herb was elected and served for two terms as a Burgess for the Borough of Naugatuck where he worked on the implementation a $65 million dollar budget, focused on capitol improvement projects and economic development.

Prior to serving as an elected official in his hometown of Naugatuck, Herb worked as a legislative aide for the Connecticut General Assembly from 1996 to 2000.  As an aide, he worked as the liaison to all state agencies, managed constituent relations, testified before legislative committees and performed research on legislative issues. Herb also worked as the director of public support for the American Red Cross in the late 1990s.

Herb is the father of two young boys and lives with his wife Lisa, a school teacher, in Naugatuck.