DANBURY, CONN. —— Jim Kennedy, founder and chief executive officer of The Network Support Company in Danbury, will receive the 2013 Macricostas Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Western Connecticut State University at a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013, at the Amber Room Colonnade, 1 Stacey Road in Danbury.

Kennedy, whose pioneering business ventures in computer and information technology services span more than three decades, will be recognized for his entrepreneurial achievements as recipient of the annual WCSU award sponsored by the foundation of Brookfield industrialist and philanthropist Constantine “Deno” Macricostas and his wife Marie. Reservations for the luncheon at a fee of $50 per person may be made by calling the Office of Institutional Advancement at (203) 837-8279 or online at www.wcsu.edu/ia/entrepreneur.

“It certainly is an honor to know that others whom I respect believe I have done something worth celebrating,” Kennedy said. “However, I know that everything I do is enabled by others, so I understand this is a group accomplishment.”

Founded in 1996, The Network Support Company provides a broad range of customized service packages targeted for the specific needs of small and mid-sized businesses, including IT design, upgrade and management; cloud services; managed backup and disaster recovery services; security and firewall protection; technical engineering support; cabling; and Web development. From its Danbury headquarters and branch offices in Norwalk (Conn.), Allentown (Pa.) and Melbourne (Fla.), the company serves clients in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Florida and 12 other states.

The company’s objective is to provide superior quality in managed IT services and technical expertise for businesses of 10 to 2,000 employees comparable to that provided by the IT departments of major corporations. Its customized packages meet IT requirements for a wide breadth of sectors including manufacturing, financial services, legal services, municipal governments and nonprofit organizations.

The Network Support Company makes a substantial investment in technical training, cutting-edge technology and highly disciplined, process-driven operations with the goal of offering the best quality of IT services and solutions to its clients. The company has received numerous awards for technical and workplace excellence. Recent recognitions have included citations by MSP Mentor as one of the Top 100 Managed Service Providers in North America in 2012, and by Hearst Newspapers as one of the Top 10 Places to Work in Southern Connecticut in 2013. 

Kennedy observed The Network Support Company has become the fastest-growing company in its market area over the past 17 years. “I am very proud of the fact that our engineers hold more than 100 certifications, and more than two-thirds of these have been achieved while they have been employed at TNSC. Our employee turnover has remained very low at less than 2 percent. We are a trusted adviser to all our clients, and a large number have been with us for many years.”

Kennedy’s entrepreneurial drive as a technology pioneer provided the impetus for his co-founding in 1983 of the Personal Computer Technology Group, the first computer rental firm to be established in Connecticut. After directing corporate operations as the company’s president for 10 years, he became vice president of network technology for Maplecrest Software Development, where he initiated and developed Maplecrest’s IT infrastructure business.

Recipient of a degree in economics from Amherst College, Kennedy has been sought widely for conference presentations as an expert on emerging technologies in the hospitality industry, and has published several articles on this subject. He has worked on development of integrated automation systems for homes and businesses, and has been a member of the Knights of the IT Roundtable and IT advisory groups for companies including Bass Hotel and Resorts.

Kennedy engages actively in community service in the greater Danbury area, making important contributions in fields ranging from health care to business education. He serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Western Connecticut Health Network in Danbury, and is a member of the WCSU Ancell School of Business Advisory Council and the Ability Beyond Disability IT Advisory Board. He founded and chairs the annual Western Connecticut Prayer Breakfast that brings together business and civic leaders across the region.

Kennedy also is the founding chairman of the Samaritan Health Center, a nonprofit pediatric clinic that provides free services to more than 1,000 children each year whose families lack health insurance and would otherwise be unable to afford primary health care. Founded in 2008 by the Jericho Partnership and located in the Jericho Samaritan Center in downtown Danbury, the clinic provides a range of services for children from birth to 18 years of age including sick visits, physical examinations, immunizations and referrals.

“Jim Kennedy’s career is a classic example of how the entrepreneurial spirit builds enterprises, creates jobs and economically benefits our region,” WCSU President James W. Schmotter observed. “Equally important is the leadership Jim has exercised in our community through his roles with Western Connecticut Health Network and a myriad of other organizations. We are all grateful to him for what he has done, always with humility and grace, for our community.”

Kennedy lives in Danbury with his wife Laura and four children. He attends Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, where he has served in various capacities including vice chairman of the Elder Board.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs.

Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York.
Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics
of New England’s best small private universities.