Leaping into a new year, New Britain faces an array of challenges and opportunities, some ongoing and others new.

Here, we’re spotlighting some of the local people worth watching in 2012.

This assemblage includes movers and shakers in business and government as well as some likely to gain attention in other fields.

These selections are in no way all-inclusive or definitive. They represent a sampling. Others, some already well known as well as a few rising stars, are certain to be making headlines as the year develops. If you want to suggest others worth watching in 2012, send their names and the reason to nbnews@centralctcommunications.com. We will post your input on our website, www.NewBritainHerald.com, and as space allows in the New Britain Herald.

Here are some people worth watching in 2012.

Sharon Beloin-Saavedra

It’s likely that few people would want to switch places with Beloin-Saavedra, chairwoman of the Board of Education.

The board oversees a $118 million school budget that’s remained flat for the last few years, and will likely be so again in the new year. This means it will be difficult to maintain school programs and current staffing levels.

The search continues, meanwhile, for a new superintendent and Beloin-Saavedra will play a critical role in finding the person to lead a challenging urban school district.

The 46-year-old Beloin-Saavedra said the winning candidate “needs a good year to understand the district and start making changes.”

With a search firm leading the recruitment and then narrowing the field, Beloin-Saveedra said the board will be interviewing finalists as part of a public forum at the end of February before narrowing the search down to two or three candidates.

“New Britain needs someone who understands the barriers of education,” Beloin-Saavedra said. “We need someone who can face these challenges to move our students forward.”

A New Britain native, Beloin-Saavedra was elected to the board in 2005 after her involvement with various city committees. She often makes her voice heard at statewide education forums and events, particularly when it comes to education funding.

“Sharon encourages the state to fill the achievement gap,” said Bob Rader, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. “She is very passionate in stating how important it is it to help cities with hard poverty. We need leaders to continue to speak out and I have no doubt that Sharon will.”

— Staff Writer Emilia Murdoch

Bill Carroll

Carroll is looking forward to his 40th New Britain High School reunion. However, there’s more to anticipate than a reunion.

The city’s business development director is keeping his focus on downtown.

Carroll, 58, determines the needs of existing businesses. For instance, he’s working with companies looking for funding sources so they can purchase new equipment.

“I let business people know where financial assistance is available,” he says.

Since 1992 the city and Chamber of Commerce have collaborated on projects, with Carroll the point person.

“The city and chamber work well together because (chamber President) Bill Millerick has kept the chamber apolitical,” he says. “He’s careful not to take political sides.”

Carroll says his proudest achievement was helping attract Celebration Foods (now Rich Foods) to the city in 2008.

“We had this vacant piece of land that cried out for development,” he says. “I think our website had a lot to do with Celebration’s decision. After we developed the site (www.newbritainmunicipaleconomicdevelopment.com) we got great business leads.”

Carroll says he and Mayor Timothy O’Brien are working on projects that will benefit the city in 2012.

“If they come to fruition, we’ll see businesses moving into town and others expanding,” Carroll says. “No one person can say what New Britain will or should become. It will be the result of the collective opinion of those who understand the city.”

“Billy knows the programs that benefit the city,” says Angelo D’Alfonso, business and training services coordinator for the chamber. “People who work with him praise his conscientious approach.”

— Staff Writer Scott Whipple

Matt Dabrowski

Dabrowski, the owner of Rhythm School of Ballroom Dance in New Britain, renovated an abandoned garage at 281 Broad St. and turned it into a popular dance studio. Now he wants to continue enlivening the Little Poland neighborhood.

Co-director of the Polonia Business Association, a member of the Pulaski Democrats Club, adjunct professor at Post University and part of the Polish American Foundation, Dabrowski, 26, is a figurehead in the Polish community.

“He’s been a great addition to Broad Street,” said the Polonia Business Association’s executive director, Adrian Baron. “He’s been very active in pushing the city to complete renovations on Broad Street and pushing businesses owners to improve their properties,” Baron said of Dabrowski, who is in the process of organizing events for 2012 to attract business people to the city.

“I would like to make New Britain a thriving community again with more programs, more festivals … make it a place for people when they graduate from school they want to stay here and have families,” Dabrowski said.

That’s why he’s trying to revive the membership of various Polish organizations and is participating in other efforts to add vibrancy to the Broad Street corridor.

Dabrowski and the Polonia Business Association are sponsoring web pages for business owners on Broad Street so they can feature their goods and services, and is planning a contest for city students to design a logo for the neighborhood.

“I’m trying to make this a better place, not only for my business, but for the community,” Dabrowski said.

— Staff Writer Erica Schmitt

Michael Foran

For too many years student test scores in New Britain have lagged behind those in other Connecticut cities. Educators contend with children from lower-income homes, in need of remedial courses, and particularly poor proficiency in reading.

But Foran, principal of New Britain High School, is making education in the city dynamic. For instance, he’s looking to expand the academy concept in the new year.

When the school’s health academy was established in September 2010 it had 60 students. Today the popular program, which helps young people prepare for jobs in the health care field, has more than 200.

The school intends to expand a curriculum steeped in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In addition, New Britain High will introduce an academy aimed at preparing students for careers in business and as entrepreneurs.

“We have to remember that most kids don’t know what they want to do,” said Foran, the 52-year-old recipient of the 2011 National Principal of the Year award. “We have to take time in building these academies. They are very exciting.”

Since Foran took over the helm as principal six years ago, the school has added new literacy programs, reading scores have improved, and there’s more collaboration with parents, teachers and others.

Longtime school board member James Sanders Sr. said Foran has brought a new respect to the school, which has about 2,600 students.

“He has accomplished a lot in such a short time,” Sanders said, adding, “He has the golden touch. Everything he has tried has worked out so far.”

— Staff Writer Robert Storace

Paulette Fox

Ask Fox why she likes working with teenagers and the director of the Opportunities Industrialization Center in New Britain says, “Developing potential.”

Fox grew up in Hartford’s North End, “a proud Weaver (High School) Beaver. Class of ’68. State football champs.”

Few kids in OIC’s employment and training programs will play in the NFL or perform on the X Factor.

“In our program Reality Check, youths learn about real jobs in health, retail and manufacturing,” she says.

Fox is proud of her Bike Program funded by Community Chest and the American Savings Foundation. Thirty participants build their own bicycles.

“It prepares teenagers for manufacturing careers,” she says. “Though not everybody goes to college, there are opportunities. Plumbers, carpenters and electricians make good money.”

She is looking for donations, up to $10,000 for racing gear.

“It’s what pulls kids in,” she says. Donations pay for travel to events, uniforms and helmets.

OIC programs give participants “tools” to be successful.

“The more tools you have the more successful you’ll be,” Fox says. “We stress critical thinking, decision-making and self-esteem. Everybody needs a hug and to hear, ‘You’re doing good!’ ”

Fox hopes Chamber of Commerce merchants will have jobs this summer for city youth.

“Paulette is helping prepare today’s young people for tomorrow’s jobs,” says chamber President William Millerick. “Her young people come up the hard way. But with her help they achieve their potential. The respect they show her is inspiring.”

— Staff Writer Scott Whipple

William Gagliardi

With 40 years on the New Britain police force and counting, police Chief Gagliardi is facing what may be the most challenging year of his career.

He recently received approval to hire 25 officers in the hopes of cutting overtime and maintaining services while overseeing the building of a new police station at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets.

The 64-year-old, who was appointed chief in 2005, will also be instrumental in reorganizing the command staff after the loss of two captains this year.

Mayor Timothy O’Brien, who has been at the helm less than two months, said he’s counting on Gagliardi’s expertise and leadership to keep a steady course for the department.

“He has a wealth of experience and he is a straight shooter,” O’Brien said. “He’s a deeply honorable man who cares just as deeply about the good of our community. I know he wants his work to leave a better future for our city.”

Gagliardi says his goal is to maintain a high degree of public confidence in the department amid all the changes coming in the new year. “The community expects a certain level of service from our officers,” he said. “It’s always a challenge to maintain that level. It will take a good year to get the new officers online, so we’ll have to maintain that level for another year without them.”

He’ll also oversee the shift to the new building, a move that will offer technological advancements such as the ability to track crime trends in various neighborhood. “That’s an exciting thing for the city,” he said. “It should allow us to have a more proactive approach.”

— Staff Writer Lisa Backus

Douglas Hyland

Hyland is the director of the New Britain Museum of American Art and has been a museum director in San Antonio, Birmingham and Memphis. A University of Pennsylvania graduate, he holds a master’s degree and doctorate in art history from the University of Delaware.

The New Britain museum in the past year welcomed 2,000 schoolchildren to its galleries. Hyland hopes more will come.

“I would like to see the school system develop a program that will inspire pre-school children,” he says.

Hyland, 61, believes the museum can open the door to a child’s imagination. He wants to create a rewarding experience that can be both money-maker and image-creator for the city.

According to Central Connecticut State University geography professor Richard Benfield, a recent museum exhibit generated $1 million in revenue.

“The data from our study suggests the perception of New Britain as a center for art is very positive,” he says. “Visitors seem to enjoy what Douglas is putting on the walls.”

However, a visitor’s experience is not limited to what’s on the walls.

“There are few places where people can come together and not be passive,” Hyland says. “Here you can actually meet people, listen to music, and discuss works of art.”

Hyland, who is completing his 12th year at the museum, says he’s not leaving for a larger market area.

“I’m perfectly happy here,” he says. “But if I thought that every year would be the same, I would have left long ago.”

— Staff Writer Scott Whipple

Avner Krohn

Krohn recently entered his downtown office breathless. “I’ve been showing properties,” he said. “Things are picking up.”

Since Jasko Development, based in Monsey, N.Y., started renovating and restoring much of New Britain’s downtown four years ago its managing partner has become a newsmaker.

Founded in 2004, Jasko is a privately owned commercial realtor.

The city is not unaware of Krohn’s work. His office walls display awards and statements of praise from the Chamber of Commerce, former Gov. M. Jodi Rell, and U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy. If New Britain experiences an economic revival credit this 30-year-old entrepreneur.

“2012 is a key year,” Krohn said. “We have construction projects greater than any other city in the state.”

Krohn said he’s getting queries from business owners thinking of relocating to New Britain. They praise the pending opening of a police station downtown, anticipated federal money for a broad streetscape plan, and a Busway that will link a city with affordable housing and business properties to Hartford.

“Avner should be commended for what he’s brought to downtown: the Andrews Building, the Rao Building ,” says Bill Carroll, the city’s business development director.

“I want to attract even more business and fill existing vacancies,” says Krohn, whose interests may surprise people.

Krohn studied Talmudic Law in Israel. On the weekends he plays drums for a rock band.

Then, too, there’s his fondness for his adopted community.

“I consider it God’s blessing that I came here,” Krohn says. “New Britain is manageable and open to change.”

— Staff Writer Scott Whipple

Kate McCue

While others fondly recalled the rose garden at Walnut Hill Park in New Britain that was a long-distant memory, McCue did something about bringing the past to life.

Thanks to McCue’s efforts hundreds of roses grace the park each summer in a setting reminiscent of more than three decades ago when families would spend Sunday afternoons enjoying the scenery in the city.

The newly appointed executive vice president of McCue Mortgage was able to pull off the planting of 850 roses in 2010 with the help of scores of volunteers, many of whom now are “bloom buddies” working regularly to keep the garden in pristine shape.

“Kate is a leader, she’s tenacious and she can really motivate people to work together to get the job done,” said New Britain Parks and Recreation Director Bill DeMaio, who also worked on the project.

McCue graduated from Georgetown University in 2000 and has been working her way up the ladder at her family’s company ever since. During her tenure, the 33-year-old has worked as the project manager for the CT Families program helping homeowners facing financial hardships to refinance to an affordable 30-year mortgage.

She’s on the board of directors of no less than four local charitable organizations and still maintains her status as project manager for the Walnut Hill Rose Park Garden. 

“They are just beautiful,” DeMaio said of the hundreds of glorious blooms. “We’ve had rose experts from California come and check them out. The people from Elizabeth Park (in Hartford) have been here, too. We’re working on getting benches in as well. It’s quite a beautiful place up there.”

— Staff Writer Lisa Backus

Rick Mullins Jr.

The new year at the offices of the Institute of Technology & Business Development in New Britain will bring with it several new initiatives aimed at helping provide jobs for people bedeviled by one of the worst job markets in memory.

At the helm of ITBD is Mullins, who for 16 years has been shaping how the organization, part of Central Connecticut State University, has evolved as the go-to place for businesses that want to improve their workforce.

“We go to companies statewide and provide training sessions and seminars for management and supervisors to hone their skills and help companies be more productive,” Mullins said.

New in 2012 will be the collaborative efforts of five area businesses to train 15 high school students in precision machining for the aerospace and medical field, among others. There also will be a corporate training program with an international client (that Mullins declined to name) that will bring 20 executives here to train American executives on advancing their business acumen.

“There is nothing like us in New England,” said Mullins, who grew up in the Hardware City.

Jason Howey, president of Okay Industries, has worked with Mullins in a variety of roles.

“He has served in both the education and business sector,” Howey said. “He understands what the needs are for employers and realizes our special challenges.”

— Staff Writer Robert Storace

Timothy O’Brien

O’Brien was elected mayor of New Britain promising to change how government works, but perhaps more pressing is a city mired in debt.

He will be responsible for crafting the blueprint that keeps the city fiscally solvent. But he also will play a critical role as the downtown is refashioned — specifically in the form of the Busway project and the new police station (and determing what becomes of the old one).

He will also be faced in the new year with making a decision on bringing Costco to the city.

The work ahead might seem like a herculean task, but the 43-year-old Democrat says he’s up for the challenge.

“I will make sure we balance the budget,” said O’Brien, who inherited a city $11.5 million in debt. “That, along with keeping property taxes down, has been a goal of mine.”

O’Brien also said there are several initiatives in the works — which he declined to identify — to bring more businesses to the city this coming year.

“We will be stepping up our economic development efforts,” O’Brien said. “Failure is not an option. We will make New Britain successful.”

New in 2012, the mayor said, is for him to promote the arts in the city.

“We will do a lot more to publicize and support the arts,” O’Brien said. “We deserve to celebrate our heritage. We have many different ethnic groups in the city who have a lot to offer. I want to be in the forefront of helping people organize and publicize their various events.”

Those who know him and work with him say they expect the new mayor to have an open line of communication with members of the Common Council, city department heads and the public.

“I expect to see an openness with everything he does,” Democratic Alderman Carlo Carlozzi said.

— Staff Writer Robert Storace

Francisco Quinn

Active in the Latino community, Quinn is helping to determine how several programs aimed at that community’s residents are run.

Quinn has worked for the Spanish Speaking Center and is a member of the Latino and Public Affairs Commission. He has also been active in helping Latinos and others by working on voter registration drives and AIDS outreach programs.

Said New Britain state Rep. Robert Sanchez, who was once Quinn’s supervisor at the Human Resources Agency of New Britain, “He’s a gentle and kind advocate for the community, especially the Latino community.”

One example of Quinn’s go-to attitude was what he did when he learned federal funding for a program designed to provide support for grandparents ran out. Quinn knew that he couldn’t let the program die.

So Quinn, family service worker for HRA, decided he’d go it alone.

“I continued the program (aimed at helping grandparents on issues ranging from custodial rights to housing) as a volunteer,” said Quinn, who is 62.

An employee of HRA for four years, Quinn also works with parents, teachers and children — many from the Latino community — who are part of the organization’s Head Start program.

“I work to prepare them for the skills they need in kindergarten,” Quinn said of the children, primarily from low-income households. There are 550 children enrolled in the program and Quinn works with 60 of them — working directly in helping to craft the lives of a new generation of city leaders.

— Staff Writer Robert Storace

Here are a few other notable people in the community playing a leading role in shaping the direction of New Britain and the region:

Merrill Gay

Gay’s name is likely to pop up when discussing education either in New Britain or at the state level. He’s been an advocate for quality education and funding for years. As a resident of the city, he pushes for equal opportunities for New Britain students.

“New Britain’s delegation is very committed to its kids and Merrill has that on his side,” said Maggie Adair, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding. “He knows how to mobilize people and get people engaged.”

A retired co-chairman of the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, Gay is the director of New Britain’s Early Childhood Collaborative and a member of the city’s School Readiness Council. He’s involved in a variety of efforts to boost the performance of city students, perhaps most notably the New Britain Reads campaign.

“The idea is if we can get students reading well by the end of third grade, they are more likely to stay on track for fourth grade when they are expected to understand the actual content of what their reading,” said Gay, who is 50.

The three major components of the campaign are to decrease chronic absences, have children read more in the summer, and improve school readiness overall.

— Staff Writer Emilia Murdoch

James Wardwell

Not many lead detectives can say they spent an entire night investigating a murder soon after running the Boston Marathon. But the 49-year-old Wardwell, New Britain’s acting police captain, is one in a million.

He’s created one of the state’s preeminent digital forensic units, drawing international acclaim.

He’s the only police officer chosen to work on a federal subcommittee setting up standards, policies and best practices for forensic scientists around the country. And he still finds time to run two to three marathons a year.

“Jim is the technology guru in the Police Department for police officers,” police Chief William Gagliardi said. “He’s just completing his master’s degree, he’s an expert in polygraph, and he’s certainly the top digital forensics man in New England. Having him here is a huge advantage for the city.”

— Staff Writer Lisa Backus

Lyle Wray

His vision for the region is increased efficiency in all things, but particularly transportation.

As executive director of the Capital Region Council of Governments, Wray, 61, continues to be a chief proponent of the Busway project. He’s helping the state Department of Transportation build what he calls “a successful bus rapid-transit line from New Britain to Hartford with three- to five-minute service.”

But he’ll be the first to say the Busway is just one aspect of a larger rapid transit system he hopes will benefit Central Connecticut in the coming years. In the next five years he expects a train will leave Hartford for New York City every 30 minutes, and whether you choose to get around by car, bike or public transit, there will be a quick, safe and low-cost route, according to Wray.

He’s also pushing a plan to make buildings in downtown New Britain more energy efficient, and wants to promote the sharing of public services, including an “e-government” in which residents can conduct more business online, like applying for building permits.

When it comes to ideas that could transform transportation and economic growth in the region, Wray is someone usually at the forefront of the discussion.

— Staff Writer Erica Schmitt