About Us

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After losing the stunning and exciting campaign for mayor last year by a scant 571 votes, Dawn vowed to stay involved in the political scene in Waterbury. She was asked to step up and take on the chairmanship of the WRTC. With no hesitation, she did just that with the enthusiasm and dedication she displayed in the mayoral race.
 

Dawn was born and raised in Waterbury and is a proud graduate of Blessed Sacrament School, Class of 1982 and Holy Cross High School, Class of 1986. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and an Associate’s Degree in Mortuary Science from Briarwood College.

While her family has been in business in Waterbury since 1907, she and her sister, Nicki were told at an early age that the funeral business was NOT “Girl Work” and was urged to pursue other interests.

After graduating from UNLV in 1990 with a degree in marketing and a love of promotion, Dawn moved home and began her marketing career with Subway Sandwiches World Headquarters in Milford where she began as an advertising advisor. While at Subway HQ, Dawn was promoted to Media Marketing Director, where she helped individual U.S. markets plan their local media ensuring it coincided with the national media plans.

After leaving Subway, Dawn returned to the grass roots level of media planning and buying and accepted a media planner position at O’Neal & Prelle Advertising in Hartford, managing the media planning, negotiating, and buying for clients such as CT Tourism and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of CT.

One day in 1995, a phone call catapulted her into the national advertising arena. She was recruited along with twenty-five other “Best and Brightest” media professionals on the east coast, to head up the Coca-Cola media planning unit at D’Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles Advertising Agency in New York City. She packed up and moved to the “Big Apple”! From 1995 to 1997, Dawn worked alongside some of the most media savvy professionals in the industry, guiding the media direction of the worldwide brand with a media budget of over $500 million.

In 1997, Dawn was again recruited…this time back to Las Vegas, to oversee the media department at R&R Partners, the advertising agency whose largest client was the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority.

Proud to have been part of the marketing team who created the “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas” slogan and campaign, she was a familiar face in meetings with the upper echelon of casino resort owners such as Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts.
 

After helping Las Vegas navigate tourism life after the 9/11 tragedy, Dawn decided to step out of her public position, and accepted a Vice President position with a smaller Las Vegas based advertising agency where she spent three years growing their client roster.

In 2003, Dawn was voted one of the “Top 40 Rising Stars Under the Age of 40” in the Las Vegas business arena. She broke out on her own, spent the next few years cultivating her own clients, and ultimately, established the Maiorano Media Group.
 

In 2005, her father, Philip Jr. requested that she and her sister return to Waterbury to join their brother, Phil III, to continue the family tradition and run the funeral home business. She and Nicki arrived at the end of 2005, began mortuary science college courses in early 2006 and along with Phil III, took the reins at the end of 2007, thus becoming the fourth generation in the business. The siblings are celebrating sixteen years working together, while the family business celebrates 116 years in Waterbury.
 

A community leader, Dawn (with her sister, Nicki) is the ONLY fourth generation member of UNICO, the largest Italian American Civic Organization in the country which was established in Waterbury in 1922.

Along with her family, Dawn was honored as the 2022 Italian Mayor of the Day in Waterbury as well as awarded the Italian Heritage Award from the Pontelandolfo community in recognition of the family’s dedication to enhancing the Italian culture. The Maiorano family received the 2016 Rev. John Meaney Community Impact Award from Sacred Heart High School for their contributions to the city and to the Catholic community. In 2022, Dawn was honored as the first recipient of the Sisters of St. Francis Award at the inaugural Catholic Academy Awards Dinner where she, the first Blessed Sacrament alumnus to be recognized, was awarded a proclamation from the State of CT General Assembly for her exemplary leadership in the city of Waterbury.

She is a commissioner on the Waterbury Finance Audit and Review Committee and a past executive board member of the Bunker Hill Neighborhood Association. She is a member of The Palace Theater Marquee Society of Women and has served and volunteered on many committees promoting the spectacular city treasure.

Prior to her having political aspirations, she has been called in as a marketing consultant for many civic issues and political campaigns, both in Las Vegas and Waterbury. Her passion is animal rescue, and she has rescued, fostered, and nursed back to health, over 20 English Bulldogs in the past eight years for the Long Island Bulldog Rescue while volunteering, consulting, and supporting many animal rescue groups throughout the country for over 25 years.
 

She spent two years renovating the iconic “Gingerbread House” in Waterbury where she lives with her husband, Joe Gervase, her beloved rescued poodle mix, Frankie, blind and deaf rescue doggie, Lulu, and rescued foster turned part of the family, English bulldog, Dior.

Joe Bannon has been an active member of the WRTC for 24 years. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of

Houston and is the retired Deputy Director of the Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board. He served four terms as the State Central

Committeeman representing the 15th State Senate District and one term as

the Second Vice Chairman of the Connecticut Republicans representing the 5th Congressional District. Joe has at various times served the WRTC

as District Chair 73rd, Executive Committee 73rd, and WRTC Vice Chair. He has served as treasurer for State Representative, Aldermanic, and Mayoral

campaigns.

Anthony currently works as the Associate Director of Quality and Compliance at the Friendship Service Center in New Britain and is responsible for overseeing data and compliance for all programs. He previously had 16 years of case management and program

administration experience working with those experiencing homelessness at the St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury. Anthony obtained a BA in Philosophy with a Business minor from the

University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of Bridgeport.

Anthony is an Eagle Scout and has been involved with the Boy Scouts of America for 25 years, currently as an adult volunteer sitting on the District Committee as chair of the activities committee. Anthony is also involved in

other volunteer organizations and is currently treasurer of his local Knights of Columbus council and sits on the emerging leaders steering committee for the United Way of Greater Waterbury.

Anthony has taken an active role in local politics in the City of Waterbury and has been a Commissioner on the Human Rights Commission, District Reapportionment Commission, and currently, the Fair Rent Commission. He currently serves as the Treasurer on the Waterbury Republican Town Committee.

     Abigail Pizarro is the Republican candidate running for the State Representative position for the 73rd House District, representing Waterbury. Born on August 29, 1982, and raised in the North End of Waterbury, Pizarro has been a homeowner and taxpayer living in the Bunker Hill district for more than eight years. As a mother of 3 boys, her oldest currently attends WCSU and two youngest attend Waterbury public schools.

     Pizarro has a background in healthcare, working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) since 2011. She earned her LPN Certificate from Lincoln Technical Institute of Hamden and her professional experience includes employment at The Bradley Home and Pavilion in Meriden, since 2016, Vitas Innovative Hospice Care in Middlebury, and Meridian Manor in Waterbury.

     In addition to her nursing career, Pizarro has been actively involved in her community serving as a Commissioner on the Litter and Beautification Commission for the City of Waterbury since 2021. She volunteers her time as a member and secretary of the Waterville Community Club, a member and corresponding secretary of The Waterbury Neighborhood Council, and member of the Bucks Hill Community Club.
     When she is not working, she is volunteering her time with the residents of The Bradley Home, as President of the Gardening Club, and as a healthcare worker. Pizarro advocates for the health and overall wellbeing of her constituents by actively promoting the planting of trees, which improves our air quality, beautifying our city.
     Abigail Pizarro seeks your vote this November 5th to provide a more responsive voice in Hartford to better improve the lives of all the residents in the 73rd District.

I am the co-owner of Humanity Home Care LLC. Our mission is to improve our clients’

lives and health by providing professional services, enabling them to achieve the full

potential of every day. I have been a caregiver for 32 years for individuals with mental

and physical disabilities as well as for the elderly.

I have been on the CT Acquired Brain Injury Waiver Program for 19 years providing

hands-on personal care and advocacy. During that time, I worked consistently for one

client. When my time with her ended, I felt called to use my knowledge in the home care

industry and open my own agency to provide care with humanity and dignity and

respect. Currently, I staff 23 caregivers of whom I am extremely proud.

I joined the Waterbury Republican Town Committee in 2021 to be a part of my

community and to help make positive change in our city. I served as the Treasurer of the

WRTC for a year, and currently I am serving as the Secretary.

A proud mother of two and a grandmother to three grandchildren, I have been homesteading now for four years, and I love working with natural ingredients and creating remedies.