The Naugatuck Chamber will present the 2026 Lewis A. Dibble Sr. Award in early 2026.

The award, presented annually by the Chamber, recognizes an individual’s outstanding contributions to the business and the socioeconomic well-being of Naugatuck. The 2026 recipient will receive the award during the Naugatuck Chamber’s 104th Annual Meeting and Lewis A. Dibble Award Dinner at Aria Wedding and Banquet Facility in Prospect. 

The prestigious award is named after Lewis Acker Dibble Sr., who lived in Naugatuck his entire life, played an influential role in founding the Chamber during the 1920s, and served as its first president. Born in 1895, Dibble was educated at Yale University and later served in leadership positions at a variety of area manufacturers, including the former Naugatuck-based Risdon Manufacturing, which was a leader in producing eyelet machine tools, cigarette lighters, and most notably, lipstick cases. He retired from the Eastern Malleable Iron Co., now The Eastern Company, in 1968.

In addition to honoring the recipient, the Chamber will look back on the successes it had in 2025, acknowledge members of its board of directors, and provide a preview of what’s to come in 2065, including Duck Day, which will take place Sunday, June 7, 2026 in downtown Naugatuck.

Since 1976, the Chamber has honored Dibble’s leadership by recognizing a key leader in the local community. Past recipients have included Edward G. Fitzpatrick, Esq. of Fitzpatrick, Santos, Sousa, and Perugini, P.C.; Chet Doheny of We Do Life Together—A Division of ICES, Inc.; Attorney Carlos A. Santos of Fitzpatrick, Santos, Sousa, and Perugini P.C.; Marcelo R. Martins of Luso Cleaning Services LLC; Kathleen A. McPadden of Ion Bank; Naugatuck Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess; Naugatuck Economic Development Corp. CEO Ronald Pugliese; Laurie Yelding of Yelding Inc., and Rebecca Zandvliet of Coldwell Banker Realty 2000.

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