Biega Builds as a Job, But Also as a Valued Volunteer on Numerous Old Lyme Projects

Soft-spoken and with a cheerful disposition, Biega has served as a volunteer on numerous building committees in Old Lyme including the construction of the Hains Park Boathouse at Rogers Lake and the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library renovation and expansion project.

He is currently a volunteer member of the Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee.

Meanwhile, in a professional capacity as both the co-owner of Noble Construction & Management in Essex and a building construction manager with more than 30 years of experience, he has for the past six months been spearheading the extensive construction project for the Brady Wellness Center at the Valley-Shore YMCA — commonly known as the ‘Y’ — in Westbrook, Conn.

Biega, who has lived in Old Lyme since 1990, graduated from Wentworth College with a Bachelor of Science in Building Construction and has been in the construction business ever since. He joined O & G Industries in Torrington more than  32 years ago as a junior project engineer and steadily advanced through its ranks, rising to a manager, and then a senior executive in the firm.

In May 2021, Biega took a giant leap towards becoming his own boss when he joined Noble Construction. The founder, Ed Noble, was looking to retire and seeking someone to take over the successful business he had created. Biega stepped into that role as co-owner and the two men worked out all the financial arrangements for Biega to take full ownership over an agreed period in a series of steps.

While working at O & G, Biega was involved in numerous local school building projects including East Lyme High and Middle Schools, and all the schools in both Waterford and Westbrook. Further afield, he has taken on projects at Yale University, Wyndham High School and the Gunn School at Litchfield, Conn.

His first encounter with his hometown was when O & G was awarded the Lyme-Old Lyme (LOL) High School construction project that was ultimately built after the initial proposal had been defeated at referendum. Wearing his O & G hat, Biega became an ex officio member of the Region 18 Building Committee in 2009 and played a significant part in guiding its members through the complexities and controversies of the high school project, which lasted through 2012 .

Shortly after the conclusion of that project, the Town of Old Lyme’s plan to construct a new boathouse at Hains Park on Rogers Lake began to take shape. Recalling Biega’s calm expertise throughout the lengthy LOL High School project along with his careful eye on costs, Mary Jo Nosal, who was serving as an Old Lyme Selectwoman at the time, asked Biega if he would be willing to serve on the boathouse committee.

He agreed … and in many ways, the rest is history.

Asked how Biega contributed to the boathouse project, Nosal replied, “[He] is a dependable and modest community asset, who never fails to respond with a self-effacing “Sure,” when asked to volunteer. Ken is an effective collaborator, who shares his deep expertise to ensure that every aspect of the project is addressed in the most cost-effective manner.”

She added, “Ken’s nature makes him approachable and respectful of others’ questions and opinions. His record of volunteerism includes leadership roles on [numerous] projects. He has been instrumental in building these gems in our community.”

After the boathouse project, Biega became involved in the now-completed building and renovation project at the Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library in Old Lyme, which has totally transformed the facility. Library Director Katie Huffman explained his role saying, “Ken served as the Renewal Building Project Committee Chair from 2017 through 2021. Last fall, we retired the Renewal Building Project Committee and reinstated the Library Building Committee of which Ken is the chair.”

Describing how the project progressed, she said, “Working with Ken has been fabulous. He brings so much knowledge about the construction process to the table. I’m confident that his expertise has saved the library both time and money, and it’s freed up my time to focus more on library services.”

In further recognition of his service to the library, Biega was elected Vice-President of the Library Board for the current financial year.

The library project was hardly finished when Biega was asked to join the Lymes’ Senior Center Building Committee,  which had the charge to research the optimum way to renovate and possibly expand the Center. Jeri Baker of Old Lyme is both the chair of the Lymes’ Senior Center Board of Trustees and also head of its building committee. The project may still be in its infancy, but Baker already has a clear impression of the skills Biega is contributing to the project as a volunteer committee member.

She commented, “Ken is an incredible asset to the Senior Center Building Committee. His depth of knowledge and expert skill set makes him a valuable member of yet another effort to improve the lives of both the communities of Lyme and Old Lyme.”

Baker concluded succinctly — and with a chuckle, “He is such a team player on the committee … and also has a great sense of humor!”

As mentioned above, Biega’s most recent project in a professional capacity has been the construction of the Brady Wellness Center at the Westbrook ‘Y.’ This came about after the Prymus Pool suffered a catastrophic failure in 2015 that ultimately caused the permanent closure of the pool.

Immediately following the closure, the ‘Y’ conducted a community-wide needs assessment study to determine how it could best serve the community. Based on the survey data collected, the ‘Y’s’ Board of Directors decided to renovate the damaged pool area and transform the space into a state-of-the-art wellness center for community members of all ages to utilize.

Tony Sharillo, Director of Operations at the ‘Y’, explains the board’s vision was, “To create a Wellness Center that generated excitement and which the community could be proud of — the ‘Crown Jewel of the Shoreline’ in terms of wellness centers — with the immediate intention of enticing people to get back to being fit and healthy after all the challenges of the pandemic.”

To fund the renovations, the ‘Y’ set a capital campaign goal of $5.5 million, and despite the unexpected and severe impact of COVID-19, a remarkable $4.2 million has already been raised. This has been possible in part because, after its humble opening in 1974, the ‘Y’ has undergone four facility expansions and now serves more than 10,000 members each year, who make over 10 million visits.

The fundraising was kicked off by Robert “Bob” Brady, after whom the Center is named, with a major gift of $1.5 million from the Brady Family Foundation. Brady is the founder and former CEO of BLR® – Business & Legal Resources of Old Saybrook, and, according to Sharillo, “… believes in the Y and its impact on the community. Having experienced the importance of fitness in his own life, he wanted to share that belief with the community at large.”

The ‘Y’ set a challenging construction schedule back in July 2021 when Noble Construction was selected as the contractor, but, thanks in many ways to Biega’s guiding hand, the new Brady Wellness Center opened on both time and budget a few weeks ago.

The Center offers a complete line of new cardiovascular equipment, free weights, selectorized equipment, a functional training area, and a sophisticated circuit training system, called MX4.

Asked how the project has progressed under Biega’s watchful eye, Sharillo replied, “ We’re very fortunate to have Ken as part of the team. He has been wonderful. We had a really aggressive timeline and he did everything he could to ensure that high quality was maintained… costs were managed effectively and all the sub-contractors held up their ends [in terms of their commitments.]”

In summary, Sharillo said of Biega, “I couldn’t have asked for a better contractor to work with. He really cared about the project. He was so hard working and incredibly generous with his time.”

The Center opened Feb. 21 this year, but an official ribbon-cutting is planned in a few months when all the final punch-list items have been completed. Sharillo noted that all donors to the Capital Campaign will be invited to the ceremony.

He also stresses that there is no additional charge to members of the ‘Y’ to use the new Brady Wellness Center, noting, “It’s all part of the package.”

The Center is now open for business and Biega will soon be working on another project. But he will doubtless continue his volunteer activities in Old Lyme, especially as the Lymes’ Senior Center project is in its very early stages.

Asked why he carries on with his significant volunteer work when he is not only about to become the sole owner of a thriving business but also has a wife and three children to consider, he says simply, “It makes me a part of the community and allows me to give back.”

Nosal puts it another way saying Biega has become such an asset to the Old Lyme community that, “Suffice to say, for any building project in Old Lyme, the common thinking is, ‘What would Ken do?'”