Leadership Team
Meet The Team
Cedar Island Marina Clinton, CT
Meet the Team at Cedar Island Marina
What sets Cedar Island Marina apart is the people who operate it day in and day out. As a family run marina, we take pride in creating an environment that feels more personal and less corporate.
Our team brings extensive hands-on experience across dock operations, service, storage, brokerage, and guest services. Whether you’re new to boating or a seasoned captain, you can expect knowledgeable guidance, reliable support, and a consistent, well-run experience.
We place a strong emphasis on relationships. Over time, our staff comes to understand each customer’s vessel, preferences, and boating style, creating a level of familiarity and service that’s hard to replicate.
Jeffrey Shapiro
President and Owner
Jeff purchased Cedar Island Marina in 1974 at the age of 22 after graduating college. When the marina was originally purchased, it was less than a third the size of what it is now. Throughout the almost four decades that Jeff has been the sole owner and operator of Cedar Island Marina, he has transformed it from a small yard with a few docks to one of the largest full service marinas in Connecticut. He started the service department, expanded the marina substantially, installed the pool, hot tub, snack bar, playground facilities, marine biology research lab, bathrooms, tripled the size of the restaurant, and much more.
Since the beginning of his ownership, Jeff has been very involved in marine biology and the marine environment. He has always had a strong desire to study the symbiotic relationship marinas and docks have with the environment. In 1986 Jeff founded the Cedar Island Marina Research Lab, which in participation with local universities such as Southern Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut, has conducted hundreds of ecological and biological studies of the area, including many studies that have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Jeff was one of the first in Connecticut to demonstrably show that marinas do not have a negative impact on the environment. In fact, there are many more species of plant and animal life under our docks than in the surrounding mudflats. Our docks actually act as an artificial reef. In 1996 the US Environmental Protection Agency cited Cedar Island Marina as one of the 25 most environmentally conscious marinas in the country and in 1999 the CT Dept. of Environmental Protection awarded the Green Circle Award for Environmental Contributions.
Jeff is an avid boater. He holds a 100 ton Near-Coastal USCG Master’s License. He is also the main operator in charge of dredging Cedar Island Marina.
Kristopher Shapiro
Vice President
Jeff’s son, Kris, started working at the marina at the age of 13 as a dock hand. Working from the bottom-up, Kris started as a dock hand at the fuel dock dispensing fuel, doing pump-outs (before it was self-service), and docking boats. Over time, Kris became more involved in both the yard work and the financial end of business until he was promoted to General Manager in 2012. Currently, Kris runs all operations for the marina. He is in charge of hiring, training, and managing over 50 staff both full-time and seasonal. Kris’ main focus is budgeting and overseeing marina improvements and modernization.
During the winter he helps to build and repair docks and operates the hydraulic dredge that is used to dredge the marina basin. In addition he is in charge of creating and implementing Cedar Island Marina’s marketing plan across varied platforms including running all social media accounts, website optimization, and SEO. Kris also works to implement and update safety protocols and policies.
Kris graduated Ithaca College in 2009 with degrees in Business Administration and Philosophy. He then got his M.B.A. from Quinnipiac University in 2012. He holds a 100 ton Near-Coastal USCG Master’s License. He is also a Public Notary and provides free Notary services to all customers.
In January of 2019, Kris was awarded the status of Certified Marina Manager from the International Marina Institute. He is one of the youngest ever to have received this degree.
In early 2020, Kris was awarded the “Young Leader Award” from Marina Dockage Magazine. This award honored 12 other leaders in the Marina Industry across the United States under 40 years old.
Vincenzo DeFrancesco
General Manager
Vinnie started working at Cedar Island Marina as a dockhand in high school. Shortly after, he was promoted to Assistant Dockmaster where he assisted Marc with running the fuel dock and assisting customers. After graduating college, he joined the marina full time as the marina’s General Manager. Vinnie oversees all operations of the marina. He is in charge of hiring, training and managing all full-time and seasonal employees.
In the offseason, he assists in the hauling/launching of boats and slip rentals. He also takes an active role in various projects and business development opportunities for the marina.
Vinnie graduated from the University of Hartford with a BSBA in Accounting.
Marc Tardiff
Dockmaster
Marc has worked here his entire adult life since the age of 16. He started working as a maintenance employee and worked his way up to Dockmaster. Now, both Marc and Vinnie jointly oversee operations at the fuel dock. Marc also manages and assigns duty to the summer staff. During the off season, Marc is a history teacher at Wheeler Middle School in North Stonington teaching 8th grade students. He has been a teacher for over 20 years. Marc is an extremely active individual and is involved in a variety of extracurricular activities. He is the high school cross country coach, a class advisor, and is the advisor to the middle school year book. Marc’s interpersonal and communication skills are second to none and have proven to be a valuable asset amongst our staff. During his spare time, you might find him boating, antiquing, or running.
Michelle Riccio
Office Manager
Michelle has worked at Cedar Island Marina since 1983. She is very knowledgeable about all departments of the marina and can either help or direct customers to the right person to serve all customers boating needs. She also assists in customers concierge needs as she is also familiar with most of the services available locally including transportation, lodging, restaurant, shopping, and local sights. Michelle is in charge of a vast amount of the customer’s experience. She works with new customers to find the right slips for them based on boat size, type, dock preference, and most importantly- neighbors! This helps to ensure that our customers’ experience is positive. Michelle is also in charge of payroll, billing, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. Her customer service skills are exceptional.
Lynn J. Martin-Hartnett
Service Representative
Lynn communicates directly with customers to insure their individual needs are met to the highest standard. She is the knowledgeable liaison between the service department and our valued boaters for the many services we offer, including: scheduling/coordination of hauling/launching, mechanical work, painting, fiberglass repairs, finishing/varnish, shrink wrapping, carpentry, warranty, service billing, estimates, and parts ordering. Lynn is the type of person that customers feel confident talking to both formally and informally about boating.
Timothy J. Connell
Head Painter and Repairmen
Tim is a marine specialist in Awlgrip, Alexseal, Interprotect barrier system gelcoat, and refinishing/varnish work. He attends painting seminars all over the country to make sure that we are on the cutting edge of the industry. He is an expert craftsman in fiberglass applications and repairs. He assists in shrink wrapping, dredging, running gear repair, hauling and launching, dock repair/building, and mast stepping. Tim also operates the crane, dredge, travel lift, forklift, and excavator.
Ted Welch
Head Mechanic
Teddy has worked in the marine industry his entire adult life. Before finding his home at Cedar Island Marina, he was employed at many different local marinas and owned his own business as well. While Teddy performs a vast variety of mechanical duties, he specializes in outboard and sterndrive maintenance. Teddy is genuinely one of the nicest and most friendly people there is and it is very often that customers will stop in just to socialize with Teddy. He is an expert on repairing and installing fuel tanks. He also performs engine installs/rebuilds on top of his many duties as a mechanic.