When Nell Moll sits down at the Milford Yacht Club overlooking the harbor, she's surrounded by the threads of a life interwoven with Milford's history. At 73, she's watched this coastal Connecticut town transform from the quiet hamlet of her 1950s childhood into the thriving community it is today—and she's been instrumental in shaping that evolution.
"I've lived in a lot of different places," Nell reflects, "and there's pride in towns, but I've never seen anything like the pride that people have for living in Milford."
Born in 1952 in South Nassau County on Long Island, Nell arrived in Milford as a young child when her father took a job as the grill man at Jimmy's restaurant. The family settled in the Bayview neighborhood before moving downtown. Nell graduated from Milford High School in 1970.
Her roots run deep. From working at clothing stores on Daniel Street in the early seventies to bartending Sundays at Jake's—"the biggest dive bar in town"—Nell was always part of Milford's fabric. She went on to work in the marine electronics business and was instrumental in establishing Electra Yachts locations across Connecticut and into Rhode Island and Florida. But Milford always called her back.
The pivot that would define her professional legacy came in 1996. After owning a store downtown—expanding Issie's News Room into a beloved community gathering place, Issie's Big News—Nell found herself at a crossroads. A friendship with Harriet Racz, then Director of Membership at the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce, led to an opportunity that would last 25 years.
"The heart and soul of it is membership," Nell says of her time as the Chamber's Director. Under her tenure, membership soared to the high 600s with remarkably low turnover. "My favorite part was connecting people. Knowing what they did, being able to assist them and share resources with them."
Nell's approach was personal and authentic. She knew business owners by name, understood their operations, knew how many employees they had, and could expertly connect them with the right opportunities. Long before "networking" became a buzzword, Nell was building relationships the old-fashioned way—through genuine care and community investment.
Her impact didn't go unnoticed. In 2017, Mayor Ben Blake presented Nell with the Mayor's Distinguished Citizen's Award and proclaimed July 27 as Nell Moll Day in Milford. That same year, she served as Grand Marshal for the Milford St. Patrick's Day Parade, a fitting honor for someone of Irish and Italian heritage. In 2021, the Devon Rotary Club honored her with the Evio Giovanelly Award for service above self.
"When Nell was suggested for this honor, there was immediate and unanimous agreement that she was the perfect choice," said Al May, then-president of Devon Rotary. "Nell, to this day, continues to promote everything Milford, since not doing so would be to deny a part of who she is."
Nell's Chamber tenure ended with COVID in 2020, when it became time to collect Social Security—"hard for me to believe," she laughs—and care for her mother, who lived to 97 and remained sharp until the end. These days, Nell stays close to home, rarely venturing beyond her two-mile radius of downtown. She and her partner Dory, together for 45 years and married just this year, enjoy their boat docked at the harbor, cook elaborate Italian Sunday gravies, and maintain deep ties to the community.
"To me, it's still a quaint town," Nell says of modern Milford, even as she acknowledges the growth. The modest neighborhood where she grew up now features homes selling for nearly $1 million. Her childhood ranch house has been replaced by a four-story structure. The changes don't diminish her affection.
"When I look back at the different decades—the seventies, eighties, nineties—they all have great chapters," she reflects. "I've been very lucky in life. Right place at the right time."
Nell watches newcomers with the pride of someone who helped build the community they're discovering. She's seen Chamber ambassadors she trained, including Simon McDonald, take on leadership roles. She's watched her niece Makayla Silva of The Giggling Pig bring new energy to the area. She's been a steady presence through mayoral administrations, economic shifts, and the town's evolution from a sleepy coastal village to a destination.
When asked about Milford's future, Nell's measured optimism shines through. She's realistic about overdevelopment concerns but philosophical about growth—"it's what everybody always wanted." Most importantly, she remains committed to the place that shaped her and that she, in turn, helped shape.
"There's everything and nothing to do here in Milford," Nell says with a smile. "You can do as much as you want. It's just such a nice place to be."
For someone who's spent more than seven decades here, who's connected hundreds of businesses, who's bartended and boated and built community, Nell Moll has earned the right to that simple truth.
"The heart and soul of [the Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce] is membership...[and] my favorite part was connecting people. Knowing what they did, being able to assist them and share resources with them."