Wonder Women

Jill Adams is the CEO, co-founder and majority owner of Adams & Knight, the Avon-based integrated marketing agency. She is president of the Hartford Stage, board of directors, and shared the artistic director search committee that brought Darko Tresnjak to Hartford Stage. Prior to starting her own firm, she gained valuable client-side experience at Connecticut mutual and as a vice president of communications for Monarch Financial Services. She holds a masters degree in communications from Boston University.

Maryse Adonis of Newington
Humanitarian with a Heart for Haiti

Maryse Adonis emigrated from Haiti when she was 16 years old, but it’s clear that she left her heart in that beautiful – but troubled – Caribbean country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. You see, for more than 15 years Maryse has been working as a humanitarian, providing the most essential elements of life – food, clothing, education, health care – to the often-forgotten people of Haiti and the Bateyes region of the Dominican Republic, so named because of bateyes, or shantytowns, where many Haitians live in squalor while working in the sugar cane fields of the DR.

Outraged by the near-slave-like conditions, Maryse started a non-profit in 2005 called Arm2Arm, which is based in her home in Newington but attracts supporters from across the state. In addition to building and maintaining a one-room schoolhouse in the Bayetes region, the Arm2Arm volunteers – including health care workers, high school students, and church youth groups – also deliver supplies, offer basic medical treatment, and provide general support, including underwriting the school’s lunch program and paying the teachers’ salaries. Donations come from grass-roots fund raisers, some of which are run by teenagers, and from her neighbors and friends.

If you looked at photos from Arm2Arm mission trips, you’d never guess they were taken in the poorest country in the world; they are replete with beaming faces and exuberant hugs. Maryse’s nominator says that is a reflection of Maryse herself: “I have never met a person like Maryse, who has never forgotten where she comes from, whose purpose and true passion in life is to care for the world’s poorest and maintain an aura of joy.”

When disaster strikes her beloved Caribbean, as it seems to do with disproportionate frequency, Maryse and Arm2Arm spring into action, organizing relief efforts – like in 2019, when Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, or last month, when a 7.2-magnitude earthquake shook Haiti to its core. Maryse coordinates donations of essential supplies as well as funds to cover the cost of shipping them.

Mind you, these humanitarian efforts are what Maryse has chosen to do in “retirement,” after finishing her 30-year career at Aetna. She concedes that she is probably busier now than when she was working for a living.

“I love it,” she says, adding that the humanitarian work is what makes her life worth living. “We are all children of God, and we are here for a purpose,” she reflects. “To be able to give a pair of glasses to a man who has not been able to see well for many years, and for him to tell you ‘now I can walk home’ … that is what makes me feel like I am making a difference.”

Ana Alfaro of Windsor 
Eversource Energy professional; Host and Producer of “El Show de Analeh;” Latina Community Leader

In her professional life, Ana Alfaro is a Senior Community Relations Specialist for Eversource Energy, where she has worked for more than 20 years.

But you could say that’s her personal-life title, too.

You see, no matter where she is, Ana seems to spend just about all of her time nurturing strong and positive community relations among groups of all kinds.

“Everyone in Greater Hartford’s Latino community knows Ana Alfaro,” wrote her nominators. She is perhaps most recognized as the cheerful and charismatic host and producer of “El Show de Analeh,” which has been airing on Saturday mornings on local Univision channels since 2007. Produced in partnership with Capital Community College, the show entertains, informs, and empowers the Latino community by focusing on key issues like civic engagement, immigration, or health care (especially Covid-19) and by featuring authoritative guests who are specialists in their fields.

But she is equally well-known and admired for an annual toy drive she organizes to benefit children connected to Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, and the Urban Community Alliance in New Haven, among other beneficiaries. This past December, thwarted by social distancing requirements, Ana arranged for donated toys to be dropped off via a drive-through at the Hispanic Health Council, so that Christmas could still come to the kids despite the pandemic.

A native of Honduras, Ana also organizes festivals to honor different Latin American countries and is an active proponent of the arts (and loves to dance herself!). And, she is a sought-after and active Board member of myriad organizations, including the Hartford Public Library, Billings Forge, and the CT Immigrant Hall of Fame (and several others previously). She has received dozens of awards.

And yet one of her nominators says: “Ana prefers to stay in the background, and she makes sure that others receive the recognition.”

“Her passion for people, community, self-improvement, and sacrifice for the greater good are both amazing and inspiring,” says another. “Ana is always searching for the best in us as individuals and collectively — and she ‘leads by example.’”

Noelle Alix of Simsbury & Kim Morrison of Avon
Co-Founders, BeanZ & Co., Inclusive Coffee Café, Avon

One of them is a lawyer. The other is a small business owner. Like a lot of women, they made friends years ago through their daughters’ play group. They bonded because each of them has a daughter with Down syndrome.

As the years passed, those two moms — Noelle Alix and Kim Morrison — began to worry about what would happen when their girls turned 21 and aged out of the school system. The women knew that 80% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are under- or unemployed. They felt compelled to do something about it – not just so their own daughters could have jobs, but so that others with IDD could, too.

In December 2018, Kim (owner of the New England Pasta Company in Avon) and Noelle (a telecommuting attorney for the Texas-based law firm Vinson & Elkins) co-founded BeanZ & Co., a unique coffee café in Avon where half the employees are intellectually challenged adults.

Almost immediately, the place was a hit. Open six days per week, BeanZ offers all the things that most cafes feature – jumbo muffins with crumbly tops, fruit- and granola-filled yogurt bowls, avocado toast, fancy coffees – and one thing that’s rare: a warm and relaxed atmosphere that’s gentle, patient, and accepting, where people want to linger over their coffee and chat with the folks at the next table. 

It’s infectious: The power of the BeanZ & Co. model is so strong that, slowly but surely, other employers are starting to embrace the idea of inclusive employment and hire adults with IDD. Last December, Kim and Noelle did a compelling TEDx talk, urging companies to think outside the box and consider hiring intellectually challenged adults – emphasizing that it would be good not only for the employees, but for the employers, too.

Like every restaurant, BeanZ & Co. stumbled a little during Covid, but it did not fall; in fact, Kim and Noelle say that the pandemic actually made their fledgling business even stronger, because it surfaced and solidified a level of support from the BeanZ community that they did not realize they had. Though the restaurant was just two years old when the virus hit, it already had a broad, deep, and generous following that sprung into action to sustain it – people who bought gift cards, and takeout, and helped deliver meals to frontline workers and the residents of Favarh group homes.

In short, it showed that they’ve built a community where everyone feels like they truly belong.

Dorothy Beaucar of Bristol
Professional Volunteer

Miss Dorothy Beaucar, 99 years young, has been busier in retirement than many people are during their careers.
After working for 50 years as a secretary at Cooper Company, Dot retired in in 1987 and embarked upon a nearly full-time “career” as a professional volunteer. She focuses most of her efforts in her hometown of Bristol, where she has lived her whole life, and in St. Joseph’s
parish, where she began volunteering while still in high school (after graduating from its grammar school).

Using her talented and caring hands, Dot has spent most of the past 30+ years:

• Sewing diapers and baby beds for the Haitian Health Foundation (“I’ve made thousands … sometimes I think that’s why the good Lord is keeping me here: He needs someone to make all these diapers!”)
• Sewing baptismal robes for parish newborns (“Making these makes me feel closer to God; I made 12 more last week.”)
• Counting the weekly church collection and baking for church events
• Visiting the elderly and the sick
• Registering blood drive donors at Bristol Hospital
• Stuffing envelopes for the Chamber of Commerce

In 2013, after she was awarded the St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation from the Archdiocese of Hartford for her countless hours of volunteer work, her then-pastor, Fr. Joseph DiSciacca, said: “Dot is a woman of many great qualities and talents, but among her greatest are her
faith, devotion and joyful personality. She has been a prized member of our parish family; her presence, smile and goodness make us all better followers of Jesus, the Lord.”

“Her boundless energy and commitment to her community and neighbor are an inspiration to us all,” wrote her Wonder Women nominator. “If more individuals were to follow her lead this world will certainly be a much better place.”

Jody Bell of Greenwich
Teenage Entrepreneur Helping Immigrant Families

Two years ago, when Jody Bell was a sophomore at Greenwich High School, some close friends told her they were worried that their undocumented family members might be deported – and they didn’t know what to do if that happened. 

Indeed, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and other national organizations, about 4.1 million citizens under the age of 18 live with at least one undocumented parent.

“They didn’t want to talk to their school counselors, for fear that their family members could wind up being outed,” said Jody, now 17. “Their only option was to vent to peers like me.”

Coincidentally, Jody had just started an after-school entrepreneurship program run by a group called “Girls with Impact.” Described as a “mini-MBA” program, the 12-week course helps teenage girls create businesses, non-profits, or community service projects – thereby helping others while also nurturing their own confidence, sense of empowerment, and career readiness. 

Guided by her mentors in this program, Jody conceived, designed, and launched a beautiful, easy-to-navigate website called “In Case of Deportation” (www.icodhelp.org), an educational resource for American-born children with parents or guardians at risk of deportation.

Written for kids ages 8-18, it explains what deportation is; how to talk to family members about it; provides links to government resources and other critical information; and offers a step-by-step Child Preparedness Plan.

Jody’s website garnered international media attention when it was launched in July 2018, and her work has been praised by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, among many others. It is already being used by the Greenwich and New Rochelle, NY, school districts.

“This is an issue that affects my school, my area and my nation,” Jody said. “Many children have nowhere to turn when that moment comes when someone knocks on your door and suddenly takes your parents away. There’s a lot of information online, but it’s so dense that it can be difficult to understand. I want to help kids figure out what they can do.”

Grace Bergin of Farmington, now a ninth grader at Miss Porter’s School, was inspired by the title character from the book “Alex and the Amazing Lemonade Stand” about a girl with cancer who finds a way to make a significant impact on the lives of children in her town. In 2009 when she was in second grade, she launched Grace’s Lemonade Stand to raise money to help children with blood disorders at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Through her annual lemonade stands and her website, she has exceeded her goal of raising $100,000. ‘I like heading the stories of patients who have been treated there when they come to my lemonade stand,” says Grace who has also volunteered at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and participated in the Foodshare Walk to End Hunger.

Connecting Generations, Building Community

Deb Bibbins, JD, MBA, a visionary leader and founder of For All Ages, has dedicated her life’s work to combatting the pervasive issue of loneliness and fostering meaningful connections across generations and cultures. Since the organization’s founding in 2019, Deb has spearheaded several successful and innovative programs such as Tea @ 3, a friendship community that pairs older adults with college students for weekly calls as well as large community events like the Unite by Light luminary event that has united thousands of community members of all ages as volunteers and spectators for a night of connection and joy. Her dedication to reducing loneliness to positively impact people’s physical and mental health extends to speaking engagements across the country on the importance of social health and convening leaders across the state for The CT Collaborative to End Loneliness, a statewide, multi-sector alliance to foster social connection in Connecticut. Deb stands as a compassionate advocate connecting people across generations, combating loneliness, and fostering a sense of community. In her own words, “My passion is weaving community and my greatest joy comes from fostering meaningful connections between people across generations and cultures. When we unite for a common purpose, we see each other in a more positive light and learn that we are all more alike than different.”

Championing Women’s Health

Dr. Tracy Brennan is a champion of women’s health who seeks ways to support and empower women as an advocate and changemaker. A dedicated obstetrician and gynecologist for over 35 years and regularly recognized as one of the best doctors in Connecticut, Dr. Brennan helped establish a statewide universal screening program for Intimate Partner Violence through the Health Professional Outreach Program at the CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (CCADV). She has also helped families through her work with A Better World Adoption Agency and by establishing a diaper bank at the Malta Food Pantry. She joined the Board of Directors for Malta House of Care in 2017 and has volunteered at Malta as a direct provider of care or as interim medical director for many years.  She has volunteered at the Malta Food Pantry since its inception in 2012. Dr. Brennan is known for her compassion, her willingness to volunteer for multiple causes, and her collaborative attitude. In the words of CCADV’s Director, Ashley Starr Frechette, “Her passion and commitment to women’s health and safety is beyond words. She is truly the best.” A resident of West Hartford and recent retiree, Dr. Brennan is again serving in a volunteer capacity as the Interim Medical Director at Malta House of Care. “Serving women as an OB/GYN has been a joy and a privilege. Now that I am retired and volunteering at the Malta House of Care, I experience that same joy caring for the uninsured in Hartford,” states Dr. Brennan.

Molly Brewer, DVM, MD – Associate Professor at UConn Health Center

Gynecological oncologist, saving women’s lives at a time when they need a coach.

Sherry Brown of Hartford. Utilizing skills honed as CT Chief of Staff to US Senator Joe Lieberman, upon retirement Sherry sought out ways to bring the gift of the arts to poor and homeless children by volunteering at Charter Oak Cultural Center, where children are given free music and art lessons. Sherry is also an active member of the Town & County Club serving as Chair of the Community Relations Committee overseeing a scholarship program available to women over 25 who are either beginning or returning to college and the annual Holiday Gift Drive for children in the Asylum Hill neighborhood. She has served on the board of Komen CT for the Cure, as a Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Corporator and a Bushnell Overseer. She is a two-time breast cancer survivor.

Shari Cantor of West Hartford is dedicated to helping others and has found a wide variety of outlets to do so. In addition to serving as a trustee of her alma mater, the University of Connecticut, she is an active volunteer with leadership roles at Foodshare, the West Hartford Rotary Club, the American School for the Deaf, the Jewish Federation and the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, among many others. After her son’s birth with congenital heart issues, Shari became an ongoing advocate for heart health serving as Chair of the New England Chapter of the American Heart Association. As a member of West Hartford’s Town Council since 2004, Shari cares deeply about her community and puts that caring into action, with special emphasis on fiscal prudence, safe community, public education, housing options, meeting the needs of seniors, and attracting businesses. Currently the Deput Mayor of West Hartford, in May she will become Mayor.

Eliana Cardeño is the program manager of health education at Central Area Health Education Cneter, Inc; nice chair of the community involvement committee for Hartford Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (HYPE); and a medical interpreter instructor for Eastern Area Health Education Center, Inc.. Her experiences as a woman, Colombian immigrant, and inner-city resident led her to pursue a career in public health and to volunteer as an agent for social change. She earned a B.S. in health sciences from the University of Hartford and an M.A. in Biomolecular Sciences from Central Connecticut State University. She dedicates her wonder, woman honor both to her mother Aracelly Jaramillo, and her sister, Laura Cardeño.

Sandy Cassanelli of Glastonbury
Breast Cancer “Metavivor”

Sandy Cassanelli – wife, mom of two girls, business owner – has one more title that did not exist even a decade ago: “metavivor.”

A metavivor is a person who’s not only living with metastatic Stage IV breast cancer, but who’s also trying to help others live with it, too, by raising awareness of the need for research that could improve treatment and therefore the length and quality of patients’ lives.

Diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2013, when she was 37, Sandy was stunned to learn just two years later that the cancer had spread to her liver. “Dying was not an option,” Sandy says. “I have two amazing, strong daughters who are the apples of my eye, and I need to help them grow up and become successful, confident women. I needed to find a cure!”

In 2015, she founded “Breast Friends Fund,” a grass-roots non-profit whose mission is to raise money to support metastatic breast cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, where Sandy is being treated. Joined by an army of pink-clad volunteers, she and her husband Craig, who are co-owners of Greenough Packaging & Maintenance Supplies, have thus far raised more than $647,000 for Dana Farber through an array of fundraisers based in their hometown of Glastonbury.

Since she and Craig personally cover all fundraising expenses, 100% of the money raised goes directly to research. Their long-term goal is $1 million.

For sure, the pandemic threw them some curve balls. For one thing, Sandy and Craig had to turn their biggest fundraiser, “Taste the Cure,” into a virtual event; they not only figured that out, but they also raised more than $100,000 in the process.

On top of that, Sandy has had to travel alone to Dana Farber for all of her appointments, treatments, and scans – and was alone when she received difficult news about failed treatments and a recurrence of her cancer. Twice.

Ever the optimist, Sandy prefers to focus on the good that came out of the past 18 months. Because of her diagnosis, she had to work remotely, even though their company was deemed an essential business because they sell supplies to health care organizations. She worried about the burden on her husband – and they all worried that her husband could possibly bring the virus home. 

Yet she also cherished the bonus time with their daughters Samantha, 19, and Amanda, 15, who were also home, attending school remotely. “We enjoyed our lunches and many laughs together,” she reports with a smile.

“I cherish every minute I get to spend with my family,” says this metavivor. “Each day is a gift!”

Ranjana Chawla is a longtime board member and a past president of the Auxiliary of Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center and a board member of the Saint Francis Foundation. In addition, she sits on the board of Riverfront Recapture as vice chair of development. She had also been active with The Junior League of Hartford, local chapters of the American Red Cross and the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Leadership Greater Hartford and the American Leadership Forum. She holds an M.A. in Psychology from Allahabad University in India.

Founding President of the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame

In 1993, while working as the Managing Director of the Connecticut Forum, Geena Clonan of Fairfield realized there was a gaping hole in our state – namely, there was no organization or venue that collectively celebrated the achievements of the many, many Connecticut women who had made groundbreaking contributions locally, nationally, and internationally.

After consulting with the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca, NY, Geena and her team set about changing that, and in May 1994, established the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. Since then, 115 women representing eight different disciplines have been inducted into the Hall – women like Gov. Ella Grasso, opera singer Marian Anderson, Mohegan anthropologist Gladys Tantaquidgeon, and abolitionist Prudence Crandall, to name just a few. In November 2017, three women who have distinguished themselves in law enforcement and military service will be inducted. Their stories, and those of the other inductees, are beautifully told in the “Virtual Hall” on the organization’s web site.

Under Geena’s 20+-year leadership as Founding President, the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame remained true to its mission “to honor publicly the achievements of Connecticut women, preserve their stories, educate the public and inspire the continued achievements of women and girls.” Says Geena: “It has been personally rewarding and one of my proudest pursuits in community service to tell, through the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame, the inspirational life stories of Connecticut women who, today and throughout history, are making a difference in the lives of women, children, and families here at home, around the country, and across the globe.”

A graduate of the Union Institute and University and Wesleyan University, from which she earned an MALS in Sociology/Cross-cultural Studies, Geena remains on the Board of Trustees of the Hall of Fame while devoting full-time energy to her own company, Las Lomas, through which she is a consultant and spokesperson for non-profit initiatives.

Charmaine Craig (Hartford), committed grassroots community organizer and devoted advocate of Hartford’s green spaces. Through Knox Inc., as former Director of Community Outreach and for several other organizations throughout Hartford, “Hartford’s Tree Lady” inspires the community at large to think green and Go Green! With Trees for Hartford’s Neighborhoods, the Greater Hartford Green Team, and Hartford’s Clean-Up; draws people together and produces positive results withing Hartford’s neighborhood pockets and beyond; helps to give residents in the Behind the Rocks/Rocky Ridge and Frog Hollow neighborhoods a voice; facilitates major projects between residents and the city including the Charter Oak/Rice Heights renovation, the Learning Corridor and the creation of he Park River South Branch Trail; creates links between communities across cultural lines with a focus on building a stronger, greener, and more sustainable city.

Educating through Activism and Art

Mellissa Craig is an artist, educator, and activist. A native of Hartford and graduate of Trinity College, Ms. Craig is an accomplished dancer in Modern, African, and Caribbean folk forms and is a trained Stilt walker. Ms. Craig is an ensemble member with the Justice Dance Performance Project (JDPP), performing in several major productions that call for social change and give voice, visibility, and justice to the stories of the unheard. She is currently co-curating and performing in the virtual series, A Response and A Call, a work that speaks directly to issues of race and identity in America to create a dialogue and cultivate hope around solutions. For the past 11 years, Ms. Craig has been teaching dance and theater for CREC’s Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts High School – Full Day and Half Day programs.  She is a dancer, choreographer, and puppeteer for several Hartford-based performing companies including FriendZWorldMusic, Island Reflections Dance Theatre, and Night Fall. Her mother, Charmaine Craig, was part of Malta’s Wonder Women Class of 2015, making Mellissa and her mother the first mother-daughter pair to hold this special honor. Mellissa’s personal philosophy resonates in all the work she does: “I am dedicated to using the arts to leave the world a brighter and more enlightened place to live than I found it.”

Advocating for children and families

Sandra Cruz-Serrano works tirelessly as an advocate for children and families to help ensure disadvantaged children have the opportunities, support, and resources needed to succeed academically. Driven by personal experience, her life’s work is energized by a passion to make a lasting change for the next generation by aiding impoverished children and children of color today. Cruz-Serrano currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director of Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) in Hartford where her problem-solving skills and extensive experience in education have allowed her to implement a school desegregation initiative and create efficiencies to provide higher-quality service while developing strong partnerships with local and state agencies and officials. In her words, “I strive to make a difference in people’s lives every single day, the work we do at CREC, literally changes lives.”

Emilie de Brigard – For her volunteer work with the Amistad Foundation preserving and disseminating African American culture.

Daisy Cocco De Filippis, PhD of Waterbury
Pragmatic College President

Daisy Cocco De Filippis, PhD, president of Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, is a highly respected professor and scholar in the fields of Dominican authors and women’s studies — and the first Dominican president of a community college in the United States.

A native of Santo Domingo, Daisy is known for her practical, common-sense leadership of a school that attracts many first-generation college students: Since taking office in 2008, she has extended library and tutoring hours to evenings and weekends; added mentoring, advising, and job-readiness programs; and created a Bridge to College office, which administers $12 million in grants aimed at preparing students to enter and succeed in college. And, she opened an on-campus food pantry for students.

She also worked with local officials to make sure the Waterbury city bus would keep running after 5pm, to help students who rely on public transportation to get to school after work – and she convinced the Mayor to pave the sidewalks near the bus stops, so students wouldn’t have to walk on dark roads.

Her efforts are clearly paying off. During her tenure, NVCC enrollment and retention have risen steadily, and the Danbury campus has expanded. In 2012, NVCC became CT’s first community college to confer more than 1,000 diplomas each year – something it has done every year since. In 2017, it was named one of the top 25 community colleges nationwide in advancing opportunities for low-income students.

Daisy has been honored by many organizations, including the Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission, Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund, the Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. She was inducted into the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame in September 2018.

“Community colleges are about access – life-transforming access, for many,” Daisy once said. “If we believe in equality of opportunity, then attending to details about the factors affecting students’ lives outside the classroom – like expanding bus service – are small ways we put that belief into practice.”

A specialist in medical oncology, Dr. Patricia A. DeFusco is also the medical director of the Partnership for Breast Care at Hartford Hospital. Her areas of interest include research and clinical trials. She holds an AB from Bryn Mawr College and an MD from Boston University School of Medicine. Following a residency and fellowship in internal medicine at Hartford Hospital, Dr. DeFusco was a fellow in medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic, and returned to Hartford Hospital. She teaches at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. In 2012 she was listed as a “Top Doc” in her specialty by Connecticut Magazine.

Paula DeSilva, Ph.D. (Avon) is Education, is a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. As an educator of children and adults with disabilities, she initiated programs in public schools, Services for the Blind, Department of Developmental Disabilities, and served as Coordinator of Faith Based Initiative at UCEDD; was adjunct professor in education at the University of Hartford; was Executive Director of CRIS Radio for the Blind; Executive Director of Very Special Arts Connecticut which provided opportunities and programs for artists with disabilities; is a prolific grant writer; founded Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief, Inc. coordinating medical relief, funding sanitary drinking water, and rebuilding and refurbishing schools for the deaf and blind in rural Sri Lanka; recipient of March of Dimes Volunteer Mentor of the Year Award and the Living Spirit Award from the Spiritual Life Center; chairs efforts to raise funds for the March of Dimes for the prevention of premature births; a life member of the St. Francis Hospital Auxiliary; supports efforts to raise funds for the patients of the Saint Francis NICU; coordinates volunteers for the Mothers and Babies Project for the Haitian Health Foundation; established Quilts2Heal, Inc. which provides comfort and healing through quilts for veterans and for families who have suffered a loss or illness including the families of Newtown, CT; actively involved in scouting for 30 years; board of St. Ann Cares, active in parish ministries and in music ministry at Holy Family Retreat Center.

Sr. Maureen Faenza, CSJ and Sr. Theresa Fonti, CSJ
Co-Founders, House of Bread

Mahatma Gandhi once said: “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”

Believing that “food is indeed the gift of life,” Sr. Maureen Faenza, CSJ and Sr. Theresa Fonti, CSJ founded The House of Bread in 1980 with the mission to feed the hungry and house the homeless in Hartford.

At first, they did this by serving coffee and donuts from the back of a van. Today, the House of Bread Soup Kitchen annually prepares and serves about 130,000 meals, while its Kids’ Cafe program provides 140,000 hot meals for schoolchildren.

And the House of Bread now offers much more than food; its other services include:

• Jubilee House, a former convent in the South End of Hartford that was restored and re-opened in 1997 as a community adult education and social service center. It provides English literacy and social integration services to Hartford residents, especially immigrants and refugees.
• The H.O.M.E. Program (Helping Our Mothers Through Education), through which women can earn their GEDs.
• The Ed O’Neil House, which offers 27 units of affordable housing for the working poor
• The Project F.E.A.S.T. Program (Food Education and Service Training), which provides the training,
  SafeServ accreditation, and on-the-job experience necessary for unemployed men and women to get
  jobs in the food service industry.
• A Mentoring program that matches children from the North End with adults from St. Patrick-St.
  Anthony Church for fun learning experiences and mutually satisfying friendships.
• The House of Bread Day Shelter, a drop-in center for the homeless, offers information and referral
  to social services agencies along with showers and toilets, personal hygiene supplies and laundry
  facilities, a full-time client advocate, and a part-time nurse.

The House of Bread is certainly much different today than it was 38 years ago, but one thing is thankfully the same: its leadership. The two Sisters of Saint Joseph who started the place are still at the helm, managing operations, getting to know clients, dreaming of new and better ways to minister to marginalized neighbors in Hartford.

Sr. Theresa and Sr. Maureen ARE the House of Bread – and Hartford is blessed to have them.

Champion of Women and Girls

In the words of one of her nominators, “Janet Bailey Faude is a remarkable woman who has dedicated much of her life to social good and justice…having made an easy and successful transition from her accomplished career in financial services to the non-profit world, bringing with her skills that would ensure her ability to
build recognition and capacity at the institutions she has served.”

Indeed, after graduating from Dartmouth College and the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Janet worked for many years in banking and education – first at CT Bank and Trust, Fleet Bank, and Aetna, and later at Trinity College and Saint Joseph’s College, where she finished her (working) career as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

In her “retirement,” Janet was able to focus more intently on organizations whose missions and goals aligned most closely with her own – namely, the Girl Scouts of Connecticut, which she served as a member of the Board of Directors, and the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls in Greater Hartford, where she has been a Board member for the past nine years — and
Board chair for the past four.

A catalyst for change in the lives of women and girls in our region, the Aurora Foundation is known as one of the most influential and reliable resources in Greater Hartford for information, research, and education about the issues and challenges facing women and girls. Its goal is simple: to unlock the potential of women and girls and thereby help not only them, but also their communities. And, thanks to its ability to attract supporters and funding, Aurora is able to help in very tangible ways, through grants awarded to groups or organizations providing real assistance to females.

During her years on the Aurora Board, Janet has assumed roles that are both tactical and strategic. In addition to managing the appointment of Aurora’s first full-time executive director and the creation of its first office in West Hartford, she herself stepped up and served as acting Executive Director during a time of transition between one executive to another – running the organization for more than 10 months while also serving as board chair. She also commissioned the signature “Aurora Report” in 2013 – which is the first comprehensive statistical assessment of the status of women and girls in Greater Hartford. This report has become the “go-to” reference for many community members who need data to support their efforts to identify needs and design collaborative solutions for key issues.

Janet’s passion for the Aurora Foundation – its mission, its work, and the individual women and girls who benefit from it – is apparent to anyone who meets her for even the briefest moment. Again, in the words of her nominator: “Her contributions as a leader, philanthropist and champion of women and girls in Greater Hartford has been an inspiration to those with whom she works.”

Helping others and inspiring more

Sister Beth Fischer has dedicated her career to helping underserved populations in Greater Hartford. Through her hands-on service, leadership, and advocacy, Sister Beth truly brings to life the mission of the Sisters of Mercy as she lives out her vow to help the poor, the sick, and the uneducated. She leads by compassionate example and is a volunteer at Hands on Hartford, the Wellness Center, Mercy Housing and Shelter, Malta House of Care, and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Guyana and also facilitates community service opportunities for students as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs/Community Engagement at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford. She offers a quote from Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, that sums up her ministry beautifully: “There are three things the poor prize more highly than gold though they cost the donor nothing. Among these are the kind word, the gentle, compassionate look and the patient hearing of their sorrows.”

Inspirational Dance Instructor

Helyn Flanagan, 98 years young, is a well-known and much-beloved fixture in the dance community – in Greater Hartford, in Connecticut, and indeed, across the country. For more than 87 years, she has been dancing her way into people’s hearts – and teaching others to do so, too.

Miss Helyn, as she is known to all, started taking dance lessons when she was 5 – and then began giving lessons in her Hartford home when she was 11, charging other kids 5 cents to learn to tap. During the Great Depression, it was her way of contributing to her family.

From there, her career as a dancer, singer, choreographer, and entrepreneur blossomed, as she sang on WTIC Radio (performing with Louis Nye and Ed Begley) and performed with her sister and another girl in Hartford and New York City clubs – all while attending Weaver High School.

In 1952, Miss Helyn bought a mansion at 606 Farmington Avenue, converted it into a dance studio, and her career as an instructor took off. In its heyday, the Helyn Flanagan School of Dance welcomed 800 students per week in tap, ballet, jazz, and ballroom dancing. During these years, she held her recitals at The Bushnell – sold-out performances with standing-room-only crowds. Many of her students went on to perform with the Rockettes, on Broadway, and on television. Locally, during the 1960s, her students performed on the Brad Davis show, with Bob Steele, Frankie Laine, and Bobby Vinton, among others. What’s more, Miss Helyn became well-known as a teacher of teachers, crossing the country to give lessons at dance conventions to other instructors.

Miss Helyn’s life was not without heartache. She was widowed in 1959; lost her home to a fire in 1963; was treated for breast cancer when she was 79 and oral cancer when she was 94; and suffered a heart attack at 95. Although she sold her studio in 1985, she never stopped teaching, and still teaches adults once a week in West Hartford (one of her students is 85 years old)!

For sure, Miss Helyn has left an indelible impact on the dance community over the past nine decades; in fact, she is featured in an exhibit that opened in January 2017 at the CT Historical Society, called “CT Dances: A Visual History.”

But perhaps her most significant impact has been on the thousands of lives she has touched and inspired with her indomitable spirit; her uncanny sense of music, timing, and performance; and the utter joy she takes in sharing her great love of dance with other people – and encouraging them to love it, too.

Sr. Maureen Faenza, CSJ and Sr. Theresa Fonti, CSJ
Co-Founders, House of Bread

Mahatma Gandhi once said: “There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”

Believing that “food is indeed the gift of life,” Sr. Maureen Faenza, CSJ and Sr. Theresa Fonti, CSJ founded The House of Bread in 1980 with the mission to feed the hungry and house the homeless in Hartford.

At first, they did this by serving coffee and donuts from the back of a van. Today, the House of Bread Soup Kitchen annually prepares and serves about 130,000 meals, while its Kids’ Cafe program provides 140,000 hot meals for schoolchildren.

And the House of Bread now offers much more than food; its other services include:

• Jubilee House, a former convent in the South End of Hartford that was restored and re-opened in 1997 as a community adult education and social service center. It provides English literacy and social integration services to Hartford residents, especially immigrants and refugees.
• The H.O.M.E. Program (Helping Our Mothers Through Education), through which women can earn their GEDs.
• The Ed O’Neil House, which offers 27 units of affordable housing for the working poor
• The Project F.E.A.S.T. Program (Food Education and Service Training), which provides the training, SafeServ accreditation, and on-the-job experience necessary for unemployed men and women to get jobs in the food service industry.
• A Mentoring program that matches children from the North End with adults from St. Patrick-St.Anthony Church for fun learning experiences and mutually satisfying friendships.
• The House of Bread Day Shelter, a drop-in center for the homeless, offers information and referral to social services agencies along with showers and toilets, personal hygiene supplies and laundry facilities, a full-time client advocate, and a part-time nurse.

The House of Bread is certainly much different today than it was 38 years ago, but one thing is thankfully the same: its leadership. The two Sisters of Saint Joseph who started the place are still at the helm, managing operations, getting to know clients, dreaming of new and better ways to minister to marginalized neighbors in Hartford.

Sr. Theresa and Sr. Maureen ARE the House of Bread – and Hartford is blessed to have them.

Sandra Bender Fromson, PhD – Guest Lecturer for the Urban and Community Studies Program at UConn. First woman mayor of South Windsor serving as mentor and example to young women

Marilda Gandara – As an example for young women, for her volunteer work in the community and her role as CEO of the Aetna Foundation.

Mary Gibbons – For her volunteer work at St Francis chairing the annual fundraising event of the year and many years of work on the volunteer committee.

Janet Grace of Coventry
Thirty Years of Sundays

During the week, Janet Grace of Coventry goes to work as the Program Manager of the Captive Insurance Division of the CT Insurance Department.

But every Sunday – as she has done every single Sunday for the past 30 years! – Janet Grace goes to Manchester High School to supervise the students and teachers who are participating in the “Instructors of the Handicapped” swimming program.

Founded in 1956, this beloved program matches physically and mentally challenged adults and children with able-bodied teenagers for swimming lessons. With a background as a camp counselor and lifeguard, Janet became its Adviser in 1989, after reading in the paper that there was a vacancy. 

“Adviser” sounds like such a simple word – suggesting, perhaps, some office-based paperwork or generalized oversight and coordination. In reality, being the “Adviser” to the IOH program means that Janet does everything — recruiting, scheduling, coordinating, encouraging, and supervising high school kids as they mentor their sometimes-nervous students, both children and adults, who are learning to swim for the first time.

Serving about 65 clients per year, the IOH program has helped about 4,000 people with disabilities learn to swim. Janet says the instruction gives the participants unique access to exercise that is tremendously beneficial — both physically and emotionally.

In fact, many students return week after week for that exercise – and the sense of community and friendship that they find at IOH. One man from Manchester has been participating since the program began!

“Through all of this, Janet hands out dozens of smiles, lots of high fives, many hugs, and comes back Sunday after Sunday, year after year, to do it all again!” her nominator wrote. 

“It is just an amazing commitment to an amazing program.” 

Preserving Nature, Inspiring Leadership

Cate Grady-Benson, the dynamic Executive Director for the Farmington Land Trust, is a shining example of unwavering dedication and effective leadership. With a background in nursing and a strong advocacy for women and families, Cate’s commitment to community service spans over two decades. Her extensive volunteer work for numerous charities in the greater Hartford area showcases her passion for making a positive impact. As described by her nominator, “Cate is the kind of person everyone desires on their Board of Directors because she shows up and makes things happen. Her contagious enthusiasm draws people in, fostering collaboration to achieve meaningful goals for the community.” In her current role, Cate launched a capital campaign to fund the restoration of a circa 1800 farm to create the Farmington Land Trust, Wilcox Bushley Homestead Environmental Learning Center.  The Center, located in Unionville CT, will offer the Greater Hartford community a place to learn more about nature and the important role preserving open space plays in the mitigation of climate change. Cate seamlessly integrates her leadership skills with genuine compassion, leaving a lasting and positive imprint on the community she serves. She notes, “Working with area schools has allowed me to experience the desire and passion of our youth to know more about their environment and help to find solutions to our climate crisis.”

Helen Gray – Through her philanthropic contribution to nonprofits in CT in medicine and the arts. 

Laura Grondin – President and CEO of Virginia Industries, Inc. Female owner and CEO setting an example for other women

Doe Hentschel, PhD, of Hartford has for four decades been a leader and visionary in the field of adult education developing transformative, creative, and pioneering continuing education programs and policies and internationally acclaimed outreach to diverse populations. Doe’s leadership has included the creation of one of the first Women’s Programs in the country, two Centers for Learning in Retirement, and numerous innovative community leadership programs at Leadership Greater Hartford where she is the Vice President. She developed and has directed for 15 years the ground-breaking Third Age Initiative, an award-winning project of Leadership Greater Hartford, creating the Pathway to meaningful community engagement for older adults. Doe is a leader in curriculum design for community leadership and has received many awards including the Preceptor Award from the Association of Leadership Programs, its highest recognition, and in 2013 she was inducted into the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame.

Ann Howard revels in the successes of cultural institutions and how their exhibitions and programs can prompt creative sparks in children’s minds. She is a board member of the Hill-Steaders, a group that supports the Hill-Stead Museum, and has a lengthy association with the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, having served as an elector, as president of the Decorative Arts Council, and as president of the Costume and Textile Society. Her home in Farmington is a frequent stop on house and garden tours that benefit the Hartford School of Art, the Farmington Library, and the Village Garden Club. Classically trained in cookery in Paris, her name has been synonymous with fine catering and dining in Greater Hartford since the mid-1970s. Her businesses comprise the restaurant Ann Howard/Apricots, the catering facility Ann Howard@The Bond, Farmington Event Management, and Ann Howard/Wedding Works. She and her husband Joe have four sons.

Polly Hincks (West Hartford, formerly of Farmington) is passionate, determined, a prolific artist and a brilliant follower of world events who every day reaches out to help others with greater needs than hers.

Polly was afflicted with polio at 24 while pregnant with her second child. After meeting other people with polio and other serious physical disabilities while volunteering at New Britain Memorial Hospital, lifelong friendships were created and the need for a better living situation was envisioned.

After 31 years of fundraising and lobbying for legislation that would make their vision a reality, New Horizons Village was built in Farmington. It continues today as a busy apartment complex providing independent housing and non-medical support services for the severely disabled in a fully accessible setting. Polly has served on the board of directors of New Horizons since its founding.

Five years ago, Polly, with several other members of First Church Farmington, formed what is known today as the Sierra Leone Ministry Team to assist the Hope Day School in Freetown, S.L., whose students are pen pals with Farmington elementary pupils. First they shipped 240 backpacks filled with school supplies; next, they involved the church into building a beautiful primary school; now they are working to augment teachers’ salaries and meet other needs. Polly recently joined the West Hartford Rotary to continue working to rid the world of polio and just stepped down as President of the Residents Association at McAuley where she resides. She believes she still has a lot of work to do!

Wilma Hoffman of Newington
Granting Wishes, Teaching Knitting = Bringing Joy

They are an unlikely pair – the 75-year-old grandmother of four and the wild-haired teenage boy who’s had trouble in school – but there they are, huddled over a ball of yarn and a pair of knitting needles during a meeting of the Knitting Club at New Visions Alternative School, which is for students who have been expelled from other Hartford schools. 

“These students are fragile both emotionally and behaviorally,” says Wilma Hoffman, the club’s founder and volunteer director. “They benefit immensely from the therapeutic, meditative aspect of knitting.”

And likely from Wilma’s kind, patient, and enthusiastic instruction – and a passion for teaching that sustained her through her 40+-year career as a special ed teacher in the Hartford public school system, which culminated at Bulkeley High School. 

In her volunteer teaching role at New Visions, “I have high school boys and girls making headbands, scarves, and fingerless gloves and loving it,” she says with a twinkle in her eye. Using donated yarn and needles, the students become remarkably prolific knitters once they get the hang of it – and Wilma encourages them to donate some of their “extra” handmade items to the South Park Inn homeless shelter.

You’ll see that twinkle again if you ask Wilma about the Make-a-Wish Foundation of CT, where she has volunteered for 35 years as a wish-granter for children with life-threatening illnesses: “I always love to see that smile on the wish child’s face when they tell their desired wish and know that this special time will come true for them and their families.”

The pandemic turned this veteran educator into a student again, as Wilma figured out how to shop for groceries online and to use Zoom to teach knitting and fleece blanket-making – this time with children and adults through the Hartford Public Library and the Charter Oak Cultural Center. 

Says her nominator: “Like so many ‘Wonder Women,’ Wilma Hoffman didn’t let retirement mean the end of a career; instead, it was the beginning of a new chapter of her life in which she is teaching troubled kids more than just knitting – she’s teaching them how to cope with frustration and to feel good about their ability to create something beautiful that helps someone else.”

The founder and president of Integrated Compliance Solutions Group, Medina Jett is an attorney and community service activist. She is a board member of the Amistad Center for Art and Culture and has served on the boards of Nutmeg Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Connecticut Legal Services, Neighborhoods of Hartford and the Foundation for Educational Opportunities.

Medina has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority since 1984. She is a member of the National Black MBA Association, Women’s Association of Venture and Equity, and the American Bar Association.

Susan R. Kelly – For her volunteer work as chair of the Antiquarian and Landmarks Society preserving history all over the state. 

Anita M. Kelsey, M.D., FACC, FASE (Simsbury), Director of Echocardiography and the founder of the Women’s Heart Program at Saint Francis, part of the Hoffman Heart and Vascular Institute of Connecticut and the Comprehensive Women’s Health Center at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center.; Associate Professor of Medicine at UCONN School of Medicine; President Emeritus of the American Heart Association’s North Central CT Board of Directors; she has a special interest in cardiovascular disease in women and the primary prevention of cardiac disease.

When first arriving at Saint Francis in 2003, Dr. Kelsey’s driving goal was to develop a women’s heart care initiative to fight the disease that kills more than 500,000 women each year in the United States. Since developing the Women’s Heart Program ten years ago, the lives of 9,500 women in the greater Hartford area have been directly impacted through education, outreach and screening programs.

Music Director, Hartford Symphony Orchestra

It is small wonder that Hartford resident Carolyn Kuan, the Music Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, has been called “one of the most exciting and innovative conductors of her generation.” Widely recognized as a maestra of extraordinary versatility, Carolyn brought a broad traditional repertoire and a unique expertise in Asian music and contemporary works to the Greater Hartford music community when she joined the HSO in 2011. Happily, her new contract will have her remaining here in Hartford until 2022 (at least!).

Carolyn has enjoyed successful associations with top-tier orchestras, opera companies, ballet companies, and festivals worldwide. Here in North America, she has performed with the symphonies in five cities; the operas in three cities; the Florida and Louisville orchestras; the New York City Ballet; and the Colorado Music Festival and Glimmerglass Festival. Internationally, her engagements have included the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Royal Danish Ballet, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the West Australian Symphony — to name just a few.

In addition, Carolyn directed the annual San Francisco Symphony Chinese New Year concert from 2007-12; helped the Seattle Symphony launch the hugely successful Celebrate Asia! program; and conducted multimedia productions of the Butterfly Lovers’ Concerto and A Monkey’s Tale for the Detroit Symphony.

Her commitment to contemporary music has defined Carolyn’s approach to programming and has made
the world take notice of the Hartford Symphony. For instance, on Jan. 26, 2017, HSO musicians played for the first time at Real Art Ways, in a chamber music concert called “Scribing the Void.” She says: “Our DNA is being part of the community, serving the community; we want to give listeners the same great music but with a different experience.”

The recipient of numerous awards, in 2003 Carolyn was the first female to be awarded the Herbert von Karajan Conducting Fellowship in Austria. A cum laude graduate of Smith College, she earned a Master of Music from the University of Illinois and a Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory

Antoinette Lazarus of Farmington
Advising Multimillion-Dollar Firms – and First-Time Homebuyers

As chief compliance and risk officer for Landmark Partners, an international funds management company headquartered in Simsbury, Antoinette “Annie” Lazarus has a weighty responsibility: She must ensure that the firm, which manages $27 billion in assets, adheres to an enormous number of frequently changing laws and regulations pertaining to its business.

It’s a role for which she is eminently qualified — having previously worked at Phoenix Equity Planning Corp., Aetna Financial Services, Cigna Retirement and Investment Services, and Prudential Financial — and having earned numerous professional designations: Investment Adviser Certified Compliance Professional; Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist; the CFA Institute Investment Foundations certificate; and completion of the Certified Regulatory & Compliance Professional Program at Wharton’s FINRA Institute. 

And that’s in addition to an MBA in Finance from the University of Hartford and a BS in Physics from Fairfield University!

Somehow, Annie also finds time to share her expertise on several community Boards, including the YWCA, Saint Francis Foundation, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, and the Hartford Community Loan Fund, which offers financial support for low-income city residents. She is also a founding member of 100 Women Who Can–Farmington Valley and the West Indian Credit Union. 

She has been honored by the Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (2010) and the Center for Urban Research, Education and Training (2016) for tirelessly connecting first-generation immigrant families with opportunities in education, internships, employment, and housing. She is also a longtime tutor in that Center’s adult literacy and numeracy programs.

Indeed, it is Annie’s quiet service to immigrant families that prompted her friend to nominate her as a Wonder Woman of 2019: 

“The extent to which Annie is constantly striving to help others like herself ‘make it’ in this country is truly incredible. She is always trying to help a family newly located from Jamaica find a job, get into good schools, find an apartment or home, etc.

“She believes wholeheartedly in education, so she continually mentors kids (formally and informally) to get in and stay in school, assists them with internships, and connects them with business leaders who can be influential in their lives. In that, she represents so many other immigrants who remember to ‘lift others up’ after having achieved some of their own success in the United States. 

“She is a true Wonder Woman, silently doing extraordinary work and making a real difference in the lives of people in the community.”

Sharing the healing power of food

Sarah Leathers discovered the healing power of food through her own health crisis and has passionately championed bringing the food is medicine approach to CT. She is an inspirational woman who took a vision to heal others using food and made it a reality. She is the Founder & CEO of the Healing Meals Community Project, a non-profit based in Simsbury with a mission to provide healthy, organic meals to people in a health crisis while fostering compassion and empowering youth and adult volunteers in our communities. Started in 2016, Healing Meals is an affiliate of Ceres Community Project, a non-profit started by Sarah’s sister Cathryn in 2006. Thanks to the creativity, enthusiasm, leadership and vision of this Wonder Woman, Healing Meals has prepared and delivered over 115,000 meals served to 1400 clients in over 85 towns with the help of over 50,000 volunteer hours. In the words of colleague Karen Carew, “Sarah is more than deserving of this Wonder Woman award. Her passion for “food is medicine,” her wonderful leadership skills, and her vision for making healthy food available to all those in need is truly amazing and exemplary.” Leathers states, “I find my greatest joy in helping to make someone’s day better… I am grateful to know we are making an important difference in the lives of so many people who need to feel nourished and loved and being able to provide these services fills my own heart with nourishment.”

University Administrator and “Retiree”

Cuban native and East Hartford resident Dr. Estela Lopez is a classic example of a person who may no longer be a formal employee – but who finds herself “working” full-time in retirement as a volunteer.

Estela holds an undergraduate degree from Queens College and a Master’s and doctorate from Columbia University, both in Spanish literature. She is a longtime educator and administrator in higher education, serving in top-tier leadership positions at Northeastern Illinois University, the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, and the Connecticut State University system.

When she “semi-retired,” Estela became a part-time Senior Associate with Excelencia in Education, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit that works to improve success for Latinos in higher education. And that’s when her “retirement” really got busy.

In January 2015, she was appointed Interim Provost of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities System, a position she held until June 2016. She is still a member of numerous Boards, including the State Board of Education; the Aurora Foundation for Women and Girls in Greater Hartford; Bay Path University; the Open Community Alliance; the Latino Endowment Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and the United Way of Greater Connecticut, which she serves as Chair. Whew!

Estela has also written six books and has won several awards, including the Latina Citizen of the Year Award (in 2006) and the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association Achievement Award (in 2008).

Cathy Malloy – For her work with women in crisis.

Emmy Award-nominated WTNH News 8 Medical Reporter Jocelyn Maminta is co-founder of Caroline’s Room, a safe haven for families coping with the challenges and uncertainties surrounding the birth of a premature baby. There are Caroline’s Rooms at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, and in Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. Jocelyn is also the CEO of Frangi Pangi, skin tone matched hosiery for women of all colors, which is made in the USA with profits supporting Caroline’s Room.

Joyce Mandell – As owner of DataMail an industry leader serving as an example for young women, and her volunteer work with the Mandell Jewish Community Center.

As Director for Strategic Accounts at Otis Elevator Company, a division of United Technologies Corporation, Yvonne Martin is responsible for supporting Otis’ worldwide sales organizations. She currently serves as Chair of the National Board of Directors for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. The society is dedicated to advancing Hispanic leadership in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and increasing the number of Hispanics graduating from masters’ business degree programs. In 2001, Yvonne founded the UTC Hispanic Leadership Forum employee resource group. In 2007 she was inducted to the Academy of Women Leaders, YWCA of the City of New York. She is recognized in this year’s Corporate Elite: 2013 Top 25 Executives by Hispanic Business Magazine.

Yvette Meléndez (South Glastonbury), Vice President for Government and Community Alliances at Hartford Hospital; has served on the boards of local, national and international organizations including the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, currently as Chair of the Board; the Connecticut State Board of Regents for Higher Education, as Vice Chair of the Board; the Partnership for Strong Communities; and the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance (SINA). Previously, she served on the boards of the World YWCA, the YWCA of the USA, the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy, the Hartford Seminary and the Metro Hartford Alliance. She has been appointed to several state and gubernatorial task forces dealing with such issues as desegregation, educational achievement, and urban policy agendas.

*Trude Mero – Founder of Project Concern in 1966 one of the first voluntary school desegregation programs in the United States; Owner of Nutmeg Planners which helped minority business owners navigate the system; Chairwoman of Connecticut’s African-American Affairs Commission.

Ki Miller – Hospice & Grief Counselor at VNA Healthcare. For her volunteer work with those in hospice

As Connecticut’s third Child Advocate, Jeanne Milstein served as the public voice for the state’s most vulnerable children from June 2000 through March 2012. Jeanne’s 28-year history of public service to Connecticut includes positions as Director of Government Relations for the Department of Children and Families and Legislative Director for the Connecticut Commission for Children, state licensed child care programs quality oversight in the former Connecticut Department of Human Resources and Legislative Director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. Jeanne was appointed Deputy Commissioner, Strategic Planning and Policy Development for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services in 2012.

Attorney and Activist

You could say that attorney and activist Roopa Modha does not let grass grow under her feet.

Eight months after she graduated from UConn Law School in 2014, she founded her own law firm, Roopa Modha Law & PR, in Shelton, CT, which focuses on the areas of immigration, intellectual property, and entertainment/media/fashion law. These specialties are a natural outgrowth of her education – she earned certificates in Intellectual Property and Tax Studies at UConn – and her passions: Since high school, Roopa has devoted her considerable organizational and social media talents to a wide array of causes, but especially those that support girls and women.

As a law student, she was president of the South Asian Law Students Association, moderating panels with state judges and other experts on issues surrounding domestic violence, rape laws, and discrimination, and she herself was often tapped as a keynote speaker for conferences and summits organized by South Asian organizations along the East Coast. She also helped to plan the law school’s Diversity Week each year, was president of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society, and excelled in the classroom, as well: A graduate of Brandeis University, Roopa was the only UConn Law student to win a Boehringer Ingelheim scholarship for excellence in Intellectual Property in the 2011-12 school year. In 2014, the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund named Roopa one its “40 Women for the Next 40 Years,” stating that she “will help inspire the next generation of women as a passionate agent of change.”

Last year, Roopa was chosen as a delegate to the White House’s inaugural Women’s Summit, which celebrated female achievers from around the country. In 2015, she was named an ambassador for “Girl Rising,” an international organization whose mission is to raise awareness and funding for girls’ education worldwide – a role she treasures. She says: “I have been fortunate to live in a society where girls are able to get an education, but globally, more than 62 million girls are not in school due to various barriers. If we can help our girls come up in the world, we can help society overall.”

Thea Montañez – Marketing and Operations Executive at The Hartford. Serving as a mentor to young women in the community as an example of success with the Hartford’s charitable foundation.

Compassion in Action, Footwear for Hope

Abby Sullivan Moore, the passionate Founder and Leader of Footwear With Care, has transformed her successful writing career into a powerful force for social change. Since 2016, Abby has spearheaded this nonprofit, providing essential support, including shoes, medical foot exams, and health services, to Hartford’s homeless. Inspired by the compassionate actions of Hartford Police Officer Jimmy Barrett and fueled by the awareness of the significant lack of decent footwear and regular foot care for the homeless, Abby sprang into action. Her remarkable initiative and unwavering passion has led to organizing numerous events and consistently providing aid to over 1,000 individuals each year.  She describes the connection with those her nonprofit serves, “With their new boots or sneakers, they walk a little taller. So, do I. I am grateful to be part of the entire process.” Abby stands as an inspiring advocate, demonstrating that individual passions can create profound and positive change.

Rosa Morales of Hartford
Neighborhood Activist, Caring Citizen

After moving to her home on Grafton Street in Hartford in 1988, Rosa Morales, 82, took a look around her Behind the Rocks neighborhood – and did not like everything she saw. She especially did not like the trash-filled space – a former dump site – that was right on her corner.

So, as she would do for decades to follow, Rosa picked up the phone and made some calls. She called city officials. She called her neighbors, coaxing them to join forces with her to help clean up their community. And she kept calling!

Eventually, after years of nudging and many, many lobbying walks throughout the community, that garbage-filled lot was transformed into the leafy and beautiful Alexander Goldfarb Memorial Park. And even after the park was well-established, Rosa still kept a watchful eye, offering tips to the landscaping team from Knox Inc., which maintains the space. She also pitched in herself, watering flower beds and picking up every piece of litter she’d find during her frequent walks.

Over the years, “Miss Rosa” became one of the most well-known and well-respected activists in the city, using her voice as a member of Hartford Areas Rally Together and the Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance to speak up constantly for what was right. In 1996, Hartford Courant columnist Tom Condon named Rosa as one of his heroes for the year, for the way she helped her new neighbors – former residents of the Charter Oak Terrace housing project – acclimate to the area.

And just this past December, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maple Avenue Revitalization Group.

“Rosa is a great example of the impact that one person can have,” said Rep. Matt Ritter, for whom Rosa once babysat. “There are a lot of ways to contribute to public life, some involve ballots, others don’t. But the biggest impacts to the city are people who have big hearts and the discipline to keep calling City Hall to get things done. Those are the people who embody what it means to be a caring citizen.”

Noelle Alix of Simsbury & Kim Morrison of Avon
Co-Founders, BeanZ & Co., Inclusive Coffee Café, Avon

One of them is a lawyer. The other is a small business owner. Like a lot of women, they made friends years ago through their daughters’ play group. They bonded because each of them has a daughter with Down syndrome.

As the years passed, those two moms — Noelle Alix and Kim Morrison — began to worry about what would happen when their girls turned 21 and aged out of the school system. The women knew that 80% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are under- or unemployed. They felt compelled to do something about it – not just so their own daughters could have jobs, but so that others with IDD could, too.

In December 2018, Kim (owner of the New England Pasta Company in Avon) and Noelle (a telecommuting attorney for the Texas-based law firm Vinson & Elkins) co-founded BeanZ & Co., a unique coffee café in Avon where half the employees are intellectually challenged adults.

Almost immediately, the place was a hit. Open six days per week, BeanZ offers all the things that most cafes feature – jumbo muffins with crumbly tops, fruit- and granola-filled yogurt bowls, avocado toast, fancy coffees – and one thing that’s rare: a warm and relaxed atmosphere that’s gentle, patient, and accepting, where people want to linger over their coffee and chat with the folks at the next table. 

It’s infectious: The power of the BeanZ & Co. model is so strong that, slowly but surely, other employers are starting to embrace the idea of inclusive employment and hire adults with IDD. Last December, Kim and Noelle did a compelling TEDx talk, urging companies to think outside the box and consider hiring intellectually challenged adults – emphasizing that it would be good not only for the employees, but for the employers, too.

Like every restaurant, BeanZ & Co. stumbled a little during Covid, but it did not fall; in fact, Kim and Noelle say that the pandemic actually made their fledgling business even stronger, because it surfaced and solidified a level of support from the BeanZ community that they did not realize they had. Though the restaurant was just two years old when the virus hit, it already had a broad, deep, and generous following that sprung into action to sustain it – people who bought gift cards, and takeout, and helped deliver meals to frontline workers and the residents of Favarh group homes.

In short, it showed that they’ve built a community where everyone feels like they truly belong.

Mikaela Nelson ’19
University of Hartford College of Education, Nursing and Health

Growing up in Buffalo, NY, Mikaela Nelson loved science, math, and art, and knew she wanted to pursue a career in which she could work with her hands. Through her uncle, a military veteran, she became acquainted with several amputees, and so she settled on the field of prosthetics and orthotics.

That brought her to the University of Hartford, where during her sophomore year – in between working as an RA and serving as president of the Ultimate Frisbee Club – she had an idea: What if she could make dolls with prostheses, to help kids with disabilities feel more comfortable about their bodies and have a way to practice using their own prostheses?

So she bought a doll on eBay and began experimenting with putty, clay, felt, and hot glue, fashioning a prosthetic leg for a repurposed American Girl doll. Now, however, she makes her dolls with a 3D printer, enabling her to truly customize each doll to its recipient – much
to the delight of the parents who order them. Some dolls have prosthetic limbs; others have scarred skin; still others come outfitted with hearing aids or walkers. She promotes her dolls through “Mickey’s Mission” on Facebook – and lots of word of mouth.

Mikaela says her connections with her customers last long after the sale is complete. “I have received so many wonderful words about how my dolls have truly helped a child and their family go through these difficult times,” she says. “I never imagined that when I started making dolls that I would have such an influence with families and create bonds that last a lifetime.”

Mikaela will complete her five-year program at the University of Hartford in May 2019, having earned a bachelor’s degree in health science and a Master’s degree in prosthetics and orthotics. And eventually, she’d love to start a company that would be able to produce –on a much larger scale than Mickey’s Mission — dolls customized to the children who will own and love them.

Attorney, Volunteer, Problem-Solver

Attorney Leigh Newman is a quiet problem-solver – one of those people who is rarely in the headlines but is always there, behind the scenes, applying her remarkable intelligence and reliable common sense to get the job done, for her clients and for the Greater Hartford Jewish community.

Leigh did not begin her career as a lawyer; rather, after graduating from Princeton University, she worked in a large corporation for 14 years before answering an inner call to change direction. After graduating with honors from UConn Law School and clerking for two judges, she entered private practice and is now a trusts and estates partner at Day Pitney. She says: “I see my role as helping my clients to achieve their planning goals, which often
means solving a puzzle involving family dynamics and tax implications. Each situation is unique.”

For more than 15 years, Leigh has also been actively involved in the local Jewish community, as both a “rank and file” volunteer and, more recently, as a leader of two prestigious organizations: From 2009-11, she was Board chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, and since 2015, she has been Board chair of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford. And in December 2016, Leigh and her husband Gary Starr received the President’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Community from the Hebrew High School of New England.

One other thing to know about Leigh Newman: She is a crossword puzzle expert, competing annually since 1997 in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. She regularly finishes in the top 10%-15% of competitors – and has twice been the top solver in Connecticut!

Elsa M. Núñez, Ph.D. (Willimantic), president of Eastern Connecticut State University, serves on the boards of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the CT Association for Human Services, Leadership Greater Hartford, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning; recipient of the 2014 McMahon Award for Lifetime Achievement from the New England Board of Higher Education, and will start her term on the NCAA Division III Presidents Council in June.

Marie O’Brien – For being one of the founders of the Aurora Foundation addressing the needs of women in the community.

Irene O’Connor – WFSB Anchor & Hartford resident. For setting an example for other young women, and for her volunteer work in the community.

Pauline Olsen, MD of Farmington
A Legend in Her Own Time

If you are a woman in the Greater Hartford area, or you know a woman in the Greater Hartford area, then you no doubt know Dr. Pauline Olsen – or at least, you know of her.

That’s because in the field of women’s health, Dr. Olsen is a legend. It’s not just that she has delivered thousands of babies, each one with a delight and joy that makes it seem like it’s her very first. It is also because she invests an uncommon and most sincere and personal interest in every single woman she has treated. She knows their fears, their excitement, their grief; she knows their husbands and fathers and cousins and, now, their grandkids. And remarkably, she somehow remembers all of them, in exquisite detail, with a memory that is extraordinary for a woman of 85.

But this is not why Dr. Olsen was nominated to be a Wonder Woman. Indeed, her selection seems to fly in the face of the criteria traditionally used in this process – namely, that “Wonder Women” are people from the outside community, rather than those who work or volunteer for Malta House of Care itself.

Although Pauline Olsen is indeed well known as a founder and current medical volunteer of the Malta House of Care Clinic, the truth is that her nominator focused on all the other reasons that she deserved this honor.

She has participated in medical mission trips to Haiti and served on the Board of the Haitian Humanitarian Network. She founded the Kate Kuhn Memorial Lecture and Run, in memory of a beloved St. Francis Hospital colleague who passed away prematurely. She’s won awards beyond counting, including Papal Honors in 2019, the AARP Andrus Award for Community Service in 2014, the “Healthcare Hero” award from the Hartford Business Journal in 2015, and the L’Oreal Paris Woman of Worth award in 2010.

Just to name a few.

But the chief reason she was nominated was because of what she did in 2012, when she realized how much food insecurity was contributing to the poor health of patients she was seeing at the Malta van. With some like-minded friends, that year she founded the Malta Food Pantry, located in the North End of Hartford at St. Justin’s Church. Each Saturday morning, Dr. Olsen and her volunteers distribute thousands of pounds of donated groceries to neighborhood families – now, as a result of the pandemic, in a drive-through set-up. Despite the protestations of other volunteers, Dr. Olsen is usually at the front of that assembly line, lifting the heaviest bags into the recipients’ cars.

“Dr Olsen is an ‘Angel of Mercy’ who shares her kindness, patience, and exceptional skill with all around her,” her nominator eloquently stated.

Shari Phillips is co-owner of Per Se Aveda Lifestyle Salonspa at Blueback Square and Matthew Philips Aveda Concept Salon in West Hartford Center. She is a supporter of breast cancer research at Hartford Hospital. Sharihas been an advocate in the judicial system for women suffering from domestic violence and is a mentor to women living with domestic violence and re-entering the work force. Additionally, she provides wigs at no cost to women suffering the effects of cancer treatment. Shari utilizes her businesses to provide monthly donations to local charities.

Iris M. Ramos of Hartford is Dean of Students at M.D. Fox School starting her career there as a paraprofessional in 1984. One of twelve children, as a teenager she had moved with her family to Hartford from Puerto Rico but dropped out of Hartford Public High School. Iris got her GED and later an associate’s degree through a Hartford Community college program, then received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and went on to earn three master’s degrees in three different specialties and a sixth-year certificate for school administrators from Central Connecticut University. An active church member, Iris has served as a member of the Parish Council and boards of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Office for Catholic Social Justice Ministry, Saint Augustine’s School and as a Commissioner of the New England Association of School and Colleges (NEASC).

Pamela Trotman Reid, Ph.D., has been President of the University of Saint Joseph since 2008. She launched its first professional doctoral program in pharmacy and ushered in the institutions’ name from Saint Joseph College. Her passion is increasing leadership opportunities for women and minorities, particularly in health sciences. She currently serves on the boards of the MetroHartford Alliance, the iQuilt Project for Downtown Hartford, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. She is board chair of the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges, vice-chair of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education, and a member of the NCAA’s Division II Presidents Council. In July 2012, she was appointed to the Capital Regional Development Authority by Governor Malloy. She is married to Dr. Irvin D. Reid, Professor and President Emeritus of Wayne State University in Detroit. They have two adult children and three grandchildren.

Having been a critic and editor for Art News and Art Digest, Belle K. Ribicoff later started encore careers at the University of Hartford, first as a development officer and later as Associate Vice President for Public Affairs. Belle was also Vice-President of the Hartford Board of Education, Chairman of the State of Connecticut’s Commission on the Arts, and Chairman of the Office of Advocacy and Protection for the Handicapped. She is a Life Director at the Hartford State Company and a Life Regent at the University of Hartford. She served as a member of the Sterling Fellows at Yale University and the President’s Advisory Committee at Vassar College.

Passion for Service, Empowering Change

Gladys Rivera embodies the spirit of community service working diligently to ensure that the Latino and Puerto Rican community is educated on the importance and impact of voting and civic engagement. She helps empower women, children, and seniors while collaborating with legislators and local leaders to address the economic development, education, health, and political inequities within our community. She made significant contributions through her service on the CICD Puerto Rican Parade of Hartford Board for over 30 years. Her commitment to public service, community advocacy, and education has garnered her numerous recognitions, including the Latinas in Power Community Warrior Award. Selected as one of the Frog Hollow Hero’s, a mural in her honor stands proudly at the corner of Park and Cedar Streets in Hartford. In her own words, “I have always been a strong advocate for community change and proudly promote the preservation of our Puerto Rican culture by fostering leadership and celebrating our traditions.” She has also worked on the Relief Center for Our Caribbean Friends, where she volunteered to serve thousands displaced by hurricane Maria in 2017. Gladys currently works as the Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Executive Director of CREC.

Susan Scherer (Avon), passionately pursues providing healthcare and community support to the most underserved in our community — those who live in poverty or are working poor, or suffer from mental illness, substance abuse and homelessness. She is a strong advocate for positive communication in the workplace and the power of mentoring.

She is a current board member of Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center Foundation, Goodspeed Opera House Foundation (Chair, Development Committee), and The Town and County Club (Vice President, Personnel). Previously she was co-chair of the Chrysalis Center’s capital campaign and of the Wadsworth Atheneum’s Daniel Wadsworth Society, as well as a board member of The Village for Families and Children, Newington Children’s Hospital, and Mount Sinai Hospital Auxiliary (President). She has been Vice President, Advertising, Sage Allen & Co.; Vice President, Corporate Communications, Fleet Bank, Connecticut; and Executive Director, Office of Communications, University of Hartford.

Lhakpa Sherpa of West Hartford
Queen of Everest

In many ways, Lhakpa Sherpa of West Hartford is like a lot of other 45-year-old women. 

The single mother of three – a survivor of domestic abuse — works long hours as a dishwasher at Whole Foods while juggling the demands of a busy life at home. She also has a “side hustle:” her own guided-expedition company called Cloudscape Climbing, which offers local hikes in New England as well as expeditions in the Himalayas.

But there’s one way in which Lhakpa is like no one else: Internationally known as the “Queen of Everest,” she has climbed the 29,035 feet to the top of the Himalayan peak nine times – more than any other woman in the world.

Born in Nepal, in the heart of the Himalayas, Lhakpa is one of 12 children. She never attended school. But she was always ambitious – physically and philosophically. Perhaps that’s why she says her most meaningful accomplishment was not her ninth summit of Mount Everest, but rather, her first.

“When I became the first Nepali women to summit Everest and survive, it opened the door for all Nepali women to understand that the outdoors are not just for men, and that women do not have to stay home,” she says.

A marriage to another climber with roots in Hartford is what brought her to this area in 2002; following their divorce, she moved with her children to West Hartford. Walking from their Park Road apartment to her job in Bishop’s Corner helps to keep her in shape, she says, without taking time away from her family for training.

“I love the outdoors,” she says, adding that she is “addicted to climbing” and that her body “needs it.” In 2020, she will attempt her tenth summit of Everest.

“I climb for all women,” she says. “There is no difference in climbing a mountain. If an uneducated woman who is a single mother can climb Everest nine times, any woman can achieve their dreams.”

Ronit Shoham of West Hartford
Community “Glue”

Ronit Shoham’s resume is packed with the names of organizations and projects with which she’s been involved since 1982, when she came to this country after serving for two years as a social worker in the Israeli Army. She’s been a teacher. A Board member (for four organizations). A Social Action Chair, Gala Chair, fundraiser, volunteer. And a Founder – five times over! Beginning in 2002, Ronit either founded or helped to found:

• the Miracle League of Connecticut, which enables children with physical and mental
  challenges to play baseball.
• The Underground, a drug- and alcohol-free place for West Hartford teens to hang with friends
• West Hartford Little League, an additional townwide league for baseball-loving kids
• The Challenger Division of West Hartford Little League, which allows kids with cognitive or physical disabilities to play baseball
• Cut Out Cancer, which provides free days of beauty at Bloomfield’s Milano salon for people undergoing treatment.

Most recently, she teamed up with her friend, Amy Jaffee Barzach, to raise $1.2 million to refurbish Jonathan’s Dream Reimagined, located at the Jewish Community Center in West Hartford — one of the first inclusive, accessible playspaces in the U.S. It reopened in October 2017.

Ronit’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2008, she won the Noah Webster Award from the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce; in 2015, she won the Stars for Kids Award from the West Hartford Kiwanis Club; and just last year, she received both the IEA Stars Award from the Intensive Education Academy and the Polaris Award from Leadership Greater Hartford.

Whew!

The one title that does not appear on Ronit’s resume is “glue” – but maybe it should. Because when you take a step back and look at Ronit Shoham’s remarkable decades of service to her community, you can’t help but think of that word, that role. She’s been the glue who patched good ideas together; who matched motivated, passionate people with one another; who stuck with things to see them through to the end.

Without people like Ronit, our communities would be disjointed, disconnected, and ultimately dysfunctional. We are all in her debt.

Pioneering Sportswriter

The award-winning journalist has built her 43-year career the old-fashioned way – from the ground up. After graduating from Temple University, she began reporting for her hometown paper, The Bucks County (PA) Courier Times, making her way to the Philadelphia Bulletin and then, in 1982, to The Hartford Courant — where she became the first woman in the country assigned to cover Major League Baseball as a daily beat.

In 1984, after the San Diego Padres lost to the Chicago Cubs in the opening game of the National League Championship, she was barred from the Padres’
locker room – but got her interview anyway when Padres’ first baseman Steve Garvey left the clubhouse to speak with her, stating that she had a job to do. The next day, Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth ruled that all teams must provide equal access to locker rooms.

Claire’s career continued at The New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she still covered baseball, winning numerous awards in the process. Nominated twice for a Pulitzer, she is a three-time recipient of New York Times Publisher’s awards; was named the Sports Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists in 1997; and has earned many other distinctions, including her induction into Temple’s Alumni in Media Hall of Fame in 2014.

But perhaps the most prestigious award is the one Claire will receive in Cooperstown in July 2017, when she will be presented with the J.G. Taylor Spink Award – the highest honor given by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. She is the 68th person to win this award – and only the first woman.

Says Hartford Courant columnist Jeff Jacobs: “Ring Lardner won the Spink Award. So did Damon Runyon, Grantland Rice, and Red Smith. They are fortunate to be in Claire’s company.”

Filomena Soyster – For her community service on the boards of Hartford Stage, Wadsworth Atheneum and Malta House of Care. 

Carla Squatrito – As the owner and founder of Carla’s pasta she serves as an example for young women in business.

Carol Stiff, vice president of multimedia strategy and integration at espnW, is one of the most influential people in advancing the role of media in women’s college sports. Prior to joining EPSN in 1990, Stiff worked in college athletics, serving as head field hockey coach and assistant women’s basketball coach at Western Connecticut State University (1983-85), and as assistant women’s basketball coach and recruiter at Brown University (1988-89). She donates her time to coach young women’s basketball teams and to community relations programs initiated by Team ESPN. She has been a leader of ESPN’s employee efforts to benefit the V Foundation for Cancer Research and serves on the board of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Melinda Martin Sullivan has served in volunteer leadership roles for art museums, house museums, and educational institutions for over 30 years. Currently she is a trustee of the New Britain Museum of American Art and The Art Institute of Chicago. She and her husband created the Melinda and Paul Sullivan Decorative Arts Foundation that started by funding and creating a six-year study of Du Paquier porcelain, which resulted in the three-volume “Fired by Passion” as well as an exhibition in 2009 of her porcelain at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Melinda is a graduate of Northwestern University and Columbia Business School.

Ann Uccello of West Hartford
The Unintentional Pioneer

It wasn’t like Antonina “Ann” Uccello, 96, of West Hartford grew up thinking: “I want to be a pioneer … a trailblazer … a feminist.”

She just lived her life – and became one.

The second oldest of five daughters of Italian immigrants, Ann graduated with honors from Weaver High School and Saint Joseph College. She worked at G. Fox for the legendary Beatrice Fox Auerbach, but was soon drawn toward politics.

A Republican, she served for two terms on the Hartford City Council, and then made history when she was elected Mayor in 1967: She was not only the first female Mayor in Connecticut, but also the first female Mayor of any U.S. capital. In her inaugural address, she outlined a fiscally conservative but socially liberal agenda, including proposals to protect children from lead poisoning, to create low- and moderate-income housing, and to set up an “Info-Mobile” to travel the city with news of jobs and services.

Ann’s tenure coincided with a racially tense and divisive period in the country’s history. On the night that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, against the advice of some of her advisors, Ann traveled to the North End of Hartford, listening to her heartbroken constituents and sympathizing with their anger and confusion about his death. She was seen as a pragmatic leader and calming influence; in a 1970 poll, her Greater Hartford approval rating was 81%.

In 1970, Ann moved to Washington, DC, to become the first Director of Consumer Affairs in the U.S. Department of Transportation. She served three Presidents – Nixon, Ford, and Carter – before coming back home to Hartford to help run her family’s insurance business.

Ann Uccello has earned many accolades over the years, including an honorary doctorate and the Distinguished Alumna Award from her beloved alma mater, St. Joe’s. In 2008, Hartford’s Ann Street was renamed Ann Uccello Street, and in 2016, a street in her father’s hometown in Italy was dedicated in her name.

In 1999, when Ann was inducted into the CT Women’s Hall of Fame, she reflected on her life and career: “I really don’t dwell on ‘I could have’ or ‘I should have,’ but what I did. And I’m proud of it.”

Nadine Francis West – For her volunteer service to the community on the board of Hartford Stage and serving as a mentor to young women as Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for MetroHartford Alliance

Karen Cronin Wheat – For her community service on the board of the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Mnikesa Whitaker of New Haven, in the founder and director of BalletHaven, a rigorous dance training program for middle school girls that instills discipline and dedication with the aim of seeing these young dancers graduate from Fair Haven K8 School able to pursue any artistic or academic endeavor in high school, college and beyond. Until a medical retirement in 2015 due to a terminal illness diagnosis likely requiring a double lung transplant, Kesa was a tenured middle school English teacher in the Fair Haven, New Haven neighborhood for nearly 14 years. She considers herself an “advocate for accessibility;” as a disabled woman, she is committed to people’s rights to physical accessibility, especially for those who do not or cannot speak for themselves. And as a woman of color, she is committed to her students’ rights of academic and societal accessibility, continually empowering them to rise above the limitations that surround them. Kesa was a curriculum author involved in writing an early version of the middle school Language Arts curriculum for the New Haven Public Schools and is a published author with the Yale New Haven Teachers Institute and Yale National Initiative. Two selections of her poetry are also published in an anthology entitled 146: a collection of love stories. She is the recipient of the 2003 Beginning Teacher of the Year Award, 2006 Teacher of the Year Finalist and has received several other honors for her role as an educator.

Linda Cheverton Wick – For her contribution to the Hartford community and Hartford youth who had never experienced live theater through her support of Hartford Stage’s youth education programs.

South End Community Activist

In Hartford, and particularly in the South End, Hyacinth Yennie’s name is synonymous with pride of place and respectful, productive community activism.

A small business owner – she and her late husband have owned Donchian Rug Cleaners on Preston Street since 1976 – Hyacinth is perhaps best-known as the face of the Maple Avenue Revitalization Group. Since 2002 she has chaired this active and influential citizen group, which meets monthly at St. Augustine Church on Campfield Avenue – coincidentally, one of Malta’s neighborhood Clinic sites.

Indeed, it’s hard to imagine an event – or a controversy – in the South End of Hartford in which Hyacinth and the Maple Avenue group do not have a voice. “Her involvement with this group is very meaningful to her,” said her daughter Melissa Yennie. “It brings her joy to advocate for a high quality of life and public safety for everyone in the South End.”

In 2008, she helped to found the South End Wellness Senior Center at 830 Maple Avenue, an important social and support hub for hundreds of area residents – and for which she continues to advocate. When Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin proposed a 10% reduction in funding for the city’s Senior Centers in the spring of 2017, Hyacinth was characteristically straightforward: “There’s nothing more to cut,” she told the Hartford Courant. “We can’t afford any more cuts. He’s got to find it somewhere else.”

Six years ago, in the face of increasing gun violence, Hyacinth decided that neighbors sometimes need to gather for positive reasons. Thus was born the Barry Square Community Day, an enormous barbecue held outside the Warner Theater each summer; last year, it attracted 1,200 people.

Hyacinth is active in myriad other city groups – including the Hartford Public High School governance team and the Boards of the South Park Inn housing shelter; Channel 3 Kids’ Camp; Immanuel Church Housing Corporation; and the Hartford Police Dept Firearm Discharge Board, to name just a few – and has received dozens of honors over the years. And, as the mother of three, she has always been fiercely committed to the quality of education available in Hartford (and the importance of parental involvement in their children’s lives).

In October 2017, Hyacinth traveled to the Cape to participate in a community forum on race relations and policing hosted by Chatham Police Chief Mark Pawlina, who previously worked in Hartford and knew Hyacinth to be a smart, fair, persistent, but respectful neighborhood advocate. That evening, she offered this advice to the people of Chatham: “An ‘us versus them’ attitude is not helpful,” she said. “Make sure that everyone respects one another. When you build community, when police know who you are, you feel safer.”

Nurturing Dignity, Redefining Equity

Jessica Zachs, the Chair and CEO of Dignity Grows, stands out as a dedicated philanthropist committed to nurturing dignity and health equity for women who cannot afford monthly menstrual hygiene necessities, resulting in chronic school absenteeism, job instability and health issues. Recognizing the profound effects of Period Poverty, Jessica swiftly took action in 2019, educating and motivating volunteers to make a change for women and girls in the Hartford community. Within 18 months, her efforts gained national attention, leading to the establishment of Dignity Grows chapters in cities across the nation. Jessica’s visionary leadership not only involves directly providing crucial hygiene support for hundreds of thousands of Americans but also recognizing the need for her organization to play a pivotal role in advocating for policy and systemic change at the national level. Her compassionate force for change leaves a lasting and meaningful impact on the lives of individuals and communities. In her own words, “Having lived in the Greater Hartford community for over 30 years, I have been involved with many organizations. Nothing has personally impacted me in the way learning about Period Poverty and hygiene inequity has. Meeting neighbors from across the Hartford region and sharing the work of Dignity Grows has been life-changing for me.”

Kristen A. Zarfos, MD – Medical Director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center. For her impact on women in need of breast surgery with compassionate care.