For the past 15 years, Judith has been a senior administrator at Area Cooperative Educational Service (ACES), the regional education service center for 26 south/central Connecticut school districts. In addition to her years of service to United Way, Judith has served on many boards including as president of the board of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven and as Chief Steward and Chair of Investments for United Church on the Green. Other volunteer service includes Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, School Volunteers, Inc., the Chamber of Commerce (Greater New Haven), and Planned Parenthood. She serves on United Way's Community Impact Cabinet.

Judith holds a Master of Science degree in Adult Education from Southern Connecticut State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

George Clarke is the owner and president of Clarke’s Clean Control, founded in 1918 by his father and one of Connecticut ’s oldest continuously operating African-American businesses. He employs over 100 people statewide and is intimately involved in the day-to-day operations of a successful, thriving business. Despite the demands of his business, George Clarke has made significant contributions of his time and expertise to New Haven ’s business, social service and faith communities.

For over thirty years, George Clarkehas provided leadership and guidance to the Board and members of the Greater New Haven Business and Professional Association. He is also long-time member of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, where he was recently made Board Member Emeritus. George has served not only as a champion of business development and African-American businesses in the city and region but also as a trusted advisor and consultant to businesses establishing themselves or trying to stay afloat. George Clarke has always been interested in the greater good of the community, and this means that he sometimes extends his counsel to companies others might see as the “competition”.

George Clarke is a tireless worker for this community. He is a natural, if modest and low-key, leader who is often turned to in times of crisis. He gives his time generously to many local organizations and often serves as a bridge, bringing together disparate groups and maintaining a commitment to an open, respectful dialogue. As a long-time United Way Board member and volunteer, he has provided, among other contributions, outstanding leadership around community investments and helping to recruit diverse Board leadership.

Mr. Clarke is active in his church (Bethel A.M.E.), where he sings in the choir and is a church leader and is a gifted poetry and prose writer and a loving family man.

Dr. Fitzsimons came to Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1997 to assume the position of Senior Vice President for Patient Services. Yale-New Haven Hospital is a 945 bed academic health center. Dr. Fitzsimons has responsibility for major inpatient and outpatient clinical services (Nursing, Education, Patient Relations, Volunteer Services, Religious Ministries, Rehab Services, Respiratory Therapy, Clinics, Care Coordination and Research). She is also an associate professor in the School of Nursing at Yale University. She brings to this postion over 35 years of nursing, teaching and administrative experience.

Her education includes a B.S.N. in nursing from Cornell University, an M.A. in nursing from New York University and a Ph.D. in education from The Ohio State University. In 1968 she Graduated with Distinction from Cornell University College of Nursing. Sue has been honored with numerous awards since then. Among those are an "Excellence in Teaching Award" from Wright State University, a "Who's Who in Nursing", and "20 Noteworthy Women in Connecticut for 2001". Along the way Sue has particpated in several research projects, workshops and presentations as well as authoring numerous publications.

She is known both nationally and locally as a leader in her field and serves on several professional and community boards. Her committment to the communities she works in is evidenced through her personal involvement as a volunteer/Board member for over 30 community organizations during her career including: the Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut Nurses Association, Southern Connecticut Pastoral Education Consortium Advisory Board and the United Way of Greater New Haven Board.

She is married to Attorney Ray Fitzsimons and has three children. Dr. Brian Fitzsimons, Attorney Wendy Fitzsimons, Kate Fitzsimons, who is a teacher, and a new daughter-in-law, Dr. Jennifer Fitzsimons.

Lindy is the Senior Regional Manager for the Connecticut State Department of Economic and Community Development. Prior to that, Lindy was the Director of Development for MADD.

Lindy is an active member of the community. Currently she serves as Alderman for the 26th ward in New Haven and on the Executive Board of the Shubert Performing Arts Center. Previously Lindy has held positions as the Vice Chair for the New Haven Board of Education Intergroup Relations Task force, Chairman of Community Relations for the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven and on several Boards of Directors including Community Action Agency, Hillel Foundation at Yale University and Casa Otonal.

Lindy was presented with two Community service Awards in 2000; one from the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven and the other from the Boys and Girls Club of Greater New Haven.

Judith Dozier- Hackman is the Associate Dean and Dean of Resources and Development of Yale College at Yale University. Ms. Hackman is responsible for a number of programs at Yale including: director of the Teaching Fellow Program, leader of undergraduate international programs, steward of Yale College gifts and grants, administrative director of the HHMI Undergraduate Bioscience Program Grant, and coordinator of nonladder appointments in Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She also oversees the Yale College offices of Undergraduate Career Services and International Education and Fellowships as well as holding positions on several other Yale University advisory boards and committees. In 1996-1998, she was Yale's Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations.

Ms. Hackman was President of the Greater New Haven Community Loan Fund from 1993-1995 and a member of the WYBC radio station board from 1991-1996. She served as national president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education in 1990-91. Ms. Hackman received her B.A. from the University of Illinois, M.S. from Southern Connecticut State University, and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

She resides in Bethany with her husband Richard.

Donald R. Kehoe of Virginia was designated Assistant Supreme Secretary of the Knights of Columbus in October 2002. As Assistant Supreme Secretary, he assists the Supreme Secretary in administering the duties of the Supreme Secretary’s office and assures the Order’s compliance with U.S. and Canadian tax and charitable regulations.

Kehoe, formerly a career executive with the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, DC, joined the staff of the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council office in January 2000 in the newly created position of Administrator, Tax Compliance and Charities. In January 2002, he was promoted to the position of Director of General Office, Tax Compliance and Charities.

Kehoe graduated from Northeast Missouri State University in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He is a certified public accountant. He joined the Knights of Columbus in 1978 at Father Francis J. Diamond Council No. 6292 in Fairfax, VA, and served in a series of council leadership positions including grand knight in 1981-1982. He joined the Fourth Degree in 1981 and is a charter member of Father Walter F. Malloy Assembly, also in Fairfax.

In the Virginia State Council, Kehoe served as district deputy from 1982 to 1984. In 1990, he was elected state deputy after serving as state advocate, state treasurer and state secretary.

Kehoe was born in St. Louis, MO and now lives in Cheshire, CT. He and his wife Sandy have a daughter, a son, who is also a member of the Order, and three grandchildren.

Carolyn Kinder is the Assistant Principal of Sheridan Academy for Excellence Middle School. Ms. Kinder is also an Institute Fellowin the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. She is a recipient ofthe Seton Elm-Ivy Awards Honoring Outstanding Contributors to New Haven-Yale Relations

Lawanda Leslie is the Director of Corporate Secretary and Insurance Administration at The United Illuminating Company (UI) which is headquartered in New Haven , CT. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the Corporate Secretary, Insurance and Claims areas. UI is a regulated electric utility company that provides electricity and energy-related services to 320,000 customers in the Greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas.

Lawanda holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Haven and a master’s degree from Albertus Magnus College . In addition to her responsibilities at UI, she is a certified NFTE (National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship) instructor. She has taught at Chapel Haven, Inc of New Haven in partnership with Gateway Community College .

Some of her community involvement includes serving on the board of directors and chairing the scholarship committee of the Connecticut Chapter of AABE (American Association of Blacks in Energy). Lawanda was also a past member and board program-director of the Hartford/Springfield Chapter Association of Record Managers and Administrators. In addition, she actively participates on UI’s corporate diversity advisory committee.

Lawanda was born in Maryland but raised in the New Haven area. She currently resides in Hamden , CT with her family.

Dr. James Lewis III. is the Chief Operating Officer for the National Center for Children Exposed to Violence at The Yale Child Study Center. He is a clinical neuropsychologist and nationally certified school psychologist. He completed his predoctoral and postdoctoral Fellowship at Hahnemann University Hospital specializing in the neuropsychological sequelae of the heart and bone marrow transplant. Currently, he teaches program development to systems of acute response to children exposed to violence, and the effects of trauma on a child’s developmental processes.

Dr. Lewis is also a member of United Way's early childhood education initiative, Success By 6®.

Robert J. Lyons, Jr. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Bilco Company. Before joining Bilco, Mr. Lyons was the Acting General Manager of the Geo. J. Ball, Inc., Pan American Seed Co. and with Arthur Andersen & Co. Small Business Division, both in Illinois.

Bob earned his BA in Psychology from Lafayette College. He was an honors graduate and holds an M.B.A from Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He is a Certified Public Accountant and member, AICPA, CSCPA.

He has served on the United Way Board since 1998 and chaired the 2001 Campaign. Bob currently serves as United Way's Board Secretary. He serves as chairman of the Gaylord Hospital Board of Directors, is treasurer of the Connecticut Hospital Association, and chairman of the Habitat for Humanity Advisory Board. Mr. Lyons also serves on the Board of New Haven Savings Bank. In addition to his Board related community service, he has been Coach/Manager of the Guilford Youth Soccer League and the South Central District Soccer League.

Bob resides in Guilford. He is married and has four children.

Mr. Mason is CEO of Mason, Inc., a Connecticut-based brand development firm with headquarters in Bethany, CT, and satellite offices in Dallas and Hollywood, Florida.  Various divisions of the company specialize in Public Relations, Advertising, Direct Marketing, Promotions, Internet Development, and Recruitment Advertising.  Clients include Yale-New Haven Hospital, Bruegger’s Enterprises, R.C. Bigelow, Scandinavian Airlines, NewAlliance Bank, Cookson Electronics, and The Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics WNBA Teams.

In addition to serving multiple terms on the Board of Directors of the Greater New Haven United Way, Mr. Mason has also been co-chair of the Marketing Committee and on the Executive Committee.  For United Way of Connecticut he has served as co-chair of the Branding Committee.  He was also selected as Chair of the New Haven Region Community Compass in early 2007.  He serves on the Connecticut Advisory Council of Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. And he has advised L.E.A.P and Liberty Community Services with respect to communications issues.

For the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Mr. Mason has served on the National Education Committee, the Agency Management Committee and is an active member of the Green Forum.  His firm is also part of IMAGE, an international marketing group network. 

Mr. Mason holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from American University.  He also attended Cornell University in their Chemical Engineering program and Johns Hopkins University in their Masters of Administrative Science program. 

Kate McEvoy is the Deputy Director of the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut (AASCC).  She is also the legislative liaison for the Connecticut Association of Area Agencies on Aging (C4A), and represents C4A on the Steering Committee of the Connecticut Elder Action Network (CEAN) and the Connecticut Long-Term Care Advisory Council.  In these capacities, she is a frequent lecturer on advance health care directives, Medicare, home and community-based services, entitlements and policy issues.  Among other articles, she is the author of “Should We Focus More on the Individual?  A Discussion of Advance Care Planning Law in Connecticut” for Connecticut Medicine.  Her work on advance directives has in recent years focused on drafting proposed changes to Connecticut’s statutes that were passed in the 2006 session.  In recognition of this work, she received an ADACC Advocacy Award from the Connecticut Americans with Disabilities Act Coalition and the 2006 Excellence in Achievement Award for Public Service from the Connecticut Coalition for End-of-Life Care.   
Kate is currently the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Elder Law Section of the Connecticut Bar Association, and in Spring, 2004 was an adjunct faculty member at Quinnipiac University School of Law, at which she taught an elder law course.  In 2005, Connecticut Speaker of the House James Amann appointed Kate to the Task Force on Re-Establishment of the Department on Aging.  She also serves as the Chair of the UWGNH Community Impact Cabinet. 

Kate is a graduate of Oberlin College (Oberlin, Ohio) with a B.A. in Economics and English and received her law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.  She is admitted to practice in Connecticut, and lives in Hamden.

Michael J. Negrón, Managing Director, NEGRON Consulting. Mr. Negrón is a management consultant and executive coach whose consulting practice focuses on business and personal coaching, leadership development and diversity initiatives, workshop facilitation, business process reviews, as well as financial management assessment services for nonprofits. His extensive experience includes work in the U.S & Latin America, in the electronics, telecom, entertainment, on-line travel, non-profit & financial service sectors.

Michael’s management experience includes assignments at a division of CBS, and with a CT-based Fortune 500, in various senior level positions, including Director of International Finance, a 4-year assignment in Puerto Rico, and Mergers & Acquisition projects in Latin America and Scandinavia . His consulting firm, a certified Minority Business Enterprise, was founded in 1999. Consulting projects have included work with Priceline.com, Cendant Mobility, Aetna , The McGraw-Hill Companies (Business Week, Standard & Poors, McGraw-Hill Education), a Fortune 10 Telecom, Fortune 50 Consumer Marketer, a Fortune 50 Pharmaceutical, GE Global Network Operations, Alzheimer’s Association, Literacy Volunteers, and multiple Hispanic/Latino led agencies. Recently, Michael served as Interim CEO of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) based in Irving , Texas.

Michael is the creator of The Octagon COACHING Model and a columnist on Coaching for a national monthly publication. He participated in the first National Hispanic Grassroots Leadership Training, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda Policy Summit, the Connecticut Latino Summit, and as a speaker or panelist at the following events:

• NSHMBA leadership meetings, 2002 -04; Eastern Conference ( Wharton School ); Value of Coaching & Coaching Panel Series; Executive Summit (2004): Executive Coaching.
• Pitney Bowes MBA Leadership Summit (2004 and 2005).
• 2003 Minority Business Enterprise seminar sponsored by Cendant Mobility and NMSDC.

Michael holds an MBA in International Finance ( St. John's ); and Bachelors Degree from Baruch College (CUNY). He is certified in leadership/career workshop training & facilitation, and has conducted over 300 consultation sessions with "high value talent" for a Fortune 10 Telecom. In addition, he achieved Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) Accreditation from Hay Group, and the Resilience Factors Inventory Accreditation from Adaptiv Learning Systems, and conducted ECI and RFI coaching sessions with Women of Color at a Fortune 10 Consumer Marketing leader. Michael also completed the requirements of the Institute of Nonprofit Consulting (CompassPoint International, 2004).

Michael has served on the boards for NSHMBA, Rotary International, IMA, collaborated with Inroads, ABC, and the Connecticut Food Bank, and currently serves with Casa Otoñal, United Way and the Progreso Latino Endowment Fund. He also provides consulting and facilitation services for Hispanics in Philanthropy, and he is a founding member of PRIMER (Puerto Ricans in Management & Executive Roles). Michael lives in Guilford, Connecticut with Edita his wife of 27 years, and they have two adult sons living in New York City . Michael is also an amateur photographer and an avid NY Mets fan.

Barbara is the CEO & President of the H. Pearce Real Estate Company. Barbara is responsible for seven offices and more than 130 associates and for the residential and commercial divisions, legal, and administration. She is also involved in development, and special projects for H. Pearce Real Estate Company. Before Joining the family business, Barbara was an associate in the New York Law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Barbara, a graduate of Harvard Graduate School of Business and Administration and the Harvard Law School and received degrees of Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor as well as the Harvard Business School Section Prize for First Year Marketing. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude in Psychology and Social Relations from Radcliffe College/Harvard University.

In addition to servings as United Way's 2003 Campaign Chair and as a member of the United Way Board, Barbara serves on numerous for profit and nonprofit Boards and committees, including: Advest Group, Inc., Bank of New Haven, Community Foundation for Greater New Haven-Board; International Arts Festival-Executive Committee; Lippincott Foundation-Trustee; Long Wharf Theatre-Chair; Regional Growth Partnership-Board; Adidas WRC Women's Racing Team-Treasurer; Women Organizing Women Political Action Committee (WOWPAC)- Founder; Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Yankee Chapter-Chair, Regional Leadership Council, Past Chair.

Barbara has been the recipient of several awards. And these include the Greater New Haven Board of Realtors - 2000 Realtor of the Year award, a Doctorate of Humane Letters (Honorary) from Albertus Magnus College in 1998 and Business New Haven's Citizen of the Year in 1997. In 1991, she was inducted into the Jr. Achievement Hall of Fame; in 1989 Barbara received the SBA Advocate for Women In Business for the State of Connecticut Award and in 1987 Glamour Magazine selected her as one of America's Top Ten Working Women.

Barbara is married and has two children. She is a resident of New Haven and Guilford, Connecticut.

Gerald B. Rosenberg is Senior Vice-President, Executive Development for Bayer HealthCare. In this role, he is responsible for the coaching and development of key senior executives in North America . Previously, Mr. Rosenberg was Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Bayer Diagnostics, responsible for the operation of the North American Diagnostics business of Bayer Corporation. Mr. Rosenberg's career with Bayer Corporation has spanned over thirty years through positions of increased responsibility within a complex global public company. Mr. Rosenberg is also the Past Chairman of the National Pharmaceutical Council Executive Committee and the former General Campaign Chair of the United Way of Greater New Haven.

Cheryl Saloom became President of Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) in 2002, an organization she has been a part of since 1990.

Prior to that Cheryl held various positions in local school systems including Assistant Superintendent for the Bloomfield public schools, Interim Superintendent for the Amity Regional public schools and Supervisor, Special Education for the Southington public school system. She began her career in education as first a college instructor and supervisor and then as a special education teacher.

Cheryl received her Ed.D., Educational Administration from Columbia University , a New York Sixth Year Degree, Administration/Supervision from Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, a Master of Science Degree, Special Education from Southern Connecticut State University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree, Psychology from Quinnipiac College.

Cheryl is a member of the Association of Educational Service Agencies, American Association of School Administrators, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development and Phi Delta Kappa.

She received the Alumni of the Year Award from Quinnipiac College in 1988 and received special recognition by the New Haven YMCA Women in Leadership program, 1980 and 1983.

Steve, an attorney, is a principal at the firm of Brenner, Saltzman & Wallman LLP. He holds an undergraduate degree from University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance and Commerce and law degrees from Boston University and New York University Schools of Law. Steve is a member of the Bar of Connecticut, Federal District Court, Tax Court of the United States, and United States Court of Claims. He is a member of the Executive Committee Taxation Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and was chairman of that committee from 1973-1976.

Steve's other volunteer affiliations include President, Greater New Haven Jewish Federation (1990-92), and Chairman of that organization from 1992-94. General Chairman, Greater New Haven UJA/Federation Fund Raising Campaign for 1987 and 1988. Chairman-Elect for the Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven; member and former Director, Congregation B'Nai Jacob, Woodbridge; member and past Chairman, Connecticut Regional Board Anti-Defamation League; member ADL National Commission (1992); member and past President, Horeb Lodge, B'Nai Brith; and Director, Saint Raphael Foundation (1988-1991).

Steve has 2 daughters and lives with his wife, Mary Beth, in Woodbridge.

Tom received his undergraduate degree, magna cum laude, from the Boston University College of Liberal Arts in 1982 and his law degree from the Boston University School of Law in 1985. While in law school, Tom completed internships with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and Greater Boston Legal Services.

Following graduation, Tom joined the law firm of Carmody & Torrance and worked for 10 years in the firm's main office in Waterbury. In 1995, Tom relocated his practice to the firm's New Haven office where he serves as Administrative Partner. Tom concentrates his practice in civil litigation, with emphasis on commercial and construction litigation. He is a member of the New Haven County and American Bar Associations, including the Commercial Law and Bankruptcy, and Construction Law Sections of the Connecticut Bar Association.

Tom was the first volunteer selected in the Waterbury Public Schools Partners-in-Education Mentor Program, established in 1992, and continues his mentoring activities with the same student that he has been visiting weekly since that time. He was selected as "Mentor of the Year" of the Waterbury Public School System in 1995, and received statewide from the Connecticut Mentoring Partnership as an Outstanding Mentor in 1999. He also served on the Board of Directors of Partners-in-Education from 1993-1998. Tom has been Carmody & Torrance's United Way campaign coordinator since 1993 and worked on the Professional Campaign in 1998.

Tom is a member of the Bethany Library Association's board of members and serves as one of the Library's three trustees. He is an active member of Christ Episcopal Church in Bethany, where he served as its Senior Warden, as well as Clerk of the Vestry. He also serves as a lector at church services, is a lay preacher and a former youth group leader.

Tony, a principal with Beers, Hamerman & Company, P.C., is currently Treasurer of United Way's Board of Directors He graduated from Fairfield University and received a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in finance, from the University of New Haven. He is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants (CSCPA). He serves on the Board of Directors of the APT Foundation, Inc., City Missionary Association, Inc., and the Connecticut Community Investment Corporation. He also serves on the Professional Advisors Committee of the Community Foundation of Greater New Haven, Inc. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Hamden-North Haven YMCA and the South Central Region of Catholic Family Services, Inc.

David is an attorney with 25 years of experience in public water utility issues. He is currently president and Chief Executive Officer of the Regional Water Authority of South Central Connecticut.

Mr. Silverstone most recently served as Group Vice President / Chief Administrative Officer for the Southern Connecticut Gas Company, which merged with Energy East Corporation. Prior to joining the gas company in 1998, David had his own law practice specializing in public utilities and the environment. He served as Consumer Affairs Counsel for the Regional Water Authority form 1980 to 1988. He was Connecticut's first Consumer Counsel from 1974 to 1977 where he advocated on behalf of consumers on public utility issues.

Al Smith is a partner in the Environmental Law Department at Murtha Cullina LLP and also serves as the firm’s Managing Partner. His legal practice focuses in the areas of environmental regulatory compliance, permitting and liability management. Prior to beginning law practice he performed consulting services for a private firm in the areas of hazardous and nuclear waste management, hazard materials transportation and hazard communication, and also worked for the Energy and Public Utilities Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly.

Al teaches environmental law at the University of New Haven Graduate School. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law and Georgetown University . He is the past Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association's Environmental Law Section and the New Haven County Bar Association's Environmental Law Committee. Al is a member of the Regional Leadership Council, and served on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce. He lives in Woodbridge with his wife, Adrienne Micci-Smith, and their three children.

Barbara Tinney, a native and lifetime resident of the city of New Haven, is the Executive Director of the New Haven Family Alliance, Inc. (NHFA). Ms. Tinney is an adjunct faculty member in the Springfield College School of Social Work. Ms. Tinney has worked in the human development field for over 20 years and held positions in both the private and public sectors.

Ms. Tinney worked for the Northeast Utilities Holding Company for ten years, holding positions as management development specialist, project manager, and equal employment opportunity administrator. She has worked as a management training consultant for such organizations as Dupont, First Card, FMC, Cigna and the Edison Electric Institute. Her work in the private sector focused primarily on management development, valuing and managing workforce diversity, career development and succession planning.

Barbara's concern about quality of life issues for New Haven's children, adolescents and families prompted her return to the public sector in 1993. She began her public sector work as a community case manager for New Haven Family Alliance, Inc., the organization she currently leads. For approximately two years, Ms. Tinney held the position of project coordinator for the Youth Development Training and Resource Center (YDTRC), and was responsible for the collaboration between the Citywide Youth Coalition and the Consultation Center. In her role as Project Coordinator, Ms. Tinney was responsible for establishing the YDTRC as the training and development organization for youth development professionals in the greater New Haven area. Since 1995, more than two hundred youth development professionals within greater New Haven have completed the Advancing Youth Development course. Ms. Tinney has designed and developed training and professional development curricula for such organizations as Headstart, the Consultations Center, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the Citywide Youth Coalition and City Spirit Artist. Her public sector training focused primarily on Leadership Development, Youth Development, and Community Organizing. Ms. Tinney was asked to return to the NHFA in 1996 as its Executive Director. She is a past chairwoman of New Haven's City Wide Youth Coalition (CWYC).

Ms. Tinney earned her bachelors' degree from New Haven's Albertus Magnus College and her Masters in Psychiatric Social Work from Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.

Barbara is the mother of two children and a grandmother. She remains committed to strengthening families, family wellness, youth leadership development and community capacity building.

Mr. Torgerson is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (ISO), and a member of its Board of Directors. A veteran utility executive, Mr. Torgerson was the guiding force behind the Midwest ISO’s ongoing successful operations since 1999. The Midwest ISO is the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) that maintains functional control over the electricity grid and operates the Day Ahead and Real Time electric energy market in 15 states across the Midwest and the province of Manitoba.

During 2005, Mr. Torgerson was Chairman of the ISO/RTO Council, a voluntary organization comprised of the highest-ranking full-time executives of North America’s Independent System Operators and Regional Transmission Organizations. The Council coordinates, develops and promotes processes and tools for the benefit of the industry.
Prior to joining the Midwest ISO, Mr. Torgerson served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of DPL Inc., the holding company of Dayton Power and Light, and of Puget Sound Energy, Inc., and he was also Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of Washington Energy Company.  Mr. Torgerson is a proven leader in finance, organization design and executive management.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Torgerson received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Cleveland State University.  Mr. Torgerson and his wife Mary Ann have three children.

Since 1995 Mary Lee has worked at News Channel 8/MyTV 9 as the Director of Marketing & Community Development, she has created Community Partnerships with key companies and developed cause related marketing campaigns. In addition, she oversees a department responsible for PSA's, FCC reports, media sponsorships, talent requests and sales promotions. She serves on boards that include, Public Health Foundation of Connecticut, Inc. , The United Way of Greater New Haven, Branford Education Foundation, LEAP, the Development committee for Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and the advisory board for Read To Grow. She previously had worked as the Director of Media and Public Relations for the New Haven Ravens minor league baseball team,WTXX -Ch 20 and as General Manager for Island Television,Inc a cable station based on Nantucket Island.

Cornell N. Wright is the Vice President of the Greater New Haven Business &
Professional Association. As a management consultant with over twenty-nine years of business experience, he provides technical assistance and practical business development tools for area businesses. Prior to that Mr. Wright worked with IBM for over nineteen years. While at IBM he worked with large, complex clients in systems, sales, marketing, management and consulting capacities. Additionally, he has worked extensively with small to mid-sized companies in his own consulting firm, The Parker Wright Group, Inc. established in 1994.

Cornell N. Wright has extensive management experience both practically and theoretically. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Bridgeport, is a Certified Focus Group Director, is a Practitioner in Inventory Management from the American Production and Inventory Control Society and is a member of the business faculty at Housatonic Community College, Bridgeport, CT. (Courses taught – Management, Principles of Selling, Principles of Customer Service, Principles of Marketing and Introduction to Business)

Additionally, he has worked with numerous firms in the areas of strategy development, market planning, organizational change, sexual harassment training, executive coaching and customer retention. Cornell delivers powerful motivational speeches and seminars on a variety of business topics.

2005-2006 Board of Directors