2021 Polaris Program
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Leadership Greater Hartford Presents:<br />
POL<br />
RIS
<strong>2021</strong> POLARIS AWARDS<br />
Thursday, October 28, <strong>2021</strong> | 6:00-7:00pm<br />
A Virtual Event Experience<br />
Leadership Greater Hartford is a mission-based nonprofit<br />
organization that supports and strengthens the community by<br />
training and connecting aspiring and established leaders.<br />
The <strong>Polaris</strong> Awards is Leadership Greater Hartford’s signature<br />
fundraising event, honoring exemplary leaders who serve as<br />
guiding lights in our region.<br />
Connect with Us!<br />
Post a photo of your at-home <strong>Polaris</strong> celebration using the hashtag<br />
#<strong>Polaris</strong><strong>2021</strong> on Facebook, Instagram,<br />
LinkedIn, or Twitter.
<strong>Program</strong>s for All<br />
Professionals<br />
Discover how much you can gain by finding<br />
new ways to give back to your community and<br />
to harness your potential. There is no time like<br />
the present to effect change in the community.<br />
Employees from more than 600 organizations<br />
have taken advantage of all that Leadership<br />
Greater Hartford offers.<br />
Quest<br />
Executive Orientation<br />
Summit<br />
The Verge<br />
Leaders On Board<br />
Third Age Initiative<br />
Leaders On Board<br />
Late Career & Retirees<br />
Nobody appreciates new experiences as much as<br />
those who have had a lifetime of them. Similarly,<br />
nobody has as much to give to the future growth of<br />
a community as those who’ve grown along with it.<br />
Hundreds of late-career professionals and retirees<br />
have been engaged in Leadership Greater Hartford<br />
programming over the years and continue to enrich<br />
the community with their wisdom, experience, and<br />
leadership.<br />
College & High School Students<br />
We have all heard “typical college student”<br />
or “typical teenager” plenty of times, yet<br />
nothing could be further from the truth:<br />
nobody is more individual than students. Our<br />
student programming is designed to support<br />
that individuality within the cross-cultural<br />
context of the region and to show young<br />
people from many different backgrounds<br />
how one can be part of many, and many part<br />
of one.<br />
Leading Off Campus<br />
Summer Nexus<br />
Common Ground<br />
Speaking of Leadership...
Partnering<br />
for better<br />
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care is proud to sponsor Leadership<br />
Greater Hartford’s Annual <strong>Polaris</strong> Awards. Together, we<br />
can work toward better for everyone in our communities.<br />
Learn more at www.harvardpilgrim.org
Leadership Greater Hartford Staff<br />
Larisa Kottke<br />
President & CEO<br />
Andre Santiago<br />
Vice President for <strong>Program</strong>s<br />
Doe Hentschel<br />
Leadership Preceptor<br />
Mae Maloney<br />
Senior <strong>Program</strong> Director<br />
Quest & Leaders On Board<br />
Destiny Davis<br />
<strong>Program</strong> Director & Grants<br />
Manager<br />
Catherine Davis<br />
Director of Marketing &<br />
Communications<br />
Jernelle Lavinier<br />
Administrative Assistant<br />
Mosaic representing LGH team and organization, made by staff
Board of Directors<br />
Executive Committee/Officers<br />
Tisa Rabun-Marshall<br />
Nassau Re<br />
Chair<br />
Jennifer Sager<br />
Travelers<br />
Vice-Chair<br />
Christopher A. Jackson<br />
Marcum LLP<br />
Treasurer<br />
Dan Noonan<br />
University of Bridgeport<br />
Secretary<br />
Larisa Kottke<br />
Leadership Greater Hartford<br />
President & CEO<br />
Board Members<br />
Sara Allen<br />
Cigna<br />
Liany E. Arroyo<br />
City of Hartford<br />
Michael Avicolli<br />
Standard Builders, Inc.<br />
David I. Brandwein<br />
Retired<br />
Nadine Brennan<br />
UConn Hartford<br />
Ted J. DeSantos<br />
Fuss & O’Neill<br />
Bernard L. Kavaler<br />
Express Strategies<br />
Aaron D. Levy<br />
Shipman & Goodwin LLP<br />
Adam B. Marks<br />
Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, P.C.<br />
Diana L.W. Marsh<br />
UnitedHealthcare<br />
Preksha Palmer<br />
Aetna, CVS Health<br />
Rosaida Morales Rosario<br />
Rosario & Associates, LLC<br />
Ryan Taylor<br />
Eversource<br />
Sumakshi Vali<br />
Webster Bank<br />
Mary A. Williams<br />
Retired<br />
Andrew Woods<br />
Hartford Communities That Care<br />
Gioia Zack<br />
Town of Wethersfield<br />
Mana Zarinejad<br />
Connecticut Children’s<br />
Medical Center
<strong>2021</strong> POLARIS AWARDS<br />
Emcees<br />
Rosaida Morales Rosario<br />
President<br />
Rosario & Associates, LLC<br />
LGH Board Member<br />
Andre Santiago<br />
Vice President for <strong>Program</strong>s<br />
Leadership Greater Hartford<br />
Presenters<br />
Renee DiNino<br />
On Air Host and Community<br />
Affairs Director<br />
iHeartRadio, The River 105.9<br />
Ted Carroll<br />
Former President & CEO<br />
Leadership Greater Hartford
The Community Award<br />
Recognizing an individual, organization, or business committed to<br />
the common good who is leading the way to make our region more<br />
vibrant.<br />
Herb Virgo is the founder and<br />
Executive Director of the Keney<br />
Park Sustainability Project (KPSP).<br />
KPSP began as a program of the<br />
Family Day Foundation, established<br />
to provide hands-on training,<br />
on-site demonstrations, outreach,<br />
and community collaborations that<br />
help families become more selfsustainable<br />
and environmentally<br />
conscious while preserving the<br />
historic Keney Park.<br />
Herb is a certified Forest Practitioner and a certified Tree Warden.<br />
He is a member of the Connecticut Urban Forest Council and a<br />
member of the Governor’s Council on Climate Change Working and<br />
Natural Lands Working Group [WNLWG]. Herb is also the<br />
recipient of the <strong>2021</strong> COEEA Excellence in Environmental<br />
Stewardship Award.<br />
Herb currently serves on the board of the Artists Collective and the<br />
Batterson Park Conservancy. He is committed to reconnecting<br />
community members to the healing powers of nature.<br />
The Keney Park Sustainability Project currently occupies a<br />
City-owned building in Keney Park, directly adjacent to the project<br />
site, and has a number of programs that have demonstrated strong,<br />
multifaceted connections to the affected community. KPSP has<br />
not only managed the building and its site, but leveraged<br />
partnerships across the community to build greenhouses, a<br />
community garden, a composting site, a woodworking area, and<br />
other features.
The Leadership Award<br />
Recognizing an individual who demonstrates exemplary leadership<br />
through significant positive impact on others and works to break<br />
down barriers to help create a just and caring community.<br />
Brother Carl Hardrick was born<br />
and raised in Hartford and graduated<br />
from the Hartford school system.<br />
Carl is the son of Claude Hardrick<br />
and Marion Whaley Hardrick and is<br />
one of twelve children. Brother Carl<br />
Hardrick is the husband of Marilyn<br />
Hardrick, a father of two, grandfather<br />
of five and fourth of twelve siblings.<br />
A Hartford native, Carl was born and<br />
raised in the Bellevue Square<br />
Housing Project where he became<br />
active in the affairs of his day.<br />
Since the 1960’s Brother Carl has served as a youth development<br />
leader, gang intervention specialist and community activist. He is<br />
best known for his work with helping youth and young adults stay<br />
away from gangs and providing them with positive and life changing<br />
alternatives. Brother Carl’s work has extended over 50 years and<br />
he’s changed the lives of thousands of Hartford youth. He not only<br />
has a local reputation, but he is recognized state-wide and<br />
nationally as a gang expert and intervention specialist.<br />
Currently, Brother Carl is employed by the Wilson Gray YMCA in<br />
Hartford and partners with Hartford Communities That Care-Crisis<br />
Intervention Team as a first responder to help shooting victims and<br />
their families. Brother Carl also partners with and coordinates his<br />
gang intervention strategies alongside those of the Hartford Public<br />
Schools, the Hartford Peace Builders and Hartford Police<br />
Department.
The Connections Award<br />
Recognizing individuals, organizations/businesses, or initiatives that<br />
exemplify the value of collaboration and partnership.<br />
During the summer of 2020, the<br />
staff at the Entrepreneurial Center<br />
& Women’s Business Center wanted<br />
to take action in support of racial<br />
justice efforts. Darchelle Hutchins<br />
came up with the idea to create a<br />
new series for women entrepreneurs<br />
of color to discuss diverse<br />
perspectives about the path to<br />
business ownership. A team was<br />
formed to develop the series, which<br />
included Darchelle, Milena Erwin,<br />
and Elaine Thomas-Williams. They<br />
offered the first panel in September<br />
2020, which featured an open and honest discussion about the<br />
struggles and biases Black women have encountered, as well as the<br />
support and motivation that kept each panelist persisting towards<br />
success. The new series, founded upon the passion and persistence<br />
of women entrepreneurs of color, meets quarterly and endeavors<br />
to create community while promoting all women in business<br />
towards their dreams!<br />
Founded in 1999, The Women’s Business Center (WBC), is the<br />
largest initiative of the Entrepreneurial Center and is funded in<br />
part through a cooperative agreement with the US Small Business<br />
Administration.<br />
The WBC is a part of the University of Hartford’s Barney School<br />
of Business, named one of the nation’s most outstanding business<br />
schools by The Princeton Review. The WBC is also an active<br />
member and participant in the Association of Women’s Business<br />
Centers (AWBC).
The Visionary Award<br />
Recognizing an individual who exemplifies each of LGH’s three<br />
pillars: community, leadership and connections.<br />
A lifelong Connecticut resident,<br />
Jason Jakubowski is both an<br />
accomplished nonprofit executive<br />
and a nationally recognized<br />
community leader.<br />
Jason has been the President &<br />
CEO of CT Food Bank/Foodshare<br />
since the two organizations merged<br />
in January of <strong>2021</strong>. With a<br />
dedicated team of 110 employees<br />
and more than 8,000 volunteers,<br />
CFB/Foodshare distributes more<br />
than 40 million meals each year<br />
through a statewide network of 700+ community-based agencies.<br />
Previous to the merger, Jason served as President & CEO of<br />
Foodshare since 2017. Throughout his tenure, Foodshare was<br />
named a “Top Workplace” by the Hartford Courant three times, as<br />
well as and Connecticut’s “Best Charity for Your Money” by<br />
business.org.<br />
Jason has chaired the Board of Directors at both Leadership Greater<br />
Hartford and Community Health Resources, and he serves on the<br />
board of both the Middlesex County and West Hartford Chambers<br />
of Commerce and of the United Way of Connecticut. He served on<br />
the Transition Teams for Governors Ned Lamont (2018) and Dannel<br />
P. Malloy (2010), and in 2019 he received the Distinguished Leadership<br />
Award from the National Association of Leadership <strong>Program</strong>s.<br />
In 2020, Jason received the prestiwgious C-Suite Award from the<br />
Hartford Business Journal for his organization’s response to the<br />
COVID pandemic.
Your Gift, Your Impact<br />
<strong>2021</strong> Annual Fund Donors<br />
Constellation Society Members<br />
The Constellation Society comprises those donors who make gifts of<br />
$1,000 or more to the Annual Fund in a specific calendar year. The<br />
following are members as of 10/22/<strong>2021</strong>.<br />
$5,000 or More<br />
Diane Korntheuer<br />
& Peter Grzybala<br />
William R. Peelle, Jr.<br />
$2,500 to $4,999<br />
Betsy Ceriello<br />
Doe Hentschel<br />
$1,000 to $2,499<br />
Stephen Bayer<br />
Ted & Jane Carroll<br />
Patrick & Tammy Casey<br />
Ted DeSantos<br />
Lee C. & Virginia P. Erdmann<br />
Randy & Cindy Gowdy<br />
Harvest Development Group<br />
Christopher A. Jackson<br />
Jackson-Batchelder Family Fund<br />
at Hartford Foundation<br />
for Public Giving<br />
Michael & Cindy Klein<br />
Andrew & Genevieve Lattimer<br />
The Mathews Family<br />
Paul McCary & Beth Pite<br />
Dan Noonan<br />
Tisa Rabun-Marshall<br />
Christian & Jennifer Sager<br />
Mark Scheinberg<br />
Harriet Winograd<br />
Mana Zarinejad
$500 to $999<br />
Kristopher & Sara Allen<br />
Gioia Zack<br />
Tara Arnold<br />
David & Ann Brandwein<br />
Rana M. Brown<br />
Shari & Michael Cantor<br />
David Doot<br />
Bob Giles<br />
Greg Hammond<br />
Katherine J. Hunlock<br />
Kainen, Escalera &<br />
McHale, P.C.<br />
David Megaw<br />
Kelly A. Muszynski<br />
Rita R. Ortiz<br />
Kenneth Pope<br />
Sharon Pope<br />
Roberto & Rosaida<br />
Rosario<br />
Dave & Cathy Tracy<br />
All Other Donors<br />
(As of 10/22/<strong>2021</strong>)<br />
Anonymous<br />
Wendy Avery<br />
Elizabeth D. Bailey<br />
Laura Baird<br />
Nancy Ball<br />
Katy O’Leary & Jim Bannister<br />
Marylin A. Barnett<br />
Una Barry<br />
Andrea Barton Reeves<br />
Jeffrey Baver<br />
Djuana Beamon<br />
Donna Berman<br />
Nancy Brennan<br />
Colleen Brochu<br />
David & Nancy Bull<br />
Peter Callahan<br />
Barbara Carman<br />
Cheryl O. Champagne<br />
Barbara Chatfield<br />
Mario & Lydia Chiappetti<br />
Raymond Ciatto<br />
Leslie Clark<br />
Jennifer Clark<br />
Susan Cobleigh<br />
Thulani Davis<br />
Brenda DelGado<br />
Carolyn Dorais<br />
Hollis Dorman<br />
Bernard J. Dowd<br />
Jim & Ivy Doyle
Diane Duffy<br />
Susan B. Dunn<br />
Eastern Connecticut<br />
State University<br />
Kim Farber<br />
John F. Foley<br />
David W. Forrest<br />
Phillip Fox<br />
Vivienne Friday<br />
Linda Friedman<br />
Faith M. Fuerst<br />
Heather M. Gates<br />
Lynda George<br />
Karen Gilbert<br />
Lorraine Gomes<br />
Lois B. Hager<br />
Sara Haggerty<br />
Suzanne Heise<br />
Debbie Henault<br />
Jim & Diana Henkel<br />
Dwayne Jackson<br />
Geneva Jackson<br />
Dr. Jacqueline Jacoby<br />
Janice and David Klein Fund<br />
Karen Jason<br />
Jackie Kaiko<br />
Miriam Kennedy<br />
Edward & Angela Klonoski<br />
Jon & Lenna Kottke<br />
Cecilia Kozlowski<br />
Lee G. Kuckro<br />
Emma Ladd<br />
Danielle Ladd<br />
Sandra A. Lee<br />
Michelle Leibovitz<br />
Marian Leist<br />
Dr. Thomas R. Lipscomb<br />
Lin Marino<br />
Adam Marks<br />
Paul & Diana Marsh<br />
Ray Maselek<br />
Rich McCarty<br />
Shirley & Ray McCaughey<br />
Linda J. Mead<br />
Sean & Julie Meehan<br />
Natalie Mendes<br />
Roxanna Booth Miller & Rick Miller<br />
Allison Misky<br />
Elaine Mobley<br />
Jeanne Murchison<br />
Jennifer & Matthew Necci<br />
Chris & John Nelson<br />
Lucille M. Nickerson<br />
Nims Family<br />
John Opeka<br />
Melissa Paul<br />
Thomas E. Perkins<br />
Deborah Peterson<br />
Elizabeth Phelan<br />
Ken & Jean Philbrick<br />
Steve Rabb<br />
Rico J. Reyes<br />
Martha S. Rhine<br />
Lynn Ricci<br />
Janet Rooney<br />
Manuel W. Russell
Thomas & JoAnne Sabin<br />
Gabrielle P. Savary<br />
Kate Scheuritzel<br />
Carole Schloss<br />
Patricia A. Scully<br />
Karen Senteio<br />
Meher Shulman<br />
Dane & Kimberly Silcox<br />
Sue & Barry Simon<br />
Ruth & Gilbert Small<br />
Carolann Smith<br />
Jack Soos<br />
Karen Stocks<br />
Beatrice Sullivan<br />
Frederick & Patricia Swan<br />
Loretta Symons<br />
Tom & Sally Tresselt<br />
Tom & Dougie Trumble<br />
Chad Turner<br />
Linda Wayman<br />
Mary A. Williams<br />
Kaitlyn Winterbottom<br />
Lora Wondolowski<br />
Albert R. Wong<br />
Ira Yellen<br />
Catherine Zeiner<br />
Aaron Zucker<br />
Thank you to the <strong>Polaris</strong> Committee<br />
and to those who made this<br />
event possible!<br />
5 Churches Brewing<br />
Sara Allen<br />
Mike Avicolli<br />
Back East Brewing<br />
Black Hog Brewing<br />
David Brandwein<br />
Nadine Brennan<br />
Julianna Cruz<br />
Christina D’Amato<br />
Catherine Davis<br />
Ted DeSantos<br />
Renee DiNino<br />
Lou Golden<br />
Doe Hentschel<br />
Heritage Printers<br />
Christopher Jackson<br />
Larisa Kottke<br />
La Cocina Catering<br />
Jernelle Lavinier<br />
Adam Marks<br />
Patrick McMahon<br />
Rosaida Morales Rosario<br />
Karishma Pinto<br />
Tisa Rabun-Marshall<br />
Jen Sager<br />
Andre Santiago<br />
Streaming CT<br />
Joe & Ashlee Trelli<br />
Mary Williams<br />
Gioia Zack
Celebrating your tireless<br />
COMMITMENT<br />
TO OTHERS.<br />
We are pleased to sponsor Leadership Greater Hartford<br />
<strong>2021</strong> <strong>Polaris</strong> Awards<br />
Every day, you help make our community<br />
a better place to live. We do our best to<br />
support you, your organization and the<br />
people you serve. We’re always proud to<br />
help our neighbors.<br />
websterbank.com<br />
Webster Bank, N.A. Member FDIC Webster Bank, the Webster Bank logo and the W symbol are<br />
trademarks of Webster Financial Corporation and Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.<br />
© <strong>2021</strong> Webster Financial Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Thank you to the <strong>Polaris</strong> auction donors!<br />
Aaron Levy<br />
Adam Marks<br />
Bernard Kavaler<br />
Christopher Jackson<br />
Dan Noonan<br />
David Brandwein<br />
Delamar Hotel & Spa<br />
De Vars-Phillips Florist<br />
Disheveled Diva<br />
Fox 61<br />
Gioia Zack<br />
Hartford Athletic<br />
Hartford Business Journal<br />
Hartford Yard Goats<br />
iHeartMedia<br />
Jen & Christian Sager<br />
JMD Studios<br />
Leadership Greater Hartford<br />
Liany Arroyo<br />
Mary Williams<br />
Michael Avicolli<br />
Nadine Brennan<br />
NBC CT<br />
New Park Brewing<br />
Preksha Palmer<br />
RDK Photography<br />
Sara Allen<br />
Savage Pianos<br />
Ted Carroll<br />
Ted DeSantos<br />
The Bushnell<br />
Tisa Rabun-Marshall<br />
UConn Sports<br />
Vaughn’s Public House<br />
Browse, Bid & Buy<br />
Take a look at the online <strong>Polaris</strong> auction, featuring several<br />
exciting prize packages for guests to bid on. Each winning bid<br />
helps raise funds to help advance Leadership Greater<br />
Hartford’s mission. View the auction items here:<br />
https://e.givesmart.com/events/nxb/i/
Text to donate<br />
Support the mission of<br />
Leadership Greater Hartford<br />
by making a gift today!<br />
1. Text ‘polaris21’<br />
to 76278<br />
2. Text your name.<br />
3. Text: “Give” and the<br />
dollar amount. Example:<br />
“Give 250”<br />
Or scan the QR code/<br />
visit www.givesmart.<br />
com/events/nxb/ to<br />
donate and view the<br />
auction items.
Upcoming <strong>Program</strong>s<br />
Quest 2022<br />
https://leadershipgh.org/professionals/quest/<br />
Executive Orientation 2022<br />
https://leadershipgh.org/executive-orientation/<br />
Third Age Initiative 2022<br />
https://leadershipgh.org/third-age-initiative/<br />
Leaders On Board<br />
https://leadershipgh.org/leaders-on-board/
Thank you to our Sponsors<br />
Presenting Sponsor Gold Sponsors Silver Sponsors<br />
Bronze Sponsors<br />
Copper Sponsors<br />
CREC<br />
Disheveled Diva<br />
Express Strategies<br />
GO agency<br />
Keating Agency Insurance<br />
Marcum LLP<br />
MetroHartford Alliance<br />
Streaming CT<br />
Mural by Lindaluz Carillo
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