Five groups of business, health and nonprofit leaders in Hartford will advise the Capital City on restarting the local economy in a safe and equitable manner during the coronavirus crisis.
Hartford officials on Thursday afternoon announced the Recovery Working Groups will provide recommendations to the city by month’s end on reopening commerce, in addition to advising on long-term recovery plans.
Members of the five groups are representing local organizations focused on economic opportunity and business, public health, arts, culture, faith, recreation, families and housing, among other areas.
Mayor Luke Bronin on Thursday said the groups are being formed during a “critically important and delicate moment” as the state looks to gradually reopen the economy starting Wednesday, May 20.
There are 31,784 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, including 1,338 in Hartford, the state reported late Thursday.
“There will also be a lot of decisions for us to make at the local level, and we need to draw on the experience, expertise and wisdom of a broad range of community members and stakeholders as we make those decisions,” Bronin said in a statement.
[Read more: Lamont calls for more testing as state gets closer to reopening some businesses]
Bronin and City Council President Maly D. Rosado will serve as members of each working group, which will all have two council members. The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving will have representatives in each group, officials say.
According to a list provided by the city, the working groups will comprise the following members and organizations:
Public Health – Chaired by Dr. Wizdom Powell, Director of the Health Disparities Institute at UConn Health
- Nichelle Mullins, President and CEO, Charter Oak Health Center; Kim Beauregard, President and CEO, InterCommunity; Greg Stanton, CEO, Community Health Services; Sabrina Trocchi, President and CEO, Wheeler Clinic; Sarah Lewis, Vice President of Health Equity, Hartford HealthCare; Dr. Reginald Eadie, President and CEO, Trinity Health Of New England; Paul Dworkin, Executive Vice President for Community Child Health, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center; Chris Wright, President and CEO, iCare; Annette Sanderson, Executive Director, Housing Authority of the City of Hartford; Representative of SEIU 1199; Deborah Chameides, Health Services Coordinator, Hartford Public Schools; Leticia Marulanda, Chief Operating Officer, Hispanic Health Council; Linda Estabrook, Executive Director, Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective; Dr. Galo Rodriguez, President and CEO, The Village for Families and Children; Gina Federico, Director, North Hartford Triple Aim Collaborative and United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut.
Economic Opportunity and Business – Chaired by Max Kothari, CEO, Express Kitchens and Chair, Hartford Chamber of Commerce
- State Representative Julio Concepcion, Executive Director, Hartford Chamber of Commerce; Arunan Arulampalam, Deputy Commissioner, State of Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection; David Griggs, President and CEO, MetroHartford Alliance; Jordan Polon, Executive Director, Hartford Business Improvement District; Julio Mendoza, Executive Director, Spanish American Merchants Association; David Robinson, General Counsel, The Hartford Financial Services Group; Alex Johnson, President and CEO, Capital Workforce Partners; Fernando Rosa, President and CEO, HEDCO Inc.; Moraima Gutierrez, Assistant District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration; Herman Todd, Owner, Living Word Imprints; Hugh Russell, Owner, The Russell; Reggie Hales, President of HEZBA; Joe Gianni, Market President for Greater Hartford, Bank of America Corporation.
Arts, Culture, Recreation, and Faith – Chaired by Rich Hollant, Principal, CO:LAB and Chair, City Commission on Cultural Affairs
- Cathy Malloy, CEO, Greater Hartford Arts Council; Donna Swarr, City’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission; Mike Zaleski, President and CEO, Riverfront Recapture; Mike Freimuth, Executive Director, Capital Region Development Authority; Bishop Jeremiah Torres, House of Restoration Church; Pastor Ronald Holmes, Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church and President, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance; Pastor Daylan Greer, Bethel AME Church and Vice President, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance; Veronica Airey-Wilson, Former City Council Member; Charles Christie, President, Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz; Sammy Vega, President, CICD Puerto Rican Day Parade Committee; David Jimenez, President of the Board, The Hartford Stage Company; Jeff Devereaux, Co-Founder, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner; Charlie Ortiz, Executive Director, CLARO, Inc.; Leticia Cotto, Customer Experience Officer, Hartford Public Library; Tia Long, Power of CT.
Housing and Basic Needs – Chaired by Lena Rodriguez, President and CEO, Community Renewal Team
- Marek Kukulka, CEO, Catholic Charities; Sharon Castelli, President and CEO, Chrysalis Center; Matt Morgan, Executive Director, Journey Home; Pastor AJ Johnson, Urban Hope Refuge Church; Martha Page, Executive Director, Hartford Food System; Yahaira Escribano, Foodshare; Representative from True Colors; Alok Bhatt, Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance; Paula Gilberto, President and CEO, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut; Maxien Robinson-Lewin, President, Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP; Hector Glynn, Chief Operating Officer, The Village for Families and Children
Children, Youth, and Families – Chaired by Sam Gray, President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford
- Bridget Quinn-Carey, President and CEO, Hartford Public Library; Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez, Superintendent, Hartford Public Schools; Tim Sullivan, Superintendent, CREC Schools; Karen Lott, Executive Director, Women’s League Child Development Center; Ayesha Clarke, Chair of the Hartford Board of Education and Vice President of Operations, COMPASS Youth Collaborative; Harold Sparrow, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Hartford; Adrienne Cochran, CEO, YWCA Hartford Region; Enid Rey, President and CEO, Our Piece of the Pie; Brian Gallagher, Chair of the City’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission; Jackie Santiago, CEO, COMPASS Youth Collaborative; Jim Boucher, Chief Strategy Officer, Capital Workforce Partners; Vicki Gallon-Clark, Executive Director, Blue Hills Civic Association; David Hopkins, President and CEO, Urban League of Greater Hartford; Tia Miller, Owner, Creativista Charm; Yanil Terón, Executive Director, Center for Latino Progress; Paul Holzer, Executive Director, Achieve Hartford!; Hartford Youth Advisory Board Member; Member of Hartford Public Schools’ Student Senate.
