Payne Will Lead Arts Council
The Greater Hartford Arts Council, the largest independent arts council in New England, has elected Shirley M. Payne as its board president. Payne, vice president shared services of the Northeast Utilities System, joined the Arts Council Board in 2008 and has been active in the organization’s executive committee, strategic planning committee, annual United Arts Campaign, and several grant review panels. The South Glastonbury resident will serve as board president until July, 2012. Elected vice presidents are Morris Banks of Bloomfield, a member of law firm Pullman & Comley; J. Scott Fox of Farmington, managing director and chief operating officer of The Hartford Investment Management Company; Jason Gutcheon of Avon, a principal at Professional Business Insurers. Other officers elected include Robert Firger of Bloomfield, partner at law firm MacDermid Reynolds & Glissman, as secretary and Paul Guzzardi of East Berlin, senior manager at Deloitte, as treasurer. Jay S. Benet of West Hartford, vice chairman and chief financial officer of The Travelers Companies, continues as board chair of the Greater Hartford Arts Council until July 2011. Newly elected to the Arts Council Board are: Paul Bourdeau of West Hartford, principal of the private clients group at Cummings & Lockwood; Greg Boyko of Canton; Francine Christiansen of Hartford; Lori Rittman Clark of Windsor, partner at law firm Hinckley Allen & Snyder; Walter Harrison of Hartford, president of University of Hartford; Deborah Laviero of Farmington, vice president of marketing and development at OFI Contract Interiors; Shannon Niezelski of Manchester, senior vice president of underwriting at Hartford Steam Boiler; and Ileen Swerdloff of West Hartford, managing partner of law firm Swerdloff & Swerdloff.
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Hartford Hospital Earns
Baby Friendly Designation
Hartford Hospital is marking its 10th anniversary as a designated Baby Friendly Hospital — a designation that requires an interdisciplinary team effort from hospital administration, nursing staff, physicians, lactation consultants and breast-feeding peer counselors.
 The hospital’s lactation center, a bilingual peer counseling program and a postpartum counseling center are among the programs that factor into the designation.
Since Hartford Hospital’s Baby Friendly designation, breastfeeding rates at discharge have risen to 80 percent, more nurses have been recruited, consistency and communication of breastfeeding information has increased, and patient satisfaction has soared, the hospital reports.
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Donation Helps Music Program
All Mail Direct Inc. recently made a $5,000 donation to the Stephen G. Shore Recovery Trust to support its efforts at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center through the music creative process.
The program uses the creative process to enhance the physical and emotional well-being of patients. Selected musicians help those in need to learn how to write and record songs.
The mission of the Stephen G. Shore Recovery Trust is to support and promote important charitable work through the utilization of Connecticut’s best musical talents. The trust was formed in the name of the late musician, Steve Shore, who was a talented bassist and vocalist for some of Connecticut’s top music bands that spanned from the 1970’s through 2009.
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