🔒Strong community sense guides Sugarman’s career

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Hartford may be our Capital City, but to Richard Sugarman it is something less formal.

“The Greater Hartford community is a small town,” he says. “We can relate, connect and feel like we belong somewhere. This is a shared experience.”

That reference point inspired Sugarman to create The Connecticut Forum, an annual series of panel discussions held at The Bushnell, where honest, civil, insightful dialogue is the order of business. This fall will mark the Forum's 24th year.

“We can look around every day and ask, what makes communities healthy? How can I make this a better community for everyone?” Sugarman says. “It's opening your eyes and seeing who and what is around you.”

Sandra Rodriguez worked with Sugarman when the Forum was just an idea, and became involved as he built it.

“He made everyone feel like they were a part of something,” she says. “The Forum is sustainable today because Richard's leadership enabled so many people to make up the pieces of it.”

Sugarman credits the open dialogue the Forum promotes.

“So much of what we hear comes to us in soundbites and headlines. Here, we can talk about issues in a thoughtful way,” Sugarman says. “The mission of the Forum is entertainment, a shared experience, and the good feeling that we did something together. It has great value for the community.”

Forum topics and panelists are proposed and decided by Forum members and sponsor participants, with additional input from the community.

“That means lots of people, lots of ideas. A broad range of topics,” Rodriguez says. “Sometimes Forum panelists represent opposing views, but they always learn something from each other and are able to broaden their perspectives respectfully.”

Whatever the topic, each Forum event is designed to be direct and inclusive, Sugarman says.

“We had a Forum called 'An Honest Look at Mental Illness' and another called 'Being Gay.' Direct titles give permission for honesty and openness,” Sugarman says. “Sometimes a topic will lend itself to more outreach. Our talk on 'American Women in Focus' led to the formation of the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame.”

A 1993 talk on race relations led to the formation of the CT Youth Forum, an offshoot that continues to impact the community.

“The first Youth Forum leaders are now in their early 30s and are leaders in the community,” Rodriguez says. “Whether through their families or jobs, the majority improved their lives to drive the success of their futures.”

This past spring, Sugarman stepped down from his role at the Forum. His wife, Doris, remains the organization's executive director. Reflecting on his legacy, one theme stands out.

“The Forum, both as an organization and on a personal level, never succumbed to incendiary temptations to be cookie cutter or to become institutionalized in an approach to persevere,” he says. “We've remained 100 percent pure to our mission and values, and have never done anything for any other reason than that it fits our mission. Never once.”

With his time at the Forum behind him, Sugarman decided to take some time off to contemplate his next move. It didn't take him long to figure it out.

“I had planned on six months of reflection, but it was more like a long weekend,” Sugarman joked.

Perfect timing led Sugarman to a new opportunity with nonprofit startup Hartford Promise, a large-scale scholarship fund and college success program whose mission aligns perfectly with Sugarman's view of community.

“We fight for our own kids, but there's something problematic. Everyone can't advocate evenly,” he says. “What about the next child? How can I help the circumstances of every child?”

The goal of Hartford Promise, he says, is not just to get high school students into college, but to start in high school by making pupils college-aware, helping them adapt into a college-going culture, and getting them college-ready. The program also focuses on families.

“Many of our scholars will be first generation college goers. Their families need exposure to the concept and support during the high school years,” Sugarman says. “Once the scholars get to college, we make sure they're comfortable with the transition and support them through the first year with adult and peer mentors.”

In 2016, the first group of 140 high school seniors will enter the program.

“It's truly transformative, for the individuals and for the community, as these scholars go on to help other scholars, work in the area, live here, and so on,” he says. “It represents large-scale systemic evolution and change.”

Rodriguez said Sugarman will set the bar very high to create as much change as he possibly can.

“If anyone can make it successful, he can,” Rodriguez says of her mentor's new challenge.

No doubt Sugarman has more achievements to reach in his lifetime. 

Richard Sugarman

The Basics

Name of organization: Hartford Promise

Title: Executive Director

Size of organization: 2 employees, $4 million for scholarships

Education: Bachelor’s degree, Psychology, University of Miami; Master’s degree, Social Work, University of Maryland

Previous jobs: Founding president of the CT Forum, investment executive, director of Community Mental Health Center

On the job

I love starting things and all the risks, uncertainties, deadlines and creativity that goes with startups. I also love the execution follow through of new ideas.

Guiding business principle: Be bold, try things, and be 100 percent true to our mission and values.

Best way to keep your competitive edge: Listen intently. Put the effort, care and attention into everything we do to make it the very highest quality. 

Proudest accomplishment: The CT Forum has always been 100 percent pure to its mission and core values, never compromising or giving in to big and small temptations.

Goal yet to be achieved: Helping our region be really proud of itself and its assets, recognizing our needs and fixing them, and helping all of us feel that we are part of one community.

Favorite part of the job: No two days are the same; Getting to know so many people, employees, and volunteers of all ages and all walks of life.

Least favorite part of the job: Dealing with pushy agents and overly protective advance staffs for panelists. Panelists tend to be great. Advance teams can be awful.

Personal touch in your office: Buckeye stickers. 

Judgment calls

Best business decision: It’s still ahead of me.

Worst business decision: Leaving a great investment firm to join another firm because of more money. I have found that money motivated decisions usually turn out badly.

Best way to spot trends: Be truly curious, read a lot, and search and explore all sorts of weird ideas.

Next big move: Launching and leading Hartford Promise, a new large-scale college scholarship fund and college success program for Hartford students. It will be transformative.

Your pet peeve: People who don’t listen fully, but really want to hear themselves talk.

Personal side

City of residence: West Hartford

Favorite way to relax: Exercise hard for 60-90 minutes, then sit in a steam bath; riding my bike and smelling the world

Hobbies: I am an enormous Ohio State Buckeyes fan. I also love the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates and enjoy talking with anyone about them. I love to do yard work and fix things around the house so much that I will actually help all my neighbors take care of their yards and appliances. That is just a joke … .I never want to touch a tool or rake.

Last vacation: Carmel, Big Sur, the Oregon Coast

Favorite movie: “Dead Man Walking”

The car you drive: I’m driving my fourth Mini … .a bronze and white Countryman

Currently reading: “Far From The Tree,” by Andrew Solomon

Favorite cause: Improving the lives of children and families in Hartford

Second choice career: Furniture maker