CDAC Regional Forum - Connecticut CDAC Regional Forum - Connecticut

This Event Has Ended This Event Has Ended

July 18, 2011
The Lyceum Resource and Conference Center
227 Lawrence Street
Hartford, CT 06106
860.244.0077
On-Site Parking is Available

Meetings will be held three times a year. While most meetings will be held at the Federal Reserve Bank, reasonable efforts will be made to hold at least one meeting annually out in a District area site. Agendas will be developed jointly by the Council members and Reserve Bank staff.

The Connecticut CDAC Forum is intended to be interactive and thought provoking. The day's panel will focus on the interdependent nature of the economic, workforce, and housing development sectors and the need for enhanced data driven approaches and broad cross-sector coordination when attempting large-scale social change, recognizing that the community development approaches have historically remained focused on isolated intervention of individual organizations.

In preparations for the day's event, we encourage all participants to review John Kania and Mark Kramer's recent article entitled Collective Impact in Stanford's Social Innovation Review (Winter 2011).

For additional information on the day's events, feel free to contact Anthony Poore at anthony.poore@bos.frb.org or by telephone at 617.973.4205

 

Agenda

9:30 a.m.

Registration Begins

10:00 a.m.

Welcome

CDAC Chair and FRBB SVP & Community Affairs Officer, Richard Walker

10:05 a.m.

Opening Remarks

City of Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra

10:15 a.m.

State of the District Economic Report

(Based on remarks delivered at a forum on "Opportunities and Challenges
Facing New England's Smaller Industrial Cities
," July 13, 2011)
FRBB President Eric Rosengren

10:45 a.m.

Introductions of Moderator and Panelists

FRBB VP, Prabal Chakrabarti

11:00 a.m.

Panel Discussion

11:40 a.m.

Interactive Q&A with Forum Attendees

12:00 p.m.

Networking Lunch

1:00 p.m.

Close of Program

Panelist Biographies

Luis C. Cabán, Executive Director, Southside Institutions Neighborhood Alliance, Inc.
Luis Cabán is Executive Director of SINA, a neighborhood development organization undertaking a $175-million revitalization initiative called Cityscape in south Hartford neighbrohoods. Luis developed the Cityscape strategic plan in 1996 which encompasses housing, community safety, economic and workforce development, and community life and education. Its flagship project developed jointly with Trinity College is the $112 million Learning Corridor, a pre-K to 12 grade 4-school campus. Over $15 million have been leveraged for new construction and rehabilitation of homes for first-time home buyers and for affordable rental housing; over $8 million for street improvements; close to $7 million for small business loans; and over $132,000 in scholarships to Bulkeley High School graduates going on to 4-year colleges and universities. Luis also founded and led the Latino Civic Engagement Academy for leaders interested in running for public office.

Over the last 30 years Luis has been a senior executive with national organizations as well as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; he has provided community development expertise to government and nonprofit agencies in 14 states and in Puerto Rico. Luis has addressed numerous national conferences and has twice testified before the United States Congress on both housing and voting rights legislation. Luis is listed in "Who's Who Among Hispanic Americans."

Luis has been recognized for his work and contributions to community by local and national organizations in various states. In 2001 he received the distinguished Cesar E. Chavez Community Service Award conferred by the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute of Chicago and in 2005 the coveted Men of Excellence Award from the Sons of Thunder Coalition in Hartford, CT.

Sam Hamilton, Executive Director/CEO, Hartford Economic Development Corporation & The Greater Hartford Business Dev. Center Inc.
Samuel C. Hamilton is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Hartford Economic Development Corporation and the Greater Hartford Business Development Center, Inc.  This Economic Development firm provides technical assistance, loan packaging, debt and/or equity funding for businesses in Connecticut.  Prior to this appointment, he served as Regional Director with the Aetna Life and Casualty Company, a Principal/Partner for nine years with a real estate investment firm and Owner/Operator of a Tennis/Health Facility and Lounge.
Hamilton is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Clark/Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia.  He has completed additional studies at the University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts and Indiana University.

Currently he serves as Chairman, Keeping African Americans Political (KAPPAC), Member, Community Advisory Council Federal Reserve Bank-Boston, Member, Connecticut Small Business Advisory Council, Member, Metro Hartford Alliance Board of Directors and Trustee, Hartford Seminary.  He is immediate past International President of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and Chairman, Council of Presidents for the 9 Historically Black Fraternities & Sororities, Past Vice President, South End Community Services, Board of Directors and Member, Fleet Financial Community Oversight Committee. Past Chairman Board of Directors, United Way of the Capital Area; Commissioner, Economic Development Commission, Manchester; Local Initiative Service Corporation (LISC); Neighborhood Housing Support Collaborative; Past Moderator, Permanent Judicial Commission Presbytery of Southern New England; Past Trustee, Committee on Theological Education; President, First Presbyterian Foundation Corporation; Ruling Elder, First Presbyterian Church; Director, Greater Hartford Hoop Club; Task Force for the Development of the Black Athlete Institute for International Sport and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.  He is also a member of the Mystic Shrine and a 33° Mason.

Hamilton has also served in many other civic/volunteer capacities including but not limited to: Director, Village for Children and Families, Inc.; Founder, Transitional Living Center for Teens; Mayor's Task Force for Economic Development; Chairman, Allocations and Agency Relations, United Way of the Capital Area; Chairman Hartford Neighborhood, Support Collaborative; Member, Hartford Vision Planning Group; Christian Conference of Connecticut and Director, South End Community Services.

Recent Awards

2004: Athletic Hall of Fame – Clark Atlanta University
2002: United Way Community Service Award
1998: Boce Barlow Life Time Achievement Award
1996:  Greek Letter Organizations of Hartford, Inc. Leadership and Service Award
1995: Whitney M. Young Urban Scouting Award, Connecticut River Council of Boy Scouts

Catherine MacKinnon, Executive Director, Mutual Housing Assn. of Greater Hartford
Catherine T. MacKinnon has worked in the field of affordable housing for more than 30 years. Since 1992 she has been the Executive Director of the Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford, Inc. (MHAGH). MHAGH is a non-profit developer and manager of affordable housing.  During her tenure Ms. MacKinnon has completed the development of 400 affordable housing units raising more than $45 million in equity and low interest debt to finance the projects.  Under her direction, MHAGH started a property management division in 2007 and now manages more than 800 apartments in Greater Hartford.  Ms. MacKinnon holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Urban Studies from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Tom Phillips, President/CEO, Capital Workforce Partners
With an endless commitment to workforce development, education and economic development, Thomas Phillips leads Capital Workforce Partners, a regional Workforce Investment Board, as its President and Chief Executive Officer.  Mr. Phillips has been at the helm of Capital Workforce Partners since 2001, an organization with the mission: to leverage public and private resources to produce skilled workers for a competitive regional economy. 
Capital Workforce Partners is responsible for workforce development policy, planning and programming for thirty-seven (37) North Central Connecticut communities. Through his leadership, persistence and fortitude, Mr. Phillips manages over $22 million in federal, state and other resources used to address the workforce development needs of employers and job seekers including youths and adults.

Mr. Phillips' dedication to building a strong workforce has resulted in numerous positive outcomes for the region his Board serves.  Among his many contributions, he led a successful campaign to bring a Job Corps Academy to Hartford, he was recognized by the National Workforce Association as "Executive Director of the Year (2007)," and currently serves as President for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Workforce Development Council.
Prior to his leadership at Capital Workforce Partners, Mr. Phillips was employed in various leadership roles for 21 years with the City of Hartford, CT.  Mr. Phillips serves on numerous community based Boards of Directors, received his Master of Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Master of Public Administration from the University of Hartford.  He also received a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration from Central Connecticut State University.

Marilyn L. Risi, Executive Director, Upper Albany Main Street
Marilyn L. Risi earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management from CW Post College, Long Island University and completed postgraduate work at Adelphi University in law. She also completed a fellowship focusing on public policy and education with the Institute of Educational Leadership. (IEL)

As the Executive Director, Upper Albany Main Street, Inc. Marilyn Risi brought to this position thirty years of experience in major downtown revitalization projects. She was the Community Development Director for the city of Millinoket, ME during its downtown revitalization project from 1984-1990 and from 1990 – 1999 worked as Executive Director for the North Amityville Taxpayers Association in the Town of Babylon, New York. As Executive Director of Upper Albany Main Street she has implemented the National Main Street's four point approach to the revitalization namely; Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring here in Hartford, CT. To that end strategic partnerships have been formed with both public and private institutions, city agencies, community based organizations, residents, merchants and stakeholders.

As a team builder and convener and recognizing the challenges of urban revitalization efforts she has brought together many diverse and conflicting agencies and community groups helping them work together to accomplish key main street goals such as:

  • Successful funding and launch of the award winning Micro Business Incubator Program, a partnership between University of Hartford, city of Hartford, Metro Hartford Alliance and the small business community;
  • Development  of the Town Center Project;
  • Route 44 Safety Improvement Project, comprehensive streetscape, parking and façade improvement standards for the avenue;
  •  Launching of an Anti-Litter campaign;
  • Construction of the new Albany Avenue Branch of the Hartford Public Library;
  • Completion of the Mort and Irma Handel Center;
  • Completion of Chrysalis Center's renovation of a 65,000 square foot abandoned warehouse;
  • Contracted with the Metropolitan District Commission to provide Outreach services for the Clean Water Project allowing interns from the College of Engineering at the University of Hartford to work on this vital project for the district.

Over the past ten years the program has received numerous awards and recognition

  • Bank of America 2004 Neighborhood Builder Award,
  • Team EDDY Award from CERC for Best Economic Development Program statewide,
  • Rising Star Ward from the Metro Hartford Alliance,
  • Received national recognition in Business Week's new publication Small Biz a article entitled "Campus Can Do"
  •  National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street News "Incubators."
  • The program is an Accredited 2010 and 2011 National Main Street Program.
  • In 2008 she was named Executive Director of the Year by the Connecticut Main Street Center;
  • 2010 received Chrysalis Center, Inc. Partnership Award.