The Capital Community College’s nonprofit Foundation  held its annual meeting October 24th electing new officers and directors.

David McCluskey,  Legislative Liaison for the CT Department of Correction and a former six-term State Representative from West Hartford, was elected Chairperson. McCluskey, serving a second three-year term on the Foundation, holds an MILR (Industrial and Labor Relations) from Cornell University and a B.A. from the University of Chicago.  David M. Seder, a Reinsurance Placement Director at Travelers, ended his tenure on the board and was recognized with Chair Emeritus status.

David McCluskey

Retired Insurance Executive Jorge L. Marimon, who joined the Foundation board last year,  was elected Vice Chairperson.  He holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Re-elected Treasurer was Thomas Wood, CPA, a nonprofit assurance manager at Whittlesey. Wood holds a Master of Science degree from Bentley College. John Perkins, a Hartford Public Schools Data Manager and alumnus, was elected Assistant Treasurer. He holds a master’s degree in communication and information from Bay Path University.

The Foundation elected two new directors from employers with a history of providing job opportunities for Capital’s graduates:

• Sharon R. Thomas, a Director of Health Equity at Aetna and a member of the Simsbury Board of Education. Thomas earned a Master of Administrative Science degree at  Johns Hopkins University and Bachelor of Science from Cornell University.
•  Dennis W.  Sparks, Vice President of Human Resources at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center (Trinity Health of New England). Sparks joined Saint Francis in 2016. He earned a BA in psychology.sociology from Houston Baptist University (TX) and and MA in human resources/labor law from National University in San Diego. His career has included similar positions at Saint Michael Medical Center in Newark and Mercy Philadelphia Hospital before coming to Hartford.

Capital CEO and Foundation Secretary Duncan Harris (left) welcomes Sharon R. Thomas and Dennis Sparks to the Board of Directors.

Sparks and Thomas join incumbent directors Ana Alfaro, Eversource and the Analeh television program; Anthony Barrett, YMCA; Marie Basche, faculty and staff representative; John H. Driscoll, Jr., Webster Private Bank; Jodi Greenspan, The Hartford; Florence Johnson, RN, Qualidigm; Abdul-Rahmaan Mohammad, My People Clinical Services; Marlene Pereira, Student Senate; Atty. George C. Springer, Jr., Rogin Nassau LLC, and; Steven C. Taylor, Berkshire Bank.

Capital CEO G. Duncan Harris, who serves as the Foundation secretary ex-officio, welcomed new directors and thanked the board for stepping up to help set new philanthropic goals in support of the College.  Harris, appointed interim CEO in July, 2018,  said that a Campus Master Plan will be implemented over the next year to modify and improve facilities after 17 years at the downtown campus, formerly the G. Fox & Company Department Store building. “This will open the door to new naming opportunities in planning a capital campaign on a re-configured campus that will be geared to the needs of students and  academic programs,” Harris said.

The College Foundation was founded in 1985 to support CCC through gifts to scholarship and endowment funds and grants in support of college programs.

For information about the CCC Foundation and giving opportunities at Capital contact the Foundation and Institutional Advancement Office, 950 Main Street Hartford, CT 06103. Email: jmcnamara@capitalcc.edu . 860-906-5102.