Letter from the President

A Letter From the President

February 2008

Dear CWC Members,

As I begin my second year as President of this terrific organization, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to wish everyone a healthy and successful 2008. Before we look at what’s ahead for CWC, let me first take a moment to glance back over the past few months.

Last September, we were thrilled to have Governor M. Jodi Rell as our keynote speaker at our fourth annual Women in Leadership series: Power, Politics and the Path to Leadership: the Governor’s Story. The Governor’s candor and message were inspirational for all attendees at this sold out event!

In December, we celebrated our 15th anniversary and holiday party at the exquisite Bushnell’s Autorino Great Hall. CWC members and guests enjoyed learning about the challenges of producing Nutcracker, exceptional cuisine by Max’s and festive camaraderie. Our annual meeting is held at the holiday gathering and this year we expressed our gratitude to out-going Board members Felicia DeDominicis, Charleen Ernst, and Dede DeRosa. We were privileged to welcome onto the Board Betsy Cowell from The Stanley Works, Mary Kay Long of Goodspeed Musicals, and Meg Sakellarides from CT Public Broadcasting. We know each of these talented women will be an asset to our organization, and we look forward to their participation.

Following the new year, we gathered again in late January at The Hall of Flags in the State Capitol to continue the dialog begun at our signature event. Over seventy people filled the hall for Capitol Happenings: Conversations with Women who lead our State. Key women commissioners and state leaders, in a panel moderated by Diane Smith, WTIC NewsTalk 1080, shared their challenges, their motivations and their ‘secrets to keeping sane’ in a dialog that was both poignant and hilarious.

Looking ahead, we have our annual cultural event taking place at the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington on March 12. There is no better way to enjoy this gem of a museum than with private tours, delectable hors d’oeuvres, a glass of wine and an opportunity to meet and greet new and old friends, alike.

Now let’s turn to the business side of the CWC. Our revamped membership process, an outcome of our strategic plan, is in full swing. The Membership Recruitment Committee will be sharing the new process with you shortly.

With very mixed emotions, I need to tell you that we will be saying good-bye to Kathryn West as our part-time Executive Director. Kathryn has skillfully and successfully guided the CWC for the past five years. She has decided the time is right to pursue full time work. I know you’ll agree that Kathryn has been a joy to work with and we wish her all the best in her new career endeavors.

On a brighter note, I would like to tell you that we have hired Kathryn’s replacement, Mary Conneely Zeman. Mary brings terrific experience from her work at Trinity College as Special Assistant to the President and from earlier event planning roles with the Association of American Medical Colleges, Executive Council on Foreign Diplomacy, and the Office of the US Trade Representative. Mary lives with her husband and two young children in West Hartford.

With this transition, the CWC will have a new phone number and address:

P.O. Box 370487
West Hartford, CT 06137
Phone: 860-841-0715
Fax: 1-860-499-5216

As always, keep the CWC website (www.cwcouncil.org) handy as that is the best source of information on upcoming events, ways to reach out to Board members and our new contact information.

2008 promises to be another exciting year for the CWC. On behalf of the Board, it is an honor to serve such a remarkable group of women leaders. Looking forward to seeing you at an upcoming event!

Very truly yours,

Pat Racz