James (Jim) Little is the Development Director for the Connecticut Forest & Park Association. He is responsible for fundraising and planned giving for CFPA. He spent the first 24 years of his career in the trust and financial services industry. His last position was as Senior Vice President of the American Savings Trust Department. It was at American Savings that Jim first came into contact with CFPA when the bank was hired to restructure CFPA’s investments. When American Savings was acquired, Jim declined an offer to stay with the bank and chose to pursue a personal goal to teach English in an urban school. He taught for four years at the Metropolitan Learning Center, Bloomfield before joining CFPA as Development Director.
Jim serves on the board of the American Savings Foundation and is treasurer of the New England Vincentian Order endowment. Jim previously served on several boards including Easter Seals, the New Britain High School endowment, and CFPA. He was Telethon Chairman of the Easter Seal’s telethon, Chairman of the Norwich Annual Bishop’s Appeal, and a corporator of New Britain General and the Hospital for Special Care Jim lives in Hebron with his wife, Margaret, and has three children.
Bekah Quimby is the Outreach Worker for The Salvation Army’s Bloom Initiative. The Bloom Initiative works with survivors of sex and/or labor trafficking in the Greater Hartford area, ages 16 and up, on their journey from exploitation to empowerment. Bloom offers support to these survivors through weekly street outreach, specialized case management, and a women-only drop-in center, the Hope Roots Center for Women.
Chris Keating is a reporter for Hartford Courant since November 1990 and Capitol Bureau Chief for 23 years covering the state legislature.
Chris has Interviewed many famous politicians such as George W. Bush, John McCain, Nancy Pelosi, Ralph Nader, Joe Lieberman to name a few.
He won the Master Reporter Award, a career achievement honor awarded annually to one reporter in New England and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Who's Who in America.
Chris will fill anything important that I might have missed. The floor is yours.
Deb Polun is the executive director of the CT Association for Community Action (CAFCA). This organization helps to reduce poverty and advance economic opportunity for all.
Deb also serves as the chairperson of the West Hartford Board of Education, and is active in the League of Women Voters & the Jewish Community Relations Council.