NEWS/UPDATES

IWFCT Member News

Welcome to Our “Class of 2025” IWFCT Members!

We’re thrilled that 15 new members joined IWFCT in 2025. Please take a moment to review this list of inspiring women, follow them on LinkedIn, and welcome them into our fold. Nisha Arora, Board Member, Town of GreenwichDr. Patricia Benson, CEO, Housatonic Campus, CT State Community CollegeNell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Keynote Speaker, Subtraction Strategist, Nell 3DTiffany Donelson, President, CEO, Connecticut...

Author, Former WSJ Editor, Melanie Kirkpatrick, Joins IWFCT

Melanie Kirkpatrick is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. and a former deputy editor of the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. Her latest book is Lady Editor: Sarah Josepha Hale and the Making of the Modern American Woman. She is also the author of Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience and Escape...

Ann Condon, ESG Trailblazer, Joins IWFCT

Ann Condon is a consequential leader, attorney, and trailblazer who has been at the forefront of driving impactful change in global environmental and social governance. She was a board member and recently served as Interim President of the Institute for Sustainable Communities. During her distinguished 30+ year career at General Electric, Ann and her team built and led groundbreaking compliance...

Amazon Exec, Glendowlyn Thames, Joins IWFCT

Glendowlyn (Glen) Thames is on the Amazon’s Global Economic Development team, part of the company’s Public Policy organization, as the Head of Economic Development for the Global Economic Development team for the States of CT, MD and NY. ​ In this role Glen is responsible for delivering value and assistance to Amazon business verticals and its affiliates such as entry...

Managing Partner of Shipman & Goodwin, Leander Dolphin, Joins IWFCT

Leander A. Dolphin is managing partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP. Leander is the managing partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP, a full-service law firm with six offices throughout Connecticut and New York. Leander is a partner in the School Law Practice Group. Leander advises universities, colleges, public school districts, independent schools, and other public- and private-sector clients on the...

Global Growth Consultant, Katherine Skinner, Joins IWFCT

Katherine Skinner is a global growth transformation executive, advisor and board director with 30 years of experience expanding and creating new revenue streams for early stage to Fortune 100 consumer products companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Kimberly Clark, Wendy’s, Walgreens, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, and Nestle. She guides innovation and digital transformation strategies to meet emerging consumer, portfolio, go-to-market, and new business...

Allison Fillmore, Hedge Fund Pioneer, Joins IWFCT

Allison Fillmore is the Founding Chair of the Board of Visitors at Columbia University’s School of General Studies (GS). GS educates non-traditional students and is one of four undergraduate schools at Columbia University. The mission is elite education equality. Allison serves as a board member of Generation S.O.S (share our stories). S.O.S. saves the lives of children from fatal drug...

First Black Female Fire Chief in New England, Chief Shelly Carter, Joins IWFCT

Chief Shelly L. Carter served for 21+ years in the City of Hartford Fire Department. Chief Carter began her career in July of 1999 as a structural firefighter and was promoted to Driver/ Engineer, Lieutenant/Fire Marshals Office, Executive Officer, House Captain of Engine Company 5, and House Captain of Engine Company 10. Chief Carter retired from Hartford Fire in May...

Kelli-Marie Vallieres, CT Chief Workforce Officer, Joins IWFCT

Kelli-Marie Vallieres, PhD is Vice Chair of the Governor’s Workforce Council and the Chief Workforce Officer of the newly established Office of Workforce Strategy. ​ She is an owner of two manufacturing companies, Sound Manufacturing, Inc. and Monster Power Equipment, where she served as President and CEO for 14 years before stepping down to take on her new role with...

Legal Leader Rhonda Tobin Joins IWFCT

Rhonda J. Tobin is Managing Partner at Robinson+Cole and is responsible for leading the development and execution of the firm’s strategic plans, as well as the daily management and operations of the business of the firm. She is a highly-regarded trial lawyer with significant experience in state and federal courts who has spent her 33-year career at Robinson+Cole. Her practice...

Global HR Leader, Rose Velez-Smith, Joins IWFCT

Rose Velez-Smith is the CHRO of DoubleVerify’s. She is responsible for all aspects of human resources strategy and people function globally, including talent management, leadership development, total rewards, diversity, inclusion & belonging. Prior to joining DoubleVerify, Rose managed global HR efforts for Pitney Bowes, spending more than two decades with the organization. She served as Vice President of Total Rewards...

CEO of Middlesex County Chamber, Johanna Bond, Joins IWFCT

Johanna Bond is the President and CEO of Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce and the Executive Director of the Middletown Central Regional Tourism District. She fosters business growth by enhancing local economies, championing collaborative initiatives and cultivating strategic partnerships. ​ Johanna built a 30 years career with the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce starting as the Director of Events and moving...

Experience Innovation Leader, Melissa Tait, Joins IWFCT

Melissa Tait is a Partner of Solutions Engineering in Lippincott’s Experience, Innovation, and Engineering practice based in New York. ​ An ardent advocate for technology’s potential to improve the world, Melissa’s pragmatic approach to innovation has positively impacted clients, such as LendingTree, Humana, Danaher, Delta Air Lines, Cornell University, Aetna and 3,000 Miles to a Cure. In 2020, the Webby...

Stacey Goodwin, Financial Services Leader and Non-Profit Executive, Joins IWFCT

Stacey Goodwin is the Vice President of Operations for RYASAP in Bridgeport where she leads data and outcome measurement and process improvement. In 2016, after a 25+ year career in financial services, Stacey brought her organizational governance and operational leadership skills to her passion for increasing opportunities for youth and families from under-resourced communities in Connecticut. Stacey worked directly for...

New Member: Karen Goyette

Karen Goyette is the Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Hartford HealthCare. Karen serves as Hartford HealthCare’s leader for strategy development, system alignment and partnership integration. Her responsibilities include strategic, business and facility planning, ambulatory facility and institute development, as well as the assessment and activation of strategic partnerships for the system. She oversees several other system-wide...

New Member: Susan Johnson

Susan Johnson is the chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at The Hartford, responsible for leading enterprise-wide DEI initiatives and aligning them with business strategies. She partners with leaders across the organization to ensure that The Hartford’s workforce reflects their customer base, that they drive successful acquisition, development and retention of talent, and that they focus on the right internal...

Former Chief Communications Officer of CVS Health, Kathyrn Metcalfe, Joins IWFCT

IWF Connecticut is pleased to welcome Kathryn Metcalfe as a new member. ​ Kathryn is a visiting professor at New York University. She recently left her chief communications officer role at CVS Health® for academia to shape the next generation of marketing and communications leaders. Kathryn has diverse experience across communications, reputation management, crisis and issues management, as well as...

Guergana Rangatcheva, CFO of Bradley, Foster & Sargent, Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Guergana Rangatcheva as a new member. ​ Guergana has a twenty-year history of guiding organizations in all matters financial, including audit, tax, budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, treasury, human resources, and employee benefit functions. Today, at Bradley, Foster & Sargent (BFS), an investment and wealth management firm, headquartered in Hartford, Guergana is Chief Financial Officer. As...

CEO of Girls with Impact, Jennifer Openshaw, Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Jennifer Openshaw as a new member. ​ Jennifer — called “one of the most outspoken proponents for empowering women to control their financial lives” by CBS MarketWatch – is CEO of Girls With Impact, a modern business and entrepreneurship academy. Her expertise and national reputation as a financial innovator have made her a valuable ally...

Sirius SVP, Nicole Hughey, Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Nicole Hughey as a new member. ​ Nicole Hughey is Senior Vice President, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Social Impact at SiriusXM, the leading audio entertainment company in North America. A trusted leader and advocate for all employees, Nicole established and leads SiriusXM’s DE&I strategy, mission, goals, and priorities and the company’s philanthropic...

Non-Profit CEO Vikki Pryor Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Vikki Pryor as a new member. ​ Vikki Pryor serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit, Getting Out and Staying Out, GOSO. She leads the organization to achieve GOSO’s mission to interrupt violence through programs supporting the education, employment and emotional well-being of at-risk and legal system involved young adults. Vikki is...

Leading Legal Expert for Non-Profit Organizations, Melinda Agsten, Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Melinda Agsten as a new member. ​ Melinda recently became Special Counsel to Wiggin and Dana LLP after having been a partner for forty years. She has spent decades helping health care, educational, charitable, and other tax-exempt organizations address legal challenges so they can focus on achieving their missions. Melinda advises clients on a range...

Kate Maloney, Executive Director of the Infosys Foundation, Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Katherine (Kate) Maloney as a new member. ​ As an Assistant Vice President at Infosys Ltd and the Executive Director of the Infosys Foundation USA, Kate is inspired to advance the Foundation’s commitment to tackle the digital skills gap from K12 to the tech talent workforce. Kate has over 20 years of international policy and...

Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Councilor, Michele Scott, Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Michele Scott as a new member. ​ Michele Scott is a Tribal Councilor for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. As an elected official of the 7-member governing body, she oversees the sovereign government and all of its enterprises including Foxwoods Resort Casino, Foxwoods El San Juan, Norwich Inn and Spa, and more. She holds a...

Dr. Nance Roy, Chief Clinical Officer of the Jed Foundation, Joins IWFCT

IWFCT is pleased to welcome Dr. Nance Roy as a new member. ​ Nance is a psychologist with over 30 years’ experience who has dedicated her career to protecting the mental health of teen and young adults and reducing suicide. As the Chief Clinical Officer of the Jed Foundation and Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale School of Medicine, Dept....