Appointed to Board of Advisors for The Michael Bolton Charities

Bernard Kavaler, Managing Principal of Express Strategies, a Hartford-based public relations consulting firm, has been appointed to the Board of Advisors for The Michael Bolton Charities.

The nonprofit organization, founded nearly three decades ago by Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Michael Bolton, provides assistance to women and children impacted by the devastating effects of domestic violence, physical and emotional abuse, through initiatives and programs that work to end these tragic cycles of violence and abuse.

Express Strategies provides strategic communications and public policy consulting, with expertise in advocacy writing, project management and media relations, and an acute understanding of the public implications of policy decisions made by an organization.

Founded in 2012, Express Strategies has works with global corporations and local businesses, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, professional associations, educational institutions, foundations and industries in various disciplines. Express Strategies is accredited by the Better Business Bureau, with an A+ rating, is recognized as a top Public Relations Company in Connecticut, and is among leading reputation management companies.

“It is a privilege to support the efforts of The Michael Bolton Charities, and the impact their meaningful initiatives have on individual lives,” said Kavaler. “Their dedication to make a difference is unwavering, and decades of determination, collaboration and innovation reflect that.”

Prior to founding Express Strategies, Kavaler served as a key member of the executive staff of four of Connecticut’s constitutional officers and the state’s university system. His leadership positions included service with the Offices of Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of the State and State Treasurer. He also served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs for the Connecticut State University System, has taught as an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Hartford, and is a member of the Professional Speechwriters Association.

Innovation has always been a major driving force of The Michael Bolton Charities. After extensive research, The MBC determined that a highly personalized music therapy program possesses the potential for life-changing impact as a powerful and critical tool in the healing process. The result: development of The Michael Bolton Charities’ Beyond Trauma: Youth Music Therapy program, a one-of-a-kind groundbreaking initiative. Through the Andie Koplik Residency in Music Therapy, the program reaches high risk students who have a history of acute trauma, many in the clinical range for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The program is currently operating in its first two schools: the Riverside Opportunity Academy in New Haven and the Bennie Dover Jackson Multi-Magnet Middle School in New London. It enables participating youth to alter the precarious path their lives are on, as students become empowered by their own musical creations, benefitting from the chance to express themselves in a non-threatening and creative way. Independent evaluations reflect that with both age groups, the music therapy program is providing evidence of a “life-changing” impact.

A special concert in support of the Beyond Trauma: Youth Music Therapy program, featuring Michael Bolton, is upcoming at Mohegan Sun on Friday, May 6, 2022. Ticket and sponsorship information is available at www.michaelboltoncharities.com