Training Program Assists People Of Color Running For Office In CT

Press release from the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM):

March 9, 2021

Nearly 100 Connecticut residents from 28 communities received a certificate for completing Representation Matters, an intensive, free, and groundbreaking two-day training session aimed at providing the essential skills needed for more people of color to run for local public office.

The program was presented by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) in conjunction with the Campaign School at Yale University.

In addition, another 85 Connecticut residents from 36 communities completed the first or second day of the training.

See attachment for the residents who graduated from the program, receiving a certificate of achievement for completing the entire two-day, 11 hour training; as well as those residents who attended one of the days of the training.

The program also attracted residents from out-of-state communities – New York City, Elmont, NY; Flemington, NJ; Ridgewood, NJ; Washington, D.C.; Lexington, NC; and Dallas, TX.

All told, 150 potential candidates attended the first session and 125 prospective office seekers were part of the second session.

Representation Matters: Are You Ready To Run For Local Office? was held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m via Zoom on February 13 & February 27.

While Black, Latino and Asian individuals comprise nearly 35 percent of Connecticut’s population, they represent a very small fraction of the local elected public officials and local board and commission members in Connecticut’s 169 towns and cities.

“This joint, collaborative effort helped foster a more equitable future for local government in our state,” said Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director and CEO. “Connecticut’s local political stable is now teeming with new potential candidates for public office. One the founding principles of Connecticut, and this nation as a whole, is the ideal of a representative government, and it is a goal we are still striving for. Increasing racial diversity and input on town/city councils and boards and commissions broadens perspectives and ensures more thorough proposals.”

This intensive training was co-sponsored by the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity, and Opportunity, the Parent Leadership Training Institute, and the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency

Day One on February 13 was led by the renowned Campaign School at Yale University. This first day of intensive training provided a foundation and skill set for launch as community leaders. The training included:

Making the Decision to Run - Patti Russo, Executive Director, TCSYale

Essentials of Fundraising - Francesca Capodilupo, Professor at Fordham University

Finding Your Voice, Making It Matter - Gilda Bonanno, President, Gilda Bonanno, LLC

Roundtable Discussion with TCSYale Alumnae – Georgia State Sen. YT Bell, Arkansas State Rep. Jamie Scott, Renee Johnson and Babz Rawls Ivy

Effective Networking Techniques, Steps and Questions - Patti Russo, TCSYale

The line-up for day two, led by CCM, included:

How to Be a Change Agent in your Community -- Shawn Wooden, State Treasurer

I Want to Get Involved in My Community and Local Government—Where Do I Start? -- Mark Overmyer Velazquez, UCONN Hartford Campus Director and former West Hartford Board of Education member

Panel of Seasoned Experts to Discuss Lessons Learned/ Best Practices -- Panelists: Suzette DeBeatham-Brown, Mayor, Bloomfield; Cathy Iino, First Selectwoman, Killingworth; Gerard Smith, First Selectman of Beacon Falls; Aidee Nieves, President, Bridgeport City Council; Francisco Santiago, Minority Leader, New Britain City Council; Ed Ford, Councilmember, Middletown City Council; and Roberta Gill-Brooks, Tax Collector, Branford.

Municipal Governance and Finance 101 -- Scott Jackson, former CAO City of New Haven, Former Mayor of Hamden, Former CAO of Hamden, Commissioner, CT Department of Revenue Services and Department of Labor

Ethics, Public Meetings, Roberts Rules, Freedom of Information and more – Kari Olson, Partner Murtha Cullina law firm

This groundbreaking training effort was advised by the Inclusion Committee of CCM’s Board of Directors. They include:

Susan Bransfield, First Selectman of Portland, Chair

Laura Hoydick, Mayor of Stratford

Scott Shanley, Town Manager of Manchester

Kevin Alvarez, Director of Legislative Affairs, New Haven

Walter Morton, Director of Legislative Affairs, Hamden

This press release was produced by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM). The views expressed here are the author's own.