Major Hartford Foundation Adds Prominent State Official To Board

HARTFORD, CT — A prominent resident who serves as a top advisor to Gov. Ned Lamont has taken a leadership role with a Hartford-based charitable foundation.

The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation has appointed Thea Montañez to its board of directors, the organization announced.

Montañez serves as senior advisor to Lamont and chair of the Governor’s Kids Cabinet.

In her role, she advises the governor on policy and operational decisions and leads interagency initiatives aimed at expanding opportunity for Connecticut residents through partnerships across public, private, and philanthropic sectors.

Before joining the governor’s Office, Montañez was chief of staff and later chief operating officer for the City of Hartford.

She managed a $600 million annual budget and oversaw daily operations for 1,500 employees across 13 municipal departments.

During her tenure at Hartford City Hall, she worked with former Mayor Luke Bronin duri;ng fiscal and public health challenges, including averting municipal bankruptcy and managing the city’s COVID-19 response and recovery.

She also helped develop initiatives supporting survivors of community violence, justice-involved youth and adults, and residents experiencing addiction, mental illness, and housing instability.

Earlier, Montañez served as director of the North Hartford Promise Zone, where she implemented a federal initiative through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development focused on economic development, education, public health, and crime reduction in high-poverty neighborhoods.

Montañez has also worked as a consultant advising nonprofit and public-sector leaders on community engagement strategies.

She currently serves on the boards of Connecticut Public Broadcasting and the Governor’s Prevention Partnership, and is a member of the State of Connecticut Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee.

Her honors include the Center for Children’s Advocacy’s “Champion of Children” award and recognition from the Hartford Business Journal and Connecticut Magazine.

“The board is excited to have Thea join the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation’s leadership team,” Board Chair Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez said. “Thea has been a long-time partner of the Foundation, and her deep knowledge of the organization and the communities we serve will be a vital resource to our board and strengthen the entire organization.”

The Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, formerly known as the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, is a community foundation serving Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. The organization says it has invested more than $1 billion in the region over the past century to address racial and economic disparities and improve the quality of life.