Prominent Hartford-Area Foundation Names New Leadership

Hartford Foundation For Public Giving

HARTFORD, CT — A prominent giving foundation out of Hartford recently named new leadership to the volunteer board overseeing operations.

Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez of West Hartford has been elected to serve as chairman of the volunteer board of directors of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

The foundation serves the 29-town Greater Hartford region and it is celebrating its 100th year in 2025.

He succeeds Andrew Worthington, who recently completed a two-year term as chair.

Overmyer-Velázquez , who was appointed to the board in 2019, is the inaugural dean and chief administrative officer of the University of Connecticut-Hartford.

He serves and supports UConn Hartford’s students, staff, faculty, and the communities in which they live by.

Overmyer-Velazquez is the founding director of UConn’s El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean & Latin American Studies.

He lives in West Hartford and is the parent of three children with his wife, Jordanna Hertz.

“The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is a testament to the power of community,” said Overmyer-Velázquez. “Together, we are supporting Greater Hartford by fostering equity and creating opportunities for communities to overcome obstacles and thrive.

"It is an honor to work alongside my board colleagues and Foundation staff to support this work and to witness the positive impact generosity and collaboration can achieve."

In other board appointments, Marlene Ibsen was elected vice chairperson and Beatriz Gutierrez was elected treasurer.

Ibsen, who was appointed to the board in 2017, is Vice President of Community Relations at Travelers and also serves as CEO and President of the Travelers Foundation.

She currently serves on the Foundation’s Audit and HFPG Impact! committees.

Gutierrez is President and CEO, of CONNSTEP, Inc., Connecticut’s leading manufacturing consulting firm.

She was appointed to the board in 2022 and serves on the foundation’s finance, policy and strategy committees.

The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding towns The foundation has awarded grants of more than $1 billion since its founding in 1925. For more information, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.