New Canaan Community Foundation Welcomes New Members

Press release from the New Canaan Community Foundation:

Sept. 17, 2021

The New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) announces changes to their Board of Directors, which took effect on July 1, the start of the Foundation’s fiscal year.

Board members completing their years of service to the Foundation’s Board are Rob Fryer, Kelly Hanratty, Kay Linneman, Sheila Pettee, and Heather Ziegler. New Board members welcomed to the Board as of July 1 are Monica Capela Chimera, Jim Clayton, Dan Harris, Erica Schwedel and John Sheffield.

Monica Capela Chimera and her family moved to New Canaan in 2011. Monica is passionate about serving her community. She Co-Chairs Friends of Mead Park Playground, the grassroots nonprofit group dedicated to transforming the playgrounds at Mead Park, and New Canaan Moms Community Collective, which provides assistance to individuals and nonprofit organizations in New Canaan and surrounding communities. Together with her husband, she is a licensed Foster Parent with the state of Connecticut.

Jim Clayton and his wife Barbara are originally from Michigan, and have resided in New Canaan since 1986. They have five children and one grandchild. Jim retired in 2016 from a long career at GE Capital, and is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Kalamazoo College. Jim is also an emeritus member of the Corporate Advisory Board of the University of Michigan Business School, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Congregational Church of New Canaan, and on the Board of Governors of the Country Club of New Canaan.

Dan Harris and his wife, Joann, reside in Weston where they raised their two children, Alyson and Michael. Dan is a Partner at Reynolds + Rowella, a regional accounting and consulting firm located in New Canaan. Dan is a member of the Marine Veterans of Fairfield County, which sponsors the Fairfield County Toys for Tots program. He is also Treasurer of the Building Hope Foundation, which assists Fairfield County families, veterans and charitable organizations with food donations, music lessons, and annual scholarships.

Erica Schwedel and her husband, Andrew, moved to New Canaan in 2010 and have two elementary school children. Erica has volunteered for several New Canaan organizations over the years. She was a Board member for the New Canaan Newcomers for five years, the Young Women's League of New Canaan for five years and the New Canaan CARES parent Board for two years. She was most recently Co President of the West Elementary School Parent Teacher Council, where she was also a Board member for three years. At NCCF, Erica has co-chaired the annual appeal and the events & communications committee, and volunteered on the luncheon committee and grant review committee for three years.

John Sheffield and his wife Amy originally moved to New Canaan in 2003, and returned again in 2010 after a brief stint in Texas. They have 3 children in the NCPS system. John currently works in private equity for a New Canaan-based firm he co-founded in 2018. John served on the NC Board of Finance for 6 years from 2011 to 2017, including a period as its Chairman. He also volunteered as a firefighter with the New Canaan Fire Company.

“The Board of the New Canaan Community Foundation is very excited to welcome these talented men and women,” commented Board Chair Laura Dobbin. “Each of the five brings a deep commitment to our town and our local community, with individual passions and expertise that will strengthen all that we do. We look forward to working with them as we continue to make a difference for all who live in New Canaan.”

The New Canaan Community Foundation, founded in 1977, serves as New Canaan's local partner for advice, leadership, and facilitation of charitable giving. Their vision strives for a New Canaan that comes together to address both individual and local challenges, enriching the lives of all community members. To-date, the New Canaan Community Foundation has invested more than $19 million in nonprofit organizations, working with individuals and businesses to achieve their philanthropic goals through donor-advised funds and other partnerships. Learn more at www.newcanaancf.org.

This press release was produced by the New Canaan Community Foundation. The views expressed here are the author's own.