SIMSBURY/HARTFORD, CT — Hartford native and Simsbury resident Robert E. Patricelli will receive the 2026 George Bahamonde Lifetime Achievement Award during the 4th Annual ImpaCT Awards this fall, United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut and FOX 61 announced.
Patricelli, a strategic advisor at InTandem Capital Partners, will be honored during the Oct. 28 awards ceremony, which recognizes individuals and organizations making significant contributions to health care, housing, financial empowerment and education across Connecticut.
The Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals whose professional accomplishments and commitment to philanthropy have made a lasting impact on their communities.
The award is named for the late George Bahamonde, who served as president and CEO of United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut for 12 years and championed educational opportunities for local children.
A Hartford native who now lives in Simsbury, Patricelli has spent more than six decades in leadership roles spanning federal government, health care and philanthropy.
He began his career with 12 years of service on Capitol Hill and in senior positions during the Johnson, Nixon and Ford administrations before returning to Hartford, where he built a nearly 50-year career in the health care and health insurance industries.
"The George Bahamonde Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who are rooted in philanthropy, both personally and professionally," United Way President and CEO Eric Harrison said in a statement. "Bob Patricelli's professional career is remarkable and his lifelong commitment to serving others truly defines his legacy."
Harrison said Patricelli's charitable work has created lasting opportunities for Hartford students and families while also advancing women's health care throughout Connecticut.
In addition to his business career, Patricelli has supported educational initiatives across the state.
The Patricelli Center for Entrepreneurship at Wesleyan University was established in 2011 through a gift from the Robert and Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation.
Earlier this year, Hartford Promise launched the Patricelli Scholars Program after receiving the largest single donation in the organization's history from Patricelli.
The program annually selects 10 Hartford Promise college students for mentorship, leadership training and networking opportunities with civic and business leaders.
"To be honored by the United Way, our community's pre-eminent charity focused on issues of poverty, is a highpoint in my professional life," Patricelli said.
FOX 61 President and General Manager Chris Topf said Patricelli's dedication to Connecticut and Hartford has helped transform the lives of young people and their families.
"His career of public service is also a great example to follow and embodies the very spirit of service and community that the ImpaCT Awards were created to celebrate, and we are proud to recognize him," Topf said.
The ImpaCT Awards ceremony will be broadcast on FOX61 and streamed on FOX61+.
Tickets, sponsorships and tables are available through CTImpactAwards.org, with proceeds supporting United Way initiatives focused on child literacy, housing, wages and life expectancy across central and northeastern Connecticut.
For more information on the honor, click on this link.
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