Stamford's SoundWaters Welcomes New Board Member

DARIEN, CT — SoundWaters, the region’s leader in climate science education, has announced the appointment of Darien resident Mirellise Vazquez of The Connecticut Project to its Board of Directors.

Vazquez has more than 20 years of experience working in public and non-profit sectors. She currently serves as vice president of Investment for The Connecticut Project, where she leads philanthropic strategy development, stakeholder engagement and the design and implementation of the organization’s social investments and grantmaking efforts.

A respected leader in philanthropy and public policy, she brings over twenty-five years of experience advancing equitable systems change at the local, national and international levels.

Prior to joining The Connecticut Project, Vazquez was executive director of the Tauck Family Foundation, and she held policy and advocacy roles with ChildFund International and the International Planned Parenthood Federation’s Western Hemisphere Region.

Vazquez began her career at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs, where she focused on child labor and education technical assistance programs, research and policy.

Her commitment to community leadership extends across Connecticut. Vazquez serves as one of two Connecticut representatives to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Community Development Advisory Council and is a board member of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. She is also a founder and former board vice-chair of Building One Community.

"Mirellise is a strong community leader with a deep understanding of community investment," said SoundWaters President Leigh Shemitz in a news release. "Her experience across philanthropy, policy and public service will be a tremendous asset to SoundWaters as we continue to strengthen our programs and expand our capacity."

Vazquez earned a Master of Public Policy and international affairs and has a certificate in Latin American studies from the University of Pittsburgh. She received a bachelor’s degree in governance from Franklin & Marshall College.