News You Can Use

On this week’s program, hosts Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with Gail Eureka, Program Director at The Connection. Starting as an Intern nearly 10 years ago, Gail has turned her passion of helping others succeed into a successful career at the agency.  The Connection is currently hiring for its diverse human services programs across Connecticut.  For information about employment opportunities, visit www.theconnectioninc.org/careers.

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Alicia Davis, Professional Certified Coach (PCC) for Transformative Leadership Strategies. Transformative Leadership Strategies, LLC (TLS) provides coaching support and leadership development services to individuals looking to increase their personal fulfillment and improve their leadership skills. Alicia talks about the importance of May being National Mental Health Awareness Month, emphasizing physical, mental and emotion well-being. Tune in this Sunday to hear more from Alicia about signs and symptoms of Covid fatigue, and the difference between self-care vs essential-care. 

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with New Britain Mayor, Erin Stewart. Mayor Stewart talks about the relaunch of New Britain Recovers, a social services initiative aimed at addressing homelessness, addiction and youth prevention. She also shares detailed information regarding the Covid-19 vaccine in hopes New Britain residents, and most importantly people of color, will get the shot. Tune in this Sunday to hear more from the Mayor about her family, background and long-term goals for the city of New Britain.

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Tom Casey, Managing Principal of Discussion Partner Collaborative, a global Advisory firm with over 200 consultants. Tom is the author of over 500 articles, books and blogs that have been published in a range of magazines, periodicals and social media sites. Most recently, Tom published a blog titled “With Empathy Comes Understanding” which will be posted on his website May 1st. Tom talks about the importance of leadership behavior and how it must change post-pandemic. Tune in this Sunday to hear more from Tom about conflict, diversity and pulse surveys.

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with April Goff Brown about her new children’s book “I Hug You in My Heart.” April retired in 2017 from a 35-year career of developing and managing youth programs, and now relishes this stage of her journey as a creative entrepreneur and author. April is happily married to her husband of 40 years and is a proud mother to her son Jason, stepmother to April, mother-in-law to Cori and Nana to ten. When not writing, she tends to her jewelry business, practices yoga, gardens, quilts and assists with the virtual education of her youngest granddaughter, Olivia. April is a contributing author in The Great Pause: Blessings and Wisdom from COVID-19. This is her first children's book, depicting April’s experience as a grandmother.

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and guest co-host
Beth Connor speak with Ray Gorman, President and CEO of
Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA.) CMHA is a leading
provider of an integrated health and behavioral health care
system for children, families and adults. By fostering
improvement in the quality of life for their clients, CMHA
contributes to the well-being of the communities it serves. Ray
shares his opinions and concerns about the legalization of
marijuana in Connecticut and the effect it could have on the
state. Tune in this Sunday to hear more from Ray about
nonprofits, legislators and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Happy Easter! On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and guest co-host Beth Connor speak with one of The Connection’s long-time strategic partners, Ryan Lawless from The Schuster Group, a full-service employee benefits firm. Ryan talks about The Schuster Group’s TANGO, a community of over 1,400 nonprofit organizations. As a Member, your organization can save money and receive exclusive offerings to help your business run more effectively. Tune in this Sunday to hear more from Ryan about the power of nonprofits working with other nonprofits such as The Connection.

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Keith Grant, APRN, Senior System Director of Infection Prevention from Hartford HealthCare. Keith talks about the historic event that happened last week in Connecticut, as many front-line healthcare workers, including himself received the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine. Keith offers a unique perspective, sharing his emotion and hope about what this means for the health and future of all of us. As someone who knows all too well what it has been like to see people die alone due to the Coronavirus, Keith talks about what this means for the country and a potential return to some sense of normalcy. This is a truly candid and eye-opening conversation that you will not want to miss.

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Gian-Carl Casa, President and CEO of The Alliance; a strong and persistent voice representing mission-driven nonprofit organizations across the state of Connecticut. Gian-Carl talks about the financial struggles that many Connecticut nonprofits are facing due to Covid-19. Tune in this Sunday to hear more from Gian-Carl about the many similarities between The Connection and The Alliance.

On this week’s program, hosts Ann Baldwin and Lisa DeMatteis-Lepore speak with Mayor Ben Florsheim, City of Middletown. Ben Florsheim was appointed Mayor in 2019, serving as one of Connecticut’s youngest mayors. Through his efforts, Mayor Florsheim has helped rejuvenate the city of Middletown, working closely with The Connection to promote wellbeing for all within the community. Mayor Florsheim shares his experience as Mayor to date and discusses the many different challenges Middletown has faced due to the pandemic. Tune in this Sunday to learn more about Mayor Florsheim, a man truly dedicated to his people.