Educate.
Inspire. BOARD OF TRUSTEES
December 1, 2023
CHAIR Desiree Wolfe VICE CHAIRS Joaquina Borges King Abby Warren TREASURER Lori M. Budnick SECRETARY Susan Sprano
Dear Jane, This year, I am writing to you with my
Geena Clonan Kate Engler Robyn E. Gallagher Deb Geyer Lindsay Castonguay Hany LaKisha Jordan Kate Jorens Kayla Jump Melinda Kaufmann Ndidi Moses Jessica Neuweiler Lilian C. Ulan Deborah Ullman Judite Vamvakides Roberta Wachtelhausen Brittney Yancy
warmest wishes, and a few pieces of
CONSULTING SCHOLAR Rosalyn Amenta
celebrated Women in Sports, Science, Social Justice, Arts and more. Not only that, but we
wisdom I have picked up while working at the Hall. After nearly a decade here, and celebrating the Hall’s 30th anniversary, I am reflecting on the wisdom and knowledge gained as we head into 2024. The world is moving fast, and I am optimistic for a brighter future! Over the past few years, I have welcomed three grandchildren into the world, and I am enjoying my time laughing and playing with them. Their light gives me immense joy and hope! And just as I marvel at how fast they grow, so has the Hall over the past years: Another 36 women have been inducted during my time here, bringing our total to 148! We have managed to stay afloat during COVID-19, which disproportionately affected women and
FOUNDING PRESIDENT Geena Clonan
nonprofit organizations.
As I reflect on the Hall’s 30 years, I feel more convinced than ever that what we are doing is not only important, but vital. There has never been a more critical time for the elevation of women’s voices, wisdom, and leadership. When I say that the Hall is key in this movement in highlighting women’s achievements and contributions, it is because we are the only ones in CT doing it! We are adding the stories of women to school curricula, pairing female leaders in STEM with middle-school girls, and talking to communities and corporations throughout the state. Talks such as Women in Science, Connecticut’s Black, Indigenous and Women of Color, Pushing Past “No”, and many more. If the Hall didn’t do it, who would?
Only % 0.5 OF RECORDED
HISTORYare
Even today, only .5% of recorded history are women’s stories—and 53% of stories about women depict
WOMEN’S STORIES
them in domestic roles, and only 2% show women in the workforce. THIS is certainly not what I want
my granddaughter to learn in school! While we have achieved representation in many arenas, the
100% of
classroom is one frontier that is still largely “his story.”
OUR STORIES
It is my hope that my granddaughter never loses her firm belief in herself and her capabilities: right now, she is indomitable! She can do anything and has never heard or seen otherwise. So, when she enters school and learns about
e arHESTORY.
the achievements in engineering, finance, and publishing by Eli Whitney, J.P. Morgan, and Noah Webster, I want her also to learn about Nobel Prize Winner Barbara McClintock’s discovery of “mobile genetic elements”, Jennifer Lawton’s breakthrough work in 3D printing, Gladys Tantaquidgeon who preserved the Mohegan language from being lost forever, and Dr. Jewel Plummer Cobb’s accomplishments in science and higher education. We cannot lose these stories to the dust of time, so help us hold onto them! Help us ensure that we make them available to everyone, young and old, male, and female, throughout the state. As 2023 ends, my wish
and my plea is for you to consider us when making a choice in your holiday giving. Give the gift of female voices. This time I will ask loudly: Please invest in the Hall and invest in the future of a more equitable world! With my warmest holiday wishes to all of you,
Sarah Smith Lubarsky Executive Director
p.s.
Did you know that less than 2% of all charitable giving goes to women’s
organizations? We need to see this change. Our annual appeal is a fantastic way to help support our mission, no gift is too small. Help protect women’s voices by giving a gift today!
CONNECT
with US!
Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame | 320 Fitch Street, New Haven, CT 06515 | 203.392.9007
t r o p Sup Us!