NEW BRITAIN (October 25, 2007) -- Martin "Marty" Gavin, president & CEO of the Connecticut Children's Medical Center (CCMC), has been appointed to a three-year term on the Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) board of directors, Chair Leo Canty announced at CT Health's recent quarterly board meeting.

"We are pleased that Marty has agreed to serve on our board," said Canty.  "He is a well-known and highly respected professional within hospital and health care circles, and we know he will be a committed and credible member of the foundation board. Marty's expertise and leadership will add exceptional value to CT Health's board of directors."

Prior to joining CCMC, Gavin enjoyed a successful career as an executive with more than 27 years of experience in the insurance and investment industries. He worked for 16 years at the Phoenix Companies in Hartford, retiring in 2000. Prior to joining the Phoenix, he worked at CNA Insurance Companies in Chicago and CIGNA (formerly Connecticut General).

In accepting his appointment, Gavin, whose term on the CT Health board will run from June 2007 to July 2010, noted that he was looking forward to working with the leaders of the foundation. "I am especially excited about having joined the Finance & Investment and the Policy Committees," he said. "I admire the foundation for its tenacity and commitment to forge ahead to improve the health of the people in Connecticut."

Active in the community, Gavin has served as the chair on several boards of directors, including the Child Health and Development Institute, the Children's Fund of Connecticut, the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, the Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation, the Connecticut Health System, and Saint Joseph College. He is a corporator of Hartford Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, and has been appointed to serve on the advisory committee of several state and local governments and not-for-profit institutions.

The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) - www.cthealth.org - is the state's largest independent, non-profit grantmaking foundation dedicated to improving the health of the people of Connecticut through systemic change, program innovation and public health policy analysis. Since it was established in July of 1999, CT Health has awarded 400 grants in 44 cities and towns totaling more than $31 million in three priority areas -- children's mental health, reducing racial and ethnic health disparities, and oral health. 

For additional information, please contact Maryland Grier, Public Affairs Officer, at 860.224.2200, ext. 32 or at maryland@cthealth.org.