NEW BRITAIN – January 8, 2010 – The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) elected former State Senator Sanford Cloud Jr. chair of its board of directors at its recent quarterly meeting. Cloud previously served as vice chair, chair of the public policy committee, and as a member of the governance and executive committees. Prior to joining the board in 2005, Cloud was chair of the foundation’s racial and ethnic health disparities policy panel.
Also, Corinne Norgaard, president of RetirementOptions, a pre-retirement assessment and life-planning firm in Mansfield Center, has been elected to serve as vice chair and treasurer.
“As an active board member, Cloud brings extensive experience to the task of leading the board at a critical time of growth and needed change in the state’s health care system,” says President & CEO Patricia Baker.
Cloud succeeds founding chair, Leo Canty, a labor, community and political activist, who served as CT Health’s board chair since 1999. Canty, whose commitment and leadership propelled CT Health to become a nationally recognized health foundation, will continue to serve on board committees until June 2010.
“I am honored to serve as chair of the Connecticut Health Foundation’s outstanding board of directors,” says Cloud. “As the new chair, my vision will focus on addressing health policy issues, and expanding our partnerships to improve health equity in Connecticut.”
“Sandy brings a vast array of experience as a national leader, public servant and executive in nonprofit, government and corporate communities, which is coupled with tremendous compassion,” says Canty.
Presently, Cloud is chair & CEO of The Cloud Company, LLC, a real estate development and business investment firm. He is a former president & CEO of the National Conference for Community and Justice.
He serves on the board of directors of Northeast Utilities, The Phoenix Companies, Inc., Ironwood Mezzanine Fund LP, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, The Fund for Greater Hartford, the University of Connecticut Health Center and Greater Hartford Alliance.
Previously, Cloud held a broad range of professional and philanthropic positions, including partner in the law firm of Robinson & Cole, executive director of the Aetna Foundation, and a member of the Council on Foundations and Independent Sector boards.
Born and raised in Hartford, Cloud is a graduate of Howard University and Howard University Law School. Cloud also received a master’s in religious studies from the Hartford Seminary.
Celebrating its 10th year, the Connecticut Health Foundation is the state’s largest independent health philanthropy dedicated to improving lives by changing health systems. Since it was established in July 1999, the foundation has supported innovative grant-making, public health policy research, technical assistance and convening to achieve its mission – to improve the health of the people of Connecticut.
Over the past 10 years, CT Health has awarded 492 grants totaling $39.1 million in 44 cities and towns throughout the state in three priority areas:
- Improving access to children’s mental health services
- Reducing racial and ethnic health disparities
- Expanding access to and use of children’s oral health services
For more information about the foundation, please visit www.cthealth.org or contact Communications Officer Maryland Grier at Maryland@cthealth.org or 860.224.2200, ext. 32.