The Inventive Views Lecture Series, sponsored by the Partnership for Strong Communities and Connecticut Voices for Children, is a unique series of lectures and discussions designed to stimulate new approaches to problems facing Connecticut. In 2006, "Inventive Views: New Solutions For Old Problems" embarked on its second annual exploration of novel public policy ideas by focusing on the problems that plague Connecticut's communities. The series brings together leaders in business, philanthropy, academia and public policy at The Lyceum, a resource and conference center located just blocks from the State Capitol and Legislative Office Building.
For more background, see the invitation and registration information. (You can also see an overview of our 2005 series.)
On this Web page, you can find biographical information on each speaker. After each event, we posted video clips of the featured speaker.
- April 7 - John DeStefano, Strong Communities and a Strong Economy: Jobs, Housing & Land Use
- April 26 - Mayor Dan Malloy, Strong Communities and a Strong Economy: Jobs, Housing & Land Use
- May 9 - Sister Mary Scullion RSM, Building Community by Bridging the Digital Divide
- June 8 - David Carter, Ph.D. & Wick Sloane, Bolstering Connecticut's Workforce and Communities by Nurturing the Success of Urban Youth in Education
- October 2 - Lorna Bourg, Lessons from the Front Lines of the Katrina Recovery: Harnessing Entrepreneurship to Build Communities
April 7Mayor John DeStefanoStrong Communities and a Strong Economy: Jobs, Housing & Land Use |  |
John DeStefano, Jr. was sworn in as New Haven's 49th Mayor on January 1, 1994, and was recently reelected to his sixth term in office. Since his inauguration in 1994, Mayor DeStefano has cut crime in half, rebuilt the city's schools, and revitalized its downtown.
The Mayor has consistently been Connecticut's leading advocate for property tax reform and smart growth. He was chosen by his colleagues to chair Connecticut's Blue Ribbon Commission on the subject. Reflecting his commitment to organizing for social change, DeStefano founded an advocacy group - 1000 Friends of Connecticut - that is bringing together statewide officials, businesspeople, and grassroots activists to push for reform.
Mayor DeStefano is the immediate past president of the National League of Cities - the nation's oldest and largest organization representing some 18,000 American cities and towns - and is a past president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. He is widely credited for effectively prioritizing early education and homeland security issues for America's cities and towns, while helping to win key funding battles on these fronts.
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Strong Communities and a Strong Economy: Jobs, Housing & Land Use |  |
Dan Malloy, Stamford’s Mayor since 1995, has consistently improved the quality of life for the citizens of Stamford and earned the City the designation as one of the most livable cities in America. Named one of the top 100 rising Democratic leaders in the country by the Democratic Leadership Council he has achievements in education, housing, reduction in crime, and the overall betterment of the City of Stamford.
Born and raised in Stamford, Dan Malloy is the youngest of eight children. He met his wife Cathy, while both were attending Boston College. Married in 1982, Dan has often described Cathy as "my wife, my partner, and my friend." They have three sons Dannel 20, Benjamin 18, and Samuel 13. He was elected Mayor of Stamford in 1995 in a landslide victory and is currently serving his 4th term. Dan graduated from Boston College Law School and Magna Cum Laude from Boston College. He served as the Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn from 1980 to 1984, trying 23 felony cases, four of them homicides, with 22 convictions. He was a partner in the Stamford firm of Abate and Fox before committing himself to public service.
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May 9
Sister Mary Scullion RSMBuilding Community by Bridging the Digital Divide |  |
Sister Mary Scullion has been involved in service work and advocacy for homeless and mentally ill persons since 1978.
In 1989, Sister Mary and Joan Dawson McConnon co-founded Project H.O.M.E., a nationally recognized organization that provides supportive housing, employment, education and health care to enable chronically homeless and low-income persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. Under their leadership, Project H.O.M.E has grown from an emergency winter shelter to 273 units of housing and three businesses that provide employment to formerly homeless persons. Project H.O.M.E. also prevents homelessness in a low-income neighborhood in North Philadelphia in partnership with Crown Cork & Seal Co. This initiative includes three after school programs, greening vacant lots, adult learning classes, economic development and home ownership for the working poor. Project H.O.M.E. has leveraged over $20,000,000 in equity towards housing development.
Sister Mary has received numerous honorary doctorates for her leadership in the City of Philadelphia. She was also awarded the Liberty Bell Award from the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Prudential National Nonprofit Leadership Award and the 1992 Philadelphia Award. In 2002, she and Joan Dawson McConnon were awarded the Ford Foundation's prestigious Leadership for a Changing World Award. Under Mary’s leadership, Project H.O.M.E. has won many awards. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) selected Project H.O.M.E. as one of the "100 Best Practices" nationwide out of 3,000 nominees, and the Philanthropy Roundtable selected Project H.O.M.E. as one of the "16 most efficient and innovative charities we know of anywhere."
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June 8
David Carter, Ph.D. & Wick SloaneBolstering Connecticut’s Workforce and Communities by Nurturing the Success of Urban Youth in Education |  |  |
Connecticut State University Chancellor Dr. David Carter, and Wick Sloane,
former Chief Financial Officer of the University of Hawaii, will probe what
works and what doesn’t to make higher education attainable and successful
for young people without the privilege of wealth and connections. They will
respond to comments and questions from young adults working toward a college
education as well as questions from the audience.
As baby boomers reach retirement, and Connecticut has experienced a declining
population of 20-34 year olds, maintaining a strong economy will require maximizing
efforts to prepare young people from all walks of life to fill jobs and provide
employers with the talents they need.
David G. Carter has served as the chancellor of the Connecticut State University
System since February 2006, providing oversight for the management and operations
of the Connecticut State University System.
Prior to being named chancellor, Carter served as president of Eastern Connecticut
State University. Appointed in April 1988, he was the first African American
president of a four-year institution of higher education in Connecticut. He
served various roles at the University of Connecticut during an 11-year period.
Before joining the faculty at UConn, he was an associate professor in the College
of Education at Pennsylvania State University for four years. Previous to his
career in higher education, Carter was an elementary school teacher, vice principal,
principal and unit facilitator
Carter is active in state and local organizations and agencies including the
Governor's Steering Committee on the Task Force of the Connecticut Center for
Science and Exploration (member). Carter has served as past chair and member
of the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of the American
Council of Education and chaired its Finance Committee. He is currently completing
his first term as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division
III, Presidents Council.
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Carter earned a B.S. degree from Central State University
in Ohio, an M.Ed. from Miami University in Ohio and a Ph.D. from Ohio State
University. Carter and his wife, Dr. Sandra C. Holley, reside in Connecticut.
They have four children.
Wick Sloane is chief finance and chief operating officer of Generon. He has
more than 25 years of experience navigating complex problems large and small
in the public and the private sectors, with a particular passion for equity
in education. He has been chief financial officer of the $800 million, ten-campus,
University of Hawaii system, as well as managing director for corporate strategies
for Aetna Life & Casualty, in the financial, healthcare and investment management
business lines, in the U.S., Europe, and China.
Wick is Visiting Fellow, Higher Education Finance, for the Federal Reserve Bank
of Chicago, where his project is improving access of the poor to higher education
in the United States. Wick is a frequent essayist on many topics for newspapers
and public radio. He has degrees from Williams College and Yale University.
Recent Southern Connecticut State University graduate Cindy Martinez added a student perspective. The panel also responded to comments and questions from the audience.Video
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October 2
Lorna BourgLessons from the Front Lines of the Katrina Recovery: Harnessing Entrepreneurship to Build Communities |  |
Lourna Bourg is a MacArthur Fellow and a Fannie Mae Foundation James A. Johnson
Fellow. She is a graduate of Harvard's JFK School of Government Program for
Senior Executives, and has a Masters degree in psychology. Over the last 30
years Lorna has had worked in rural community and housing development. She has
extensive experience in community organizing and development, and has been a
leadership consultant in local, regional and national nonprofit initiatives.
She is the President and Executive Director of the Southern Mutual Help Association
Inc.
Within 48 hours of Hurricane Katrina's landfall, Southern Mutual Help Association
initiated its Rural Recovery Response to begin the long-term task of recovery
and rebuilding. The Association then expanded the effort when Hurricane Rita
hit. Their special focus is with distressed rural communities whose livelihoods
are interdependent with our land and waters. They work primarily with agricultural
and pervasively poor communities, women and people of color. They help build
rural communities through people's growth in their own empowerment and the just
management of resources.
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To find out more, see the invitation and registration information. (You can also see an overview of our 2005 series.)
