Andrew Giering is an Assistant Federal Defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Connecticut.  Prior to joining the Federal Defender Office, Andrew worked as a law clerk for the Honorable Alvin W. Thompson, then-Chief Judge for the District of Connecticut, and as a litigation associate at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York and Wiggin and Dana in New Haven.  Andrew is an inaugural member of the Correction Advisory Committee, an oversight panel for the Connecticut Department of Correction established by the Connecticut General Assembly in 2022.  Andrew also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the New Haven Free Public Library, as Secretary of the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, and on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Arts Alliance and the Connecticut Italian American Bar Association.  Andrew is a third-generation New Haven resident and a graduate of Yale Law School, Columbia University, Hopkins School, and West Haven public schools.

Alice Gold has built a storied and eclectic career spanning marketing, education and entrepreneurship.  After earning her PhD in social psychology from Columbia University, she became an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Wesleyan University.  She left the University to join Travelers Insurance Company, where she worked in marketing, strategic planning, and start-up businesses for 16 years.  In 1997, she opened Fleet Feet Sports in West Hartford, an athletic shoe and sportswear retailer, which she operated for more than 10 years before selling the business in 2008.  After retiring, Ms. Gold founded the Hartford School Garden Council,  a volunteer organization that helps develop edible gardens for students in Hartford Public Schools.  She serves on the Boards of Directors of The Connecticut Democracy Center and the Elizabeth Ann Carlson Foundation.

Jonathan earned a B.A. from Brandeis University, and a J.D. from the New York University School of Law.  He was in the private practice of law for 25 years, concentrating on commercial and real estate law. For six sessions, he served as Counsel to the Speaker of the House in the General Assembly.  In 2007, Jonathan founded Harris Collaborations, a real estate and economic development firm.  Jonathan served West Hartford as Town Councilor and Mayor and was elected to the state Senate in 2004, holding that seat for three terms. Upon retiring from the Senate, he served as Deputy Treasurer of Connecticut, Executive Director of the State Democratic Party and Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.  In 2021, Jonathan moved to Eversource Energy as Director of Regulatory Affairs for Connecticut. Jonathan lives in Farmington with his wife Lucy. Their son Spencer lives and works in New York City.

Michael Imber is a Managing Director at Epiq, leading the Public Sector & Higher Education Solutions Division. He has more than 25 years of experience counseling clients on bankruptcies, workouts, and municipal consulting assignments. Michael is an elected member of the Board of Finance in his hometown of Weston, CT and has served as its chairman for the past two years.  Michael served as a member of the Connecticut Pension Sustainability Commission and has testified before the General Assembly on remediation approaches to the state’s structural budget deficit problem.  He earned a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance from the University of Illinois.  Michael served as Board Chair of the Municipal Analyst Group of New York, a board member of the National Federation of Municipal Analysts, and is a past President of Turnaround Management Association’s New York City Chapter.

Deirdre O’Connor is a proven business leader who has excelled at the intersections of law, government, finance, and business for over 25 years, providing counsel to troubled companies and developing and executing on strategic operating plans. Her career is notable for deep experience in both government and the private sector. As a U. S. Trustee for the Southern District of New York, Deirdre oversaw and monitored some of the largest corporate reorganizations on record. As an Assistant United States Attorney, she represented federal agencies in bankruptcy filings and criminal prosecutions and as a practicing attorney represented debtors, creditors and trustees in the private sector. She has consistently achieved strategic transformations for sustained profitability and corporate resilience in several disciplines. Highly experienced and accomplished, she is recognized and respected by her peers and is one of very few women at the top of the corporate restructuring field. Deirdre is a founding member of the Catholic Renewal of Catholic Charities of Greater New York Board of Directors and serves on the Board of Directors for the American Bankruptcy Institute.  She holds a B.A. in American History from New York University and a J.D. from University of Bridgeport School of Law.  She resides in Fairfield with her family.

Sue joined the Connecticut Democracy Center Board of Directors in 2023.  She is a familiar face, having participated in Connecticut History Day for over 10 years as a parent, mentor/teacher and judge on a regional, state and national level.  She also served on the Connecticut History Day Advisory Board from 2018-2020.  Sue joined Travelers in 2009 and is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Claim. Prior to joining Travelers, Sue held a variety of strategic planning/M&A, financial reporting and compliance positions at Aetna. She started her career in Public Accounting at KPMG and earned the designation of Certified Public Accountant. Sue holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Clarkson University.  She is married with two grown children and lives in West Hartford, Connecticut. In addition to the CT Democracy Center, Sue is involved in various diversity networks and local charities.  She is a member of the MVAIC Board.

Eric Rigoli is a member of Robinson+Cole’s Business Litigation Group.  He represents clients in connection with business disputes, such as contracts and unfair trade practices matters, and in connection with government investigations. Before joining Robinson+Cole, Eric served as an intern to the Honorable Judge Vanessa Bryant in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. His responsibilities included legal researching and drafting to assist Judge Bryant and her law clerks. Eric previously served as an intern to State Senator Art Linares in the Connecticut State Assembly, maintaining reports for the Higher Education, Appropriation, and Transportation Committees, conducting research into bill proposals and current legislation, and serving as a liaison to the community. Eric is a five-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, having served as an Aviation Safety Equipment and Airframes Mechanic from 2009 to 2014, and Aviation Quality Assurance Representative and Collateral Duty Inspector from 2012 to 2014. During that time, he received numerous awards for his service, including three Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medals, two Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medals, two Admiral Flag Letters and Letters of Appreciation, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, and National Defense Medal.

Anita Ford Saunders, APR, a veteran in the communication and public relations profession, has over 30 years of experience creating and implementing strategic communications plans for corporate and community-based organizations. A seasoned writer, producer, and broadcast professional, her knowledge of the media is matched only by her community involvement on over 20 civic and professional boards during her career. She is the principal and owner of AFC Communications and the President of the Middlesex County Chapter of the NAACP. Anita was previously Trinity College’s Director of Advancement Communications, as well as Director of Marketing Communications for United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. Prior to that she served as Manager of Communications for Yankee Gas Services Company, Senior Communications Officer and Senior Communications Consultant for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Connecticut Public Television & Radio, and was owner/principal consultant of Anita Ford Saunders Communication. Anita’s strategic promotion for the premiere of UConn Women’s Basketball on CPTV won a Connecticut Innovation Award in its second year. Anita perfected her craft at WFSB-TV 3, WVIT-NBC 30, and television stations in Washington, DC, Michigan, and Massachusetts. She is a member of the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards and Vice Chair of the PRSA Diversity & Inclusion committee. She serves as an ambassador and committee member for The Village for Families and Children, and is a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and past president of the Epsilon Omicron Omega Chapter.

With a career spanning broadcast journalism, corporate  communications and marketing, Terryl currently serves as the Director of Marketing & Public Relations for the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) where she is a driving force behind the branding and promotion of Hartford as a tourist and economic destination.  She began her career as a producer for WFSB-Channel 3, a CBS affiliate in the Hartford/Springfield DMA. She later managed advertising and media relations for Yankee Gas and served as Internet Marketing and Content Manager for Webster Bank before stepping into her role at CRDA.  Terryl holds a B.A. degree in Communications from Pepperdine University.

James Turner is a Director on the derivatives sales desk at Webster Bank. James specializes in helping the Bank and its clients mitigate interest rate risk through the use of derivative products for loan level hedging.  James is well versed in the documentation, regulation and execution of interest rate derivatives and fixed income products. As part of giving back to the community, James has been a guest speaker to both Manchester H.S. and the University of New Haven to discuss the importance of investing and financial knowledge. James has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Business Administration from Rutgers University.

A West Hartford native, Dr. Jonathan L. Wharton is associate professor of political science and urban affairs at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) in New Haven. He advises College Republicans, College Democrats and Golf Club. Wharton is a frequent WNPR contributor as well as Hearst CT (New Haven Register, Connecticut Post) and CT News Junkie columnist discussing state and local issues. He serves on the Preservation Connecticut board and volunteers with New Haven First Congregationalist Center Church on The Green and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity tristate area chapters. Wharton was a New Haven City Plan Commissioner, New Haven Republicans chair and Republican state central committee member. His research and publications center on state and local government, gentrification and economic development. Prior to academia, Wharton worked as a congressional aide for US Representatives Charles Rangel (D-NY), Glenn Poshard (D-IL) and Chris Shays (R-CT). He was also a research analyst in New Jersey state legislature’s Office of Legislative Services and government affairs researcher for several Washington organizations.