Join CT Freedom Trail Outreach Director Tammy Denease, CT Freedom Trail Chairman Charles Warner, and CT Freedom Trail Coordinator Todd Levine for a retrospective look at the growth and progress on the trail in 2022. More details to come
Kevin Snow, owner of the Capitol Collection, will discuss how the Capitol Collection passport book came into being, and talk about his own journey to visit as many state capitols as he could.The story of his trip to deliver special Capitol Collection passport stamps includes some amusing anecdotes about tickling kittens or possible electrocutions, depending […]
Few imagined that when the 2012 Hollywood blockbuster'Lincoln' hit theaters, it would ignite a heated debate involving Connecticut’scontroversial Civil War history, a congressman, and a frazzled screenwriterworried about the prospects for an Oscar! Join Dr. Matthew Warshauer, professorof History at Central Connecticut State University, in our historic House ofRepresentative's chamber, as he plumbs the depths […]
Located in the heart of downtown Hartford, Connecticut's OldState House served as one of the capitol buildings of Connecticut until 1878.As the seat of the state's government, the Old State House holds manyconnections to several important stories related to the Connecticut FreedomTrail, including the Prudence Crandall, Amistad, and Nancy Jackson trials, the1818 Constitution and many […]
Black litigants regularly appeared in colonial Connecticut'scounty courts. Participating as plaintiffs, defendants, and third-partysubjects, free Black New Englanders in New London often relied on the courts toprotect their economic and social interests, especially when discrimination inthe community limited their ability to settle disputes informally. For the mostpart, Blacks entered a judicial process that tended to […]
First in a limited series, The Amistad Trilogy.In 1839, 53 captive Africans rebelled aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad. They took over the ship, but were captured by the US Navy in Long Island Sound and taken into custody. They then allied with local abolitionists in Connecticut to fight for their freedom through the US […]
Second in a limited series: The Amistad Trilogy.In 1839, 53 captive Africans rebelled aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad. They took over the ship, but were captured by the US Navy in Long Island Sound and taken into custody. They then allied with local abolitionists in Connecticut to fight for their freedom through the US […]
Speaker: Dr. Joseph Coll, Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics at Sewanee: The University of the South During elections, most of us are used to voting for just one candidate per office. The candidate that gets the most votes wins. But there is an alternate form of election that has started to gain the public and […]
Featuring: Dr. Steven B. Smith, Alfred Cowles Professor of Political Science and professor of philosophy, Yale University Join us in conversation with Dr. Smith, as he examines the concept of "Patriotism" as a virtue in line with the core values of democracy and an expression of belonging, loyalty, and pride. What does it mean to […]
Saddle your horses and take a midnight (but really early evening) ride to Connecticut's Old State House for A Night at the Public House: The Regulars Are Coming Out - an event all about the Revolutionary War. Special guest historian Matthew Reardon of the New England Civil War Museum will tell the story of Connecticut’s response […]
Third in a limited series: The Amistad Trilogy.In 1839, 53 captive Africans rebelled aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad. They took over the ship, but were captured by the US Navy in Long Island Sound and taken into custody. They then allied with local abolitionists in Connecticut to fight for their freedom through the US […]
In 1839, 53 captive Africans rebelled aboard the Spanish schooner La Amistad. They took over the ship, but were captured by the US Navy in Long Island Sound and taken into custody. They then allied with local abolitionists in Connecticut to fight for their freedom through the US court system, and ultimately won. Over 150 […]
Matthew LaCoille brings almost ten years of experience in nonprofit leadership, community impact, and fundraising to the Connecticut Democracy Center. As Director of Development, Matthew is focused on cultivating and maintaining partnerships with businesses, foundations and individuals who wish to support our mission to provide people of all ages a lifetime pathway to civic engagement.
Matthew came to The Connecticut Democracy Center from Look Memorial Park in Florence, Massachusetts where he successfully collaborated with the Board Trustees and Development Committee to drive revenue increases in corporate and individual giving. While at Look Park, LaCoille successfully implemented several new programs, including their Community Partners and Low-Income Pass programs, while bringing back many of their popular events post-COVID, including their Summer Celebration Auction and Santa’s Trains. Matthew is credited with the complete rebranding of the park, including its marketing plan and strong integration into the Western Massachusetts community.
Previously to Look Park, Dr. LaCoille worked successfully in academic fundraising for five years, with stops at several educational institutions. He began his career working for baseball legends Bill and Cal Ripken Jr. at Ripkin Baseball.
Matthew currently serves on several boards and committees in the community, including as an Adjunct faculty member and on the Grants and Skookum Awards Committee at Western New England University, his undergraduate alma mater. After completing his business degree at Western New England, Matthew earned his master’s degree from the University of Florida while working full-time at Ripken Baseball.
Matthew continued to earn his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of the Cumberlands in 2023, with significant focuses on nonprofit management, leadership theory, and the change process related to organizational decision-making. He successfully defended his dissertation “Examining the Institutional Enrollment and Philanthropic Effects of Adding Athletic Programs at NCAA Division III New England Colleges & Universities,” published and utilized in several academic research areas.
Brian joined The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) team in 2014 as Head of Education at Connecticut’s Old State House. In this role, he manages the museum’s K-12 school programs and works with a team of educators to create authentic, educational, and participatory experiences that awaken civic engagement and awareness
In 2015, Cofrancesco created Kid Governor®, a statewide civics program for 5th graders which unites CTDC’s mission of teaching civics and history with his personal values of civic participation and engagement. His vision, design and strategic development of the program have resulted in Kid Governor®’s recognition nationally by the National Association of Secretaries of State and the American Association for State and Local History, and the launch of affiliate programs in Oregon and New Hampshire. He currently leads the Connecticut and national Kid Governor® programs.
Prior to CTDC, Cofrancesco worked at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and the University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum of Art. He is active in the museum and heritage communities and has served on the Planning Committee for the Connecticut Museum Educator Roundtable, the board of the Meriden Historical Society, and coordinates a Hartford-based museum networking group. He has served on boards and committees for the Connecticut League of History Organizations, Connecticut Humanities, the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, the Center of Connecticut Regional Tourism District, and Kiwanis International. He is a frequent workshop facilitator and keynote speaker in the museum and community service communities, and delivered a keynote address at the New England Museum Association’s 100th Anniversary Conference.
Cofrancesco holds a Bachelors of Architectural History from the University of Virginia. He is co-editor of Falmouth, Jamaica: Architecture as History (2014, University of the West Indies Press).
Sally leads the Connecticut Democracy Center team at Connecticut’s Old State House. For more than 12 years the team has managed the National Historic Landmark, on behalf of the General Assembly, creating popular school and public programs, tours, exhibitions, the Kid Governor® and Connecticut History Day programs, and a downtown Farmers Market. Every program uses history and civics to help people understand the world and take action on issues that concern them.
In 2015, the New England Museum Association honored Whipple with an Award of Excellence for more than 30 years of innovative, visionary management of museums and museum programs at four historic sites: Connecticut’s Old State House, the Mark Twain and Noah Webster Houses, and the Lebanon Historical Society Museum. She has provided consulting services for 25 Connecticut institutions. In 2004, she consulted as the Education Director for the National Archives’ American Originals exhibit at the University of Hartford’s Museum of American Political Life and as a lead exhibit team member for the accompanying Connecticut Originals exhibit. In 2005, Whipple oversaw the installation and programming of the Smithsonian’s Barn Again! exhibit at the Lebanon Historical Society and created innovative hands-on learning spaces for students and families. Her 1989 exhibition on African Americans in West Hartford, eventually led to West Hartford’s decision to name a school after Bristow, a man once enslaved and then freed in West Hartford.
Successful programming at Connecticut’s Old State House has relied on her leadership and strategic thinking. Her expertise is sought after in the history and museum communities, evidenced by her speaking engagements and roles as past Chair of Connecticut Humanities, past President of the Connecticut League of History Organizations, and board member for Discovering Amistad, Inc., the Coltsville Heritage Partnership, and the Association for the Study of State and Local History. She also serves on the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s Civic Health Advisory Group. In addition to a B. A. in History from Seton Hill College and M. A. from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in History Museum Studies, Whipple has leadership certificates and a Certificate in Civic Engagement for Historic Sites from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
A New Jersey native, Paul began his journey into professional media production at Seton Hall University’s radio station (WSOU) where he ushered in an era of unprecedented live concert broadcasts from New Jersey and New York nightclubs. His passion for audio production led him to fine tune his craft at a local recording studio where he mastered the art of audio engineering and lent his musical talents to local artists demos.
Paul found new inspiration for bringing audio and video together at a local cable television company in 1989. With an innovators spirit, he leveraged his production sensibilities and created a talent show for local musical artists at Suburban Cablevision. “I quickly learned everything about anything to do with video. I made friends with all the video engineers and found myself rocketing through the technical aspects of television production.” With a new skill set, Paul took over operation of the John H. Stamler Police academy video production studio in 1992 and demonstrated the power of media to law enforcement professionals. Paul wrote and directed policy and tactical training videos, crime scene re-enactments, documentaries, and used the emerging digital video technology to develop his own forensic video enhancement protocols that surpassed those of the FBI academy in Quantico.
After seven years of creating an extensive media library for the law and order community, Paul moved to Connecticut with his wife Kate and found new opportunities with the Connecticut Public Affairs Network where he has served for the last 19 years as a project manager. During his tenure, Paul found ways to bring unprecedented award-winning technical achievements to C-SPAN like coverage of the Connecticut state legislature (Emmy nominated Producer-2015 and Emmy nominated Technical Producer-2012). On November 1, 2018, Paul took the reins of overseeing the management and operations of the Connecticut Television Network where he proudly stewards television coverage of the “people’s house”.
Almost since the organization’s inception, Bill has been part of the visionary leadership team for the Connecticut Public Affairs Network and now guides its evolution and transition to the Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC). Joining the organization as Director of Communications & Marketing in 2001, he became the driving force behind marketing strategy, promotions, brand management and corporate communications for the organization. In 2008 he would help engineer the organization’s expansion from its roots in the government and public affairs programming of the Connecticut Network (CT-N) to include management of Connecticut’s Old State House as a platform for the historical and civic context behind public policy and current events. Stepping into the role of Vice-President of Administration & Communications in 2012, Bill turned his attention to developing the administrative and managerial structures the organization would need to operate on a broader scale as it continued to expand and the then-embryonic Kid Governor® program began to take shape.
In late 2017, Bill assumed the role of CPAN’s President amidst a major organizational crisis following the unexpected loss of two major state contracts. Since then, Bill and his leadership team worked to reinvent and rebuild the organization, recovering its lost state contracts and expanding Connecticut Democracy Center programming that inspires people of all ages to engage in civic life and strengthen their communities.
Bill holds both a B.A. in English and an M.B.A. in marketing from Fairfield University and resides in Niantic, Connecticut with his wife, Jennifer, and sons, Matthew and Robert.
