2026 Connecticut Democracy Center Awards
The Connecticut Democracy Center (CTDC) is pleased to announce the recipients of their third annual Connecticut Democracy Center Awards. This year the 2026 CTDC Community Leader Award will be presented to Patricia Russo, Executive Director, The Campaign School at Yale University. Eversource Energy has been selected to receive the CTDC Business Leader Award in recognition of the work of their Pro-Equity Advisory Team. JoAnn H. Price, Co-Founder of Fairview Capital Partners, Inc. will be honored with the Mary C. Gawlicki Philanthropic Leader Award.
The awards program was established to recognize those committed to strengthening democracy through acts of citizenship, service, and community engagement. The 2026 Connecticut Democracy Center Awards will pay tribute to these leaders at Connecticut’s Old State House on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Guests will enjoy a “Travel Across America” themed networking reception featuring delectable dishes and signature drinks while connecting with business professionals, community leaders, sponsors and award recipients interested in improving the quality of life for all in Connecticut. Tickets to the ceremony are $100 and are available HERE.
As a leader in civics education, The Connecticut Democracy Center brings people of all ages together through its programming, inspiring them to strengthen our democracy and community
through productive civic engagement. The Connecticut Democracy Center Awards recognize Connecticut community, business, and philanthropic leaders who represent the best of that engagement and whose stories encourage others to do the same.
CTDC COMMUNITY LEADER AWARD:
Patricia Russo, Executive Director, The Campaign School at Yale University
For over thirty-five years, Patricia has held leadership positions centered on women’s equity. As Executive Director of The Campaign School at Yale University, Patricia oversees the nonpartisan, issue-neutral leadership program whose mission is to increase the number and influence of women in elected and appointed office in the United States and around the globe. She has worked on federal, state, and local political campaigns for both Democratic and Republican candidates and served more than two decades on Connecticut’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, eight of them as Chair. Patricia is part of the national leadership team of Political Parity, a bipartisan initiative dedicated to increasing the number of women in elected office and is a member of the Advisory Board for Republican Women for Progress.
CTDC BUSINESS LEADER AWARD:
Eversource Energy, in recognition of the work of their Pro-Equity Advisory Team
The Eversource Energy Pro-Equity Advisory Team (PEAT) was established in 2021 under the leadership of Theresa Hopkins-Staten, President of Eversource Energy Foundation and Vice President, Community Partnership and Engagement. PEAT’s mission is to incorporate equity into all company decision-making policies and practices, and to drive fair and equitable outcomes for their communities and customers, particularly those that have been historically underserved, under-resourced, and environmentally overburdened. Under the guidance of the PEAT, Eversource now offers Equity Fundamentals Training to educate and provide employees the tools and resources they need to improve communication between customers, community partners, and in designing accessible programs to better meet the needs of the communities in which they serve.
MARY C. GAWLICKI PHILANTHROPIC LEADER AWARD:
JoAnn H. Price, Co-Founder of Fairview Capital Partners, Inc.
JoAnn H. Price is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Fairview Capital Partners, Inc., which curates dynamic relationships for institutional investors, providing unparalleled access across the most compelling segments of the private markets. She is a member of Fairview’s investment committee and manager of all Fairview-sponsored funds. She currently serves on the Howard University School of Business Board of Visitors, the YMCA of Greater Hartford Board of Trustees, the Wilson-Gray YMCA Board of Advisors, and on the Amistad Center for Art & Culture Board of Trustees. She also serves on the boards of the Apollo Theater Foundation in New York City, Trinity Health of New England, and 4-CT. JoAnn also recently completed her term as Chairperson of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving recently renamed the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation.
The Mary C. Gawlicki Philanthropic Leader Award was established in 2023 to celebrate the service of Mary Gawlicki, who served on the Connecticut Democracy Center Board of Directors from 2018 to 2023. As co-founders of Corporate Translations Inc. (CTi), Mary and her husband Ted Gawlicki launched the Gawlicki Family Foundation in 2012 to offer grants to Connecticut and Northeast U.S.-based non-profits committed to transformative change in education, pulmonary health, and municipal and economic development.