United Way Adds Board Members

DANBURY — The United Way of Northern Fairfield County has added three community leaders — Frank J. Kelley, George A. Coleman, and Dan Henson — to its board of directors:

Frank J. Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Danbury Hospital and Danbury Health Systems, has been a member of the United Way’s Community Impact Council, which was charged with helping develop effective and more responsive solutions to the evolving needs of the greater Danbury community. As a United Way board member, Mr Kelly will help guide the agency as it implements the Community Impact business model.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Mr Kelly is a member of the board of directors of the Connecticut Red Cross Blood Services Region, where he formerly held the position of chairman, and is a board member of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce. Mr Kelly has served as a member of the Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership, the Community Action Committee of Danbury, the Western Connecticut State University President’s Advisory Board, the Boy Scouts of America, the Voluntary Hospitals of America of Southern Connecticut, the Connecticut Hospital Association, and its various committees.

George A. Coleman, associate commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Education, serves on both the board of the United Way of Connecticut and has been a member of the Community Impact Council of the United Way of Northern Fairfield County prior to his joining its board of directors.

Mr Coleman currently oversees programs within the Division of Educational Programs and Services, including the bureaus of Early Childhood Education and Social Services, Career and Adult Education, Special Education and Pupil Services, and the Office of Child Nutrition. His division collaborates with private industry and other state agencies, including the Departments of Labor, Social Services, Mental Retardation, Public Health and Children and Families to provide services to public schools and nonprofit agencies including Head Start, Stewart McKinney Homeless Grant, Even Start, School Meals, Special Educations, School Readiness, Family Resource Centers, School Based health Centers and School-to-Career.

Dan Henson, president and CEO of GE Vendor Financial Services, joined the United Way’s board last fall. Mr Henson is an active member of GE Elfun, the company’s global volunteer organization, and has participated in local projects around the world.

He began his career with General Electric in 1987, and was named president and CEO of GE Vendor Financial Services (VFS) in October 2002. VFS is one of seven GE Commercial Finance businesses, a subsidiary of the General Electric Company.

The United Way of Northern Fairfield County brings together community leaders, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and businesses to focus on the most pressing needs in the community and provides the resources — human, technical, and financial — to attack the root causes of these needs. This work is called Community Impact. The United Way’s Community Impact areas are: Successful Kids/Strong Families, Increasing Self Sufficiency, Community Wellness, and Encouraging Community Involvement.