Counseling Center Will Honor Two Community Leaders; Public Invited To Dinner Event

The Family Counseling Center, Inc will be honoring two outstanding community leaders at its fourth annual Friends of the Family Recognition Dinner on May 11.

The event, which is a major fundraiser for the center, will be held at Three Oaks at Capellaro’s Grove in Bethel.

Every year the Family Counseling Center chooses to recognize outstanding members of the community who have contributed to the center’s mission to help children, families, and individuals meet life’s challenges no matter what their economic status. This year’s honorees are Alan Clavette and Judy Blanchard.

Alan Clavette is managing member of Clavette Josselyn & Company, a CPA firm in Newtown. A graduate of Western Connecticut State University and a Certified Public Accountant for almost 25 years, Mr Clavette is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants where he has held a number of offices including president-elect for 2005-06.

After working at a number of accounting firms in the Danbury area, Mr Clavette opened his own Newtown firm in 1993 and helped form Clavette Josselyn & Co. in 1998.

Mr Clavette is very active in the community and currently serves on the board of trustees of Newtown Savings Bank as well as providing litigation support for numerous attorneys and professional fiduciary for various trusts, estates, and employee benefit plans.

Mr Clavette’s numerous civic activities include director of the Newtown Chamber of Commerce, treasurer of Newtown Rotary Club, member of the Newtown Zoning Board of Appeals, and treasurer of the Newtown Democratic Town Committee.

Mr Clavette’s past community activities include serving chairman of the board of trustees of Family Counseling Center, and on the Fairfield Master Plan Advisory Committee, Newtown Tercentennial Committee, and Newtown Soccer Club.

Alan Clavette lives in Newtown with his wife, Mary. They have three children.

Judy Blanchard, MS, CPP, is the District Health Coordinator for the Newtown school system, where she is responsible for the health curriculum of grades K–12. Over the course of their progression through Newtown’s schools, students are provided courses in nutrition, physical growth and development, disease prevention, substance abuse prevention, mental and emotional health, safety, and community and consumer health.

Ms Blanchard is also the coordinator of the student assistance team whose role is to provide substance abuse intervention techniques at Reed Intermediate School, Newtown Middle School, and Newtown High School. She has worked in Newtown schools for more than 25 years.

Ms Blanchard is a graduate of Syracuse University and has an MS degree from the California College for Health. She is has earned a Certified Prevention Professional certificate from the State of Connecticut.

Ms Blanchard’s community activities have revolved around substance abuse as it relates to children. She has been the chair of Newtown Prevention Council since it was founded in 1991. She is past president and a longtime member of the board of directors of Housatonic Valley Coalition Against Substance Abuse.

She also serves on the Juvenile Review Board of Newtown and is a member of the Newtown Youth Services board of trustees.

Judy Blanchard lives in Newtown with her husband, Kirk. They have four children.

Past recipients of the Friends of the Family Recognition Award include Bob Tendler of Coldwell Banker Bob Tendler Real Estate; Donna Ramey, COO and executive vice president of Savings Bank of Danbury; Dr Z. Michael Taweh, founder of the free medical clinic Kevin’s Community Center; and Elaine McClure, chair of the Newtown Board of Education.

For ticket information to the tax deductible Friends of the Family Recognition Dinner, call The Family Counseling Center at 426-8103.

Family Counseling Center is a Newtown-based, licensed nonprofit agency dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve their highest potential. The center provides counseling, support groups, education and referral services throughout the greater Danbury and Southbury area regardless of ability to pay.