CT Ranks #4 in Planned Parenthood Locations Per Capita; 17 Sites in State

Connecticut ranks #4 in the nation in the number of Planned Parenthood locations per capita, according to a state-by-state analysis. Connecticut, with a total of 17 locations in the state, ranks behind only Vermont, Alaska and Montana in the number of clinics per 100,000 women ages 15-50.  According to the analysis by Bloomberg.com, Connecticut’s estimated population of 856,016 women ages 15-50, or a ratio of 1.99 locations per 100,000 women.  Rounding out the top 10 are Iowa, Washington, Colorado, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, and Indiana.

The 17 locations in Connecticut are in Bridgeport, Danbury, Danielson, Enfield, Hartford, Manchester, Meriden, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Stamford, Torrington, Waterbury, West Hartford and Willimantic.

The mission of Planned Parenthood is to “protect the fundamental right of all individuals to manage their own fertility and sexual health, and to ensure access to the services, education and information to realize that right,” the organization’s website points out.

Among the states with the fewest number of Planned Parenthood locations, and the lowest number per capita, are North Dakota (0 locations), Mississippi (1 location), and Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Kentucky, each with 2 locations in the state.

California has the most locations, with 115, followed by New York with 59, Texas with 39, Pennsylvania with 38, Washington with 33 and New Jersey and Ohio with 28.  Connecticut ranks fifteenth in the number of Planned Parenthood locations in the state.

Planned Parenthood’s website describes the organization as “your trusted source for STD/STI testing, birth control, pregnancy tests and counseling, emergency contraception and more - all in a convenient, confidential and safe environment.”  The site notes that the organization offers “a sliding fee scale based on your income” and participates with many insurance plans.

Last month, as part of Cervical Health Awareness Month, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England (PPSNE) urged women to “start the year off right by taking charge of their health with important preventive screenings, such as a Pap test, which can detect irregularities that lead to cervical cancer.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released new data showing that while cervical cancer screenings have been proven to save lives, about eight million women ages 21 to 65 have not been screened for cervical cancer in the past five years. More than 12,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and more than half of these cases are in women who have never been screened or in those who haven’t been screened in the past five years, according to Planned Parenthood.

The analysis ranking the states for Planned Parenthood locations uses data from the U.S. Census and Planned Parenthood, as of December 31, 2014.

Helping Families Experience Joy of Adoption Is Goal of Start-Up Nonprofit

After six long, challenging and frustrating years, and spending thousands of dollars, a Norwalk couple adopted a child.  And in that moment, a new mother vowed that she would do everything possible to make sure that others would not be prevented from experiencing the joy of becoming a parent due to a lack of financial resources. Today, her daughter is an energetic and engaging 3-year-old and she is following through on the commitment she made to herself, launching a non-profit organization named The Adoption Hope Foundation.  The organization’s mission is to help break the financial barrier of adoption by providing grants to people who hope to build their families through adoption.  The fledgling organization is about one-third of the way towards meeting their initial fundraising goal, with a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign underway that seeks to raise $10,000 by April 15.

“The thought that some people would not be able to have a family simply because of the financial barrier was heartbreaking to me.  And thinking about babies and children who would not be adopted simply because families couldn’t afford it was unacceptable.  With the average adoption costing approximately $35,000, many qualified, loving families are unable to pursue it due to the high cost.”

It was a long and winding road for Laura Loffredo.  “My husband and I struggled with infertility for six years.  We spent thousands of dollars.  We had eight failed fertility treatments and a miscarriage.  I prayed every night for a baby and the longing inside my heart was unbearable.  I was angry, bitter and heartbroken.  I couldn’t breathe.  I have often referred to this time as the darkest time of my life.”

“When we finally made the decision to adopt, it was like a light in the darkness. The first time I held my daughter in my arms when she was only a few minutes old, I was overcome with emotion,” she recalls.  “Adoption is a beautiful gift.  It is a life altering experience that has allowed me to feel the deepest kind of love imaginable. We believe that every waiting family deserves a child, and every waiting child deserves a family.”

She has spent the past two years researching how to start and run a nonprofit organization, including taking seminars offered by the Connecticut Nonprofit Association.  She has “talked to anyone who would listen – anyone who knew anything about the nonprofit world.”

Some suggested that starting a nonprofit was a tough road, but Loffredo is determined.  “I am compelled to do this - it was a calling.”  She has gained much support and encouragement from long-established nonprofit leaders and professionals in the field in Connecticut. “They have helped me tremendously by constantly answering my start-up questions and supporting me with their expertise in this area.”

More information about the new nonprofit, and their efforts to raise the necessary funds to begin grant-making, are available at www.gofundme.com/adoptionhope or by contacting Laura Loffredo at loffredo.laura@gmail.com

Thinking back on the adoption process, Loffredo recalls “I felt overwhelmed by the extremely high cost of the process.  I felt blessed that we were able to afford it but immediately felt upset thinking about people who could not afford this whose dreams were to have a family. I envisioned an organization that would support adoption by providing grants to people who wanted to build their families through adoption.”

The new business is filing the legal documents required to gain non-profit status, and they expect to have 501c3  in place by June. A website is being developed, and applications for grants will soon be available.  There will be no application fee, so as not to create an additional economic burden on prospective families.  The Adoption Hope Foundation anticipates awarding $5,000 grants by the end of this year.

A home study by a social worker, along with background checks, must be completed before applications will be accepted, and grant awards will be determined by members of a board, based on criteria including need and personal circumstances, such as “why they want to build their family through adoption.” Board members already in place include individuals with backgrounds in finance, law, fundraising, and social work, whose lives have been touched by adoption. Additional board members are now being determined.

In addition to launching the nonprofit organization, Loffredo is writing a memoir about her struggle with infertility and a children’s book about adoption.  She hopes to have both volumes published within a year, with the sale of the books to be used to help support The Adoption Hope Foundation.

A report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, using the most recent data available in 2011, indicated that “approximately 136,000 children were adopted annually in the United States (in 2006 and 2007). This represents a 6-percent increase in adoptions since 2000 and a 15-percent increase since 1990.”

In a 2007 survey, the Department noted that “of the 1.8 million adopted children in the U.S., 37 percent were adopted from foster care, 38 percent joined their families through private domestic adoptions, and 25 percent were adopted internationally.”  They also reported that “overall, parents of 86 percent of adopted children report that their relationship with their child met or exceeded their expectations.”

Frontier CEO Is Half of Only “Sister Act” Among Fortune 1000; Company Opening Retail Stores

Until last year, most Connecticut residents were unfamiliar with Frontier Communications, even though the telecommunications company has operations in 28 states across the nation.  When the company purchased much of AT&T’s local operations in Connecticut in a $2 billion deal, they suddenly became a dominant player for residential and businesses customers in their home state.  But Frontier, despite its shaky hand-off from AT&T, was, and is, no small player on the national scene. On the latest list of the Fortune 1000 companies, Frontier ranks at #514.  They have hovered just above or below #500 in recent years.  The company is led by one of only 52 female CEO’s on the list, Maggie Wilderotter.  In fact, Wilderotter is half of the only sister act among the 52 – her sister is Campbell’s Soup CEO Denise Morrison, leading one of the nation’s best known brands, #315 on the Fortune 500.

Wilderotter has served as Chief Executive Officer at Frontier since November 2004 and as Chairman of the Board since December 2005. She also served as President until April 2012.  The July/August 2013 issue of Chief Executive magazine described her as the “longest-tenured woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company.”

Denise Morrison, the subject of the lead business story in the February 2, 2015 issue of TIME magazine, has led Campbell’s since 2011.  The magazine described family dinners when Denise, Maggie and their two younger sisters were growing up, that included discussions led by their father, an executive with AT&T, in which “he taught basic business skills through childhood activities like negotiating over chores and identifying the target market when selling Girl Scout cookies.”  He “thought it was important to prepare his daughters for a business world that was growing more open to women,” the magazine reported.

The lessons were well learned.  According to Catalyst, which tracks the number of women in corporate America, women currently hold 4.8 percent of Fortune 500 CEO positions and 5.2 percent of Fortune 1000 CEO positions.  Wilderotter told TIME:  “We grew up in an environment where we would get the highest level of satisfaction from doing things people never expected us to pull off.”

Even as Frontier finds its footing among Connecticut consumers, the company’s has begun to roll out a retail store presence.  Frontier opened its second retail outlet in Connecticut, in Norwalk, last month.  The location at 2 Washington Street joins one in New London, at 200 State Street.  The company is actively pursuing plans to add two more retail stores in Connecticut by April.  Primarily geared toward residential customers, the stores are also expected to sell business products later this year.  Frontier currently has retail stores in 23 states.

The CEO sisters, 13 months apart in age, “talk passionately about supporting women in the boardroom and the lessons they learnt from their parents which enabled them to be self-confident and have the belief that anything was possible coupled with a focus that getting a good education would give them the freedom and flexibility to do anything they wanted,” reported the business website Footdown in 2012.

http://youtu.be/nmcHRQ3y8LM

Immigration Drives Growth, Vibrancy of New Haven Region, Study Finds

If Greater New Haven is thriving, the region’s rapidly-growing immigrant population is a key reason, according to a new research study. The report, entitled Understanding the Impact of Immigration in Greater New Haven, compiles data from federal, state and local government agencies, as well as information generated locally by DataHaven and The Community Foundation of Greater New Haven. Viewed as “an important step in its effort to enhance the civic and economic participation of immigrants in Greater New Haven,” the report was undertaken to provide a snapshot of the immigrants living in Greater New Haven and Connecticut, the impact of local population change and diversity, and the community and economic impact. It is intended to help the general public, policymakers and local leaders understand the impact of immigration in the region to inform discussions and community action.

According to the report:

• Approximately 1 in 8 residents of Greater New Haven is foreign-born, originating in countries in all the world’s regions.
• While the native-born population in Greater New Haven has barely increased since 2000, immigrants settling in the area have caused rapid population growth, making New Haven the fastest-growing city in Connecticut over this period
• About half of all immigrants are naturalized US citizens; the other half are legal permanent residents, legal temporary residents or undocumented immigrants.
• Greater New Haven is attracting immigrants from a wide range of countries, with the greatest increases in numerical terms between 2000-2012 attributable to immigration from Mexico (3,168), India (2,729), China (2,292), Jamaica (1,532) and Ecuador (1,382).This report explores how immigration impacts the development of both Greater New Haven and Connecticut.

“It is clear from the report that the Greater New Haven community is enhanced in many ways by immigration,” says William W. Ginsberg, President & CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. “The data demonstrate that our rapidly growing foreign-born population is successfully building productive and contributing lives here – by working, by creating small businesses that build wealth, by owning homes, by educating their children, and by contributing to the diversity and cultural richness of this community.”

The report also cites data indicating that the immigrant population in Greater New Haven is highly-skilled, compared to other areas. Among immigrants in this region, there are more than twice as many high-skilled workers as low-skilled workers in the region, while data for the United States as a whole show slightly less than one high-skilled worker for every low-skilled worker.

From 2000 to 2012, Greater New Haven’s population as a whole increased by more than 27,000 people, according to the report. Of that growth, about 75 percent (20,165) were foreign-born residents. About half of immigrants in Greater New Haven are naturalized citizens.

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven explored local public opinion on immigration by interviewing key stakeholders and administering an online survey to its constituents. The survey found that “although immigration is a complex issue, the Greater New Haven community widely agrees that foreign-born people contribute to the economic, cultural, and social well-being of the region.”  Nearly all (97 percent) respondents said that the issue of immigration is very or somewhat important to Connecticut.  Only 31 percent of respondents thought they understood immigration policy extremely or fairly well.

In New Haven’s neighborhoods in particular, the boost in immigrants has revitalized communities and spurred new businesses.  From 1970 to 1990, the foreign-born population in most New Haven neighborhoods remained flat or declined, and these neighborhoods suffered from overall population decline—similar to other central city neighborhoods in post-industrial cities. Since 1990, the report found, the foreign-born population in many city neighborhoods has rebounded sharply, particularly in areas such as Edgewood, West River, Fair Haven, and the Hill. These areas have seen a large influx of population and business overall.

Statewide, among Connecticut’s immigrant population entering the US since 2000, only 15 percent are Europeans. 29 percent were born in Asia, and 19 percent come from South America. By contrast, 78 percent of Connecticut’s immigrant population that entered the US before 1960 was born in Europe.

The report was compiled and written by Mary Buchanan and Mark Abraham of DataHaven, with assistance from staff at The Community Foundation.

In 2015, The Community Foundation’s work will include dedicated grantmaking and other support for nonprofits working in this area, including support for advocacy efforts on State and Federal immigration policy, efforts to identify and support emerging leaders in the immigrant community, and public education and other efforts to enhance the community’s understanding of the social, cultural and economic benefits of immigration for Greater New Haven.

“New Haven has always been a welcoming community, and the surge of immigration in recent years shows us yet again how important immigration is to the growth and success of our community,” Ginsberg added.The Community Foundation is making immigrant integration a strategic focus with the goal that immigrants in Greater New Haven, including undocumented, will achieve greater civic and economic participation and success thereby becoming more fully integrated members of a more welcoming community, the report indicates.

More information on the Foundation’s philanthropy is available at www.giveGreater.org. The report is available online at www.cfgnh.org/immigrationreport  or by calling The Community Foundation at 203-777-2386.

Connecticut Ranks #2 in Millionaires; New Jersey Drops to #3

Which state has 99,965 millionaires?  Connecticut.  How many states have a greater percentage of millionaires, based on population?  Only one. Connecticut is ranked at #2 among the states in an analysis of the number of millionaires, as a percentage of population, developed by Phoenix Marketing International.  Only Maryland has a higher percentage – and Connecticut moved up one notch this year, surpassing New Jersey, which was ranked second a year ago.

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not all about Fairfield County.  David Thompson, Managing Director of the Phoenix Global Wealth Monitor and the lead researcher, points out that the data shows “pockets of wealth” throughout the state – in the Bridgeport-Norwalk-Stamford corridor, but also in Litchfield County, Hartford-West Hartford, and Norwich-New London.  In fact, only California has more metropolitan areas in the nation’s top 30 for millionaires per capita.

And while some have suggested that Connecticut’s tax structure and economy are pushing people to exit the state, millionaires seem to be quite comfortable here.  The total number of millionaires dropped slightly during the past year from 100,754 to 99,965, a loss of 789 millionaires.  New Jersey lost more individuals with investable assets over a million dollars as a percentage of population, dropping behind Connecticut.  New Jersey's total number fell from 242,647 to 232,514, a loss of more than 10,000 millionaires during 2014 (from 7.49 percent to 7.14 percent of the state's population).

“Connecticut holds on to its wealthy population.  There’s no downward trend (compared with other states),” Thompson notes.  “The tax structure isn’t so onerous, the state offers stability, and attracts industries that grow wealth.”  Thompson, a Connecticut resident, adds that the quality of life in the state, as well as its accessibility to New York and Boston also prove attractive.

Maryland has 170,248 millionaires, a ratio of 7.67 to total households.  Connecticut ranks #2, with 99,965 and a ratio of 7.23, followed by New Jersey with a ratio of 7.14 and 232,514 millionaires.  Connecticut has consistently been a top five state, placing third  in 2013, fourth in 2012, 2011 and 2010.

Among the key findings for 2014:

• Maryland held strong in the first position for its fourth year in a row
• On the strength of its oil boom, North Dakota continued its meteoric rise in the millionaire rankings, moving up to number 20 in 2014. Its neighbor, South Dakota, however, was the biggest gainer this year, rising twelve points to number 26
• The top ten states remained the same, with only slight shifts: New Jersey #3 (down one point), Hawaii, Alaska, Virginia (up one point), Massachusetts (down one point), New Hampshire, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

Besides Maryland, the top ten states remained the same, with slight shifts: Connecticut rose one notch to hold the #2 spot, followed by New Jersey (down one spot), Hawaii, Alaska, Virginia (up one position), Massachusetts (down one slot), New Hampshire, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

“The amazing rise of North Dakota in the millionaires rankings clearly demonstrates the power of an industry to quickly create wealth,” Thompson said.  But he indicated that “new industries may not be a sustainable economy,” and cited the nation’s large population centers, including those along the east coast, as more likely to retain their positions as most attractive to wealthy individuals.

There were a few notable declines in the rankings: Louisiana dropped 6 positions to number 38, Texas dropped 5 slots to number 27, erasing gains it made last year; and Georgia lost another 5 places this year for the second year in a row, falling to number 40.

Smallest percentage of millionaires?  Mississippi, Idaho, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.

The PMI Global Wealth Monitor (GWM) provides ongoing intelligence on the attitudes, behaviors and needs of affluent and High Net Worth consumers to leading organizations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

CT Has 3rd Lowest Percentage of Low Income Students in Public Schools, Nationwide Numbers Exceed 50 Percent

For the first time in at least 50 years, a majority of public school students across the country are considered “low-income," according to a new study by the Southern Education Foundation. While poor children are spread across the country, concentrations are highest in the South and in the West. Connecticut has among the lowest percentages in the nation. The latest data collected from the states by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), show that 51 percent of the students across the nation’s public schools were low income in 2013. In 40 of the 50 states, low income students comprised no less than 40 percent of all public schoolchildren. In 21 states, children eligible for free or reduced-price lunches were a majority of the students.

Connecticut, which ranked tied for third, was among only ten states where the percentage of “low-income” students was below 40 percent. The states are Virginia (39%), Ohio (39%), Wyoming (38%), Minnesota (38%), Massachusetts (37%), New Jersey (37%), Connecticut (36%), Vermont (36%) North Dakota (30%) and New Hampshire (27%), which had the nation’s lowest percentage of low income (eligible for free and reduced lunches) public school students.

Thirteen of the 21 states with a majority of low income students in 2013 were located in the South, and six of the other 21 states were in the West. Mississippi led the nation with the highest rate: 71 percent, almost three out of every four public school children in Mississippi, were low-income. The nation’s second highest rate was found in New Mexico, where 68 percent of all public school students were low income in 2013.

The report noted that “this defining moment in enrollment in public education in the United States comes as a consequence of a steadily growing trend that has persisted over several decades.”

In 1989, less than 32 percent of the nation’s public school students were low-income. By 2000, the national rate as compiled and calculated by NCES had increased to over 38 percent. By 2006, the national rate was 42 percent and, after the Great Recession, the rate climbed in 2011 to 48 percent, the report indicated.

The 2013 data suggests that six other states are on the verge of reaching a majority of low income students in the near future, if current trends continue. In Indiana and Oregon, 49 percent of the public schoolchildren were low income. In New York and Kansas, the rates were 48 percent. In Idaho and Michigan, rates were 47 percent.

The report concludes by stating that “The trends of the last decade strongly suggest that little or nothing will change for the better if schools and communities continue to postpone addressing the primary question of education in America today: what does it take and what will be done to provide low income students with a good chance to succeed in public schools? It is a question of how, not where, to improve the education of a new majority of students.”

Founded in 1867 as the George Peabody Education Fund, the Southern Education Foundation’s mission is to advance equity and excellence in education for all students in the South, particularly low income students and students of color. The organization's "core belief is that education is the vehicle by which all students get fair chances to develop their talents and contribute to the common good."

Connecticut Ranks 33rd in College Funding, Tuition, Burden; Grade: D

The Student Impact Project, an initiative of the youth advocacy group Young Invincibles, tracked trends in higher education finance in states across the country, and graded each state based on tuition levels, state funding per student, state aid to students, the financial burden to families and higher education spending as a portion of the total state budget.  Connecticut's report card grade:  D. In state-by-state reports published this week and reported by US News & World Report, the group found that on average, tuition at four-year public colleges and universities increased 37 percent between 2007 and 2013, which is three times the rate of inflation.  The data indicated that 47 states spend less per student today than they did before the Great Recession.

Connecticut ranks 33rd among the nation’s 50 states in support for higher education.  Overall, just four states – Wyoming, New York, Alaska and Oklahoma – received a total grade equivalent to an A, while 10 got a B, 13 got a C, 12 got a D and 11 received an F, US News reported.

Overall, the state’s average in the five categories was 63 percent, which placed it ahead of only 16 states, including New Hampshire, which placed last, and Vermont, Colorado, Michigan and Oregon.  Connecticut received an F in the “aid for students” category, D in “state appropriation average” and “tuition” categories, C- in “Higher Ed as a Priority,” and the state's highest grade, C+, in “Burden on Families Average.”

New Hampshire, which at a 17 percent overall grade scored lowest in the country, spends the least amount of money per student than any other state ($1,708), and has cut the budget almost in half since the recession, according to the report. New Hampshire also provides no state aid to students, and spends 2 percent of its overall budget on higher education.  In Connecticut, the report indicated, that figure is 11 percent.

A report issued last month by the General Accounting Office in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Senate found “persistent state budget constraints have limited funding for public colleges” across the country. The result, according to the GAO report: “Students and their families are now bearing the cost of college as a larger portion of their total family budgets.”

A report by Connecticut’s Office of Higher Education in March 2014 found that for the 2013-14 academic year, “UConn’s increase of 5.8 percent for in-state commuting students compares to a national average of 3.7 percent for state flagship institutions. CSCU’s increase of 5.4 percent for in-state commuting students attending its State Universities compares to a national average of 4.1 percent for similar types of institutions; the Community Colleges’ increase of 5.5 percent for in-state commuting students compares to a national average of 4.5 percent for like institutions.”

The Connecticut report also noted that “from 2009 to 2014, tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates have increased 24.7 percent at the Connecticut State Universities, 26.9 percent at the Community Colleges, and 28.7 percent at UConn.”  Last fall, Connecticut’s largest public college system (CSCU) said it will need an 11 percent increase in its base-level state funding for the next fiscal year if they are to keep  an anticipated tuition-and-fee hike to 2 percent.  If additional state funding is not provided, steeper tuition hikes are possible.

From fiscal years 2003 through 2012, the GAO report outlined, state funding for all public colleges decreased, while tuition rose. Specifically, state funding decreased by 12 percent overall while median tuition rose 55 percent across all public colleges. Tuition revenue for public colleges increased from 17 percent to 25 percent, surpassing state funding by fiscal year 2012 (see chart below).

In their report, “State Funding Trends and Policies on Affordability,” GAO identified several potential approaches that the federal government could use to expand incentives to states to improve affordability, such as creating new grants, providing more consumer information on affordability, or changing federal student aid programs. “Each of these approaches may have advantages and challenges, including cost implications for the federal government and consequences for students,” the report noted.

The report also indicates that “state grant aid directly affects students in that it can reduce their out-of-pocket expenses for college… state grant aid, both merit- and need-based, has positive effects on enrollment.”  The results of one program, in Washington State, cited by GAO “suggests that receiving the aid increased a student’s probability of enrolling in college by nearly 14 to 19 percentage points.”

Footnote to the story: to underscore the data, US News is running a video news story broadcast on FOX Connecticut, reporting on possible tuition increases at the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities.  The story, which is not referenced by date, was aired two years ago.

Nominations Sought for Women of Innovation as Efforts to Boost Representation in STEM Fields Intensifies

The Women of Innovation® awards gala, held annually, recognizes Connecticut women accomplished in science, technology, engineering, math and those who are involved in their community.  As the January 16 nomination deadline for this year’s 11^th annual event approaches, organizers at the Connecticut Technology Council are urging state residents to nominate their peers, colleagues, mentors and students, teachers and business leaders, research associates and inventors. A study last fall for the U.S. Small Business Administration found that “the gender gap persists for women in STEM fields. Women have increased their representation in STEM graduate enrollment, but that increase has been uneven across STEM fields,” the report found.

“While women have achieved parity for PhDs in biological and medical sciences, their enrollment continues to lag in some of the most entrepreneurial fields, such as bioengineering, mechanical, and civil engineering and materials science,” the report pointed out.

Last month, the White House urged women in the technology fields to share their stories as a way of attracting more women to the STEM disciplines. “When it comes to inspiring young women to pursue careers in STEM fields,” the White House website explained, “research has already shown us what works: Providing early, hands-on experience and encouragement; sharing the stories of positive role models in these fields (like the women whose stories we share); and illustrating the broad impact of roles in these fields.”

In Connecticut, the Women of Innovation awards recognizes women who have demonstrated and sustained accomplishment in their field, from students to business owners.  Women can be nominated for awards in eight categories:

• Research Innovation and Leadership
• Academic Innovation and Leadership
• Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership
• Large Business Innovation and Leadership
• Small Business Innovation and Leadership
• Youth Innovation and Leadership
• Collegian Innovation and Leadership
• Community Innovation and Leadership

The awards event is "a time for like-minded, successful women to get together and celebrate their accomplishments” – and it provides a reminder that women are excelling in fields where their ranks have traditionally been slim.  The awards will be presented at the annual Women of Innovation Gala on Wednesday, April 1 at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.  Presenting sponsors include Boehringer Ingelheim, Covidien, Day Pitney and United Technologies.

Keynote speaker for the event will be Maggie Wilderotter, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Frontier Communications, headquartered in Stamford.  Wilderotter serves on the boards of Xerox Corporation and Procter & Gamble Company and on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations. Frontier Communications Corporation  offers broadband, voice, satellite video, wireless Internet data access, data security solutions, bundled offerings, specialized bundles for residential customers, small businesses and home offices and advanced communications for medium and large businesses in 27 states.It recently began offering services in Connecticut for the first time.

The SBA report also found that “women are more likely to start firms that provide research and consulting services and are less likely to start firms in semiconductor and aerospace manufacturing, navigational instruments or communications equipment, which may correlate with lower reported rates of R&D activities for women STEM PhDs.”

As Connecticut seeks to promote growth in the bioscience and related technology fields, the SBA findings may be of particular note, including that “High-tech women-owned businesses may also be less likely to locate in geographic regions where they can take advantage of regional clustering of highly skilled labor and knowledge spillovers.”  The report found, however, that “female STEM PhDs value the independence of self-employment more than their male counterparts.”

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy notes that “Supporting women STEM students and researchers is not only an essential part of America’s strategy to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world; it is also important to women themselves.”

Women in STEM jobs earn 33 percent more than those in non-STEM occupations and experience a smaller wage gap relative to men, according to the Office.  “Increasing opportunities for women in these fields is an important step towards realizing greater economic success and equality for women across the board.”

Demographics in New England Bring Enrollment Challenges for Higher Education

Connecticut’s public colleges and universities are pulling out all the stops to bring students back to campus who may have started – and stopped – their pursuit of higher education years ago.  Incentive programs – including free classes – are driven by an acute need to counter declining enrollment from “traditional” students that recent data suggests will continue to intensify for years to come. The New England Journal of Higher Education, using U.S. Census data, found that New England is demographically the oldest and most rapidly aging of the nine Census divisions in the United States. The Journal reported that “Its median age, which is now over 40, has risen by seven years since 1990. This region has six of the 12 states with the most rapidly rising median ages. Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire have the nation’s highest median ages (43.9, 42.4 and 42.3) and also rank first, second and third among the most rapidly aging since 1990.”

Between the 2000 and 2010 census, the number of children under age 18 in New England declined 197,000 or 6 percent, the Journal reported. From the 2010 census until mid-2013 this region dropped another 102,000 children, and that rate of decline is projected to continue. From 2010 to 2013, every New England state had more people move out than move in. In total, the region lost a net of almost 100,000 people through out-migration in just those three years.

After reaching an all-time peak in 2010, enrollment at Connecticut's 17 community colleges, state universities and the online-only Charter Oak State College – which make up the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system - dropped to 92,989 last academic year, down 4.3 percent from its peak and its lowest level since 2008.  At Central, Southern, Eastern, and Western Connecticut State Universities combined enrollment reached its lowest level in 14 years, Hartford Business Journal has reported.

Writing in the New England Journal, a publication of the New England Board of Higher Education, demographer Peter Francese pointed out that “the most rapidly growing ages in New England are, by far, people aged 65 or older. That combined with the decline in numbers of children portend a very difficult decade for the region’s colleges and universities.”

Using state published projections, he describes “a picture of continuing decline among children, but also forecasts a shift in the 18-to-24 age group and the 25-to-64 age groups from growth in the past to decline in the future. However, the past double-digit growth among residents age 65 or older is projected to continue at an even faster pace over the next 10 years.”

The data and projections also indicate that the region is fast approaching “a tipping point where the number of elderly will increasingly outnumber school-age children.”  Francese, director of demographic forecasts for the New England Economic Partnership and founder of the former American Demographics magazine, suggests that “that this trend will mean continuing erosion of financial support for local public education. It may also mean a gradual erosion in the quality of the region’s secondary schools and the consequent impact on those in higher education who depend on having a reliable source of college-ready high school graduates.”

Enrollment at the 17 CSCU institutions in Connecticut for Fall 2014 was down by 1,428 students, or 1.5 percent, from the previous year, according to data compiled by the state Office of Higher Education.  The total number of students, 91,192, includes more part-time than full-time students – 47,670 part-time versus 43,522 full-time.  At the flagship University of Connecticut, which is outside the CSCU system, enrollment climbed 2.1 percent between 2013 and 2014, boosted by the hiring of additional faculty and additional state funding for "Next Generation UConn" - expansion plans that project increasing enrollment at the university's main campus by one-third over the next decade.

Chart 1: U.S. Census Bureau 2005 population estimates, New England states projections and author’s calculations; Chart 2: Historical data is from the Census Bureau, population projections are by each New England state.  These charts first appeared in the New England Journal of Higher Education.

Diversity Appears Lacking On Boards Leading Connecticut’s Technology Efforts

As Connecticut steps up its push into technology fields, seeking increased economic activity and more jobs, two of the organizations often associated with propelling opportunity for entrepreneurs and existing tech businesses appear to be less than representative of the state’s diverse population. The Connecticut Technology Council, a statewide association of technology oriented companies and institutions, has 49 individuals on their Board of Directors, according to the Council website.  Based on a cursory review, among the 49 members of the board,  one is African American, two are Asian, and six are women. The seven officers of the organization are all white males. 

Connecticut Innovations, a quasi-governmental organization, has 13 appointed members on its Board of Directors, along with four ex-officio members. Among the appointed members, none are women, none are African Americans, one is Hispanic, and one is Asian American.   Eleven of the 13 appointed members are white males, a review of the website reveals.

The Connecticut Technology Council provides leadership in areas of policy advocacy, community building and assistance for growing companies.  Speaking for over 2,000 companies that employ some 200,000 residents, the Council seeks to provide a strong and urgent voice in support of the creation of a culture of innovation, the organization’s website explains.

This includes working to position Connecticut as a leader in idea creation, workforce preparation, entrepreneurial aptitude, early stage risk capital availability and providing on-going support and mentoring to high potential firms.

The mission of the Connecticut Technology Council is “to build an interactive community of innovators and their supporters that can leverage these great advantages to create a thriving economy, job growth, a global reputation for entrepreneurial support, and a lifestyle that attracts the best and brightest people to come here and retains the young people who have grown up here.”

Since its founding in 1994, the CTC has had the continued support of the state’s leading corporations, which have enabled CTC to stimulate and facilitate the growth and awareness of technology-based companies throughout Connecticut.  The CTC currently lists 10 major sponsors – including corporations, businesses and law firms – and 28 supporting sponsors.

Members include investors, startups, established public and private companies, university and private industry researchers, government agencies, academic institutions, local development agencies, and senior executives from a wide range of industries.

Connecticut Innovations (CI), a quasi-governmental organization created in 1989 to provide strategic and operational insight to companies to push the frontiers of high industries such as energy, biotechnology, information technology photonics, plays a key role in the deployment of the state’s efforts toward supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.  The Connecticut Development Authority was folded into CI three years ago.

Connecticut Innovations’ Board of Directors includes four women serving in ex-officio capacities - all by virtue of the elected or appointed positions they hold:  State Treasurer Denise Nappier, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Catherine Smith, Deputy Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management Karen Buffkin, and Board of Regents for Higher Education Director of Innovation and Outreach Gail Coppage.  Among the appointed members of the Board, none are women, none are African Americans, one is Hispanic, and one is Asian American.

The 17-member board is composed of nine members appointed by the governor and four appointed by the leadership of the General Assembly, as well as four ex-officio members who serve by virtue of their positions with the state: the State Treasurer, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, the President of the Board of Regents for Higher Education, and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management (or their designees).

Connecticut Innovations’ Board of Directors is responsible for developing the overall strategic framework from which the organization creates policies and initiatives to help it succeed. The board is responsible for adopting an annual plan of operation and budget, overseeing the organization’s financial activities, including its investments, and overall governance of Connecticut Innovations. 

Connecticut Innovations’ board of directors announced earlier this month that Claire Leonardi has resigned as chief executive officer. Leonardi’s last day will be January 8, 2015, which will allow her to assist with the transition and help the board name a successor, according to a CI news release.  Leonardi led CI for three years, and her accomplishments include its consolidation with the quasi-public Connecticut Development Authority, absorbing CDA.

CI was also in the news earlier this fall, when the quasi-public put on hold its investment and entrepreneurial programs until early next year because it lacked sufficient state funds to cover additional commitments, according to published reports.  Funds were allocated by the State Bond Commission last month.

The State Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and CI have created an Innovation Ecosystem called CTNEXT. As a public-private partnership, CTNEXT catalyzes public and private resources to better support the formation, growth and attraction of companies with high growth potential, according to the state’s Economic Development Strategy report, published earlier this year.  That document notes that “Diversity of people is also a critical prerequisite to innovation.”