A local philanthropical organization has elected the dean of the University of Connecticut Hartford campus to serve an important role in their organization: chair of the board of directors. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, Ph.D., was chosen to fill this position at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving on Jan. 14.
The foundation, which was founded in 1925, acts as a community organization to help improve the economic and innovative development of the greater Hartford metro area. Details on the organization’s webpage say the group supports communities and nonprofits based in 29 towns in portions of Hartford and Tolland counties, including the towns of Tolland, Andover and Hebron—not too far from the main UConn campus in Storrs-Mansfield—and as far as Canton and Rocky Hill.
Overmyer-Velázquez has served as a general board member of the Hartford Foundation since 2019 and vice chair since 2023, according to the Metro Hartford Alliance. He arrived at UConn in 2004 as a professor of history and Latin American studies and co-founded UConn’s “El Instituto” program in 2012. He has been the only dean of the new UConn campus in downtown Hartford since its opening in 2017. In a press statement on his new appointment, Overmyer-Velázquez reinforced his commitment to building historical and intellectual bridges in our local communities and abroad.
“The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is a testament to the power of community,” said Overmyer-Velázquez in the statement. “Together, we are supporting Greater Hartford by fostering equity and creating opportunities for communities to overcome obstacles and thrive. It is an honor to work alongside my board colleagues and Foundation staff to support this work and to witness the positive impact generosity and collaboration can achieve.”
Some of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s previous successful programs have included several scholarship programs for college students and grant funding for local community engagement. On Jan. 8, the foundation awarded $2.9 million dollars to every regional town as part of their “Greater Together Community Fund”. They each received $100,000 in the form of grantmaking and endowed funds, as an extension of the original program from 2019 for local nonprofit organizations to apply for. Local schools, historical societies, health and arts initiatives among others have been the recipient of these grants in their towns.
The board of directors serves the Hartford Foundation in a volunteer capacity, according to the group’s charter. In addition to being the dean of the Hartford campus and advocating for its expansion, Overmyer-Velázquez is also the co-chair of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education and is a board member of other community organizations. From 2011 through 2017, he was also an elected member of the West Hartford Board of Education. Outside of work, he is a keyboard-playing member of UConn’s casual faculty band, “Blues Without Borders,” and lives in West Hartford, according to the CT Mirror.
In addition to Overmyer-Velázquez’s appointment to board chair, the foundation also announced the election of Marlene Ibsen as vice chair and Beatriz Gutierrez as treasurer. Ibsen previously served on the organization’s “Impact!” committee and works as the vice president of community relations at the Travelers Insurance Companies. Gutierrez is the president of CONNSTEP, a Connecticut-based manufacturing consulting service, and has been on the Hartford Foundation board since 2022.
For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit hfpg.org.