NEW HAVEN (July 2, 2020) – United Way of Greater New Haven welcomes six new members to the organization’s Board of Directors – Heather Calabrese, Jillian Jackson, Patrick O’Brien-Sevilla, Jason Price, Vinay Sawant, and Dominic Woolfrey.
“Our newest board members bring energy, expertise, and fresh perspectives to the work we do in our 12-town region. We know their passion and sense of purpose will help us build on our 100-year history to continue meeting immediate community needs and building long term solutions for our neighbors,” said Jennifer Heath, President and CEO, United Way of Greater New Haven. “These new members join United Way’s Board at a critical time in our development. We look to them, along with our returning directors, to help us launch a new strategic plan centered around equity and excellence to ensure that our work meet the needs of all of our neighbors.”
Heather Calabrese is the Director of Communications and University Events in the Yale University Office of the Secretary and Vice President for University Life. Prior to joining Yale in 2013, Heather was an independent nonprofit consultant and the Chief Operating Officer of United Way of Greater New Haven. She is the Vice Chair of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Community Fund for Women & Girls Advisory Board, a fellow in Yale’s Ezra Stiles College, and immediate past President of the Board of New Haven Reads.
Jillian Jackson is responsible for crafting and executing advocacy strategies within Yale’s portfolio to influence the outcome of legislative and regulatory proposals. Previously, Jillian served as the Government Relations Associate at Murtha Cullina Law Firm, where she worked closely with clients from both the public and private sector to advocate for the advancement of their legislative priorities in the Connecticut General Assembly. Jillian began her career in the fundraising department at Massachusetts General Hospital where she raised brand awareness through consistent marketing efforts on social media.
Patrick O’Brien-Sevilla serves as the Communications Officer for Yale University’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. His responsibilities include community outreach, strategy, marketing, events, internal communications, and analytics. Patrick started his career at Yale University in 2013 in the Office of New Haven Relations and University Properties. He worked closely with more than 100 businesses in New Haven to help create a vital downtown. Additionally, Patrick completed the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Institute for Effective Governance in 2017, served as the co-chair of the Future Leaders of Yale from 2017-2019, and holds a Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.
Jason Price is a Co-Founder of NXTHVN, a professional artists fellowship program, business incubator and coworking space located in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven. Previously, Jason was a partner in Exaltare Capital Partners, a private equity investment firm. He also served as Senior Vice President at Cigna Investment Management and as the Head of Private Equity Activity for the CT Retirement Plans and Trust Funds. Throughout his professional career, Jason has served on the advisory boards of more than 12 private equity partnerships. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Foote School and the Promising Scholars Fund.
Vinay Sawant is a seasoned healthcare professional with a passion for leadership development and strategic business management. He is an expert in building and managing multi-site regional retail and specialty pharmacy operations. After beginning his career with Walgreens in a management capacity, Vinay worked as the Regional Director for Banner Health in Phoenix, AZ. In 2019, Vinay transitioned to the role of System Director for Specialty and Retail Pharmacy Services at Yale New Haven Health. He has served on the advisory board of two pharmacy technician colleges and on the McKesson Customer Advisory Board. Vinay has often been cited as someone who is empathetic, intuitive, and proficient in developing and implementing effective business strategies.
Dominic Woolfrey has been an Information Technology Professional in the Financial Technology and Education sector for 20 years. In 2000, Dominic immigrated to New Haven from Tanzania, East Africa. He is known for his involvement in the community, volunteering and serving consecutive terms as a Board Member, Secretary, and Board Chair for Junta for Progressive Action, and as a Board Member and IT resource for FISH of Greater New Haven. During his tenure, Dominic assisted with strategic planning, board strengthening and restructuring, and executive director hires. He has run several fundraising campaigns and food drives, grew corporate giving programs. Additionally, Dominic completed the Community Foundation’s “Build a Better Board” program and the Community Leadership Program through the Graustein Foundation.
These new members join the following current Board of Directors of United Way of Greater New Haven:
Ted Norris, Board Chair, Regional Water Authority • Jenna Allegretto, Marcum LLP • Jerome Barrillon, KX Technologies • Andrew Boone, UBS • Chris Brown, Yale University • Timothy Cashman, Wells Fargo • Tom Crowley, Alinabal • Nitza Diaz-Candelo, State Education Resource Center • Joe Dornfried, Carmody, Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey • Caroline Hendel, Yale University • Beverly Hodgson, Beverly Hodgson Mediation, Arbitration & Consulting • Michael Holmes, Yale New Haven Hospital • Jean Husted, University of New Haven • Janet Lindner, Yale University
