Gov. M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service

Debate Series
September 15 - October 27

The Rell Center sponsored debates for key office of the 2022 midterm elections. This series of debates was hosted by Connecticut Public and the League of Women Voters of Connecticut (LWVCT). The series includes debates for statewide offices of Governor and Secretary of the State, as well as U.S. Senate and Connecticut’s five U.S. Congressional districts.

Campus Debate Watch Parties
September 27, October 25, and October 27 2022

This series of casual get-togethers for University of Hartford students combined debate-watching with food, drink, and free t-shirts. The Governor M. Jodi Rell Center hosts student engagement parties for debates.

Moving Beyond Polarization: Making Politics Work
September 8, 2022 from 7:30 p.m.–9 p.m. on Zoom
Hosted by Braver Angels Connecticut Alliance and co-sponsored by Connecticut Public.

Civility in Public Life
May 26, 2022 from 10 AM–11:30 A.M. on Zoom
Free training workshop led by the Institute for Civility in Government and co-sponsored by Connecticut Public, Connecticut Association of Boards of Education, Connecticut Council of Small Towns, Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, and Connecticut General Assembly leadership, including Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly, House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora and Speaker of the House Matt Ritter.

Annual Civility Award Through this award, the Governor M. Jodi Rell Center recognizes K-16 classrooms, clubs, or schools that encourage dialogue, action, education, or engagement regarding integrity in public discourse and civility. First Annual Winners were the Farmington High School Political Action Club led by Lance Goldberg and the Changing the World through Spoken Word Poetry Project led by Mary Nelson of Spring Glen School in Hamden.

Celebrating the 19^th Amendment: Connecticut Women Leading in Public Service
November 18, on Zoom
Including Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management Melissa McCaw, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, Former Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, and former House Republican leader Themis Klarides. The event included opening remarks by former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell and was moderated by WTNH's Jodi Latina.

Watch Celebrating the 19th Amendment: Connecticut Women Leading in Public Service

Here and Now: Social Media and Public Service
April 16
Panel discussion with Connecticut Democratic Party Executive Director Jacqueline Kozin, Connecticut Republican Party Digital Director Patrice Thibodeau, and University of Hartford Applied Assistant Professor of Communication Adam Chiara, moderated by Associate Professor of Political Science Bilal Sekou.Topics included Connecticut's November election and the long-term impact of social media on political parties and public service.

Networking and Interning for Success
February 14
Three UHart alumnae shared tips and insight on how to use connections to launch your career, and how they benefited from internships and networking.Panelists (from left) Amanda Schoen '14, Deputy Executive Director, Connecticut League of Conservation Voters; Taylor Zitkus '18, Administrative Assistant, Office of the President; and Hailey Gagnon '16 Legislative Aide, Connecticut General Assembly.Co-sponsored by the Rell Center for Public Service and the Department of Career Services.

A Job Like No Other
June 7
Connecticut voters had a candid and first-of-its-kind glimpse of all qualifying Democratic and Republican candidates for Governor during a program broadcast on Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) Candidates: Democrat Ned Lamont and Republican Mark Boughton, and two Republican candidates who qualified for the primary without petitioning, Tim Herbst and Steve Obsitnik. Interviewer: Chris Ulrich.

• Led a successful bipartisan effort for a historic Connecticut campaign finance reform bill outlawing contributions by lobbyists and state contractors and enacting public financing for state campaigns. (2005)
• Ended the controversial practice of housing Connecticut prisoners in out-of state facilities. (2004)
• Signed a bill enacting civil unions for same-sex couples. Connecticut was the first state to adopt civil unions without a court order. (2005)
• Successfully championed enactment of the Charter Oak Health Plan providing low cost health coverage for many uninsured adults. (2007)
• Led the bipartisan effort to prevent the closure of the Groton/New London Submarine base. (2005)
• Reached agreement with legislative leaders on a number of criminal justice reforms which were responsive to the systemic failures prior to the Cheshire home invasion. A special session in late January passed laws to toughen penalties for home invasion and tighten parole procedures. (2008)

• M. Jodi Rell, 87th Governor of Connecticut 2004-11
• Katherine A Black, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Hartford
• Michael Clancy, Professor and Chair, Department of Politics, Economics & International Studies, University of Hartford
• Marshall Collins, Attorney and Lobbyist, International Governmental Strategies, LLC
• Liz Kurantowicz, The Drury Group
• Paddi LeShane, Chief Executive Officer and Lobbyist, Sullivan & LeShane, Inc.
• Grace Lewis '22, University of Hartford, Politics and Government, and Psychology Major
• Michael Rell, Lobbyist, International Governmental Strategies, LLC
• Herbert J. Shepardson, Partner, Cooney, Scully and Dowling Attorneys at Law
• Lon Seidman, Lon.TV, LLC

Director

Professor Katharine A. Owens is the Director of the Governor M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service. She also serves as Director of University Interdisciplinary Studies and is a Professor in the Department of Politics, Economics, and International Studies at the University of Hartford.