The Governor M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service and the entire University of Hartford community are saddened at Governor Rell’s passing last week. Governor Rell worked closely with the Center since its inception in 2011 to promote public service, transparency in government, civic engagement, and civility in politics. Governor Rell was renowned for the stability her leadership brought to Connecticut during a tumultuous time. Her hallmark as both legislator and Governor was an ability to find common ground and to partner across the aisle to enable change. The Center’s current “Keep it Civil” campaign is a testament to Governor Rell’s take on political engagement: reminding people that they need not agree on everything to have productive discussions.
“While the idea of being more civil might seem simple,” says Professor Katharine Owens, director of the Center, “I think Governor Rell understood more than most how difficult that work can be. Being kind, listening to others’ opinions, and trying to understand them is hard but incredibly important work, whether at a Board of Education meeting or the dinner table. Governor Rell led with that attitude, and we at the University of Hartford have been fortunate to partner with her on this work for so many years. She will be dearly missed.”