Partnership for Strong Communities

Who We Are

Partnership for Strong Communities Staff

Diane Randall, Executive Director
Diane Randall began working with the Partnership for Strong Communities in 1998 when it started as a collaborative advocacy initiative funded by the Melville Charitable Trust. In 2003, Diane became the executive director when the Partnership incorporated as a 501(c)(3) organization and launched The Lyceum Resource and Conference Center, also established by the Melville Charitable Trust... Read full bio. Contact Diane at Diane@ctpartnershiphousing.com.

David Fink, Policy & Communications Director
David Fink is the Policy & Communications Director for the Partnership for Strong Communities. In that role, he is the staff director of the HOMEConnecticut campaign, which is seeking solutions to the shortage of housing affordable to workers, young professionals, families and others across the state. David also coordinates press relations and education activities... Read full bio. Contact David at David@ctpartnershiphousing.com.

Tracy Dumont, Administrative Services Director
Tracy Dumont began managing The Lyceum Resource & Conference Center.  She comes to the Partnership after 17 years of corporate training experience including meeting and event management, on-line learning development, and performance management... Read full bio.  Contact Tract at Tracy@ctpartnershiphousing.com.

John Bourdeaux, Director of Development
John has worked as a professional development officer for most of his career, with a focus on building new programs and bringing innovative thinking to the profession. Working with the Board of Directors and Partnership leadership, John works with individuals, corporations, and foundations to secure funding and support to ensure long-term sustainability and growth for the Partnership... Read full bio.  Contact John at John@ctpartnershiphousing.com. 

Shelby Mertes, Chief Policy Analyst 
Shelby helps a wide variety of people understand problems and solutions related to homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in Connecticut.  The majority of his time is spent on the HOMEConnecticut campaign to foster greater affordability of housing in the state.  Public speaking, meetings, networking, organizing events, drafting email communications, and creation of print materials are among his activities. Before joining the Partnership in 2001, Shelby spent a few years in education, in various teaching, tutoring and special education roles... Read full bio. Contact Shelby at Shelby@ctpartnershiphousing.com.

Christy Rubenstein, Senior Policy Analyst
Christy joined the Partnership for Strong Communities in the summer of 2006.  In addition to researching, analyzing and writing about housing policy and programs, she works on the HOMEConnecticut Campaign.  Christy also manages website content for the Partnership, HOMEConnecticut Campaign and Lyceum Resource and Conference Center websites... Read full bio.  Contact Christy at Christina@ctpartnershiphousing.com.

Sarah Benson, Development and Administrative Associate
Sarah focuses on providing development and operational support for the Partnership team. Sarah previously worked for the American Red Cross as a Marketing Operations Associate where she served as a project leader on various campaigns including donor outreach and retention, direct mail and other marketing channels... Read full bio.  Contact Sarah at Sarah@ctpartnershiphousing.com.

Ben Shaiken, Temporary Web Projects Manager
Ben joined the Partnership as an Intern in June 2010 and will be staying on staff until the end of January 2011 managing the Partnership's website and branding redesign projects. He also manages the content on the Partnership's websites, and the Partnership's Facebook and Twitter. Ben graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2010 with a Bachelor's in Sociolgy and Urban and Community Studies... Read full bio. Contact Ben at Ben@ctpartnershiphousing.com

Shontai Garrett, Receptionist and Administrative Assistant
Shontai is the full-time receptionist and administrative assistant at the Lyceum. Away from work, she is a part time college student at Manchester Community College. She is pursuing her Associate’s Degree and wishes to become a social worker in the future. Also, Shontai is a full time parent to her daughter. Of all her responsibilities, she enjoys motherhood best! She resides in Hartford in the Billings Forge community. Contact Shontai at Shontai@ctpartnershiphousing.com.

Greater Mutsikwi’, Office Manager for Betty Gallo & Company
In addition to her duties at Betty Gallo & Company, Greater manages administrative functions for the Partnership for Strong Communities. Prior to joining Partnership for Strong Communities, Greater lived and worked in the Boston area. Greater was born and raised in Zimbabwe, where she attended Marlborough High School and finished her O’Level at Terry Goss Secondary School. She graduated from University of Hartford with a Communication and an English degree. Greater has worked with Partnership for Strong Communities since March 2004.

Don Branson, Director of IT services for Betty Gallo & Company. 
Don manages the corporate computers and network for Betty Gallo & Co, the Partnership for Strong Communities, Billings Forge Community Works, Billings Forge Apartments, the Firebox Restaurant, and the Change Practice. Don also manages the Lyceum Resource and Conference Center’s public access system which includes the web server, public access terminals in the Resource Center and the public wi-fi hotspots that allows visitors at The Lyceum to access the internet for free. Don is the designer and web master of a variety of websites including this site, The Lyceum Resource and Conference Center, HOMEConnecticut, Reaching Home, and Betty Gallo & Company's websites. Don works with clients of Betty Gallo & Co. to effectively utilize computer technology and the internet to acheive their goals. He oversees delivery of the Partnership’s Action Alerts, Housing News Digest and Housing Policy Briefs and is responsible for running the grassroots contact database.

Consultants

Betty Gallo, Lobbyist and Government Relations Consultant 
Betty Gallo & Company
Betty Gallo has headed her own government relations and lobbying firm since 1981. The firm represents 30 clients before the Connecticut General Assembly including the Partnership for Strong Communities, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill- CT, Connecticut AIDS Residence Coalition, Connecticut Housing Coalition, CT Coalition to End Homelessness, CT Housing Investment Fund, Inc., Legal Services, and the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union. Ms. Gallo has lobbied the Connecticut General Assembly for 27 years. From 1976 to 1980, Ms. Gallo was Executive Director and chief lobbyist for Common Cause/Connecticut. In 1980, she ran for the General Assembly as the Democratic candidate in the 19th district, West Hartford. She has sponsored the CT Lobbying Conference, a full day training session to teach people how to lobby the Connecticut General Assembly for 25 years.

Mike Hanley, a senior consultant to the Partnership
Mike focuses on broadening support for supportive and affordable housing initiatives among such key constituencies as the business and financial communities, state and federal policymakers and municipal officials. Mike comes to the Partnership after three decades of success in the worlds of government, finance and public affairs... Read full bio.

Our mailing address is:
The Lyceum
227 Lawrence Street
Hartford, CT 06106

Phone: 860.244.0066
Fax: 860.247.4320