Bruce is CEO and Publisher of The Connecticut Mirror. He is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, revenue generation, product innovation, reader engagement, and all business operations. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History and an M.B.A. in Marketing from Cornell University.
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State Senator Derek Slap was elected in the special election on February 26, 2019, to represent the 98,000 residents of the 5th State Senate District towns of West Hartford, Farmington, Burlington, and the western portion of Bloomfield. He previously served one term as state representative for the 19th House District, serving constituents in West Hartford, Avon and Bloomfield.
Derek makes his home in West Hartford with his wife, Alex, daughters Maggie and Zoe, and son, Charlie. He is Vice President of Advancement at The Village for Families and Children, one of the largest provides of mental health services in Connecticut. Derek has been a lecturer in political science at Yale University and an adjunct communications professor at Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart, Central Connecticut State, Southern Connecticut State and Eastern Connecticut State universities. In 2017 he won an “ARC Angel Award” from ARC for his advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities.
Legislative Goals:
As Chair of the Higher Education & Employment Advancement Committee, Derek is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure Connecticut’s institutions of higher education meet the state’s workforce needs. Improving accessibility and affordability of higher education and workforce training programs are important issues that Derek works on as co-chair of the committee.
Other legislative priorities include supporting our non-profits, our local public schools, and folks with disabilities. Derek has also been a leader in the effort to improve governance and transparency at The Metropolitan District (MDC).
As always, one of Derek’s most important goals is enacting an affordable, balanced, and sustainable biennial budget that meets the disparate needs and inequities in Connecticut.
Legislative Accomplishments:
The very first bill Derek introduced and led passage of was to create an independent consumer advocate for the MDC. The bill won unanimous passage in both legislative chambers.
Derek also introduced a bill in 2017 to help close the gender wage gap, by prohibiting employers from asking job applicants about their salary history. The bill eventually passed in 2018 and Connecticut was one of the first states to enact such a ban – now law in many states across the nation.
Derek also played a role in helping Connecticut become a national leader in combating age discrimination. He introduced a bill to keep questions about age, high school and college graduation and attendance dates off job applications. The bill was passed with strong bipartisan support in 2021.
Derek is an advocate for improving access to healthcare for all children, regardless of immigration status. He is also a champion for the environment, gun safety laws, and voting reforms such as early voting.
Experience and Education:
Derek is the former Chief of Staff for the Senate Democratic Caucus, where he managed a 70-person staff, helped achieve significant budget savings, and worked with citizen activists to address issues such as gun safety, school security and mental health reforms; GMO labeling; and access to high quality Pre-K.
Before his tenure as Chief of Staff, Derek was Director of Communications for Senate Democrats for four years. Derek has also been Deputy Chief of Staff/Communications Director for the Secretary of the State, Communications Director for the DeStefano for Governor campaign, and Director of Public Information for the City of New Haven.
Derek was also a news anchor and reporter at NBC Connecticut from 1999 until 2004, and before that worked at TV stations in Florida and at CNN Headline News in Atlanta.
Derek earned his MBA from the UConn School of Business and bachelors’ degrees in Broadcast Journalism and International Relations from Syracuse University, where he graduated Magna cum Laude
Jackson Laboratory Professor, President Emeritus, and Honorary Fellow, Edison Liu, M.D., is an international expert in cancer biology, systems genomics, human genetics, molecular epidemiology and translational medicine with a focus on breast cancer. He has authored more than 350 scientific papers and reviews and co-authored two books. He obtained his B.S. in chemistry and psychology, as well as his M.D., at Stanford University. He then received his residency and fellowship training at Washington University, St, Louis, and Stanford, and postdoctoral training in molecular oncology at the University of California at San Francisco with Nobel Laureate, J. Michael Bishop.
From 2012 to 2021, Dr. Liu was the president and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory, an independent research institute focused on complex genetics and functional genomics. During his tenure, JAX grew significantly in revenue, employee headcount, international presence, research scope, philanthropy and physical footprint. Under Liu’s leadership, JAX established The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Conn., and added production facilities in Ellsworth, Maine and Japan and established a joint venture in China to the institution’s headquarters campus in Bar Harbor, Maine, and production facility in Sacramento, Calif.
Previously (2001-2011), he was the founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore and the president of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO). He was also the scientific director of the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Clinical Sciences in Bethesda, Md. (1997-2001), where he was in charge of the intramural clinical translational science programs. In his earlier career, Dr. Liu was a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer; the director of the Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology at UNC’s School of Public Health; and the Chief of Medical Genetics.
Throughout his career Dr. Liu has received numerous accolades and awards, including the AACR Rosenthal Award and the Brinker International Award, both for breast cancer research; the Public Service Medal from the President of Singapore for his contributions to resolving the SARS crisis; and the Chen Award for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Human Genetics. He was elected to the American Society of Clinical Investigation, as President of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO), as a foreign member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, and as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. Liu has served on the governing boards of the AACR, American Cancer Society, and the Foundation for the NIH. He holds honorary degrees from Queen’s University (Belfast, Northern Ireland), University of Southern Maine, and Colby College (Waterville, Maine).
Research Focus Synopsis
My laboratory is focused on understanding the systems genetics of breast cancer biology and its translational impact. Currently, there are four major programs in the laboratory:
- Dynamics of BRCA1 promoter methylation
- Oncogenic drivers of genomic signatures in cancer
- Clonal dynamics of therapeutic resistance in triple negative breast cancer
- Identifying host genes that determine response to immune checkpoint inhibitors
The Town Manager’s Office also maintains the Mayor’s schedule, produces proclamations for special occasions and recognition, and works with the Town Clerk on preparing agendas for the Town Council and subcommittees. To make an appointment with the Mayor or request a proclamation, email Yeraida Reinheimer.
Town Manager
Rick Ledwith is the Town Manager of West Hartford, Connecticut, a full service municipality with a population of 64,083. West Hartford is an award-winning community known for its diversity, excellent schools and municipal services, and great quality of life. West Hartford has operated under the Council-Manager form of government since 1919, the first municipality in Connecticut and one of the first in the country to adopt this form of government.
Rick has worked for the Town of West Hartford since 2001 in several capacities. Prior to being appointed Town Manager, he served as the Executive Director of Human Resources, where he has worked extensively with every municipal department as well as the West Hartford Public Schools.
Rick and his wife Tara have lived in West Hartford for 27 years and are proud to have raised three children in town.
Michelle Troy is a professor of English. She teaches English Composition and Literature; English Literature: Romantics, Victorians, Moderns; and Studies in Contemporary British Literature.
“I enjoy seeing them grow into themselves, leaving more capable and confident and inspired than when they arrived,” Troy says of teaching Hillyer students.
Troy’s research interests include:
- Anglo-American culture in continental Europe between the wars
- Modernism and the literary marketplace (crossfeed between publishers, authors, agents)
- Modernism and mass market periodicals
- The paperback revolution
Education
PhD in English (with distinction), Loyola University Chicago
MA in English (with distinction), Boston College
Courses at Harvard Extension
Courses at Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
BA in Philosophy, Boston College
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