2009

In his 30 years of practice, Rick Redniss has built a reputation for creating land use strategies that achieve solutions to current challenges of land use through sensitive master planning, innovative zoning, and facilitating the Land Use Entitlement process to meet community needs through good planning and zoning.
He has successfully introduced Zoning Regulations specific to affordable housing, clustering, historic preservation, infill development, mixed land uses, multi-family, parking reduction, shared parking, preservation of open space, public amenity bonuses, senior living, temporary community based uses, transit-related developments and various special use zoning amendments.
His decades of experience meeting the diverse residential demands of our region have encompassed the gamut from multi-million dollar mansions to the homeless. New multi-family and affordable housing initiatives and inclusionary Zoning initiatives for various municipalities have facilitated the creation of thousands of units of rental and homeownership opportunities in Fairfield County. He was a member of Mayor Dannel Malloy’s Taskforce on Affordable Housing and the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Affordable Housing.
Mr. Redniss has lectured in the tri-state area on the dynamics of creative zoning, affordable housing and positive approaches to the land use process. Sponsors have included the State of Connecticut Department of Housing, Fairfield 2000 Homes Corporation, the Westchester Housing Fund, The Connecticut Home Builders Association, University of Bridgeport, University of Connecticut, and Pace University School of Law. His efforts have led to citations and awards from The Connecticut Chapter of the American Planning Association, State of Connecticut General Assembly, Home Builders Association of Connecticut and others.

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The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a national non-profit corporation with the mission to assist community development corporations (CDCs) and other community organizations in rebuilding distressed neighborhoods. LISC was created by the Ford Foundation in 1979 as a vehicle to bring quality financial and technical assistance to inner city neighborhood development. Today, LISC is the nation’s largest non-profit community development financial intermediary investing $9 billion with CDCs in 30 sites across the country.
The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has been active in Connecticut since 1984. Through its Hartford and Connecticut Statewide programs, LISC has invested over $38 million of local funds in community projects, brought $179 million of investment from National LISC and affiliates, and supported over $449 million of community development activity in Connecticut communities. This investment has created 3,053 affordable homes, 332,166 square feet of commercial space, and numerous community facilities, including 16 child care centers and community centers.

Michael Tierney, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating OfficerTierney has been with LISC since 1989. He began as the director of LISCís local program in Philadelphia and then moved to the program in Washington, D.C. After serving as a regional program vice president, overseeing local LISC programs throughout the northeast, and as the senior vice president for field operations, he was promoted to executive vice president and COO. He now oversees local LISC programs across the country and a number of national LISC housing production and capacity-building initiatives. He also chairs LISCís internal credit committee and provides oversight to LISCís lending activities. Tierney previously served as deputy assistant secretary for neighborhoods and then assistant secretary for municipal government at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Communities and Development. He also served as founding executive director of the Worcester Cooperation Council, Inc., in Worcester, Mass., a nonprofit community development corporation that developed and rehabilitated more than 2,000 homes and provided financing or technical assistance to 900 local small businesses during his 10-year tenure. Tierney received his bachelorís degree from the College of Wooster and a Master's Degree from Yale Divinity School.

Andrea Pereira is the Senior Program Director for the Hartford and Connecticut Statewide programs of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). She has an MS in Urban Planning from Columbia University and a BA in Urban Studies from Trinity College. She has twenty-five years of experience in urban and community development. Ms. Pereira has also worked at the state, community and municipal levels in urban and community development. She specializes in: community development finance, economic development, management and public policy.

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2008

Christel Truglia is one of the most respected women in the state of Connecticut. Elected to the 145th Assembly District in 1988, she has served with distinction. Amassing legislative experience and community initiatives too numerous to list. Since the death of her husband, State Senator Anthony D. Truglia, Christel Truglia’s advocacy has included the broadest sweep of our population - from human services for our children to the needs of our aging seniors. Appointed Assistant Majority Leader in 1995, Representative Truglia has served on a range of legislative committees including the crucial Appropriations Committee and a member of the Human Services Committee and the Select Committee on Children.
Christel has been a fierce advocate and has fought hard to ensure that services are available and accessible to meet the needs of individuals, children and families who struggle with poverty, chronic medical and mental illness and homelessness. Christel consistently demonstrates that following your heart can be the foundation of effective leadership; that commitment, perseverance, courage and integrity are indeed the hallmark of a great public official.
Founder and Chairperson of the Truglia Thumbelina Fund, Representative Truglia sought to create a fund that when no other source was available could meet the need.

Michael J. Critelli has been the Executive Chairman of Pitney Bowes Inc., a $6.1billion mailstream solutions company, since May 14, 2007. During the 34 years since he completed his undergraduate education at the University of Wisconsin and was then awarded a J.D., cum laude at Harvard Law School, he has had a distinguished career as a company, industry, and community leader.
As Executive Chairman, Mr. Critelli leads Pitney Bowes’ focus on the emerging opportunities in postal reform in the U.S. and globally, and develops market opportunities in areas such as health care, government services and corporate social responsibility. During his 29-year tenure with Pitney Bowes, Mr. Critelli has served most recently as Chief Executive Officer, marking an 11 year period of unprecedented reform, firmly establishing the company’s leadership in global mailstream markets.
Mr. Critelli has been instrumental in leading the $900 billion mailing industry’s promotion efforts. He co-chaired the Mailing Industry Task force with the Deputy Postmaster General from 2001 to 2006 and is also the Chairman of the Mailing Industry CEO Council that has provided industry advocacy on postal reform and leadership on other key industry issues. He is a driver of technological innovation in the mailing industry, and was awarded nine U.S. patents for mailing technology.
Mr. Critelli’s leadership also extends to health care and healthy communities, diversity, corporate governance and ethics, talent development and transportation. He recently chaired a Commission appointed by Governor Jodi Rell, charged with examining and redesigning the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s mission, direction, business practices and organizational structure. During his tenure at Pitney Bowes, Stamford has continued to benefit from the company’s commitment to community revitalization and affordable housing.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for three non-profit organizations: the Dossia Founders Group, an organization instrumental in developing a web-based framework for private, personal and portable health records; Boston University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center Advisory Board, a center of excellence for the study and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease; and the Connecticut Regional Institute for the 21st Century, a public policy think tank that promotes sustainable economic development and Connecticut’s competitive position in the global economy.
Mr. Critelli has just completed nearly five years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Urban League, and served on the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board where he co-chaired the Board’s Funding and Finance Working Group. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Catalyst, which promotes the advancement of women in the workplace; the Board of Trustees for the Connecticut Science Center which supports scientific education and endeavors in the State, and is a Board member of Partnership for Prevention which supports prevention methods to improve the health of all Americans. He previously served on the Connecticut Transportation Strategy Board where he co-chaired the Board’s Funding and Finance Working Group.
In addition to chairing the Pitney Bowes Board of Directors, Mr. Critelli is also a member of the Board of Directors of Eaton Corporation, a leader in providing products, services, and technologies for many transportation-related industries, including automotive, truck, and airspace customers. Mr. Critelli was recently elected to the Wyeth Board of Directors, a global leader in pharmaceuticals, consumer health care products, and animal health care products.

2007

Denise Lynn Nappier is the first African-American woman elected to serve as a State Treasurer in the United States and the first African-American woman elected to a statewide office in Connecticut. She has been a champion of economic empowerment and opportunity and established the first state-wide Individual Development Account program. NNI recognizes Denise Nappier for her ongoing commitment to advancing an affordable housing agenda for this State.
NNI honors Denise Nappier as a Champion of Housing for her work as the architect of the coalition of housing, business and community and municipal leaders who worked with legislators in 2005 to establish the $100 million Housing Trust Fund for Economic Growth and Opportunity, aimed at increasing affordable housing for working families in Connecticut. The Treasurer and her Office sit on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, and in 2006 actively worked with the Home Connecticut Coalition, which was instrumental in the adoption of legislation to promote affordable housing opportunities in towns and cities throughout the State.

Susan M. Ross is the President/ CEO of the Fairfield County Community Foundation, the center for philanthropy in Fairfield County, CT. The Community Foundation specializes in working with and on behalf of donors to address critical local and regional needs through grants and strategic initiatives.
NNI recognizes Susan Ross as a 2007Champion of Housing for shining a spotlight on issues that affect the quality of life for individuals and communities in Fairfield County such as the lack of affordable housing, the increasing immigrant population, and the economic instability of low-income working mothers. NNI is pleased to single out Ms. Ross for the Foundation’s leadership, under her presidency, in the establishment of the Fairfield County Collaborative Fund for Affordable Housing.

Richard E. Taber is chairman and chief executive officer of First County Bank, Stamford. Dick Taber has spent his entire career at First County Bank, rising through the ranks for 40 years. NNI recognizes Dick Taber as a Champion of Housing for his many years of giving back to the community on a personal and professional level.
As past president and a current director of the Housing Development Fund, past treasurer of Stamford Development Corp., and director of The Business Council of Fairfield County, he has been a guiding force in shaping affordable housing policies and programs that benefit Stamford and the region. And under his leadership, First County has been early and generous supporter of NNI housing development and preservation initiatives in the

community.

Honorary Champions of Housing:

Gertrude “Pat” Marshall been called the most important woman in Stamford’s history. NNI has been proud to call her its own. A constructive force for change, Pat Marshall was the heart, soul and power that propelled NNI from its inception in1967. From 1969 until failing health forced her to step back in 1983, she served at various times as NNI’s Board Director, President and CEO and her influence continued until her passing in 2000 and even to today. Under her stewardship, NNI pioneered the development of affordable housing in Stamford and set a standard that all non profit developers measure themselves against.
A dynamic community leader, Pat was the first woman to head the United Fund, precursor to the United Way. As early as 1956, she was named Stamford Citizen of the Year. But she’d only just begun. Pat envisioned a vibrant and diverse downtown Stamford. As the first woman appointed to Stamford’s Urban Redevelopment Commission she was a driving force in shaping and implementing that vision and served as the URC chairwoman from 1960 to 1964. The same passion and vision informed her concern about the need for housing. “I’ve seen families living in apartments whose kitchens were a sheet of ice because of leaky roofs, broken windows and n heat,” she said. “How can you expect human being to live like that, let alone develop to their full potential?” The legacy that Pat Marshall created is one that NNI carries forward with pride.

The Rev. Winton M. Hill III is a passionate advocate for housing that hard working low and moderate income families at the heart of Stamford’s economic engine can afford, For giving voice to people who are not heard on their own and effecting policy changes in the city’s affordable housing ordinance on their behalf, he was named an Outstanding Leader in the Advocate’s 2002 Community Leader of Year Awards and honored as Stamford 2002 Citizen of the Year by the Jewish War Veterans Post 142. The pastor of Stamford’s Bethel AME Church for 12 years, he was called upon by his Church in 2004 to supervise two dozen AME churches and relocated to New Jersey. NNI is grateful to have had the benefit of Hill’s wise counsel, friendship and advocacy, as a Board Director from 1997 through 2004 and as NNI Board Chairman (1999 to 2002).