[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 195 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MS. PAULA VAN NESS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ELIZABETH H. ESTY

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 30, 2017

  Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Paula Van 
Ness upon her retirement as the President and CEO of the Connecticut 
Community Foundation after six tremendous years of leading and growing 
the organization. During her tenure, Paula oversaw the organization's 
growth into a more supporting group.
  Prior to joining the Connecticut Community Foundation in 2012, Paula 
had worked with nonprofits for more than four decades, including Make-
A-Wish America, the Starlight Children's Foundation, and as the 
founding president of the National AIDS Fund, which has grown into AIDS 
United. The Connecticut Community Foundation, founded in 1923, serves 
twenty-one towns across the Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills 
region. The Foundation supports local nonprofits with grants, 
administrative resources, and strategic guidance that ensures those 
organizations can maximize their impact on the community. In 2016, the 
Foundation awarded 471 grants totaling $2.4 million.
  Over the course of her leadership, Paula has been instrumental in the 
Foundation's growing role in our community, especially by developing 
key relationships with local and state government officials. She has 
also managed to ensure the Foundation meets the needs of the broad 
range of nonprofits it serves, from essential human services to arts 
and culture.
  Mr. Speaker, Paula Van Ness has been a visionary leader of the 
Connecticut Community Foundation for the past six years, and her work 
has strengthened the Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills 
communities. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor her here 
today.

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