Nicole Porter of Hartford has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Porter was appointed by Hartford Probate Court Judge Foye A. Smith to replace former director I. Charles Mathews who stepped down after being named director of the City of Hartford’s Department of Development Services. She will serve out the remainder of Mathew’s five-year term which ends on December 31, 2023.
Ms. Porter recently served as operations manager for athletics for Hartford Public Schools, where she led operations for athletics programs serving eight high schools within the city and more than 130 sports teams serving more than 2,000 student-athletes. She previously served as board chair for the Blue Hills Civic Association, where she directed strategic planning, organizational development, legislative advocacy, and program operations for various functions within the organization.
Prior to her role at Hartford Public Schools, Porter worked as a program manager and site coordinator for the Greater Hartford YMCA, where she developed afterschool and summer programs to support youth engagement for more than 500 students through literacy, science, technology, fitness, music and other activities that encouraged collaborative building of interpersonal and social skills. She has also served in marketing and communications roles for Cigna, Disney and ESPN. Porter earned a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and International Business from Temple University and a master’s degree in Sports Management from Columbia University.
“The entire board is excited to have Nicole join the Hartford Foundation’s leadership team,” said Hartford Foundation Board Chair Ted Sergi. “As someone who was born and raised in Hartford, attended Hartford schools, worked at one of Hartford’s nonprofit institutions, served in local civic organizations and worked for Harford Public Schools, Nicole will provide invaluable insight into the needs and desires of local residents. Our board and the entire organization will benefit greatly from her contributions.”
The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities. Made possible by the gifts of generous individuals, families and organizations, the Foundation has awarded grants of more than $837 million since its founding in 1925. For more information about the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, visit www.hfpg.org or call 860-548-1888.