Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT Announces Hartford HealthCare President & CEO Jeffrey Flaks to be Honored at Healthy Youth, Healthy Communities Gala
HARTFORD, CT – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut (BBBSCT), the state’s premier youth mentoring organization, today announced it will be honoring Jeffrey A. Flaks, President & CEO of Hartford HealthCare, at its upcoming Healthy Youth, Healthy Communities Gala on February 27, 2027, at The Riverview in Simsbury.
BBBSCT will present Flaks with its Visionary Leader Award, in recognition of the ways he has ensured his organization focuses on wellness, healthy relationships, mentoring, and growth for all – team members, partners, patients, families, and the communities Hartford HealthCare serves.
“Jeff exemplifies the type of people-first leadership that’s the core of everything Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring is about,” said BBBSCT President & CEO Andy Fleischmann. “We’re happy to have a chance to highlight how Jeff strengthens his organization by promoting good relationships and the well-being of every person – team members, patients, family members, and community members alike.”
“It is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition, but what makes it especially meaningful is the mission behind it,” Flaks said. “At Hartford HealthCare, we believe deeply in the power of people to lift one another — to provide support, create opportunity, and help others realize their full potential. That same spirit is at the heart of Big Brothers Big Sisters. When a young person knows someone believes in them, stands beside them and is invested in their future, the possibilities are extraordinary. I’m incredibly proud to support an organization that is strengthening young people, families and communities across Connecticut.”
The BBBSCT Gala will bring together community leaders, partners, supporters, Bigs (mentors) and Littles (mentees) for an inspiring evening celebrating the power of mentoring. BBBSCT’s mission is to create enduring mentoring relationships between caring adults and young people across Connecticut.
All funds raised through the Gala will support BBBSCT’s work to recruit, screen, train, and support caring adult mentors and create professionally supported, one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
The 2027 Gala Committee, chaired by Rosemary Shehan, Chief People Officer of Hartford HealthCare, and including Martin Brayboy, Andrea Dash, Dickens Mathieu, Rebecca Stewart, Meredith Young, and Pam Rosow, will lead the planning and organization of the event.
To learn more about the 2027 Healthy Youth, Healthy Communities Gala, including sponsorship and tickets, visit here. To learn more about becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister, visit ctbigs.org. To support youth mentoring through a donation, visit ctbigs.org/donate.
