Greater Hartford Gives Foundation Welcomes Thea Montañez to the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation (formerly the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving), the community foundation for Hartford and 28 surrounding communities, has announced that Thea Montañez has been appointed to serve on the Board of Directors.
Ms. Montañez currently serves as Senior Advisor to Governor Ned Lamont and Chair of the Governor’s Kids Cabinet. In her role as senior advisor, she provides strategic advice and counsel to the governor on a broad range of policy and operational decisions. In addition, she leads interagency initiatives to connect more Connecticut residents to opportunity, as well as develop partnerships that engage public, private, and philanthropic institutions in support of that same goal.
Prior to her role in the Governor’s Office, Montañez served as Chief of Staff and then Chief Operating Officer for the City of Hartford, Connecticut, where she managed an annual budget of $600MM and oversaw day-to-day operations for 1,500 employees and all thirteen municipal departments. During that time, she helped Mayor Luke Bronin lead Hartford through unprecedented challenges, including successfully averting municipal bankruptcy and managing the City’s COVID response and recovery efforts. In addition, she leads the development and implementation of several city-wide initiatives designed to better support the needs of survivors of community violence, as well as justice involved youth and adults, and those living with addiction, mental illness and housing instability.
Prior to her work at Hartford City Hall, Montañez served as Director of the North Hartford Promise Zone (NHPZ) where she led the effort to implement a highly competitive U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program to promote economic activity, improve educational opportunities, reduce violent crime and improve public health in high poverty communities. She has also worked as a consultant, specializing in community affairs, advising non-profit senior executives and public sector leaders on the development of key strategies for multi stakeholder engagement.
Montañez is also an active volunteer, serving on the boards of CT Public Broadcasting, the Governor’s Prevention Partnership, and as a member of the State of Connecticut Juvenile Justice Policy and Oversight Committee. She has received broad recognition for her work including Center for Children’s Advocacy’s “Champion of Children “ award, Hartford Business Journal’s C-Suite and “40 Under 40” awards, Connecticut Magazine’s “40 under 40” award, Latinos United for Professional Advancement (LUPA) CT's 50 Most Influential Latinos, and CT Women’s Alliance Woman of Distinction.
“The board is excited to have Thea join the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation’s leadership team,” said Board Chair Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez. “Thea has been a long-time partner of the Foundation and her deep knowledge of the organization and the communities we serve will be a vital resource to our board and strengthen the entire organization.”
Greater Hartford Gives Foundation is a community foundation, a hub for community-driven change. We fuel impact throughout Greater Hartford and beyond by making connections, providing funding, and sharing knowledge. Our goal is to create an inclusive region where everyone prospers. Together, with a powerful network of changemakers, we identify our neighbors’ most pressing needs and invest resources in initiatives that dismantle racial and economic barriers and improve quality of life. In our 100-year history, we have invested more than $1 billion throughout the region. Join us in building a Greater Hartford full of opportunity. Learn more at greaterhartfordgives.org.