CCNE Staff and Board

Staff

Renae Reese, Executive Director

Renae Reese is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Center for a New Economy. Prior to joining CCNE in 2004, Renae was the Vice President of AFT Local 3837 at the University of Connecticut Health Center. With the local she led a successful campaign to organize postdoctoral fellows. She was elected to union office while working as a researcher in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Previously she directed the Connecticut Council on Occupational Safety and Health, a labor education group, directed community programs for the Yale-China Association and taught English as a second language in Washington, D.C. and Taiwan. She taught certification courses in hazardous waste remediation and asbestos abatement.

Renae lives in Hartford with her husband and two daughters.  Email: renae@ctneweconomy.org

Rev. Scott Marks, Co-founder

Scott Marks was born in North Carolina to a Pastor mother and Deacon father. Lured by the promise of good jobs, his family relocated to New Haven where Scott completed his education. After finding religion in 1985, Scott went on to preach gospel; he continues to pastor at New Growth Outreach ministries. Long compelled to use his strong voice for those who feel they don’t have one, Pastor Marks stepped up to represent his community in city hall as Alderman of Ward 21.

As a co-founder of CCCC, CCNE, and CORD, Scott organized and trained people from all walks of life, races, genders and religions to fight to protect their homes, jobs and communities. He organized marches and rallies, made alliances with local and national leaders, and continuously advocated on behalf of communities ravaged by poverty, violence, and inequality -and for working people everywhere.

Recognizing Rev Marks’ solid leadership, UNITE HERE recruited him to serve as President of Local 226-2. The union sent him to organize in some of the country’s most difficult areas. In Las Vegas, Chicago, Washington, DC and Memphis he fought for working people to have a voice and be treated with respect.

Ricardo Henriquez

Ricardo Henriquez was born in the north of Chile and has degrees in Social Communication and Journalism, and a Master on Science of Management with a non-profit leadership concentration.

For five years he worked as a political journalist for Diario La Cuarta in Santiago, Chile, until 2001, when he decided to emigrate to the United States. Since then he has done all kind, of jobs including dishwashing and waiting tables, which helped him realize the inequalities that immigrants suffer and which inspired him to go in the non-profit sector.

Ricardo was the Manager at Atticus Bookstore until May of 2006. In June of the same year he started working for GAVA, where he acted as the executive director until February of 2008. On February 18th of the same year, Ricardo started working for CCNE.    Email: ricardoph@ctneweconomy.org

Rhona Cohen

Rhona Cohen joined the CCNE staff in July of 2007. For the previous year she was the Director of the Health Care for All Coalition, a statewide base of 50 organizations. She conducted outreach, training and policy analysis and lobbied the state legislature on many health care reform issues, including the issue of health care disparities.

A graduate of the New York City High School for the Performing Arts, she has completed doctoral work in English literature and taught writing and English at City University of New York for several years.

Rhona lives in New Britain with her husband, daughter and son. She is active in the NAACP and the Mary McCloud Bethune Club. Rhona is lead organizer for the Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care.  Email: rhona@ctneweconomy.org

Pat Carta

Pat  Carta joined the CCNE staff after working at Yale University for 27 years. She was one of the leaders during the organizing of Local 34 (the clerical and technical union at Yale University), and served the Local 34 membership as the staff director for 22 years. Pat was involved in all of the Local 34 contract fights. Now retired from Local 34, she continues to be active in the union as President of the Yale Unions Retirees Association (YURA).

Pat was born in the Hill Section of New  Haven. She now resides in North Haven and is a member and Eucharistic Minister at Saint Therese Church. Pat has 4 children and 4 grandchildren. Email: carta@ctneweconomy.org

Jaime Myers-McPhail, Administrator

Jaime Myers-McPhail grew up in New Hampshire’s White Mountain region but longed for an urban environment. Jaime studied social theory and cultural studies at Goddard College and earned a BA in Sociology from the University of Southern Maine. While living in Portland, Maine Jaime worked as an independent living coach and case manager for adults with developmental disabilities, and volunteered as an LGBTQI youth mentor with the PRYSM (Proud Rainbow Youth of Southern Maine) program.

In 2009 Jaime moved to New Haven to pursue social justice work through the Americorps Public Allies program. In 2010 Jaime joined the CCNE staff as administrator and part-time organizer.  Jaime and partner, a PhD at Yale and leader in GESO, are proud to call New Haven home. Email: Jaime@ctneweconomy.org.

Board of Directors

Kashif Abdul-Karim
Imam, Muhammad Islamic Center of Greater Hartford
taqwanct@aol.com

Frank Alvarado, Vice Chairperson
Executive Director, Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA)
frank_alvarado@samact.org

Peggy Buchanan, Recording Secretary
President, Greater Hartford Central Labor Council
pbuchanan@snet.net

Joel Cruz, Jr.
Fatherhood Specialist, Catholic Charities; Associate Pastor, House of Praise and Worship
pastors@comcast.net

Dan Durant
Organizer, AFT CT
ddurant@aftct.org

Paul Filson
Director, SEIU State Council
pf.ctseiu@snet.net

Judy Maslen, Treasurer
jmaslen@ccag.net

Renae Reese
Executive Director, CCNE
renae@ctneweconomy.org

Bilal Dabir Sekou
Associate Professor, Hillyer College University of Hartford
sekou@hartford.edu

Anita Seth
Organizer, Federation of Unions at Yale
anita.seth@yaleunions.org

Louise Simmons, Chairperson
Professor, UConn School of Social Work
louise.simmons@uconn.edu