Gian-Carl Casa , President & CEO, The Alliance, In 2016, Gian-Carl Casa became the first President and CEO of the The Alliance. Before that, he served for five and a half years as Undersecretary for Legislative Affairs at the state Office of Policy and Management. At OPM, he was responsible for budget-related and other legislation, managed requests for state bond funding and was in charge of communications for the agency, working closely with the Governor’s office in all areas. Before joining the administration he worked for over two decades at the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, most recently as Directory of Public Policy and Advocacy, where he worked on many association-related activities. He has a BA and MA in Political Science from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He lives in New Haven.

Mendi Blue-Paca is President & CEO, Fairfield County Community Foundation where she leads the $275 million regional funder, capacity builder, placemaker, and philanthropic investment manager in partnering with the community to ensure that every county resident has an equitable opportunity to thrive. Her work brings together nonprofits, the business sector, elected and administrative officials, external constituent groups, and other grant makers to achieve positive systems-level change. She joined the Foundation in 2018 and previously served as the Chief Community Impact Officer and VP of Community Impact. In her previous roles, she led grant making, programs, policy advocacy, and major community leadership initiatives to close opportunity gaps in education, employment, housing and health. Mendi oversaw the Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence, $20M Fund for Women & Girls, Immigrant Success Fund and Thrive by 25 initiatives.

Jeffrey Currey is the Chief of Staff, House Majority Leader, CT General Assembly. At the start of the 2025 legislative session, Jeff began his new role as Chief of Staff to the House Majority Leader within the Connecticut General Assembly. Prior to this, and while overseeing Goodwin University’s SNAP Employment & Training Program, a partnership with CT DSS and the FDA that provides free certification and degree opportunities to those receiving SNAP benefit, Jeff served ten years as the State Representative for the 11th Assembly district. He had the honor and privilege of representing his hometown of East Hartford and his adopted community of Manchester while sitting as the House Chair of the General Assembly’s Education Committee while also serving on the Appropriations, Commerce, and Judiciary Committees. Prior to his time in the legislature, Jeff served as the Chairperson of the East Hartford Board of Education, served on EH Inland Wetland Commission, and was employed with the CT Department of Labor and Nevins & Nevins LLP.

Jeff is a current and past member of several area non-profits including The Little Theatre of Manchester, Lutz Children’s Museum, Friends of Wood Memorial Library, and many more. When politics and education aren’t all-consuming, Jeff finds joy in performing with the Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus – an ensemble that “serves as a catalyst to inspire, impact, and enrich the lives of members, patrons, and the community.” He hopes his work outside of the chorus provides the same.

Jennifer Leeper, State Representative, CT General Assembly was first elected in November 2020, and is proud to serve the 132nd District. For this Legislative Session, she will serve as Chair of the Education Committee and as a member of the Appropriations Committee and Environment Committee. Representative Leeper is an advocate for education, previously working in the Performance Office at the Connecticut State Department of Education and as a school administrator in New York City. Before being elected to the General Assembly, Jennifer served on Fairfield’s Board of Education, focusing on improving school quality and expanding access to educational opportunities for all students. As a data analyst, Jennifer strongly believes that data is a critical resource to both find common ground and develop solutions.

Jennifer attended Wellesley College, earning her Bachelor’s in Political Science and Religion. She then received her Master’s in Public Policy from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. Representative Leeper lives in Fairfield with her husband Nick, a principal at RJA Asset Management, raising their two boys together.

Mohamad G. Alkadry serves as a Professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut. He was School Director from 2017-2024. His research interests include social equity and disparate outcomes of policies on individuals and communities of color. He also publishes in the areas of sustainable public procurement and gender equity. Dr. Alkadry served in the past as a senior research associate at the Center for Urban Redevelopment and Empowerment (Florida Atlantic University) and as a value for money auditor with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. Dr. Alkadry has authored in excess of fifty community and professional studies primarily addressing inequity or development issues in communities of color. He conducts the biannual compensation and retention studies for the National Institute of Public Procurement. Dr. Alkadry considers himself an engaged scholar. In the State of Connecticut he has provided several studies and consultations with the CT Council of Women and Girls and several other agencies and units within the State. Dr. Alkadry is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Dr. Alkadry received his Ph.D. from Florida Atlantic University (2000) and his Masters of Public Policy and Public Administration from Concordia University in Quebec (1996). His undergraduate work was done at Carleton University in Canada (2002, 2004) and the American University of Beirut in Lebanon.