Federal Actions and Funding Cuts

Please join us online on Wednesday May 14 at 1:00 p.m. for a virtual panel discussion about recent federal policy actions and funding cuts, and their impacts in our community and beyond. President & CEO Karen DuBois-Walton will moderate a conversation with local nonprofit leaders working in the areas of health, housing and emergency food and basic needs services. Learn more about what the changes mean for local residents and how our community is responding.

PANELISTS:

Jim Horan, Senior Executive Director of LISC Connecticut | Local Initiatives Support Corporation 

Suzanne Lagarde, M.D., CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Care

Michael Savenelli, Executive Director of WHEAT | West Haven Emergency Assistance Task Force 

MODERATOR:

Karen DuBois-Walton, Ph.D., President & CEO of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

About the Panelists:

Jim Horan leads LISC Connecticut’s work, including its longstanding focus on developing and preserving affordable housing and building the capacity of partners, particularly community development corporations. LISC Connecticut’s strategic plan also seeks to revitalize urban neighborhoods with partners, including anchor institutions, and build family income and wealth with a network of Financial Opportunity Centers.

Dr. Lagarde currently serves as CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Care (FHCHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center providing comprehensive healthcare to over 36,000, primarily low income, minority patients. In this role, she oversees a staff of nearly 330 who provide care at 21 locations throughout southern CT. In her 12 years at the helm of FHCHC, she has overseen considerable growth, with the addition of several new clinical sites and new clinical services. Under her leadership, FHCHC has been nationally recognized for its high quality care, being honored with HRSA’s Health Quality Leader Award for the past 7 consecutive years. 

Michael Savenelli is the Executive Director of WHEAT, Inc., a West Haven based nonprofit committed to combating food insecurity and meeting basic needs in the community. With over a decade of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, Michael has guided WHEAT through significant organizational growth—broadening its reach, securing essential funding, and deepening community partnerships. His career has been dedicated to supporting vulnerable populations through strategic planning, program innovation, and a focus on sustainable impact.