(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the members he is appointing to serve on the Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group. The group will be responsible for advising the governor on preparations for a COVID-19 vaccine, including the optimization of a statewide vaccine distribution strategy, and communicating critical medical information about the vaccine with the state’s residents.
The group will be administered by staff from the Connecticut Department of Public Health. A schedule of meetings has not yet been finalized, however it is anticipated that the group’s first meeting will be held in mid-October. Meetings will be open to the public.
The members of the Governor’s COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Group include:
Main advisory group
- Co-Chair: Dr. Deidre Gifford, Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health
- Co-Chair: Dr. Reginald J. Eadie, President and CEO of Trinity Health of New England
- Mary Daugherty Abrams, State Senator (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire)
- Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, Chief of Infectious Diseases for Saint Francis Hospital
- Stephen Civitelli, Director of Health for the Wallingford Health Department
- Chris DiPentima, President and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
- Josh Elliott, State Representative (D-Hamden)
- Tekisha Dwan Everette, Executive Director of Health Equity Connecticut
- Keith Grant, Senior System Director for Infection Prevention for Hartford HealthCare
- Eileen Healy, Executive Director of Independence Northwest for the Connecticut Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance and Chair of the Connecticut Association of Centers for Independent Living
- Derrick Holloway, Pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church
- Sal Luciano, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO
- Richard Martinello, Medical Director of Infection Prevention for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health
- Mag Morelli, President of LeadingAge Connecticut
- Nichelle Mullins, President and CEO of Charter Oak Health Center
- William Petit, State Representative (R-New Britain, Plainville)
- Jason Schwartz, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Public Health
- Milagrosa Seguinot, President of the Connecticut Community Health Workers Association
- Michelle Seagull, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Heather Somers, State Senator (R-Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling, Stonington, Voluntown)
Allocation subgroup
- Michael Carius, American College of Emergency Physicians
- Stephen Civitelli, Director of Health for the Wallingford Health Department
- Kerry Clark, UConn Health
- Tekisha Dwan Everette, Executive Director of Health Equity Connecticut
- Lori Fedewa, Director of the Connecticut State Office of Rural Health
- Khuram Ghumman, President of the Hartford County Medical Association
- Tim Klufas, College student
- Suzanne Lagarde, CEO of Fair Haven Community Health Center
- Zita Lazzarini, UConn Health
- Andrew Mais, Commissioner of the Connecticut Insurance Department
- Sara Parker McKernan, New Haven Legal Assistance
- Leslie Miller, President of the Fairfield County Medical Association
- Nichelle Mullins, President and CEO of Charter Oak Health Center
- Neil O’Leary, Mayor of the City of Waterbury
- Regina Rush-Kittle, Deputy Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
- Marlene Schwartz, President of the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
- Michelle Seagull, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
- Raymond Sullivan, Director of Health for the Brookfield Health Department
Communications subgroup
- Mary Daugherty Abrams, State Senator (D-Meriden, Middlefield, Rockfall, Middletown, Cheshire)
- Robyn Anderson, Reverend
- Matt Barrett, President and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities
- John Brady, American Federation of Teachers
- Hector Caraballo, Pastor of Casa de Oracion y Adoracion
- Angel Castellano, Pastor of Smirna Misionera Church
- Yolanda Castillo, Secretary of the Town of Manchester Board of Directors
- Lindsay E. Curtis, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church
- Chris DiPentima, President and CEO of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
- Tiffany Donelson, President and CEO of Connecticut Health Foundation
- Brad Drazen, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Hartford Foundation
- Taylor Edelman, Equipty and Community Engagement Coordinator for Apex Community Care
- Josh Elliott, State Representative (D-Hamden)
- Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven and President of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities
- Judy Goldberg, Vice President of Government Relations for the Connecticut PTA
- Susan Halpin, Connecticut Association of Health Plans
- Angela Harris, Phillips Health Ministry and Phillips CME Church
- Eileen Healy, Executive Director of Independence Northwest for the Connecticut Cross-Disability Lifespan Alliance and Chair of the Connecticut Association of Centers for Independent Living
- Derrick Holloway, Pastor of First Calvary Baptist Church
- Erin Jones, Counsel for the March of Dimes
- Greg Jones, Legacy Foundation
- Nihal Khan, Director of Religious Affairs for the Islamic Center of Connecticut
- Sal Luciano, President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO
- Mag Morelli, President of LeadingAge Connecticut
- Diane Morgenthaler, Director of Health and Wellness for Southern Connecticut State University
- Maurice Porter, Reverend of Impact Church
- Joseph Quaranta, President of the Community Medical Group and Co-Chair of the Connecticut Health Information Technology Advisory Council
- Jordan Scheff, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services
- Milagrosa Seguinot, President of Connecticut Community Health Workers Association
- Heather Somers, State Senator (R-Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling, Stonington, Voluntown)
- Vicki Veltri, Executive Director of the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy
Scientific subgroup
- Jessica Abrantes-Figueiredo, Chief of Infectious Diseases for Saint Francis Hospital
- David Banach, Head of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiologist at UConn Health
- Keith Grant, Senior System Director for Infection Prevention for Hartford HealthCare
- Jim Hadler, Clinical Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine
- Danyal Ibrahim, Trinity Health of New England
- Albert Ko, Professor of Epidemiology and Medicine and Department Chair at the Yale School of Public Health
- Roxy Kozyckyj, Director of State Government Affairs for the Healthcare Distribution Alliance
- Richard Martinello, Medical Director of Infection Prevention for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health
- William Petit, State Representative (R-New Britain, Plainville)
- Jack Ross, President of the Connecticut Infectious Diseases Society
- Jason Schwartz, Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Public Health
- Jody Terranova, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics for the American Academy of Pediatrics