We are deeply grateful to continue our partnership with Yale New Haven Health as our Presenting Sponsor for this year’s symposium. Their unwavering support helps us bring together leaders across sectors to foster meaningful conversations and advance trauma-informed care. With their partnership, we can continue offering this valuable event free to the community, ensuring greater accessibility and impact. Thank you, Yale New Haven Health, for your commitment to creating a healthier, more resilient future!

Dr. Garbarino’s groundbreaking work has earned him multiple national awards, including recognition by the American Psychological Association as one of the most “Influential Psychologists” for his contributions to the field of trauma. Dr. Garbarino is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Cornell University and Loyola University Chicago. From 2006 to 2020, he served as the Maude C. Clarke Chair in Humanistic Psychology and was the founding Director of the Center for the Human Rights of Children at Loyola University Chicago. Prior to that, from 1995 to 2006, he was the Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor of Human Development and Co-Director of the Family Life Development Center at Cornell University. He is also a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Garbarino has authored numerous influential books, including Lost Boys and Miller’s Children. Throughout his career, Dr. Garbarino has consulted and advised numerous organizations, including the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, the National Institute of Mental Health, the American Medical Association, the National Black Child Development Institute, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the FBI.

Preston Tisdale is a partner at Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder in Bridgeport and a dedicated advocate for civil justice. Previously, he served as the Director of Special Public Defenders for Connecticut, managing operations within the Public Defender Services. The Immediate Past President of the Public Justice Foundation, he has also been a member of the Board of Governors for both the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice. Committed to community service, he remains actively involved with various local boards, including Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and the Bridgeport Public Education Fund.

Manisha Juthani, MD, is the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). She is the first Indian American to serve as a commissioner in the State of Connecticut. She served as Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine through September 2024, and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Medicine. She served as Director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program from 2012 to 2021. Dr. Juthani received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and MD from Cornell University Medical College, completed Internal Medicine residency training at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Campus, and served as Chief Resident at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She came to Connecticut in 2002 as an Infectious Diseases Fellow at Yale School of Medicine.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Juthani was a leader in the COVID response at Yale which led to her appointment as Commissioner of CT DPH in 2021. In the early days of the pandemic, she was a voice to help educate the public in both local and national media outlets, a role she was able to expand in her role as Commissioner.

As she continues in her role as DPH Commissioner, she continues to combat emerging infectious diseases and is committed to revitalizing public health by refocusing efforts on the opioid crisis, lead abatement, gun violence, mental health, climate and health, maternal health, and drinking water infrastructure improvements. In order to do this work, she is committed to growing the public health workforce and partnering with local health departments who are essential partners in implementing public health policies. She sees all these goals through an equity lens which is essential to ensuring that our focus on health as a human right is maintained.

Mr. Bloodworth is the newly hired Executive Director of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, an advocacy and educational community organization.

Mr. Bloodworth, a native of New Haven, is a graduate of UCONN and an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. as the District Social and Vote, Registration, Education, and Mobilization Chair covering all 6 New England states. Mr. Bloodworth is also Co-Chair on the Governor’s Workforce Council Reentry Committee for DEIA.

Mr. Bloodworth previously oversaw the Reentry Department for the City of Bridgeport, which encompasses the Mayor’s Initiative for Reentry Affairs (MIRA), technical advisement for the Reentry ARPA recipients that received 4.3 million dollars over 3 years for reentry work in the city of Bridgeport which helped to establish Bridgeport’s first reentry welcome center and solidify University of Bridgeport’s reentry entrepreneurship programming. Mr. Bloodworth also launched the reentry department’s Bridgeport Family First reentry programing working with incarcerated parents and their families in the community building a bridge of family reunification. Prior ending his tenure at MIRA, Mr. Bloodworth partnered with Dr. Monette Ferguson and the Alliance for Community Empowerment to provide a rental subsidy for security and 1st month’s rent and emergent housing for homeless formerly incarcerated individuals with 90K plus in funding received from the Social Equity Council.

Edith Boyle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who has dedicated her career to serving and strengthening disadvantaged communities. Edith is a first-generation college graduate, earning her Master’s degree in Social Work from Western New Mexico University and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University.

In 2022, Edith married her clinical and leadership experience serving as President and CEO of LifeBridge Community Services, a leading nonprofit providing trauma-informed outpatient behavioral health services in greater Bridgeport supporting adults, children, and adolescents through mental health and substance use recovery. Edith has supported the agency in receiving designation as one of eight Urban Trauma Centers through the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), in addition to receiving a five-year federal grant through the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) to improve treatment and services for children, adolescents and families who have experienced trauma. In FY22, Edith was appointed to serve on the State of Connecticut’s Transforming Children’s Behavioral Health Policy and Planning Committee.

Dr. McNamara is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and specializes in Adolescent Medicine. She cares for youth aged 11-25 and supervises pediatric residents at Fair Haven Community Health Center and Yale-affiliated subspecialty sites. She is interested in implementing best practices in the care of youth facing complex trauma and high-risk social situations. She is involved in medical education initiatives to improve trainee proficiency in strengths-based communication and positive youth development. She previously conducted research in implementing trauma-informed systems for high-volume pediatric trauma centers in Chicago. She conducts culturally-appropriate curriculum development in adolescent medicine in both global and local settings, using innovative technologies and extensive resources at Yale. She is currently developing curricula for medical schools in Uganda, in partnership with stakeholders at Busitema University and Makerere University.

She received a Doctor of Medicine and Master’s of Clinical Research from Emory University in 2013. She completed residency in pediatrics at the University of Chicago in 2016 and a fellowship in primary care from the Leadership in Urban Primary Care Education and Transformation Program at the University of Chicago in 2017. She completed fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago in 2021.

​Dr. Sheryl Veliz is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry. She earned her medical degree from the American University of Antigua College of Medicine. Dr. Veliz completed her residency at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and pursued a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Connecticut. ​Currently, Dr. Veliz practices at Hartford HealthCare Medical Group’s St. Vincent’s Behavioral Health in Westport, Connecticut.

Jacquelyn Santiago Nazario is a nationally recognized leader in violence prevention, youth advocacy, and community transformation. As CEO of COMPASS Youth Collaborative, she has dedicated over 24 years to empowering marginalized youth, disrupting cycles of violence, and securing over $12 million in funding to expand life-changing interventions. A policy influencer, she serves on Connecticut’s Commission on Gun Violence Prevention, the Governor’s Workforce Council, and the Latino Endowment Fund, among others.

A Hartford Human Relations Commissioner, published author, and sought-after speaker, Jackie has been honored by the White House, featured in murals for her impact, and received numerous accolades, including the 2024 Top 25 Women in Leadership Award. With deep roots in community organizing and a passion for youth equity, she continues to drive systemic change, ensuring that all young people—regardless of zip code—have the opportunity to thrive.