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Distinguished Honorees Highlight ACES Education Foundation’s 16th Annual Gala

February 22nd, 2019


(North Haven, CT. February 22, 2019) This year’s ACES Education Foundation 16th Annual Gala will definitely be A Night to Remember.  It is a time to celebrate the success of the past year’s projects and honor those who helped make them happen.  This year’s honorees cover the gamut of Southern Connecticut businesses and caring citizens as Jeff L. Hubbard, Alyssa Rae Taglia, Frances “Bitsie” Clark, Bob Parker, and Sharyn Ainsworth Esdaile will be recognized for their contributions to ACES, the arts, and the educational community. The Foundation’s Gala, the largest fund raising event of the year for the non-profit organization, is going to be held on March 28th from 5:30 p.m. to 8;30 p.m. at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven. The purpose behind the event is just as special as the evening itself.

“The Gala is such a fantastic event because it is the perfect time to recognize those who have contributed many years of hard work benefiting so many people,” says Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan, Ed.D., Chief of Marketing and Outreach for ACES and organizer of the event for the Foundation. “The combination of philanthropic people who truly care about the community, teachers, and educators and have committed their efforts to helping improve educational opportunities for everyone is a very powerful force.”

Rossetti-Ryan said she anticipates more than 300 attendees at the gala, including representatives from corporate sponsors, community partners, families, staff, and board members. Every year, the Foundation honors key people and organizations who support ACES’ mission.  

Jeff L. Hubbard serves as President and Commercial Sales Leader for KeyBank’s Connecticut and Western Massachusetts market. In this role, he leads the bank’s regional economic and community development efforts, and oversees the sales effort for delivering a full range of lending and financial services offered to commercial clients. He is also accountable for driving collaboration and coordination of activities and resources to generate revenue growth and increase market share. With Jeff’s advocacy, KeyBank has contributed more than $40,000 in charitable giving to support meaningful ACES projects, including the purchase of a vehicle for the ACES ACCESS program, and continued funding for the ACES Village School’s art therapy program.

Alyssa Rae Taglia, a Connecticut native can be seen every weekday morning on WTNH News 8's Good Morning Connecticut as its traffic anchor. After reporting the morning traffic, Alyssa transitions to her role as a Multimedia Journalist for News 8, covering a wide variety of stories.

Alyssa has always shown an affinity toward the arts.  After graduating from the ACES Educational Center of the Arts(ECA) in 2011, she represented her home state as Miss Connecticut 2016 in the 2017 Miss America Contest. Following that, she continued her education by attending the New York Film Academy's Broadcast Journalism certificate program on a full scholarship. Always making it her life's top priority to give back and volunteer her time to area charitable organizations, at the young age of 12 years old, Alyssa founded, “Smiles for Seniors”, a volunteer driven program created to enrich the lives of our elderly, specifically those in long-term care facilities. Alyssa serves on the board of Directors for SELF INC., is a member of "MASTA", the Miss America State Titleholders Association, and continues to be a goodwill ambassador for Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

Longtime ACES friend and supporter Frances “Bitsie” Clark has been a fixture in the arts culture around New Haven. From 2011 until her retirement in 2017, she was the Executive Director of HomeHaven, an organization that helps people remain in their own homes as they get older. Dubbed the “Goddess of the Arts” for the area, Clark was instrumental in helping preserve the iconic Little Theatre on Lincoln Street which is operated by ACES and a staple for ACES ECA performances. She was the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven from 1983 until she retired in 2002. S While there she was he was elected to the Board of Aldermen for the City of New Haven representing the downtown ward in 2003 and served for the next eight years.

Bob Parker is a retired arts educator that has influenced and is still helping thousands of artists in Connecticut. He worked for ACES for 36 years, as a teacher and then Director at ACES Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven’s Audubon Arts District.  He also served as the Director of Communications for ACES just before his retirement. He has served as a board member and advisor to arts and education advocacy organizations at the national, state and local level. Bob’s interest in the arts, education, and New Haven continue as a volunteer; he has served on New Haven’s Commission on Arts, Culture and Tourism, and the board of directors of the Southern Connecticut State University Alumni Association and New Haven Sister Cities, Inc. He currently enjoys his current role as the co-chair of the board of directors at Common Ground, a high school, environmental education center and urban farm in New Haven.

Sharyn Ainsworth Esdaile is a consummate educator that was always focused on what is best for her students.  Throughout her career, she supported the advancement and amazing abilities of children and youth. Her concentration on arts and creativity integral to student engagement and achievement has been a hallmark of her legacy.  She has served many different roles as she was first as teacher, then curriculum developer, program coordinator and an administrator. She joined ACES in 1983 through its Arts in Education Division-ECA merger with CTTE. She collaborated with students and teachers to foster arts learning and new approaches to interdisciplinary study. Award-winning projects such as Creativity in the Classroom, Arts for the Middle School, and Talent Search & Development became models for the nation and led to the inception of the New Haven arts magnet schools. Ms. Esdaile was co-designer/ founder of Conte Arts Magnet, Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School and Cooperative High School for the Arts and Humanities. She was Artistic Director of Conte and Betsy Ross during which time the schools were recognized amongst the most successful in the United States. She brought her skills to new heights at ACES Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School first as Assistant Principal and then as principal where she served 11 years before retiring in 2010.

The ACES Education Foundation, which was formed in 2003, raised more than $113,000 via last year’s gala and of that amount awarded $90,500 in grants and $10,000 “Fund-A-Need” initiatives.

Besides amazing food and drink, the “Night to Remember” is packed full of fun activities such as a live auction, silent auction, and raffle.  There are many ways to support the event and its purpose whether someone can attend the gala or not. Tickets are $100 and available online by visiting https://e.givesmart.com/events/c34.

Besides those in attendance, anyone can support the event by donating items such as products and gift baskets or log in and purchase an item to donate by going to the Boscov’s gift registry at  https://www.myregistry.com/wishlist/Aces-Education-Foundation-North-Haven-CT/1777421.  Prizes include gift baskets, collectibles, sports memorabilia, and one-of-a-kind trips and excursions.   

To become a sponsor for the 16th Annual ACES Educational Foundation Gala, contact Evelyn Rossetti-Ryan at erossetti-ryan@aces.org. To get more information or donate an item, contact esein@aces.org. Current sponsors include Brown and Brown, Anthem, USI, Key Bank, Town Fair Tire, Performance Environmental Services, Aflac, The Whitney Center, Crosspoint, Valic-AIG, and Worker’s Compensation Trust.


About ACES:

The ACES Education Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that supports ACES programs and services. As an agency, ACES perceived the need to better engage members of the community with our vision and goals and to provide a means to support small, worthy, but unfunded ACES projects as they arise. To meet this need, we established the Foundation in 2003. The ACES Education Foundation raises funds from individuals and businesses, including staff, alumni, vendors, and other ACES friends. These funds are then used to enhance and support various agency programs. For additional information, go to https://www.aces.org/education-foundation

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