Regional Census Director, State Officials to Discuss Plans
CONNECTICUT -- Connecticut will kick-off the 2020 U.S. Census on Tuesday, December 11 with a special program, open to the public, that will feature state and Census officials highlighting the impact the Census will have on federal dollars provided to Connecticut over the next decade, how the data are used to determine the state’s representation, and how individuals and organizations can get involved in the process.
The program is being hosted by the Connecticut Data Collaborative, which has been designated as the lead organization in Connecticut in the U.S. Census Bureau’s State Data Center Program and Connecticut’s official source for Census data. The program will be held at 10 Constitution Plaza in Hartford, 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Speakers will include Lieutenant Governor-elect Susan Bysiewicz; Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin; Gian-Carl Casa, president and CEO of the Connecticut Nonprofit Alliance; Karla Fortunato, president of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy; Tyler Kleykamp, Chief Data Officer (CDO) for the State of Connecticut; and Michelle Riordan-Nold, Executive Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative.
As a State Data Center partner, the Connecticut Data Collaborative is the official local resource to contact with questions about accessing and interpreting this data. In addition to Census data, the Collaborative will also make state public data available in an accessible format.
The featured speaker will be Jeff T. Behler, Regional Director of the U.S. Census Bureau. Behler is responsible for nine states in the Northeast, including Connecticut. Based in New York, the region also includes New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico. Previously, he was Director of Detroit Regional Office at U.S. Census Bureau and Deputy Director of the Dallas Regional Office. He began his Census Bureau career in 1997 as a survey statistician.
Behler will discuss the importance of why we conduct the Census, challenges facing the 2020 Census, major steps in implementing the Census, and partnership activities and complete count committees. As mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States and takes place every 10 years. It is used to determine the distribution of billions of dollars in federal funds to local communities. The decennial census is described as the largest mobilization and operation conducted in the United States.
In addition to presentations by Behler, Kleykamp and Riordan-Nold, a panel discussion will include Gian-Carl Casa, president and CEO of the Connecticut Nonprofit Alliance and Karla Fortunato, president of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy. Rachel Leventhal-Weiner, Assistant Director of the Connecticut Data Collaborative, will lead the panel discussion as moderator.
Susan Bysiewicz was elected Connecticut’s Lieutenant Governor in November with Gov.-elect Ned Lamont. They take office in January. Previously, Bysiewicz served three terms as Secretary of the State and three terms in the state House of Representatives. Bronin was elected Mayor of Hartford in 2015, and previously served in senior positions in both federal and state government.
Kleykamp became Connecticut’s first CDO in 2014 and is one of the founding members of the State Chief Data Officer Network. Riordan-Nold has led the Connecticut Data Collaborative since 2014 and was recently appointed to serve on the Connecticut Data Analysis Technology Advisory Board. The Connecticut Data Collaborative is a public-private partnership that advocates for the public availability of open and accessible data, serving nonprofits, advocates, policymakers, community groups, and funders in using data to drive policy and improve programs and services, budgeting and decision making at the state, regional and local levels.
Gian-Carl Casa became the first President and CEO of the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance, a statewide association representing nonprofit agencies across Connecticut, in 2016. The Alliance represents hundreds of nonprofit organizations across all categories throughout Connecticut, from Health and Human Service programs to Arts and Culture.
A native of Connecticut, Karla Fortunato recently returned to the state to serve as president of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP), an association of grant makers committed to promoting and supporting effective philanthropy for the public good. CCP's more than 100 members are foundations (private, corporate, community), business and corporate giving programs, bank trusts, donor-advised funds, individual philanthropists and those serving the philanthropic sector.
For more information regarding the Dec. 11 Census Kick-off program, visit www.ctdata.org. There is limited space available, and individuals are asked to RSVP online to reserve a space, or contact mfinn@ctdata.org
###
Contact:
Michelle Riordan-Nold
Executive Director
Connecticut Data Coolaborative
860-937-9056
mrn@ctdata.org
Website: www.ctdata.org