Seven people who have made exceptional contributions to Gateway Community College (GCC) and the New Haven region will be inducted into the GCC Hall of Fame Saturday, November 17, at 5:30 p.m. at GCC, 20 Church Street, New Haven. “The Gateway Gala: A Bridge to Excellence” will feature a reception, silent auction and dinner and will honor Matthew Nemerson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council; Richard C. Levin, president of Yale University; and five GCC alumni, the largest number of alumni honored at one time.   

Carter Winstanley, Honorary Chair, Thomas S. Griggs Jr., Event Chair, GCC President Dr. Dorsey L. Kendrick and the Gateway Community College Foundation Board will host the event and pay tribute to the seven individuals for all they have done for the college community and Greater New Haven.

“We celebrate the achievements of this year’s inductees, whose exemplary leadership, vision and commitment to excellence serve as a model to us all, and help make Greater New Haven a better place to live, work, raise a family and get an education,” Dr. Kendrick said. “We are particularly proud of the expanded group of five Gateway alumni being inducted into the Hall of Fame. These extraordinary men and women serve local organizations and bring honor, prestige and distinction to their alma mater.”
 
The inductees include corporate honoree, Matthew Nemerson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council, a trade association and public policy group dedicated to stimulating the growth of the state’s innovation economy; and community honoree Richard C. Levin, the community honoree, Yale University’s president since 1993. Throughout his career, Levin has undertaken many ventures to improve Yale locally, nationally and internationally. Levin was instrumental in encouraging Gateway’s move to the downtown location and he has long supported partnerships between the two educational institutions.

The GCC alumni honorees are: Cheryl Granucci, director of Diagnostic Radiology at Yale-New Haven Hospital; Ronnell A. Higgins, chief of the Yale University Police Department; Judith Mut, owner of JM Equipment Services, LLC, located in West Haven; Joseph D. Thomas, vice president of Client Fulfillment and Electric Systems Operations at The United Illuminating Company in Orange; and Rep. David Yaccarino, who represents the 87th district in the State’s General Assembly and owner of DJ’s Sports Collectible & Comics in North Haven.

The Hall of Fame event serves as GCC’s main source of scholarship revenue, and last year the Foundation raised more than $85,000, the most in the event’s history. This success helped the Foundation award more than $100,000 in scholarships to deserving students in 2012.

“As the largest community college in Connecticut, the pressing need for financial aid has increased substantially,” said Mary Ellen Cody, GCC’s dean of Development and Community Partnerships. “The generosity of our donors helps these scholarship recipients progress through their academic programs and contribute to the vitality of our community, region, and state.”

“The Gateway Gala: A Bridge to Excellence” begins at 5:30 p.m. with a silent auction and reception, held, fittingly, on the Gateway bridge, on the second floor of the new campus. The bridge/fairway links the two GCC buildings. With its two-story LED screen and floor-to-ceiling windows, it offers a stunning view of the city and has become the hub of the campus. Those attending can bid on auction items that range from weekend getaways to donated items guaranteed to delight and surprise. Dinner and the induction follow the reception in the Community Room.

For ticket information, please contact Susan Swirsky in the Office of Development and Community Partnerships at 203-285-2617.