Amos Smith

“I am a member of the Pillar because at its core is the ability to inspire others to serve their communities and to build the health of these communities.”

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Venton Forbes

“I am honored to be a board member for the Pillar Community Development Corporation because Pillar has been supporting families and building a strong community for over 25 years.”

Venton Forbes is the executive director of FaithCare, Inc. a faith based organization that encourages individuals in the health care field and local congregations to get involved in the integration of faith and medicine. FaithCare’s mission is to bring hope and healing to and through the health care community both locally and internationally. Prior to joining FaithCare, Mr. Forbes worked at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, CT as its Community Relations & Institutional Director. Subsequent to The First Cathedral, Mr. Forbes worked in the Aetna Foundation & Public Involvement Department as a Program Officer managing  Aetna’s Northeast Region, Connecticut headquarters, and national philanthropic health, diversity, and volunteerism initiatives. Mr. Forbes served in the US Army Reserved for eight years as an Operating Room Specialist. Mr. Forbes is a licensed minister and serves as an Associate Minister at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, CT. 

In addition to serving on the board of directors of Pillar, Venton also serves on the board of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, American Red Cross and Trinity Educational Development Corporation. He also serves on the Parent Advisory Council of Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy (CIBA) in East Hartford and Chairs the School Governance Council of Breakthrough Magnet School in Hartford.  He serves on the steering committees of Hartford’s Neighborhood Asthma Equity in Children and Revitalize Hartford Medical Outreach.  Mr. Forbes is an active volunteer of the United Way of Central and Northeast Connecticut and he serves on their Community Investment Operations Committee.   He is a senior fellow of American Leadership Forum and Connecticut Health Fellow programs.

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Robert L. Brown

 “I am a board member of Pillar Community Development Corporation because I honestly feel that PCDC has a definite vision that will benefit the greater Hartford area, our youths and communities.”

Following a 40 year career with the University of Connecticut and retirement in 2009,  Robert L. Brown has worked for the past six years as a part time Juvenile Review Board Consultant/Facilitator with the Village for Families and Children, Inc. in Hartford, CT.  Prior to this position, he worked for four years as a Youth Alive! Mentoring Consultant for the City of Hartford’s Department of Families, Children, Youth and Recreation as well as collaborating with the Ebony Horsewomen, Inc. of Hartford for one year.

While at the University of Connecticut, Mr. Brown was employed as an Educational Assistant in the CONNPEP Upward Bound Program and later as the Program Manager for the Student Support Services Program at the UCONN Greater Hartford campus.

Over the years, Mr. Brown has held office in many church and non-profit organizations and has received numerous awards recognizing him for his life’s work with students and youth in addition to his volunteer work with organizations throughout the State of Connecticut. 

In 2014, Mr. Brown joined The Pillar Community Development Corporation (PCDC) and currently serves as Vice President.  He is actively engaged in the planning and execution of the Annual PCDC Sponsored Golf Tournament Committee which is the major funding source for PCDC Education Aid Awards.

Mr. Brown and his wife, Phyllis, a retired public school teacher, have lived in Bloomfield, Connecticut for over 20 years. They have two adult children, Sean and Shirene, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren all living in High Point and Greensboro, North Carolina. 

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Ronald A. Mauldin

“Education, health and wellness play a vital role in shaping successful and healthy people. Education gives us the opportunity to become a productive member of a civilized society by acquiring all the necessary skills. On the issues of health and wellness, it lays the foundation for our future. An unhealthy person can sometimes find it very difficult to cope with some aspects of life. Health and wellness expands our vision and creates awareness. It helps us develop a disciplined life and provides us with healthy opportunities. Education, health and wellness are definitely important in one’s life. Education is a gift of knowledge, health and wellness is a gift of life.”

Ronald A. Mauldin’s career spanned more than 36 years at Pratt and Whitney Aircraft and United Technologies Corporation – among the World’s most respected and innovative companies servicing customers in the commercial aerospace, defense and building industries.  He retired in 2006 as a Financial Auditor in the accounting and financial units at United Technologies.   For the past 3o years, Ron has been a member of The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, Connecticut under the leadership of Archbishop Leroy Bailey, Jr. where he serves as a Deacon and Vice Chairman of the Trustees.  He is a founding member of Pillar Community Development Corporation, formerly known as the Pillar Foundation, and previously served as Treasurer. 

In addition, Ron was one of the founders of the First Baptist Bowling League and the Treasurer for The First Cathedral Housing Board. As Pillar Community Development Corporation heads into its 26th year, Ron serves on the Financial Committee and is the Chair of the Education Aid Award Committee.    Ron is the husband of the late Dr. Gwendolyn Mauldin, Deputy of Contracts for Defense Contract Management Agency for department of Defense. They enjoyed 35 years of marriage and have one daughter and one granddaughter.

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Veda White

 “I believe in PCDC’s work of the past 25 years to support health and wellness and education aid support to individuals, families and youth in the Greater Hartford community. It’s meaningful work of a lifetime to be a part of it.”

After spending 34 years in the financial services industry at The Hartford, Veda White launched a second career as a human resources consultant specializing in leadership development, diversity and inclusion education and teambuilding for faith based organizations, nonprofits and small businesses. While at The Hartford, a Fortune 200 company, she held increasingly responsible and complex positions in field claim operations in New Jersey and in human resources developing an award-winning diversity and inclusion business strategy with senior leaders in the Claim department.

In the years subsequent to leaving financial services, she has worked with faith-based organizations to develop leadership behavior models to encourage ministry members’ retention, prepared and delivered a variety of teambuilding workshops for nonprofits and boards of directors in the nonprofit sector.

In June 2014, Veda completed Encore!Hartford 2014, a fellowship program in The University of Connecticut’s Department of Public Policy. The program offers extensive exposure to the nonprofit sector for former leaders in public sector or for-profit corporations who are looking to transition to the nonprofit sector. “I am committed to using all of my skills to give back to those who have not had the opportunities and experiences in life and career that I have had. To those who much has been given, much is expected.”

Since joining the Pillar Community Development Corporation (PCDC)’s Board in 2015, Veda currently holds the position of Secretary and is a member of the Education Aid Awards Committee. “I believe that I am fulfilling God’s plans for my life and making a difference in the lives of others.” Veda has been a member of The First Cathedral since 1999. 2 In addition to PCDC, she serves as a board member of Trinity Academy, an independent school for grades 2, 3, 5 and 8, in Hartford, CT; a board member for the Lupus Foundation, CT Chapter in Farmington; serves as a Student Governance Coach for the Hartford Board of Education through Leadership Greater Hartford; and is president of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW), Greater Hartford Section. Veda graduated from the University of Houston with a BA in Mass Communications as a Journalism major and an English minor.

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Calvin Hudson

“The programs that Pillar supports on education, health and wellness reinforce the critical lynchpins to the stability and long term prosperity of our families and community.”

Calvin served The Hartford Financial Services Corporation for more than 34 years, where he was ultimately responsible for a national organization of 6,500 employees handling more than 1.5 million claims a year and $7.5 billion in expenses and reserves. At The Hartford, Calvin held various positions, including Executive Vice President of Worldwide Property and Casualty Company as well as Senior Vice President and Vice President of Workers Compensation and Managed Care. A well-respected leader in the insurance industry, Calvin was Chairman of many organizations, including the National Insurance Crime Bureau, American Insurance Association Claim Council, Chief Claim Officer’s Roundtable and Workers Compensation Research Institute and Community Service, Inc. Calvin was invited to the White House to address President Clinton’s Healthcare Reform Task Force. He was also named one of the “50 Most Powerful Black Executives in America”; by Fortune magazine.

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Sara N. Grant

“The programs that Pillar supports on education, health and wellness give hope and help to build strong communities.”

Sara Grant has spent a career that spans more than 40 years in health care administration, personnel management and training and payroll.

Sara began her career at St. Frances Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut, in 1968 where she rose to the position of Admitting Supervisor before leaving in 1994. The following year Sara joined Hebrew Health Care in West Hartford as a Home Health Aid Coordinator where she remained until her retirement in 2011. Using the breath of health care industry experience, Sara leveraged that knowledge in support of community health initiatives focused on both adults and children.

Sara serves as the Treasurer for The Pillar Community Development Corporation (PCDC) overseeing all funds and other organizations managed assets. Sara is a member of The First Cathedral Church in Bloomfield where she serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees and as the Secretary of The First Cathedral Housing Corporation. In addition to these responsibilities she also currently serves as administrative support of the Curtis D. Robinson Center for Health Equity at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center.

It should be noted that Sara is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Hartford Federal Credit Union and for Covenant Care for Children. For the past 40 years Sara has been married to Ellsworth L. Grant and the proud parents of two adult children and grandparents of four.

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Gloria A. Jones

“I am a board member of Pillar Community Development Corporation because Pillar makes a difference in meeting needs in the community individually and collectively.”

Gloria A. Jones is a nursing leader in the medical field where she has made significant contributions for more than 40 years.

Beginning in 1978 when Gloria earned her nursing credentials at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Gloria has worked with patients in hospital care, a Nursing Supervisor at Connecticut Children’s Hospital, clinical operations at Connecticut Managed Care, Wintonbury Care Center of Bloomfield or as a registered school nurse for the Bloomfield Board of Education.

While furthering her professional career, Gloria pursued further education and certifications by attending Post University and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Management.  She then attended the University of Hartford where she received a Master of Science in Advance Practice Community Health. 

In support of her drive for excellence in nursing, Gloria has certifications in Professional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Instructor and a Certified Community Health Instructor.  She uses these skills in workshops and programs on behalf of the Pillar Community Development Corporation’s (PCDC) Health and Wellness Programs.  She serves as the Chair of the PCDC Development Committee.  

Gloria is a licensed and ordained minister at The First Cathedral Church of Bloomfield where she has been a member for many years.

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