PRESIDENT
Luis C. Cabán
Born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, New York, Luis Cabán is a sociologist and an experienced political and civic engagement advocate who has advised several national and statewide electoral campaigns, as well as campaigns for state legislative and mayoral candidates in various states. He is an accomplished nonprofit executive who recently retired after a long stretch at the helm of SINA, Inc. Luis serves as member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston CDAC, Commissioner of the Metropolitan District Commission, and Executive Board member of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI). He serves on several statewide and local nonprofit boards of directors.
Over the last 35 years Luis has served as a senior executive with national organizations as well as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; he has provided public policy and community development expertise to government and nonprofit agencies in 14 states and Puerto Rico. He co-authored, “A Latino Public Policy Agenda for New Jersey” and as associate executive director, and more recently as Executive Board member of the USHLI, Luis participated in efforts resulting in over 2.5 million newly registered voters in 18 states. He produced over 100 survey and exit poll reports of Latino political attitudes and provided Election Day political analysis and commentary on Chicago TV channels 26 and 44.
Luis has addressed numerous national conferences, including among others, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Counties, and the US Conference of Mayors. He has twice testified before the United States Congress on both housing and voting rights legislation. Luis is listed in "Who's Who Among Hispanic Americans."
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/SECRETARY
Melissa Gregory
Born in Northfield, IL. Melissa Gregory is a top-ranked figure skating athlete in the World. Together with her husband Denis Petukhov, they have a resume of 6 US National medals, International Event Championships, and top World rankings. They represented the United States in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, and have toured as Champions on Ice performers. The Professional Skating Association recognized them as 2007 Best Performers. In 2010 and 2011 Melissa was a spokesperson for BMW Team USA Campaign and was part of the production crew of ABC SKATING WITH THE STARS TV show. Later in 2011 she was a featured model for MAC Cosmetics for their winter line campaign.
Melissa has participated in many charity events to raise money for cancer, Juvenile Diabetes Research, the underprivileged kids of Harlem, worked on the Habitat for Humanity to rebuild houses for the Katrina Victims, and The Michael Bolton Charities, which help women and children at risk.
Her media experiences also includes appearances on the Today show, Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, ABC World News, ESPN Cold Pizza, Lifetime Television Special, and local news specials in Chicago, Boston and Hartford. Along with Denis she also has been featured on the front page of The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal. In addition they have been published in USA Today, Sports Illustrated, and Time Magazine.
She now resides in Hartford, CT where she started a program, EduSkating Fever on Ice that fuses ice skating with academics while promoting cultural diversity and reducing racial segregation and focuses on the Olympic Movement and Olympism as a tool to education youth among inner city and suburban school kids. In 2010 she won the United States Olympic committee “Rings of Gold” award for innovative sport programming and youth development. She also did some commentating for Icenetwork at 2010 Skate America and the NBC affiliate in CT for the 2010 Olympic Games.
DIRECTOR
James P. Sandler
Born in the Bronx, NY, James Sandler graduated from Princeton University cum laude and the Law School of Harvard University. He attended the United States Army Artillery and Guided Missile School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and served as an artillery officer in the 52nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion, Combat Command A, Third Armored Division (Spearhead) in Butzbach, Germany.
He has been engaged in the practice of law in Hartford, Connecticut for over four decades, during which period he has been active in a myriad of professional, charitable and community organizations. Mr. Sandler’s civic contributions include service as Chairman of the City of Hartford Housing and Code Enforcement Subcommittee, Chairman of The Hartford Development Commission (1974 to 1987), member of the Board of Directors of Riverfront Recapture, Inc. and member of the University of Connecticut Stadium Development Task Force. He was an incorporator of Hartford Economic Development Corporation and a director and Secretary for more than two decades. He was appointed Legal Counsel to the Metropolitan District Commission in 1989 and continues in that position.
Mr. Sandler served as Co-Chairmen of the Governor’s Commission on Quality and Integrated Education, which examined critical issues of segregation and education equality, resulting in the seminal report to the Connecticut General Assembly and enactment of programs for school reform and equality.
Mr. Sandler has been involved with The Michael Bolton Charities since its inception in 1993, playing a key role in the creation and establishment of one of their major programs in New Haven. He is also actively involved with The Charities in the establishment of The Michael Bolton Contemporary Music program in Hartford in partnership with Community Renewal Team and Central Connecticut State University. This program will serve as a model for a comprehensive music program for inner city - at risk youth in the Hartford area.
Mr. Sandler currently practices law in Hartford, Connecticut with the firm Sandler & Mara, PC.
DIRECTOR
Taraje Williams-Murray
Born in the Bronx, NY, Taraje Williams-Murray, a two-time Olympian and four-time national Judo champion understands the value of planning and removing emotion from the decision-making process to stay sharply focused on the goal. As a Financial Advisor, Taraje applies those guiding principles every day while helping clients achieve their goals.
Growing up in the Bronx, Taraje began studying Judo when he was eight years old. Eleven years later, in 2004, he became the youngest male member of the U.S. Olympic Judo Team in Athens, Greece. It was while he was training for his second Olympic appearance in 2008 that he became enthralled with the world of finance.
That was also the year of the Great Recession and there weren’t many jobs in financial services, so he became a personal trainer, where he learned how to deal with clients one-on-one and build relationships by providing excellent service and commitment.
With a B.S. in Computer Science from Long Island University, he decided to return to graduate school to study Banking and Financial Services Management at Boston University. While there, he received an offer to join Morgan Stanley Wealth Management as a Financial Advisor.
A Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist℠, CRPS®, and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠, CRPC®, Taraje has dedicated himself to helping people build, manage and protect their wealth. He does this by working with specialists who are experts in various aspects of Wealth Management.
When not helping clients, Taraje enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, reading and practicing martial arts; Judo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing. He also finds time to give back to the community as a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated which is active in a number of social action programs.