Pictured: 2025 Social Service Recognition Honorees with Chamber Leadership
In a powerful display of collaboration and compassion for those facing hardship, representatives from social service agencies, nonprofits, and the business community gathered on November 12, 2025, for the 16th Annual Social Service Recognition Breakfast at Great Wolf Lodge, Mashantucket. Sponsored by Acrisure (formerly Sava Insurance Group), Yale New Haven Health/Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, SCADD (The Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.), and Breezeline, the event celebrated leaders whose dedication strengthens individuals, families, and communities across eastern Connecticut.
Rodney Butler, Tribal Council Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, welcomed the nearly 200 attendees and thanked them for “making a difference in the region,” emphasizing that social service agencies represent one of the largest employment sectors in the area.
Tony Sheridan, President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, highlighted the essential relationship between community well-being and regional vitality:
“Today, we come together as a community – business leaders, nonprofit partners, public servants – united by a simple but powerful belief, that the strength of our region is measured not only by its economy, but by its compassion. The individuals and organizations we honor today remind us that progress isn’t just about growth, it’s about care — about building systems and relationships that ensure everyone has a chance to thrive.”
2025 Social Service Award Honorees
- Executive Director of the Year – Claire Silva, Madonna Place
Silva has led Madonna Place since 2021 and is a multilingual advocate and published author supporting survivors of sexual assault. She brings extensive leadership experience and a deep commitment to advancing equity for underserved populations. - Board Member of the Year – Ericka Winstead, Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut
Winstead, Vice President of Loan Operations at Dime Bank, has held multiple leadership roles with Habitat for Humanity and other local organizations. She is deeply involved in initiatives that strengthen families and communities throughout the region. - Staff Member of the Year – Michele M. Deane, The Riverfront Children’s Center, Inc.
As Director of Philanthropy, Deane leads fundraising, donor relations, and community outreach with a passion for creating lasting impact for children and families. She takes special pride in Riverfront’s on-site food pantry, which distributed more than 30,000 pounds of food last year alone. - Volunteer of the Year – Caroline Driscoll, New London Beautification Committee
Driscoll, Chief Administrator of the William H. Chapman Foundation, has devoted her career to education, scholarship support, and community service. She has championed conservation, beautification, and environmental education for decades. - Collaboration of the Year – New Capacities: Norwich, under the Leadership of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut
This United Way initiative brings together nonprofits, businesses, municipal departments, schools, funders, and residents to drive systems-level change. Its efforts focus on strengthening workforce training, closing skills gaps, and building long-term economic stability for families.
In Memoriam Honorees
Pictured: Accepting on Lottie and Dick’s behalf, Kia Baird (L) and Mark Oefinger (R).
Lottie B. Scott (1936-2025)
We honor Lottie B. Scott as a trailblazer whose leadership, compassion, and tireless advocacy transformed eastern Connecticut. As a founding member and longtime president of the Norwich Branch NAACP, she advanced equality and civic participation while also lending her leadership to institutions including Backus Hospital, the Norwich Arts Center, and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities—leaving a legacy that continues to inspire community progress.
Richard “Dick” Erickson (1933-2025)
We honor Dick Erickson as a visionary leader who laid the foundation for regional cooperation in southeastern Connecticut. As the first Executive Director of the SCRPA (later SECOG), he built a one-person, 13-town agency into a robust Council of Governments whose impact still shapes the region today with missions spanning emergency management, social service coordination, economic development, and infrastructure planning. Even after retirement, he continued shaping the region through board service, influential studies, and professional contributions that earned him recognition as a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Keynote Address Highlights
Keynote Speaker Mary Kay Curtiss, National Nonprofit Assurance Leader and CPA at CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, reminded attendees that they are “the backbone of the community and a lifeline for families,” essential to building a brighter, more stable future. She highlighted that Connecticut’s private nonprofit social service agencies employ 47,000 workers and represent a $2.9 billion industry — yet funding continues to lag behind rising demand, with 80 percent of agencies expecting needs to grow.
Echoing the legacies of Scott and Erickson, Curtiss emphasized that those who serve in social services follow a calling rather than profession rooted in empathy, justice, and dignity. To sustain that mission, she urged funders and policymakers to invest in the infrastructure that allows agencies to thrive, not simply survive.
“[At the end of the day], your programs are not measured by profit but by people,” she said — a profound statement reminding everyone that their greatest returns are found in the communities they uplift.
Pictured: Madonna Place team celebrating Claire Silva and organization’s impact on Eastern Connecticut.