SHELTON RESIDENT RECEIVES COMMUNITY DIVERSITY AWARD, SENATOR KELLY PRESENTS CITATION

Hartford, CT – State Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21) congratulated Teresa Younger on receiving the 2013 Liberty Bank Willard M. McRae Community Diversity Award by presenting her with a citation from the Connecticut General Assembly. Senator Kelly presented the citation and shared congratulatory remarks at the McRae Award reception on Wednesday, November 20 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville.

“Teresa is a local champion of women’s rights, equality and opportunity,” said Senator Kelly. “I am honored to recognize such a remarkable Shelton resident.”

The Willard M. McRae Award was created to honor those who commit themselves to equal access and opportunities for all. Named after a past chairman of the Liberty Bank Board of Directors and a founding member of the Liberty Bank Foundation Board of Directors, the award celebrates social justice work and community service.

Teresa Younger, a lifelong advocate and activist, is currently the executive director of Connecticut’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women. In the past she served two terms as president of the board of the Girl Scouts of Connecticut and has made significant contributions as a community leader and board member in many organizations.

“This award recognizes Connecticut’s top leaders and heroes. Teresa is both,” said Shelton’s Mayor Mark Lauretti, who also attended the award reception. “The people of Shelton are lucky to have such an inspiring neighbor, committed to equality and service. She is a role model for us all,” he said.

“Connecticut is full of diverse ideas, people and values. Our differences aren’t weaknesses. Rather, they are strengths. The union of different people and ideas produces greatness, and I thank Teresa for helping so many in our communities see this,” said Senator Kelly.

About Liberty Bank’s Willard M. McRae Community Diversity Award

The Willard M. McRae Community Diversity Award is presented annually to honor an individual who has made an outstanding and ongoing contribution to the cause of promoting and celebrating diversity in the communities served by Liberty Bank. It is named in honor of Willard McRae, past chairman of the Liberty Bank Board of Directors and a founding member of the Liberty Bank Foundation Board of Directors. A lifelong Middletown resident, Mr. McRae is known for his extraordinary commitment to equal access and opportunities for all, regardless of economic status, race, background, disability, or other factors. His contributions to children’s mental health, education, and human services have made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of people. Through involvement with a community service organization, the individual selected to receive the Community Diversity Award will have enhanced the quality of life by raising awareness that diversity is a source of strength in our communities. He/she will be a leader in building positive relationships between different people — relationships in which they view their differences as assets, not liabilities.