New officers, trustees welcomed

LITCHFIELD — The Oliver Wolcott Library has welcomed one new trustee and a new slate of officers, who were elected at its annual meeting in September and subsequent board meeting.

Trustees share many responsibilities and play a vital role in ensuring the Oliver Wolcott Library remains a vibrant cultural and educational center that enlightens, entertains and informs. \

The board provides strategic vision, oversees its financial needs and responsibilities including fundraising, and advocates for the library.

The 2018-19 board includes officers Maura Malo elected for her first term as president, Susan Pasquariello re-elected for her second term as vice president, Phillip Miller re-elected for his third term as treasurer and Cara Blazier elected for her first term as secretary.

The newest trustee elected for his first term is Tim Breslin. Other trustees on the board include: Colette Boyd, Egils Bogdanovics M.D., Kyra Hartnett, Todd Johnson and John Morosani.

OWL Board President Maura Malo is the Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer for Connecticut Mutual Holding Company (CMHC). CMHC is a mutual holding company that owns Litchfield Bancorp, Northwest Community Bank, and Collinsville Savings Society. Maura earned her B.S. in Business Administration from Western New England College and MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She serves as a Girl Scout leader and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Five Points Gallery in Torrington, past president and board member of the Junior Women’s Club of Litchfield Hills, and was a recipient of the 2013 New Leaders in Banking award. For the last two years, she also served as the library’s secretary. She lives in Litchfield with her husband and two daughters.

OWL Vice President Susan Pasquariello is serving her third year as the library’s annual Fund Drive chairwoman. She has been involved in the library for decades. She last served on the board in 2001- 2006 as secretary, and also served in the 1980s as board president.

At that time she was on the leadership and planning committee which undertook the addition of the community room and computer area to the library. When not on the board, she remained active, volunteering for the library’s annual Festival of Trees, and serving three years on the finance committee. Susan served two terms on the Seherr-Thoss Foundations as a director and as secretary and past program chair and president of the Women’s Forum. Pasquariello attended college and graduate school in Virginia and Maryland. She resides in Litchfield with her husband.

OWL Treasurer Philip Miller recently retired from the investment business. During his career he oversaw institutional portfolios and mutual funds as a managing director at Smith Barney in New York. Most recently he was affiliated with Scholtz and Company where he managed high net-worth clients. He earned his BA at Wesleyan University and served in the Peace Corps in Venezuela. He is a member of Trinity Milton Episcopal Church and has served on the boards of the Litchfield Historical Society, the Litchfield Country Club and the University Club. Miller lives in Goshen with his wife.

OWL Board Secretary Cara Blazier is a retired clinical social worker. Prior to this, she was the assistant director of the music library at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Blazier holds a BS from Emerson College, a Master of Social Work from New York University and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University. For the last two years, she has served as co-chair of the library’s Festival Sponsorship Committee. She also serves on the board of the Litchfield Historial Society, where she co-chairs the Membership Committee. For the Litchfield Aid of the CJR, shea serves as the membership recruitment co-chair, and at Friends in Service to Humanity (FISH) she assists with fundraising efforts. She resides in Litchfield with her husband.

The library’s newest trustee, Tim Breslin, is a consultant to Connecticut public schools. He has served as Principal of Farmington High School and principal of Litchfield High School. He was selected as High School Principal of the year in 2009. Breslin earned his Ph.D. from Duke University and earned his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University. He is also a member of the Litchfield Housing Trust.