NEW CITY DIRECTOR OF ELDERLY SERVICES PROMISES “RENEWED VISION” FOR DEPARTMENT AND RESIDENTS

(7/9/2009) New Haven, CT - Mayor John DeStefano Jr., has appointed Patricia Wallace as the new Director of the Department of Elderly Services.

“New Haven is fortunate to have Ms. Wallace accept such a critical position overseeing a department that provides services to one of our most vulnerable populations,” said DeStefano. “She is an innovator and effective manager and will be a great asset to the city’s population of mature residents.”

Wallace, a social worker, has experience in program development, grant-making, public policy and community organizing. Most recently she worked for the Office of Urban Affairs of the Archdiocese of Hartford as Associate Director, and for the Corporation for Supportive Housing as a consultant to the Small Towns Project. While with the Archdiocesan Office of Urban Affairs, she coordinated the CenterEdge Project, a statewide public education campaign to combat sprawl, its effects on the quality of family and community life in Connecticut, the environment, economic development, and access to opportunity. Additionally, she worked to obtain passage of first-in-the-nation state legislation and millions of dollars of funding in the areas of housing, and elderly nutrition.

“Older adults are a vital part of our neighborhoods and our City,” said Wallace. “It is important that, as we age, we are able to stay connected, maintain our health and important relationships, remain independent, continue to have opportunities to make a contribution, and to enjoy our lives. I will work with the Commission on Aging, older adults, elected officials, key institutions and the wider community to create a planning process so that we can listen, create a renewed vision, and set realistic goals for the department.”

Wallace came to New Haven to attend Albertus Magnus College, and has lived here for most of her adult life. She and her husband, Paul Hodel, are long-time residents of the Dwight neighborhood. They have one daughter, Katy, a college student.

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Contact Name: Jessica Mayorga

Contact Email: jmayorga@newhavenct.net

Contact Phone: 203-946-7660