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Merle Berke Schlessel, Esq. Elected Vice Chair of Tri-State CEO Forum
(Bridgeport, CT) December 8, 2005 – United Way of Eastern Fairfield County President and CEO Merle Berke Schlessel, Esq., has been elected Vice-Chair of the United Way Tri-State CEO Forum. Chairing the Forum is John Franklin, CEO of United Way of Morris County, New Jersey. The CEO Forum is charged with fostering open communication, collaboration, best practice sharing and problem solving among United Ways across the tri-state region. Over the last 12 months the group has provided essential leadership to United Way of America during the reorganization of United Way of Tri-State.
Berke-Schlessel joined United Way of Eastern Fairfield County as President and Chief Executive Officer May 15, 2001 following a 6-month regional and national search by United Way’s Board of Directors. She immediately assumed the challenge of implementing United Way’s recently completed strategic plan.
Trained as a lawyer, she has served as municipal attorney for the City of New Haven, as an attorney in private practice, and as corporate general counsel for the JR Robert Company. Appointed by Governor William O’Neill, Berke-Schlessel served as a Hearing Officer for the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, hearing cases of discrimination in housing and the workplace. She has served on numerous boards and commissions. Berke-Schlessel contends that while her career opportunities have been both diverse and personally fulfilling, her experience as a community volunteer drives her commitment to community impact.
A lifelong New Haven resident, Berke-Schlessel recently relocated to Branford where she resides with her husband Robert, a surgeon in private practice and a clinical instructor at Yale Medical School. She has two grown children.
United Way of Eastern Fairfield County is in the business of building a stronger, more caring community across Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. Our focus is on what matters. Research and experience tell us that the best way to help the most people is to focus on the root causes of the most serious problems. It takes the whole community – working together - to make that happen. So we bring people together from all across the community – people from government, business, faith groups, nonprofits, and ordinary citizens- to tackle the issues that matter most. United Way is committed to the bottom line results: the lives we change and the communities we shape. Find out more at www.thewaytocare.org.
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