HARTFORD, CT (December 19, 2019) – Today, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) announced that he has appointed Fran Pastore to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority (PFMLIA) Board of Directors. Ms. Pastore is the Founder and CEO of the Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC).
“Fran is a tireless advocate for women’s economic development,” said Senator Bob Duff. “Her voice and expertise working with small business owners will be a great addition to the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority Board of Directors. This legislation sends a message that Connecticut values its workers and is a great place to live and raise a family and I’m confident that the PFMLIA Board of Directors will administer the program in a thoughtful way.”
Ms. Pastore is a devoted catalyst of women’s economic equity across the country and around the globe. In addition to her work with WBDC, Ms. Pastore was appointed to and served a three-year term on the National Women’s Business Council (NWBC), an independent source of counsel to then President Obama, Congress, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). In conjunction with the U.S. State Department and the University of Connecticut’s Office of Global Affairs, Ms. Pastore has taught women business owners in Costa Rica and has shared her expertise with women through partnerships with The Center for Creative Leadership in Ethiopia and the Akilah Institute for Women in Rwanda.
“As a leader in the women’s business community in the state, this initiative is very important to me and the many women entrepreneurs and business owners which WBDC works with throughout the state,” said Ms. Pastore. “I am very proud of our state leadership for having the vision to address this issue of which the majority of those affected are women and, more specifically, women of color. I know that members of the PFMLIA will be judicious, thoughtful and mindful of all small businesses in carrying out our initial mission and implementing of the program.”
The Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority Board of Directors was established in 2019 by Public Act 19-25. The board consists of 15 members who will be responsible for establishing and administering Connecticut’s recently adopted paid family and medical leave program.
Ms. Pastore received her B.A. from Pace University. Currently, she serves on the Board of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), is a member of the YMCA Greenwich Leadership Council, and the Global Advisory Board for the Akilah Institute for Women in Kigali, Rwanda. She recently served on Governor Lamont’s Transition Team as Co-Chair of the Jobs and Economy Policy Committee.
