Helene A. Augustine, a Gateway Community College (GCC) Foundation Board of Directors member since 2012, was elected its Board Chair earlier this year. She will lead the 23-member body and serve on its Executive, Finance, Development, and Scholarship Committees, as well as on the Strategic Planning Subcommittee. 
 
Augustine succeeds former Chair Paul A. McCraven, President and CEO of ConnCORP, who will remain on the Foundation Board and continue to serve on several key committees. 
 
Joining Augustine on the Executive Committee are: Vice Chair Thomas Beirne III, Vice President of Halsey Associates; Treasurer Rev. Hiram L. Brett, Spiritual Care Coordinator and Chaplain, Connecticut Mental Health Center; and LaKisha Jordan, Corporate Responsibility Officer, KeyBank.
 
 Beirne looks forward to working with Augustine. “Helene brings so much to the table,” he notes. “She’s passionate about our mission to support Gateway students, faculty, and staff. That passion, along with her leadership skills, financial acumen, and firsthand knowledge about the Greater New Haven community, will enhance our ability to help them succeed.” 
 
“I’ve worked closely and collaboratively with Helene and her fellow Foundation Board members over the last several months,” says Dr. William T. Brown, Ph.D., GCC’s Chief Executive Officer. “I am confident she will do an outstanding job leading this truly remarkable, dedicated, and experienced group.” 
 
Augustine’s professional career spanned more than four decades in financial and trust banking, most recently at Wells Fargo as Vice President and Senior Fiduciary Relationship Specialist. She worked closely with clients to fulfill their philanthropic and wealth transfer goals and managed their trust and estate plans. She earned her Paralegal Certification from the University of New Haven. She also completed the American Bankers Association National Trust School and the National Graduates Trust School, both held at Northwestern University, and is a Certified Trust and Financial Advisor. 
 
In addition to her GCC Foundation Board service, Augustine also lends her time and expertise in support of other worthwhile community service agencies and organizations. She is a past Chair of The Community Fund for Women & Girls and serves on the boards of Junior Achievement, the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, and the Connecticut Estate and Tax Planning Council. She lives in Cheshire with her husband Jeff Augustine. She has a grown daughter, Lauren, an APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) at Yale University, and a 15-year-old granddaughter, Gabi.