The Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches recently named four individuals at UConn as being among the 100 “Most Influential Blacks” in the state: Sanford Cloud Jr., chair of the UConn Health Center Board of Directors; Carolle Andrews, chief administrative officer of the Health Center; Salome Raheim, dean of the School of Social Work; and Sharon White, director of the University’s Stamford campus.
“This is a terrific honor for Sandy, Carolle, Salome, and Sharon, but it’s also an honor for the entire university,” said UConn President Susan Herbst. “I’m thrilled that they have been recognized for their achievements and remarkable careers. Each of these individuals is a great credit to Connecticut and UConn. We’re very proud of the diversity we have in our undergraduate student body, and building equal diversity in our faculty, staff, and university leadership ranks is essential to our success as an institution.”
In addition to his position as chairman of the Health Center board, Cloud is the chairman and CEO of the Cloud Co. LLC, a real estate and development and business investment firm. He currently serves on the board of directors of Northeast Utilities, The Phoenix Companies Inc., Ironwood Mezzanine Fund LP, UConn’s Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, the Metro Hartford Alliance, and the Hartford Courant Foundation. He is the chairman of the Connecticut Health Foundation board, a former partner at the law firm of Robinson & Cole, and has an honorary doctorate from UConn.
Cloud is the former president and CEO of the National Conference for Community and Justice, a human relations organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry, and racism in America and promoting understanding among all races, religions, and cultures. He previously worked for Aetna Inc. as vice president for corporate public involvement and executive director of the Aetna Foundation. Cloud is a former two-term Connecticut state senator, and sponsored legislation creating the first Department of Housing for the State of Connecticut.
“I am deeply honored to be among such a distinguished group of leaders representing a diverse set of backgrounds and geography of our state,” said Cloud.
Andrews directs several critical administrative services at the Health Center, including Student Services, Information Technology, Facilities Management, and Campus Planning and Construction. She will play a key role in the Bioscience Connecticut initiative.
Prior to her current position, Andrews was director of organizational improvement at the Health Center. She previously served as a manager with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and is a former commissioner of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission. In addition, she also has an impressive legal, regulatory, compliance, and operational management background in the private sector, and is a graduate of both UConn and the UConn School of Law.
I am so proud to be recognized in this way by the NAACP, the oldest civil rights organization in the country,” Andrews said. “I will continue to support the NAACP’s efforts to promote justice and equity throughout our state and beyond.”
Salome Raheim became dean of the UConn School of Social Work in 2008, and is co-chair of the Provost’s Commission on Institutional Diversity. Prior to her arrival in Connecticut, Raheim served as senior associate to the president of the University of Iowa. Raheim’s research has explored economic empowerment through self-employment, increasing individual and organizational cultural competence to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity, and improving the quality and effectiveness of services. She has written numerous publications and served as principal investigator on studies funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crimes, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. She earned a bachelor of social work degree from Bowie State University, a historically black institution; a master of social work degree from the Catholic University of America; and a Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Iowa. Raheim was selected as the 2007 Council on Social Work Education Carl A. Scott Memorial Lecturer for her work and commitment to social and economic justice.
“I am thrilled to have been recognized by the Connecticut NAACP, and humbled to share the spotlight with my UConn colleagues and other prominent leaders in the state,” said Raheim. “I look forward to continuing to work on issues of social and economic justice, human rights, and the improvement of human well-being.”
White is the director of UConn’s Stamford campus, making her the first black female to fill the position. In addition to its day-to-day management, White is responsible for providing strategic leadership and vision for the campus. She continues to serve on a number of community boards, and has presented extensively at professional conferences on topics in higher education both nationally and internationally. She also received the UConn “Women of Color” recognition award in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and the ACE Office of Women in Higher Education’s “Advancing Women in Leadership” award in 2007. Earlier in her career, White was the recipient of a Connecticut Humanities Grant, “The Black Family & Education.” White holds an Ed.D. in higher education/student personnel administration from Columbia University, an MA in higher education/student administration and counseling, and a BA in English education from the University of Connecticut.
“It is an honor to be recognized by the NAACP, an organization that has been at the forefront of the fight for equality in our country,” said White. “At no point in my career have I ever been more certain that my success is due to those who have come before me and that I stand on their shoulders. I am grateful to the University of Connecticut for providing me the educational foundation to be able to reach this point in my career.”
