Brian Farnen ’03 has been elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives to represent the 132nd District. Fernan is general counsel and chief legal officer for the Connecticut Green Bank. In the state House of Representatives, he serves on three committees: Finance Revenue and Bonding; Education; and Transportation.

Dona Young ’80 has been appointed to the Board of Directors of USAA, which provides insurance, banking and investment and retirement services to members and veterans of the U.S. military. She will serve as a member of the Nominating and Governance, Audit, and Compensation and Workforce committees. Young is the former chair, chief executive officer and president of the Phoenix Companies.

Jessica Zaccagnino ’20, now studying for an LLM in Human Rights and Social Justice, published “Authoritarianism in the Time of COVID-19: A Hungarian Case Study” for her Carnegie Council internship. Zaccagnino has focused her studies in part on illiberal democracy and authoritarianism, which is reflected in her research report.

James K. McCormack ’68, a Marine Corps veteran who practiced law for 40 years in Waterbury, died October 26, 2020.  Read his obituary.

Jeffrey White ’03 is among six business leaders to receive the Connecticut District Export Council 2020 Ambassador Award. The Ambassador Award is given to recognize and appreciate outstanding contributions and leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic in service to the region’s exporters and manufacturers. White is currently serving on the CTDEC for the 2020-2022 term, as appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and has been noted as one of the most active DEC members this year. 

Cynthia Lauture ’10 has been named assistant corporation counsel for the Town of West Hartford. Lauture recently served as assistant corporation counsel for the City of Hartford and has a background in civil litigation, human resources, and freedom of information issues. Lauture was hired following an extremely competitive and robust hiring process and has already stepped into her role.

The University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association will be honoring Curtis Tearte ’78 with the Distinguished Graduate Award next month. Tearte currently serves as vice chairman of the Brandeis Board of Trustees and formerly served on the board of the University of Connecticut Law School Foundation. He is also the chairman and founder of the Tearte Family Foundation. Tearte took on numerous executive roles at IBM, which he worked at for 30 years, and is known as a business transformation technology leader. The award will be presented virtually during LSAA’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on October 13, 2020. 

The University of Connecticut Law School Alumni Association will be honoring Michelle Duprey ’93 with the Public Service Award next month. Duprey, who is a leader in ADA compliance in Connecticut, has been director of the Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities for the City of New Haven for more than 20 years. She is a longtime member of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Labor and Employment section and has served as chair of the Human Rights and Responsibilities section. The award will be presented virtually during LSAA’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on October 13, 2020.