Michael McKeon ’87 has joined the Connecticut State Department of Education as the director of legal and governmental affairs. He will oversee the Division of Legal and Governmental Affairs, including the department’s team of attorneys, and the Bureau of Investigations and Private Practice. McKeon most recently worked at the law firm Pullman and Comley. He has spoken publicly on education and employment law, including on the national level at annual conferences for the National School Boards Association and the Council of School Attorneys.

Emily M. Covey ’21 has joined Hinckley Allen as an associate in the firm’s Corporate & Business group. Covey was a summer associate with Hinckley Allen in 2019 and 2020. Her experience also includes serving as a fellow with the Kalon Law firm.

Joseph P. Mortelliti has joined Cramer & Anderson as a litigation associate in the firm’s Danbury office. Mortelliti previously worked in the commercial real estate and litigation departments of a New Haven firm, and before that in the land use, zoning, litigation and residential real estate departments for a firm in Vernon.

Jonathan M. Bedosky ’21 has joined Cramer & Anderson as an associate. He will engage in litigation research in varying areas of the law, including construction and contract disputes, as well as transactional work. Bedoksy’s experience includes working as a law clerk with a small firm specializing in property and real estate matters as well as working as a clinical associate with the Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative while in law school.

Christina M. Whitehead ’75 has released a novel of historical fiction entitled “Hemingway’s Daughter,” drawing on Ernest Hemingway’s personality and literary career to bring a fictional daughter to life. Whitehead practices divorce law in Hartford. This is her third published novel.

Nate Murphy ’10 has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas Energy Reliability Council. The council was established to ensure that the energy and electric industries in this state meet high priority human needs, address critical infrastructure concerns and enhance coordination and communication. Murphy is senior counsel for Valero and a corporate member representative for the Texas Oil & Gas Association, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers, Louisiana Energy Users Group, Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, Texas Energy Coalition, and the Association of Oil Pipelines.

Mary-Ellen Barrett ’88 recently received the 2021 Pathways to Peace Award from Rotary District 5340. This award is the San Diego-Imperial Country Rotary District’s major award, given for exemplary performance of peace building and peace making. Barrett, the San Diego deputy attorney general, was honored for her work in fighting human trafficking.

Former Connecticut Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin Jr. ’75 was recently named the state’s first-ever inspector general. The Office of the Inspector General was recently created as a separate office within the Division of Criminal Justice. he will lead the office in investigations of police-involved shootings and prosecute cases involving unjustified force by a police or corrections officer. The office will also make recommendations to the Police Officer Standards and Training Council concerning censure and suspension, renewal, cancelation, or revocation of an officer’s certification. Devlin has spent decades in public service, as a public defender, a state and federal prosecutor, and, for 28 years, a judge in Connecticut overseeing criminal cases. Devlin also served as administrative judge for the criminal division of the Superior Court and as co-chair of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission.

The Hartford Business Journal (HBJ) has announced the appointment of Fallon DePina Banks ’08 to their annual 40 under 40 list. Banks currently serves as the Deputy General Counsel at UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the world. Banks specializes in privacy and cybersecurity, and also serves as the Chair for UnitedHealth Group’s Culture, Inclusion, and Diversity Council.