Women’s Business Development Council Appoints Three New Members to Board of Directors

STAMFORD, Conn. — The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors for 2024. Erin Kang (Chief Underwriting Officer, Regional and Specialty at Gen Re), Nichelle Waddell (Owner at Watch Me Grow Daycare and Preschool), and Michael Weinstock (Regional President, Hartford at M&T Bank).

“We are pleased to welcome these three remarkable business and community leaders to WBDC’s Board of Directors,” said WBDC Founder and CEO Fran Pastore. “Erin, Michael, and Nichelle each bring diverse and specialized experience that will enhance the strength of our existing Board, which we rely on consistently as we pursue our mission to drive women’s economic equity.”

Introducing the new board members

Erin Kang | Chief Underwriting Officer, Regional and Specialty — Gen Re (photo)

Erin Kang joins the WBDC board of directors with more than 25 years of leadership in actuarial and underwriting in the insurance industry. She is an innovative executive with expertise in analyzing risks and implementing solutions that drive profitable growth.  At Gen Re, Erin oversees underwriting and pricing for their largest business unit and provides reinsurance solutions to a wide range of clients. Before joining GenRe, she spent 20 years at Chubb and AIG in various leadership roles.

Erin was the recipient of the Outstanding Women Achievement Award in 2015, an honor that celebrated the contributions of AIG women in creating an environment of courage and collaboration. She is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Erin holds a B.S. in Statistics from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, South Korea.

Nichelle Waddell | Owner — Watch Me Grow Daycare and Preschool (photo)

Nichelle Waddell is a state-licensed childcare educator and daycare provider, and owner of Watch Me Grow Daycare and Preschool — with two locations in Stamford and Norwalk. Through her business, Nichelle provides care for children 6 weeks to five years old. She also works with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) and with special needs children. With more than 20 years of experience in childcare and education, Nichelle previously worked with the New York City Department of Education, where she worked with special needs children through the Cook Foundation for Special Education.

For 10 years, Nichelle ran her own nonprofit, Growth Opportunity Development, Inc., which addressed the needs of children in urban communities for access to free tutoring, job training opportunities, internships, college scholarship opportunities, and extracurricular activities, including field trips throughout the school year. She holds a degree in business administration and is currently working toward a degree in early childhood education.

Michael Weinstock | Regional President, Hartford — M&T Bank (photo)

Michael Weinstock is the Regional President of M&T’s Hartford region after serving as Market President for Connecticut, where he was responsible for starting up and operating all of the Bank’s activities within the State of Connecticut. Michael has authored articles appearing in the New York Real Estate Journal and has been a contributor/panelist to the Westchester County Business Journal’s “The Estate of Real Estate” Round Table.  He has also served as a speaker and panelist at Pace University School of Law, Urban Land Institute, International Conference of Shopping Centers (ICSC), and for the Conference Board Customer Experience with Tom Mendoza, founder of NetApp.

Michael was Chairman of the March of Dimes Rockland/Westchester County Division, and in 2018, received the March of Dimes Legacy Award. He continues to be active with the organization’s Connecticut/Westchester chapter. In 2013, Michael was honored by American Diabetes with their Father of the Year award.  In 2021, Michael received an Impact Award from WBDC. In 2023, he was named to Hartford Business Journal’s Power 50. Michael presently serves as Vice Chairman of Stamford’s Housing Development Fund. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he was a member of the track and field team.

About the Women’s Business Development Council

The Women’s Business Development Council’s (WBDC) mission is to support economic prosperity for women and strengthen communities through entrepreneurial and financial education services that create and grow sustainable jobs and businesses across Connecticut. WBDC educates, motivates, and empowers women to achieve economic independence and self-sufficiency. Since 1997, WBDC has educated and trained nearly 18,500 clients in all of Connecticut’s 169 towns—helping women to launch, sustain, and scale almost 13,500 businesses, create and maintain more than 29,600 jobs in Connecticut, and access more than $52.5 million in capital. Visit ctwbdc.org for more information.