STAMFORD, Conn. — The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Directors. Trish Havey (Chief Human Resources Officer at Libertas Funding), Travis Parman (Chief Communications Officer at Philip Morris International, U.S.), and Marissa M. Weidner (EVP, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at Webster Bank).
“We are thrilled to welcome Trish, Travis, and Marissa to WBDC’s board of directors,” said WBDC CEO Fran Pastore. “Each brings a wealth of experience and unique perspectives that will further strengthen our already exceptional board. As champions of entrepreneurship, women-owned businesses, and social equity, they will play a pivotal role in continuing and advancing our mission to grow and support Connecticut’s women-owned business community.”
Introducing the new board members
Trish Havey | Chief Human Resources Officer — Libertas (photo)
Trish Havey serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer overseeing all HR-related functions for Libertas Funding, a private, direct funding partner for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). She has spent most of her career in financial services, first as a fixed-income portfolio manager at Citibank Global Asset Management, then as Chief Administrative Officer at Libertas Capital Partners, and as Director of Human Resources for Knight Capital’s fixed-income group. In 2013, she founded an executive and career coaching practice and now continues that on a volunteer basis fulfilling her personal commitment to help others reach their full career potential. She joined Libertas in 2019 and cites the team’s shared drive for excellence, its entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to customer service and teamwork as the keys to the company’s success.
Trish holds an MBA in Finance from New York University Stern School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Suffolk University in Boston.
Travis Parman | Chief Communications Officer — Philip Morris International, U.S. (photo)
Travis Parman joined Philip Morris International in 2023 to help bring its mission to end cigarettes to the U.S. by leveraging a smoke-free portfolio in the interest of public health. He has dedicated much of his career to supporting mission-driven and purpose-led strategies for major international corporations. Travis currently serves as Chief Communications Officer and previously held the same position at AppHarvest and Nissan Motor Corporation. He also has held leadership roles in communications with Groupe Renault, Ally Bank, and General Motors.
Travis was a founding executive sponsor of Nissan’s LGBTQ+ affinity group where he helped the company move from 30 to 100 on the HRC Corporate Equality Index in under two years.
He holds an M.S. in communications management from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and a B.S. in communications from the University of Tennessee and has been recognized by PR Week’s “40 Under 40” list.
Marissa M. Weidner | EVP, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer — Webster Bank (photo)
Marissa Weidner currently serves as Webster Bank’s EVP, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer, where she oversees and executes a $6.5 billion Community Investment Strategy. Her responsibilities include oversight of all community-facing activities across the company, including Supplier Diversity; Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and Fair and Responsible Banking, Community Investment, Engagement and Philanthropy; Government Relations and Public Affairs; and Environmental, Social and Governance efforts. Marissa is responsible for the oversight of Webster’s Business Resource Groups’ focus on community partnerships, volunteerism, and charitable giving. In addition, Marissa is responsible for the oversight of Enterprise Marketing and Corporate Communications.
Marissa serves as Co-President on the Board of Directors for the College of Westchester’s Charitable Foundation and is on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Greater Fairfield County. She has also served on boards for Volunteer New York, the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the Westchester/Putnam Workforce Investment Board, the Advisory Board of Fordham’s School of Continuing Studies, and the Leadership Advisory Council of the YWCA White Plains & Central Westchester. Marissa is a graduate of Fordham University and earned her master’s degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Effectiveness from Manhattanville College School of Business.
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 more than 19,300 clients in all of Connecticut’s 169 towns—helping women to launch, sustain, and scale over 14,500 businesses, create and maintain nearly 32,500 jobs in Connecticut, and access nearly $73.5 million in capital. Since 2020, WBDC has provided more than $10 million in grants to help fuel growth in small businesses throughout Connecticut. Visit ctwbdc.org for more information.
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