Who We Are

2010 Board of Directors:

President: Clarissa Beyah-Taylor
Vice President: Govind Menon
Secretary: Hazel Richardson
Treasurer: Nicholas Fortson
Assistant Treasurer: Christine Haase
Director of Development: Dianne Kent
Faculty Representative: Lisa Giordano
General Director: Jackie Bagwell

Directors-At-Large: (includes former officers serving 12 months in "at-large" status; as well as directors on leave)

Theresa Broach (Past VP and Founding Member)
Shelley Ann des Etages (Past VP and Founding Member)
Betsy Stevenson (Development co-chair on leave)

Board Member Bios:

Clarissa Beyah-Taylor is a communication strategist and community activist with extensive experience providing communication expertise in the healthcare industry (including Pharmaceutical R&D, Sales and Marketing, Managed Care and not-for-profit sectors) and community leadership in the corporate, academic, arts, and not-for-profit sectors. Beyah-Taylor is active in numerous professional and community diversity, arts, and youth initiative.

Beyah-Taylor founded the Writer's Block, InK -- an organization dedicated to helping youth address social and personal challenges, build self esteem, professional communications and performance skills through writing and performance workshops and productions.

Currently the Communications Head of Pfizer's Established Products Business Units, she has worked in healthcare, corporate
communications for more than 15 years. Her experience includes helping health care organizations build communications
departments and systems while directing, improving, or creating new initiatives and strategies to improve communications as well
as focusing on and leading diversity efforts in the corporate environment.

A performance poet, community activist, and volunteer, Beyah-Taylor is active in numerous community and youth focused initiatives. She served on the Board of Directors for Young Audiences of Connecticut, Collective Consciousness Theatre, worked with the Garde Arts Theatre as a contributing playwright and guest faculty member for “Warriors Don't Cry”, and instructed writing and performance poetry workshops for youth (ages 9-20) in correctional/detention facilities, urban schools, and community centers throughout Connecticut. She also served as a guest artist for the Connecticut Commission for the Arts HOT (Higher Order Thinking) Schools Program working with high school students on writing through conflict and was a member of the 2000 CT Poetry Slam Team. Clarissa received a B.A. in English from Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ and an MBA from the University of New Haven.

Dr. Govind K. Menon is currently Vice President of Writer’s Block Ink. He has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2008. At the Block, Govind has focused on Development, finding new sponsors to provide grants for the Block. In supporting the community, Govind has also been a Big Brother in the Connecticut Chapter of
Big Brothers Big Sisters since 1998. Professionally, Govind is Vice President, Intellectual Property, in the Legal Division of Pfizer Inc. Govind has worked for Pfizer for 15 years, based in New London, Connecticut.
Before this, he was Executive Director in Research at SmithKline Beecham, based in Pennsylvania. Govind has a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Temple University, Philadelphia and was a post-doctoral Fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

Hazel Richardson currently serves as the secretary for the Writer’s Block Ink. She has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2006. For nine years, she worked for Pfizer Inc and during that time served as an active member of ADVANCE (Africans/ African Americans Dedicated to Value Added Networking for Corporate Excellence) and as a SMART (Science & Math Are Terrific) program liaison to Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School students. Currently she works as a Clinical Study Manager for pharmaceutical trials. Hazel holds a Bachelors degree in Biological Sciences from Eastern Connecticut State University and a Masters in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She enjoys hiking, cooking, traveling and reading.

Nicholas K. Fortson was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, March 10th, 1957. In 1979, Nicholas graduated from Valparaiso University in Indiana with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After graduation, Nicholas moved to Detroit Michigan and became a Certified Public Accountant. He previously served as Vice President and Comptroller of First Independence National Bank of Detroit.. Later, he served as Chief Financial officer of Graimark Realty Advisors, Inc., a company that managed over 1 billion dollars of problem loan assets from failed savings and loan institutions.

In 1996, Nicholas accepted the position of Chief Executive Officer of New South Africa Pizza Company (NSA), an affiliate of Graimark Realty Advisors. NSA owned the franchise rights to Domino's Pizza in the Republic of South Africa. Nicholas moved to Johannesburg, South Africa with his wife Atty. Peggy Bridges Fortson, and three children, Lauren, Christopher and Elaina. From 1996 to 2000 NSA opened 6 Domino's Pizza stores and a central commissary. NSA employed approximately 80 local staff members. Nicholas and his family engaged in a culturally enriching experience. Nicholas and his wife elected to send their children to a local South African school instead of the American International School. Through work and school activities the Fortsons became immersed into the daily life of South Africa.

In 2000, Nicholas and his family returned to the United States and moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 2000, Nicholas took a job as Chief Executive Officer of University Bank, Chief Financial Officer and Board Member of University Bancorp, Inc., a one bank holding company; Chief Financial Officer of University Islamic Financial Corporation, a bank subsidiary that offers Sharia'a compliant financial products; Board Member of Midwest loan services, a company servicing over $4 billion in mortgage, and Board Member of University Insurance and Investment Services. In March of 2008, Nicholas left the Bank to work full time for The Simpson Group Inc. Trucking Company where he is President and majority owner since 2006. The trucking company services the automotive industry.

Presently, Nicholas is the Chief Financial Officer of CorePlus Federal Credit Union in Norwich, CT.

Dianne Kent was an Activities Director/Occupational Therapist in a private nursing home in the early 70’s, before accepting a position with the Mystic Health Club in Massachusetts. Two years later, moving to Hawaii, she joined the staff at Punahou Spa as a health and fitness instructor. Finding a true passion in this industry she continued and became the Fitness Director of the Punahou Spa. After ten years of living in Hawaii, Dianne relocated back to the east coast with her two children. The climate and culture change was an adjustment for all. In late 1986, upon hearing about the building of the Norwich Inn & Spa, the move from Maine to Connecticut was made. Opening a world class spa in 1987 was a very exciting time. Dianne became the Fitness Director staying on for seven years. In 1994 she moved to Newport, RI thinking it was time to retire and focus on her family. In 1996 Dianne returned to Norwich and entered the working world again, enjoying two part time jobs. She was an executive assistant with both the USS CT Commissioning Committee and Summer Music at Harkness Park. In 1999, when the season ended for Summer Music and the sub was commissioned, Dianne was offered a job with People’s Bank where she is currently employed. On June 7, 2007, due to expansion and future acquisition plans, People’s became People’s United Bank. As the Community Relations Specialist for the bank, she has served on many boards and committees including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Women’s Center of SECT, Tri-County Foundation, Women & Girls Fund, Boy Scouts Council, Three Rivers Community Foundation Gala, Otis Library, CCECT Holiday Gala, USS CT Commissioning Committee, Garde Arts Center, Citizen of the Year and Rose City Renaissance Promotions.

Lisa Giordano is a playwright and serves on the board of the Writer’s Block as Faculty Representative. She is also a current board member of the Emerson Theater Collaborative. Her play “Harriet Tubman’s Dream” was produced by The Emerson Theater Collaborative in 2009 and 2010. Her play, “True Nature Of All Being,” received an Honorable Mention in the Clauder Competition, the New England Playwrights Festival held in Maine and was chosen as a finalist receiving an Honorable Mention in the International Eco-drama Playwrights Festival in California. Locally, two of her musical plays for children, “Rock Around the Sound” and “To Bee or Not To Bee and Other Bug Tales” were performed at the Garde Arts Center in New London, CT as part of their Kids On Stage program. Her plays have been work-shopped at UConn’s Avery Point Theater and have received staged readings through The Planning Stage and by the students of The Writer’s Block, Ink. Ms. Giordano is an associate member of the Dramatist Guild and belongs to The Writers’ Roundtable of Southeastern Connecticut.

Jackie Bagwell is the Multimedia Specialist with New London Public Schools and serves on the board of Writers Block in a general capacity. Jackie takes part in producing videos for Writer’s Block.

After immigrating to Connecticut in 1991 with her husband and daughter, Jackie was hired as a Systems Analyst for Unisys Corporation supporting the USCG R&D center. She then joined New London Public Schools in 1996 as a Technology Specialist to begin the integration of technology into the teaching and learning experience.

Jackie has produced multimedia for education, video productions for non-profits, corporations, and artists. She has worked with students in degree programs, and teen workers from high school on a variety of video projects.
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