Kent Schwendy wants to live in a world where everyone has choices, where the over half a million bees he keeps never sting, and where The Elements of Style are always utilized. As the President/CEO of CIL, a nonprofit real estate development company, Kent has over 30 years of experience providing his teammates the resources they need to succeed, while also tearing down obstacles that block the path to success. He is a recovering Professional Engineer, a LEED Accredited Professional, Congress for the New Urbanism Accredited, and a Certified Construction Specifier. Kent believes the key to success is finding, attracting, and keeping good team members. He provides an understanding of the strategic direction of CIL, so every teammate can make tactical decisions that move us forward

As a lifelong Greater Hartford resident, Gioia Zack enjoys working to understand the unique needs of people, businesses and communities to make connections that can help them achieve goals and create synergies. An analytical, caring, and patient person, Gioia brings over 10 years of banking experience, 10 years of commercial real estate experience, and is currently the Economic Development Coordinator for the Town of Wethersfield, CT. Gioia was inspired by CIL’s overall mission, its focus on community, and the integration of those who may not have a voice, and thus joined the board in 2018. She feels it is most rewarding to be part of CIL because of the impact it has on the communities it serves and, it is an organization with a great culture, is cohesive, inclusive on many levels, embraces change and is always looking for ways to improve and grow. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking, traveling, and spending time with family. She is fluent in Italian and conversational in Spanish!

A recent addition to the CIL Board, Jack Soos saw value in supporting an organization that is laser-focused on making a difference in our communities, which prompted him to join in 2020. As the Senior Director, Global Realty Services at RTX, Jack enjoys helping employees see how their work contributes to the overall strategic direction of the company. Jack is also a member and former Chair of the Hartford Hospital Young Leaders Advisory Council and recently joined the board of advisors at Junity – a company focused leveraging digital technology to connect teenagers with mentorship, employment, and educational opportunities. When he isn’t working Jack can be found outside running, playing baseball or tennis, and going hiking. He lives in Cromwell, CT with his partner Kerrie and cat Jake. Since joining the CIL Board, Jack has found the inspiring thoughts and commitments shared by all board members rewarding.

Sharon Malone is a consultant and coach with 40+ years of Human Resources leadership experience. Sharon previously served as vice president of Talent Management for ING across the Americas and prior to that as vice president of Leadership Development and Human Resources for Cigna HealthCare, both fortune 100 companies.  Sharon has also been an adjunct professor in Communication at Central Connecticut State University.  Most recently, she was president of BeamPines, Inc, a New York-based human capital consultancy.

Currently the CEO and President of The Malone Group, LLC, Sharon is engaged in enterprise-wide talent management initiatives for clients, including succession and talent planning, executive search, and executive assessment and coaching. Sharon has led client engagements on such varied topics as succession readiness, emerging talent career architecture, employee engagement surveys, selection assessment and selection, managing change, coaching skills for leaders and executive communication.

Sharon is honored to have been the recipient of Cigna’s President’s Award and United Cerebral Palsy of CT’s Humanitarian Service Award. In addition to her position on the CIL board, she previously served as President of The Repertory Theatre of New Britain, Inc., on the board of The Muscular Dystrophy Association of CT and as a volunteer for Manes & Motions, a therapeutic horseback-riding center.

Driven, energetic and resourceful, Kelly Reyngold has been the Controller at ISO New England for the last 19.5 years. After being introduced to CIL through Sharon Malone, Kelly resonated with the impact CIL has on communities, then paired with her background in non-profits, she knew joining the board would be a good fit. Though only a member for a few months, she has found the passion and commitment to the organization by other board members, as well as employees, is most rewarding. When she isn’t working, you can find Kelly watching sports that her kids play and attending professional events with her family. With licenses in MA as a certified public accountant, Kelly is also the Chair of the St. Mary’s Academy School Board and believes you should be passionate at what you do.

Reverend Joseph Black is the founder and pastor of Spirit and Truth Apostolic Church, Inc., launched in November 2018 with the support of his wife and adult children. Prior to ministry, Reverend Black was Vice President of Procurement and Real Estate Services for Aetna, Inc. (now CVS Health). Pastor Black holds a BS in Interior Design from Cornell University, and an MBA in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Connecticut. He formerly served as a member of several boards including Journey Home Inc., Church Homes, Inc., The Meadows Real Estate, Institute for Supply Management, The Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, and the Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus. After cultivating a relationship with CIL’s CEO Kent Schwendy through the Leadership Greater Hartford pilot program, The Verge, Pastor Black joined the CIL Board of Directors in 2021. With a transparent, focused, and passionate mentality, he most enjoys serving others through his work by adding value through leadership. When he’s not working, Pastor Black enjoys golfing and listening to music.

Since 1994, Maria has been promoting and cultivating a productive, collaborative team environment for the employees of CIL. Maria is CIL's Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for the financial performance against budget and long-term financial strategies. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Accounting and MBA from Quinnipiac University. She also holds her Human Resources Certificate from the University of St. Joseph. When Maria isn't minding the balance sheets, she can be found hanging out with her best buddy - her granddaughter, Ava. Maria is a former board member of Leadership Greater Hartford (LGH) and Family Life Education, both non-profit organizations working to build strong, vibrant communities in the state of Connecticut. Maria continues to volunteer as a member of LGH's Finance Committee.

Ruth Banta retired in 2022 from Pathlight, Inc, a human services organization that serves individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism in Western Massachusetts.  Ruth worked at Pathlight for 20 years, first as the CFO and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and then as Executive Director.  At Pathlight she worked on many innovations to support independence and engaged lives for the people they served.  She worked closely with the CIL team to build and renovate community residences, program and office space to meet the needs of Pathlight’s growth.
Prior to joining Pathlight, Ruth worked in operations management and finance at JP Morgan, Aetna and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.  She was guided to her career change from for-profit entities to human services by seeing the amazing work that human services staff accomplished with her younger son when he was diagnosed with autism at as a toddler.  Ruth is looking forward to bringing her finance, management, and leadership skills to the CIL Board to advance the organization’s mission.  Ruth holds a B.A. from Smith College in Government and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Paul Sanford, now retired, was previously the Executive Vice President, Operations at The Cigna Group and had a successful 20-year career with the company, holding a variety of leadership positions and leading several of the company’s largest-scale initiatives. Prior to joining Cigna, Paul served in various payer and provider leadership roles at Prudential Health Care, Aetna Health Plans, and Scripps Health for more than 10 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York Stony Brook and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. 
As an active member in his community, Paul sits on the board for The Cigna Foundation and is a member of the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare and has held previous board positions for organizations such as Family Life Education, and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee at the Renbrook School. Finding a shared mission between CIL and Cigna—to improve the health and well-being and peace of mind to those we serve, with a focus on whole-person health and increasing vitality—Paul was drawn to join the CIL Board of Directors to further advance the community-focused approach to helping people, individuals, families, and caregivers thrive.

Patrick Pinnell, an architect licensed in several states, loves to draw and does it well – but is equally enamored in the engineering and planning aspects of the profession. All factors into the “game board” on which a given project is designed, he has spent the last four decades in his own practice, Patrick L. Pinnell FAIA/Architecture & Town Planning. His favorite project is always the next one. Patrick joined the CIL board in 2016 and enjoys addressing development challenges with its great staff and board. In addition to the CIL Board, Patrick is also a member and Fellow of the AIA, Congress for the New Urbanism, American Planning Association, and Burr-McManus Trust. He is now a Trustee Emeritus of Connecticut Landmarks, still very active. Curious, persistent, and perennially distractable, Patrick has interests in, and published on, Ancient Greek temenos planning, the career of American Architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and the history of Yale’s buildings and planning in New Haven. Figuring out the “game boards” of more places and situations will continue in his service to CIL.

As the Department Head of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UConn, Marisa Chrysochoou works to redevelop brownfield sites to support the school’s community goals and empower neurodivergent people in education and society, which led her to join the CIL Board most recently in 2021. With the alignment of missions between CIL and her profession, Marisa thoroughly enjoys the interaction with so many dedicated and inspiring people from diverse backgrounds. Marisa is also a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of Women Engineers. An energetic, conscientious, and generous woman, Marisa enjoys working with her students and when not at work, playing volleyball, painting and anything beach related! She believes that with a commitment to excellence, adaptability, and the ability to connect with others you can achieve your highest goals.

Douglas Henley joins the CIL Board of Directors from sunny Florida where he is the Director of Facilities for the Country Club of Orlando. Douglas works to establish and institute the core competencies of sound facilities management to ensure that the buildings and infrastructure add to the positive experience of visiting guests and its club members. Before relocating to Florida, Douglas was the Director of Facilities and Operations for the Capital Region Education Council (CREC), a role that had him responsible for real estate management, project management, and operational leadership. His portfolio encompassed over two million square feet of school, office building, and general-purpose facilities space. Douglas is currently serving as a Board Member for Bike/Walk Central Florida, and his other past/recent board positions include Goodwill Industries of Central Florida, the MetroPlan Orlando Community Advisory Committee, and the Hankins Johnson Education Foundation.

Douglas strives to be the example of an individual exemplifying the all-important professional/personal life balance. When not in the office or board room, he is a respected 3D artist finding various ways to recycle and repurpose many items turning them into robotic sculptures of all shapes and sizes. He also enjoys occasional vacation cruises with his wife, and is an avid model train hobbyist, a long-distance road cyclist, and a high-fi music audiophile.