In Memory

Jorge (George) Bahamonde

Birth:  Jul. 31, 1948, Cuba
Death:  Jul. 20, 2006
Bar Harbor
Hancock County
Maine, USA


"My sister and I were two of those kids that were expendable, but we fought and overcame the odds. Most kids don't have the support that we had." - George Bahamonde, May, 2002

George Bahamonde, who since 1994 led the United Way of the Capital Area, passed away unexpectedly on July 20, 2006 while on vacation with his wife in Maine.

He was 60. The cause of death was not known.

A native of Cuba, who moved with his family to Bridgeport when he was 11, Bahamonde had more than two decades of experience with the United Way before he became president and CEO in Hartford. He previously was the senior vice president of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the president and chief professional officer of United Way of Puerto Rico, the associate executive director of the United Way of Aurora, Illinois, and the executive director of the United Way in Portland, Maine.

Bahamonde began his career as a caseworker for Catholic Family and Community Services in Bridgeport in 1972. He received a master's degree in business administration from the University of Miami, a master's degree in education from Fairfield University and a bachelor's degree in fine arts from the University of Bridgeport.

Bahamonde was, among other things, an advocate for education. He brought the Girls and Boys Town ``Well-Managed Classroom'' training model to the Hartford Public School system. The program, now in its fifth year, works to improve students' academic performance and behavior in the 13 schools where it has been implemented.

Bahamonde was also a voice for working families, championing programs on workforce development and affordable housing. Under his leadership in 1995, United Way of the Capital Area was a founding member of the Hartford Neighborhood Development Support Collaborative, which has increased the number of quality affordable housing units in Hartford by more than 1,300 in the last decade, the United Way said in a press release.

Bahamonde's reach into the Hartford community was extensive.

He worked with the Mark Twain House and Museum, the Rotary Club of Hartford, the Bloomfield Education Foundation and the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce. He served on many national and local boards, committees and commissions, including Family Support America, St. Joseph College, the Corporation for Independent Living, the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, Riverfront Recapture, the Hartford Education Foundation, the Connecticut Center for School Change, the National Conference for Community and Justice, Hartford's Commission to End Chronic Homelessness, the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving and Hartford Hospital.

In addition to his work with United Way, he was involved with the American Leadership Forum, In 1997, Bahamonde received the Brilliante Award for individual achievement from the National Society of Hispanic MBAs.

Bahamonde was married to Jenny Smith, director of public relations at Pita Communications. Together, they lived in Bloomfield. He is also survived by a son, Matthew.

The couple was bike riding in Maine Thursday when he died, though the circumstances and cause of his death were not clear Friday.