West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor Chosen To Lead UConn Board Of Trustees

STORRS, CT — West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor has been selected by Gov. Ned Lamont to serve as chair of the University of Connecticut Board of Trustees, the governing body that oversees the state's largest public university.

Lamont announced the move Friday, saying Cantor's selection takes effect immediately. She succeeds Dan Toscano, who had served as board chair since 2019 and stepped down from the role this week.

Cantor is a graduate of the UConn School of Business and has served on the board since 2014, according to the governor's office. A native of West Hartford, she attended Hall High School and graduated magna cum laude from UConn in 1981 with a degree in accounting. The governor’s office said she was inducted into the UConn Business Hall of Fame in 2017.

"In selecting a board chair, I want someone who not only has extensive experience with UConn and knows its academic and administrative needs, but who also has strong connections to Connecticut’s business community and will actively work to strengthen the bonds between the university and our state’s employers so that our graduates are prepared with the resources they need to lead successful, long-lasting careers," Lamont said. "Shari Cantor is the right person to lead the board, and her input is going to significantly benefit the university and its mission to develop the graduates who will flourish in today’s rapidly evolving, modern economy. Shari bleeds Husky blue, and I look forward to having her serve in this leadership role."

Cantor said the role is another way to give back to the university and the state.

"As a proud UConn graduate, I am deeply honored to take on this responsibility," Cantor said. "UConn has played an extraordinary role in my life and in the lives of so many Connecticut families. Public service has always been a deeply meaningful commitment for me, and I see this opportunity as another way to give back to a university and state that have given me so much."

Cantor became mayor of West Hartford in 2016 and continues to serve in the unpaid, volunteer leadership position. Before that, she was elected to the West Hartford Town Council in 2004 and became deputy mayor in 2012. She also worked as a certified public accountant at PwC and Cigna after graduating from UConn.

The governor's office said Cantor and her husband, Michael, have supported UConn in several ways, including helping create Build Hartford with the UConn Foundation and backing the Students First program, which provides emergency financial assistance to students facing unexpected hardships.

The Board of Trustees has 21 members, including gubernatorial appointees, alumni-elected members, student-elected members, and ex-officio members. All members serve as unpaid volunteers.