Former Little Brother Donates $25,000 General Electric Chairman's Award To Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters

Thirty-three years ago, Alfred Rosa was a 13-year-old living in West Hartford whose family situation had been dramatically altered by his parents' divorce. Al's mother, feeling he needed a male role model in his life, enrolled him in the Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based program. Nutmeg's Enrollment Coordinator matched Al with 40-year-old educator John Clapp, also from West Hartford, who was just beginning his academic career at the University of Connecticut.

Three decades later, Alfred Rosa is Senior Executive Counsel and Chief Compliance Director at the General Electric Company in Fairfield. John Clapp is a Professor of Finance , with a specialty in real estate, at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Alfred Rosa just won the prestigious Chairman's Award from General Electric. The Chairman's Award is GE's highest level management award presented each year to fewer than two dozen employees, within a field of approximately 600 senior GE executives as competition. The award provides the opportunity to donate $25,000 to a charity of the employee's choosing. Al has elected to donate his award to Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, to commemorate the life-enhancing mentoring experience he had with the organization and his "Big Brother", John. The money will go to the establishment of the John M. Clapp Outstanding Big Brother of the Year Award, which will be presented for the first time at Nutmeg's Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Year recognition event being held at Keeney Memorial Hall in Old Wethersfield on May 8.

"Having John in my life during my formative years was tremendously important to me," said Rosa. "John played the critical roles of mentor, advisor and, as it turned out, lifelong friend. John volunteered to take on these roles and he filled them magnificently. With the establishment of the John M. Clapp Outstanding Big Brother of the Year Award, it is extremely gratifying to have this opportunity to recognize and perpetuate John's huge contribution to my success and well-being."

"Al has been and continues to be an exceptional young man," said John Clapp. "I am very proud of all he's achieved both professionally and personally. I'm also honored and humbled that Al and Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters have elected to establish this wonderful award to mark the very productive and enjoyable time Al and I spent together. Hopefully, it will inspire others to investigate the possibility of becoming mentors and positively influencing the many children currently in need."

Andy Fleischmann, Nutmeg's President and CEO, said, "The connection between Al Rosa and John Clapp is amazing - and representative of thousands of life-changing matches between disadvantaged children and caring adult volunteers created by Nutmeg since its founding almost fifty years ago. We're thrilled by Al's and General Electric's generosity, and inspired by the roles both John and Al have played in our collective experience."

Learn more about Nutmeg at: www.nutmegbigbrothersbigsisters.org.