NCEF Supports Educational Excellence in the Northeast CT Community

PUTNAM, CT – Spring 2026 was a busy season for the Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation (NCEF). In addition to awarding over $201,000 in scholarship funds to college students in May, NCEF also proudly sponsored cultural enrichment activities for students attending CT State Community College Quinebaug Valley. Support like this is made possible thanks to donors who continue to invest in education for NE CT residents.

Thanks to the Eris G. Langhammer Museum Trip Fund, endowed with the NCEF, 88 Quinebaug Valley students visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston on April 10. For some students, this was a first-time chance to visit an art museum in a major city and offered an important cultural experience. Jessica Porzuczek, CT State Quinebaug Valley Visual Arts Professor and Program Coordinator, noted how important this experience is for students, “Supporting student experiences like museum visits is essential to their development and growth. Art and culture cannot be fully understood secondhand; it must be encountered in its physical presence.”

Later in April, the NCEF provided $1,000 in prize money for the 19th Annual Julius Sokenu Poetry Awards, an event honoring the best student poetry in English and Spanish at CT State Quinebaug Valley. The 2026 Awards were hosted at the Quinebaug Valley Willimantic campus and featured 2025 National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco. Jon Andersen, CT State Quinebaug Valley English Department Chair, shared the impact these awards have on students, “Community college is like poetry itself, I think: a place where you can discover what you have to say, a place to say it, and a place to be heard. On the Sokenu Awards night we celebrate our many differences and all we share. The Foundation makes this possible, year after year.”

As an important reminder of the ways businesses and individuals can make a lasting impact in students’ lives, Charlie Pious, President of the Protective Packaging Division of UNICORR/Nutmeg Container, made a $6,500 donation in support of the NCEF as part of UNICORR’s annual day of giving. Pious is a former Foundation member and long-time supporter of Quinebaug Valley. His generosity has supported the Dr. Robert E. Miller Education Advancement Fund and the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center (AMTC). During the check presentation on April 27, Pious and CT State Quinebaug Valley Director of Institutional Advancement Monique Wolanin were joined by Tyson Winchell and DJ Bledsoe, two UNICORR employees who are graduates of the AMTC. As residents who successfully transitioned from the college into their roles at a leading area manufacturing facility, both Winchell and Bledsoe exemplify how supporting local students helps strengthen community.

The mission of the Northeast Connecticut Education Foundation is to provide scholarships and other financial support to residents of Northeast Connecticut who want to pursue higher education. To learn more about the NCEF, visit www.necteducationfoundation.org. For more information on how to support local students at CT State Quinebaug Valley, please contact Director of Institutional Advancement Monique C.K. Wolanin at (860) 932-4174 or monique.wolanin@ctstate.edu.

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Attorney Kate Cerrone Announces Candidacy for Northeast Probate Court Judge

Putnam attorney endorsed by Democratic Party Convention to run for Northeast Probate Court (PD-26) in the November 2026 General Election

PUTNAM, CT — Attorney Kate Cerrone has announced her candidacy for Judge of the Northeast Probate Court (PD-26), serving the towns of Ashford, Brooklyn, Eastford, Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson, and Woodstock. Cerrone was endorsed as the Democratic candidate at the Democratic Party Convention on May 21, 2026, and accepted the endorsement to run in the November 3, 2026 General Election.

Cerrone, an attorney in Windham County, has practiced law in Northeast Connecticut for 24 years, guiding families and businesses through real estate transactions, business law needs, estate planning, land use, and a wide range of other complex legal matters. She also served as an appointed magistrate for the Connecticut Judicial Branch and serves as President of the Putnam Business Association, a 210-member organization serving the region’s businesses and communities.

Her campaign theme — “The Experience to Guide You. The Heart to Care.” — reflects the dual commitment she brings to this race: broad, active legal experience and a genuine, people-first approach to the families who come before the Probate Court.

“For 24 years I have had the privilege of serving the families and businesses of Northeast Connecticut during some of their most important and most difficult moments,” Cerrone said. “I understand what it means to need a trusted guide when the stakes are personal. I’m running because the families of this district deserve a Probate Court that is accessible, compassionate, and guided by real legal depth and genuine care, and I am committed to building exactly that.”

The Probate Court serves families navigating estate settlement, conservatorship, guardianship, adoption, and related matters, often during some of the most challenging seasons of their lives. Cerrone has spent her career working alongside those families at precisely those moments, and she brings to this race a practice philosophy rooted in clear communication, personal attention, and a deep respect for the human stakes involved in every matter she handles.

“The overwhelming support for Attorney Kate Cerrone at last week’s Democratic Party Convention reflects what those of us who know her understand, which is that she is exactly the kind of judge our families deserve on the Probate Court bench. Kate brings to this race the legal expertise, the temperament and the deep community roots this court requires. I am proud to stand with her, and I am confident the voters of the 26th District will send her to the bench this November,” State Representative Pat Boyd (D-Pomfret) said.

In addition to her legal practice, Cerrone’s credentials include a BA in Psychology from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree earned Magna Cum Laude from Pace University School of Law.

“The people who walk into the Probate Court are our neighbors,” Cerrone said. “They are often going through some of the hardest things they have ever faced, and they deserve a judge who treats their situation with the dignity, care, and legal depth it deserves. That is the standard I have held myself to throughout my career, and it is the standard I will bring to this court.”

The Northeast Probate Court serves a seven-town district in Windham County. The November 3, 2026 General Election will determine who serves as its judge for the term beginning January 2027.

For more information about Attorney Kate Cerrone’s candidacy, visit CerroneForProbate.com or call 860-576-5240.

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About Kate Cerrone for Probate
Kate Cerrone is an attorney in Windham County, Connecticut, where she has guided the families and businesses of Northeast Connecticut through real estate, business law, estate planning, and land use matters for 24 years. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Pace University School of Law, she has served as an appointed magistrate for the Connecticut Judicial Branch and currently serves as President of the Putnam Business Association. Cerrone is the Democratic candidate for Judge of the Northeast Probate Court (PD-26) in the November 3, 2026 General Election. For more information, visit CerroneForProbate.com or call 860-576-5240. Campaign promotions paid for by Kate Cerrone for Probate, Dr. Erica Kesselman Treasurer. Approved by Kate Cerrone.

Production
This event is produced by Willimantic Renaissance, Inc., whose ongoing work supports arts,
culture, and economic revitalization throughout downtown Willimantic.
Generous Support Provided By:
• The Town of Windham, CT
• Hartford HealthCare
• The Residences at 804 Main
• Jewett City Savings
• The Windham Regional Arts Council
• WILI Good Company
• The O.L. Willard Company
• Eastern Connecticut State University
• The Windham Republicans
• The Windham Democrats
• The Willimantic Police Department
Windham’s America 250 Committee
• Chris Beaudry, Chair
• Bev York
• Kathryn Niemasik
• Cathy Shires
• Bill Sayers
For more information, visit: linktr.ee/windhmaam250