Rell to Moderate Discussion on Bringing Civility Back to Politics

Former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

How to bring civility back to our politics after the November election will be the topic of a panel discussion sponsored by the new Governor M. Jodi Rell Center for Public Service at the University of Hartford.

The discussion, titled “Where Do We Go From Here? How Will Public Officials Govern After the Incivility of the 2012 Campaign?”, will take place on Thursday, Oct. 25, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Wilde Auditorium.

Former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell will moderate the panel discussion, which will feature Karen Hobert Flynn of Common Cause, former U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, and veteran political television reporter Tom Monahan.

The panel discussion will be the inaugural program of the Rell Center for Public Service at the University of Hartford. Admission is free but tickets are required. To order tickets, please call 860.768.4228 or 1.800.274.8587.


Screening of the Film, Patriocracy

In addition to the panel discussion, the Rell Center also will host the state's first screening of Patriocracy, a documentary by award-winning filmmaker Brian Malone, on Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m. in Wilde Auditorium.

Patriocracy “explores America’s current political gridlock and the polarization that cripples the country from tackling its most serious problems,” notes Malone. The 90-minute film has been recognized in multiple international film festivals and features a cast of some of America’s most trusted leaders and journalists. Bilal Sekou, associate professor of political science in Hillyer College, will lead a short discussion immediately following the film’s screening. The event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. To order tickets, please call 860.768.4228 or 1.800.274.8587.


Panelists for Oct. 25 Program

Following is background information about the moderator and panelists for the Oct. 25 discussion, “Where Do We Go from Here? How Will Public Officials Govern After the Incivility of the 2012 Campaign?”.

M. Jodi Rell (moderator), the state’s second female governor and the first female Republican to head the state, served as the 87th governor of Connecticut from 2004 until 2011. She was lieutenant governor of Connecticut from 1995 to 2004 and a state representative from 1985 to 1995.

Nancy Johnson served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 2007 and in the Connecticut State Senate from 1977 to 1982.

Tom Monahan, now semi-retired, is chief political correspondent for NBC Connecticut, has more than 30 years of experience and is recognized as one of Connecticut’s premier political reporters, having won three Emmy Awards and a Silver Circle Award.

Karen Hobert Flynn, vice president for state operations at Common Cause Connecticut, has been involved with the nonprofit, nonpartisan citizens lobby organization for more than two decades, as a member of the national staff, a volunteer leader, and a state executive director. Under her leadership, Common Cause helped get a number of reforms passed in Connecticut, including campaign finance and ethics laws.

The Rell Center for Public Service was established at the University of Hartford in 2011 to instruct and encourage integrity and responsible participation in government and public service, traits characterized by the life and career of Governor M. Jodi Rell. The Center will offer lectures, panel discussions, symposia, and forums on important local and regional issues. Teaching and learning opportunities will include internships and service-learning in government and public service as well as research and scholarly inquiry on the nature of integrity in government and public life.