GBLN's Carolyn Gonzalez to be honored at PRPFC gala - Greater Bridgeport Latino Network

Carolyn Gonzalez

GBLN president Carolyn Gonzalez will receive the Community Leader Award at a banquet gala for the Puerto Rican Parade of Fairfield County.

The banquet, at the Holiday Inn, 1070 Main St., Bridgeport, is 6 p.m. Friday, July 7. Registration begins at 5:30. For ticket information, call Susie Laffitte at 203-218-9471.

"I am honored and humbled to receive this award from the Puerto Rican Parade of Fairfield County," said Ms. Gonzalez. "To be recognized for being a proud Boricua and for doing what I can to help in my community is truly gratifying."

Ms. Gonzalez reflected on her own family heritage.

My Puerto Rican parents taught me to be proud, informed and helpful. My father, Willie Matos, was very active on the board of the PRPFC many years ago, and even served as Grand Marshal. There are many great "Bridgeporto Ricans" who have served and nurtured this important cultural organization, and that are also serving and strengthening other organizations and groups, such as my fellow honoree Carlos Nieves of Ortiz Boxing. And, they are having an impact in our community.

We should all help to preserve and promote Puerto Rican culture and to encourage Puerto Rican service and leadership in Fairfield County.

"Bridgeporto Ricans" are rolling up their sleeves and saying "Presente!" (I am here) and "Pa'lante" (forward) and I believe in the power of those two simple words to compel us to do what we can to help in our community, to preserve Puerto Rican culture and to encourage Puerto Rican leadership in Fairfield County.

Carolyn Gonzalez is a Bridgeport native and lifelong resident with deep ties to the community. She is the only child of Pilar and Willie Matos, who came to Bridgeport from Puerto Rico during the 1950s.

Willie is recognized as one of Bridgeport's most prominent Puerto Rican civil rights activists, and Carolyn's island and stateside family are very civic-minded and community service oriented people, so she learned from a young age to be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

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Since graduating from college, Carolyn has devoted most of her 25-year career to community and economic development with a focus on Bridgeport. She has directed community and economic development programs and projects at organizations such as ASPIRA of CT, Bridgeport Economic Development Corporation, Department of Economic and Community Development, and Community Capital Fund, and consulted with the national Opportunity Finance Network. She is employed as the branding, communications and outreach manager at Capital for Change, the largest full-service Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) in Connecticut.

Carolyn’s volunteer activities include serving as a founding member of Groundwork Bridgeport and a former board member of Bridgeport Neighborhood Fund. She serves as a member and fundraising chair of the Bridgeport Innovation Places Team and coordinates training activities with an ad hoc group of Bridgeport-area Latino organizations (LLC). Carolyn is proudest of her involvement as a founding member and board member (since 2003) of the Greater Bridgeport Latino Network. She became GBLN president in 2015.

GBLN’s dynamic board and volunteers have been engaging Latinos through a variety of communications platforms, service collaborations, networking activities and educational programs such as its E-Community News, Sunset Cruise, Civic Engagement for Youth Program, and most recently, the Puerto Rican Songbook Music Workshop Series.

Carolyn’s passions include travel, writing, music and design. She attended the University of Puerto Rico and holds a Bachelor’s Degree (Political Science) from the University of Bridgeport and a (30-credit) Certificate in Interior Design from Fairfield University. Her short story, “Feeding Frenzy,” was published in “Z: Tales from the Zombieverse” (Fairfield Scribes, 2014). Carolyn lives in Bridgeport with her husband of 26 years, Jeffrey, and their two dogs, Maxi and Sandy.