Aetna (NYSE: ?ET) and The Aetna Foundation announced the establishment of an endowment fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving that will support the Connecticut Veterans Day Parade, and an initial contribution of $75,000, in honor of Marilda Gandara, who is retiring as head of The Aetna Foundation after a 30-year career with Aetna (see also Aetna).
oMarilda has helped make corporate philanthropy and employee volunteerism in the communities we serve a recognized and respected part of the Aetna culture u what we call The Aetna Way,o said Ronald A. Williams, Aetna chairman and chief executive officer. oShe has long been an advocate and supporter of the Connecticut Veterans Day Parade and we are pleased to honor her hard work and successful career. We wish her a happy, fulfilling retirement in the years to come.o
oMarilda has been a tireless supporter of the Connecticut Veterans Day Parade, and many other projects in this region,o said Linda J. Kelly, president of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. oWe are pleased to work with Aetna to establish this permanent fund that will honor MarildaEs commitment to this community.o
In addition, a benefit roast in honor of Gandara, was held yesterday. Proceeds from the event, estimated at $15,000, will be donated to Foodshare.
GandaraEs career with Aetna began in 1978 when she joined the corporate law department, focusing on real estate, bankruptcy and environmental law. She established a track record of success in a variety of roles, including Corporate Planning and Financial Reporting and Real Estate Investments. In 1996, she was named president of the Aetna Foundation and head of Corporate Public Involvement, and played a key role in extending AetnaEs corporate philanthropy. Under GandaraEs leadership, $180 million in grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations and Aetna Volunteer Councils have increased from two to 43. In addition, Gandara has served on the boards of many national and local organizations and has played a key role in multiple efforts, including the Hispanics Philanthropy Funders Collaborative which has raised over $50 million for Latino non-profit capacity building and the Connecticut Veterans Day Parade, now the largest in New England. About Aetna Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, go to www.aetna.com.
Keywords: Aetna.
This article was prepared by Science Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Science Letter via NewsRx.com.
